Play it Again, Sam

In the further adventures of our eponymous ex-columnist, Sam Dinkin, our hero again reaches 7

in a regional side event during the Toronto nationals.

Vulnerable at matchpoints,

	AQ AKQ32 KJ84 A3

	843 864 AQ932 Q5

Sam has reached 7

on bidding too horrible to recount. (Actually, I just don't know it. I revel in recounting horrible bidding. How else can one excoriate our heroes? They made the contract, after all!)

Sam was graced with a trump lead and drew trumps, discovering RHO's singleton. When hearts broke 3-2, Righty again being short, Sam decided that her surplus of black cards suggested that the spade finesse might fail. In any case, he can delay that dubious chance until the end by cashing the A (a Vienna Coup,) all the hearts, pitching spades, and running trumps, reaching this two card end position with RHO still to play to trick 11.

	AQ --- --- ---
Immaterial		Kx --- --- K
	8 --- --- Q

By now, RHO is clearly in distress so the spade finesse cannot be a rewarding proposition, but Rightly happily (for us!) decides to play her partner for the

Q, pitching the lesser monarch, allowing his mate to stand up and Sam to claim. 7

seems to be Sam's joyance.

This ending (called an "automatic simple squeeze" even though it is hardly that) is the same as the one in Sam's previous 7 hand that week!