Archive of Previous Poor Bridge

A Love Affair to Hell and Back

By Adam Lea and Phil Smith

Some time, a week or so ago, Adam Lea mailed me with a prospective poor bridge that involved a 14 point hand with 4 card support for partner not bidding game. Sadly this didn’t quite meet the PBotW standard, so I suggested he tried harder. And so he, or rather oppo at the Horsham BC did it for him. The hands were as follows (see if you can guess the final contract):

OK So there are all kinds of possibilities, most of which revolve around north opening 1NT, and south popping in 2S over east’s 2H and not a lot else. OK maybe East has a way of calling a major 2 suiter, and South finding an inspired 3D bid and well that probably makes.

What if I tell you that E/W play the hand at the 6 level? Oh come on, I here you say – no way that would be plain poor! Yes, this is poor bridge of the week and this is how it happened:

N/S Vuln.

West	North	East	South
	1NT	2	Pass
3	Pass	4	Pass
5	Pass	5NT	Pass
Pass	X	Pass	Pass
6	X	AP

So west feels like bidding 3 clubs. I’d love to know why, and why south can’t be bothered to bid 2. Anyway 4 looks OK now, whatever 3 means and obviously it’s hopeless with west being so weak. But wait… West now has a 5 club bid! Having found a 6-2 or better major fit AT PAIRS west pops in 5. And then in a logic defying move east joins in the Dutch auction (no offence to Danish people)^* and pops in 5NT. For some reason South can’t double this (?!) but North can and does.

To say west is married to his rag 7 card club suit is an understatement – half of all marriages end in divorce – this love in was all the way to hell and back. Why not bid 6? After all partner already pulled 5!

This rubbish goes –3 for –500 and a total top. And a Poor Bridge of the Week, which those concerned probably weren’t expecting. But well deserved, I think.

^*Editor's note: we are aware that Holland and Denmark are different countries, but Phil's comment seemed too funny to change.