What Points?

15^thJune – Board 14. Love All. Dealer East.

Freak hands are always good value with huge swings often coming from the distributional values inherent in them. The hand below was certainly no exception.

	North: S 8 6 5 3 H A J 10 9 4 2 D 2 C A 10
West: S K J 10 4 2 H Q D 10 6 4 C K 9 7 2		East: S A Q 9 7 H K D Q 9 7 5 C 8 6 5 3
	South: S none H 8 7 6 5 3 D A K J 8 3 C Q J 4

West	North	East	South
		No	1H
1S	4D	4S	No
No	5C	No	5D
No	6H	End

The points are divided 20-20 but North/South can make a grand slam, which needs little more than the missing trumps to divide 1-1. South has to open 1H really as he can hardly reverse if he opens 1D but North of course is charmed. Even more so when the opposition bid all the way to 4S because his partner is (almost) certainly marked with a void in the suit. The opposition might double the final contract out of pique but they shouldn’t really as neither hand contains a surprise of any sort and the slam was bid voluntarily and not out of pressure. Interestingly enough 6S doubled is six down against best defence for a cost of 1400 points and a swing of 2 imps against 6H + 1.