Lucky lead

A quick rabbit sketchboard story. [Characters from Bridge in the Menagerie].


RR is holding xx, AKJTxxx, xx, xx, when he hears his RHO Papa, open 1NT. RR bids 3H (showing a 7 card suit), and his LHO (SB), bids 3NT with the air of someone who has a heart stopper, and it becomes the final contract.

While RR is fiddling with his cards and trying to figure out what his latest lead agreement with HH is, the HJ drops on the table. HH, who had been distracting Papa by taking a sandwich off Papa's plate, points to the HJ as SB spreads the dummy.

This is what Papa sees (lead HJ):

IMPS None	SB ♠ AKx ♥ Qxx ♦ Jxxx ♣ xxx
	Papa ♠ QJx ♥ xx ♦ AKQx ♣ Axxx

W	N	E	S
			1NT
3H	3NT	P	P
P

Papa reasons that RR likely has AJTxxxx or KJTxxxx with RHO holding a singleton honour. As he needs a heart trick to make the contract, the correct play is to play low from dummy.

When the J wins, RR is more surprised than Papa, and proceeds to cash the rest of the heart tricks.

HH remarks that he would have led the HJ too.

Rabbit plays A diamond

[Like the previous Rabbit stories, this is based on the Menagerie characters. This was also posted on bridgewinners.]

---

Karapet was hoping he would cut the Rabbit, but as usual, the Rabbit with his darn luck got paired with the Hog.

"Again? Anyway, how bad can it be? At least it is Secretary Bird and not Papa. It can't be worse than yesterday when...".

Karapet's thoughts were interrupted by the Hog loudly ordering some jam sandwiches.

The Rabbit was the dealer and dealt himself ♠AK ♥KQT9876 ♦A32 ♣A.

He opened 1♥, Secretary Bird, who was on his left passed. Hog surprised everyone by passing, and Karapet doubled.

Just then the waiter arrived with the sandwiches and the Hog offered him some. Saying "No thanks", the Rabbit passed (the sandwich no bid, if I may).

The Bird bid 2♣ , Hog passed (again!), and Karapet bid 2♦.

The Rabbit now thought, "With my diamond honour over Karapet's, my hand has improved. I was going to invite, but I think I should bid game now". His nose quivering with excitement, the Rabbit bid 4♥ with shaking hands.

The Bird, Hog and Karapet passed. The Rabbit passed out of habit. "No double this time Rabbit", chuckled Hog.

The Bird led the ♦T.

The Hog placed the dummy down awkwardly, as he took the Rabbit's cards for a look see. "Wonderfully bid Rabbit. Now you just have to make it", said Hog, while scraping the last globs of jam on the plate with his finger.

These were the cards

Rubber None	Hog ♠ 5432 ♥ 32 ♦ 5432 ♣ 432
	Rabbit ♠ AK ♥ KQT9876 ♦ A76 ♣ A

W	N	E	S
			1H
P	P	X	P*
2C	P	2D	4H
P	P	P

Rabbit immediately called for a low ♦ and Karapet overtook the ♦T with the ♦K.

Now the Rabbit began to think. "What was it? Count your losers? Lose two diamonds and the ♥A. Maybe I should duck the diamond? Or was the rule to win it?".

Then inspiration struck him, "Aces are meant to take Kings!". The decision was easy. He needed to win it and then drive out the ♥A.

So he reached for the ♦A and plunked it on the table. To his dismay, he noticed a card lying beneath the ♦A. He was surprised to see that it was the ♥T.

"What? How? I sorted my cards. Wait there is something on back of ♦A. It is some ja...".

"You never could tell the difference between a heart and a diamond", interrupted the Hog.

"It is a played card. Since you won the trick, you need to lead that to the next trick. Those are our rules", said the Bird.

"What? No. It is not my fault. It is those damn sandwi...".

"In fact I would not be surprised if you didn't notice that you had a club in with your diamonds too", interrupted the Hog again.

Inspite of the Rabbit's protests, he was forced to play the ♥T to the next trick.

These were the four hands

Rubber None	Hog ♠ 5432 ♥ 32 ♦ 5432 ♣ 432
Bird ♠ T98 ♥ J54 ♦ T ♣ JT8765		Karapet ♠ QJ76 ♥ A ♦ KQJ98 ♣ KQ9
	Rabbit ♠ AK ♥ KQT9876 ♦ A76 ♣ A

W	N	E	S
			1H
P	P	X	P*
2C	P	2D	4H
P	P	P

The Bird quickly played the ♥J to get the cheap trick that he had directed himself to.

Poor Karapet had to overtake with his bare Ace. He could cash two more diamonds, but even Rabbit could take the rest.

"Just my luck, as usual. Rabbit had to have a heart in with the ♦, and you had to play the ♥J. If you play low, I can win and promote your Jack for the setting trick!"

"Jam sandwiches, anyone? I am ordering more", said the Hog, licking his fingers.

[You guessed it. It was the Hog who had stuck the cards together with jam, and the Rabbit had in fact sorted his cards correctly.]

Rabbit Leads a Heart

[I had posted this article on bridgewinners.com. It is based on the characters in "Bridge in the Menagerie" by Victor Mollo, just like an earlier article: Rabbit plays a spade.]


With great reluctance and pressure from the regional bridge authorities, the members of the Griffin club agreed to hold a pre-played Matchpoint tournament. The hands would be ones which were already played at more than a 100 tables previously, and the scores would be compared against the results of those tables, rather than the tables present at the club. The results slip which contained the contracts and the opening leads at those 100+ tables, would be available as soon as the board was played.

The Hog agreed to play with the Rabbit, and on the way to the club, the Hog said, "Raise me with 2 trumps, or a singleton honour. Feel free to double the opponent's contract, no transfers when you open NT". The rabbit replied, "Ok. Lets play 3rd/5th and udca". The Hog, with a generous wave of his hand, said, "Sure". He ignored the Rabbit's defensive signals, anyway.

Meanwhile, Karapet, who was paired with Papa was saying, "Never raise me with just 3. With me they split 5-0. Never double the opponent's contract, they will make it, and never use stayman or transfers which will result in a fatal lead directing double. Why, just last Tuesday..."

He was interrupted by the Hog and Rabbit arriving at their table. Papa and Hog quickly made a side bet about who would make the Rabbit squirm in his seat first, while the Rabbit and Karapet exchanged system information. A few moments later, the tournament began.

Papa was South and was dealt



 Papa opened 2C, Karapet responded 2D, showing 0-4 or 8+ in their system. Papa bid 2S, and Karapet jumped to 4S, denying interest in slam, and showing 0-4.

At this point, Papa, starting his usual monologue with his imaginary kibitzer, thought: "Listen closely. Many players will pass here. Not Papa. You see, Rabbit is on the lead. That is usually worth one, if not two tricks. I am playing the hand, and that is worth an extra trick. I am going to bid 6S. But wait! Not so fast. Where is your imagination? If you are going to bid 6S anyway, why not give opponents a chance to make a lead directing informative double to our advantage?".

Papa bid 4NT, and Karapet showed his 0 Aces with 5D. 6S from Papa closed the bidding. The Rabbit and the Hog had passed through out.

The Rabbit led the H8, and this is what Papa saw:



Papa continued, "See! You can count on the Rabbit! The lead marks the Hog with HKQxxx(x). After winning the HQ with the HA, even the Rabbit can force an entry to dummy by overtaking the HT with the HJ. Draw trumps, unblock clubs, force entry, throw D loser on CJ. 12 easy tricks and a well deserved top!".

Congratulating himself, Papa asked for the H3 from dummy, and was taken aback when the H2 appeared on his right. After getting over the initial shock, he thought, "Hog is a good player, but this is brilliant! With HKQxxx(x) and he can afford to make an entry denying duck. He deserves a good result, but unfortunately for him, I am declaring. I can still make the hand. Wait and see".

So Papa won with the HT, drew trumps, cashed the CAKQ and the HA.

The play so far(click Next):





Papa continued, "We are at the fork in the board, if you will. I can still make the hand if I can tell who has the DK. If the Hog has it, I can exit with a heart, endplaying him. If the Rabbit has it, then I can play DA and DQ. The Rabbit who is out of hearts, must give me the 12th trick. Now who has the DK you ask? Remember the bidding? Imagination? Karapet bid 5D, and Hog did not double! That inference is good enough to place the DK with the Rabbit. Of course, if it was a better player like me, who is capable of making a deceptive double... besides, I will have a chance to make the Rabbit squirm and win the bet".

So Papa played the DA and a D to the Q. It was won by the Rabbit with the DK who now started squirming in his seat.

Papa thought, "Aha! As we inferred. Let him squirm for sometime. I win the bet and a top! I will claim just before he is about the play a card".

After some agony, the Rabbit detached a card, and Papa was about to claim as it hit the table, when he was totally shocked to see that it was the HQ, which took the setting trick.



This was the whole hand:





Papa spluttered, "You.. you... led the H8 from KQ84?".

"Yes, we are playing 3rd/5th", said the Rabbit.

"What were you thinking about when you got in with the DK!?", cried the Hog, handing Papa an IOU for his side winnings.

"I was not sure whether we play the HK or the HQ in this situation. Maybe I should have played the HK. In any case, it did not cost a trick".

Meanwhile Karapet who had opened the pre-played results slip, spoke: "Most were in 4S making 6. Some were in 6S making and some were in 6NT making. One South was passed in 2C making 12 tricks. At all tables, the lead was HK."

"Maybe they weren't playing 3rd/5th", said the Rabbit, as they drew cards for the next board.

Better call Saul!

Apple or Pecan?

Rabbit Plays a Spade

[This is an article I had posted on www.bridgewinners.com, and is based on the characters in Victor Mollo's, "Bridge in the Menagerie" series. The menagerie book is a must read for any bridge player]

It was business as usual at the Griffins club. It was the first board of the rubber, and Rueful Rabbit had the mixed fortune of cutting Hideous Hog for a partner, and the good fortune of playing against Karapet and the Secretary Bird.

On the very first hand, they were dealt



Karapet bid 1H and the Hog as usual bid 1NT preparing to play the hand, while simultaneously ordering a plate of biscuits. The Bird raised to 2H. The Rabbit quickly bid 2S, with Karapet overcalling 3D. Just then, the waiter arrived drawing Hog's attention for a moment, and forgetting he had not overcalled 1S, the Hog bid 4S. Delighted, the Bird doubled, and that was the final contract.

Karapet let the HK, and taking a quick glance at the Rabbit's cards, the Hog chuckled, "Even you should not go down more than three on this", as he fumbled to place the dummy down.

"Ace heart", said the Rabbit, as Bird signalled with the H7 and Rabbit played the 2.

The Rabbit now thought, "I have 3 clubs, 1 heart, 2 ruffs in hand. That is 5 tricks. I need the SK to be singleton to get 5 more tricks from spades".

"Ace spade" called the Rabbit. The Hog immediately played a low spade, while offering the others some biscuits. The Bird played the K. "No thank you", said the Rabbit and played low, while Karapet discarded a heart. The Bird led the DA next.




"Wait! I won the trick in dummy", said the Rabbit.

"No, you called for a small spade".

"I said Ace spade, not a spade", said the Rabbit with a quivering nose.

"The rules of our club are clear", said Bird. "Once the trick is over, and a card is led to the next trick, you cannot take back a played card".

"It is ok, partner, he can take it back", said Karapet.

"I agree", said Hog. "The rules are indeed clear."

By now, Rabbit's cheeks had become red with anger, and with a trembling voice he said, "Alright! Let's get on with it".

The DA was won by the Bird, and he played another diamond to Karapet's Q, who returned a third diamond.

The Rabbit still fuming and thinking, "A spade! Down three! I will show him how to waste tricks!". He didn't want to make it too obvious by discarding. "Ruff with the top spade, partner".

The Hog played the SA, and the Bird discarded, while Karapet slumped back in his chair. He thought, "This is nothing compared to that time anyway...".

The rabbit then called for a spade, and when the Bird played the S9, he played the ST, hoping to lose to the SJ. To his surprise, he won the trick, as Karapet discarded another heart.



Unable to lose tricks, he wondered if playing normally would help. He played the SQ and ruffed a diamond, but could not avoid taking the rest of the tricks.

"Down how many?".

"You made it".

"Well played, partner".

On the very next deal, the Hog was distracted again to put the Rabbit in 5H, with Karapet leading the S3.


Guess what happened?