Say It With Feeling, Podner

I'm playing in a sectional Swiss with a capable partner who has somewhat unusual beliefs about competitive bidding. I am third to speak at favorable vulnerability, and pick up

Q96

AJ854

J32. Partner opens 1

and RHO bids 2

. I have nothing to contribute, so I pass, sort of hoping for partner to reopen with a double. Not so; LHO bids 2

and partner bids 3

. RHO passes, happy to be out of this, and I have to figure out who is joking. Odds are that it's partner, but to pass or bid 3

seems like a pretty deep view with likely stoppers in both opponents' suits, so I shrug and bid 3NT. All pass and, yes, it was partner who was joking.

	1053 Q10732 K AKQ6

	Q96 98 AJ854 J32

Partner	RHO	Me	LHO
1	2	Pass	2
3	Pass	3NT	All Pass

They lead a middle diamond spot, and without thinking, I say, "thank you, partner," but 3NT looks pretty hopeless. I suppose I could cash out for down three, but probably they can't do better than down four, so let's see if I can do better.

I win the first trick in dummy of course and lead a small heart towards my hand. If RHO has the J, he'll never know to put it up. It might not help, but the alternative is to give up. It succeeds beyond my wildest dreams. The 9 holds! Up to down two. If it worked once...I continue with the 8. Obviously, I must try the Q from dummy. It wins, dropping the J! Cool. That means LHO started with the AK. RHO needs to have both spade honors to be close to his bid. I'm going to make this! I might as well continue hearts. RHO, as expected, shows out, pitching a diamond. LHO wins, shrugs, and shifts to a spade. RHO wins the top two spades and throws a club on the table. I win and cash the A. When the Q doesn't drop, I claim nine tricks—one spade, two hearts, two diamonds, and four clubs.

The anti-finesse position in hearts works surprisingly often. It is, of course, a desperation play, but sometimes that's all there is.

Partner laughed when I said, "thank you, partner;" I hadn't even seen the dummy yet. Of course, when I did, I realized he didn't have the semblance of his 3 bid, but despite the hopeless situation, I didn't let the opponents know I was in trouble and good things happened. Perhaps I ought to have said, "thank you," with more feeling as his hand obviously was good enough!