Not Once, but Twice!

Playing in a sectional Swiss, it's not our day. On the first hand, the opponents' weak NT put the wrong hand on opening lead, causing a game swing. The next match started exactly the same way at the other table. Moreover, after 27 boards, I have played one hand. It was doubled and set one. And I had mildly underbid on the hand, too. Feeling a little frustrated, with none vulnerable I pick up

9732

AK5

7542 This is not really an opening bid, but I'm tired of watching, so I open 1

. My choice, already dubious, looks disastrous as it goes double, pass, pass back to me. I believe it is almost never right to pass in this position. If the opponents think it's right to play one of a minor doubled, they are right. I could redouble for takeout or bid something, but I think the most description sequence is to bid 1

and then redouble for takeout. If we don't get doubled in 1

, it's only 50 a throw. When I bid 1

, not surprisingly, it gets doubled. Partner, however, runs to 1

. RHO passes, and I, happily, do too. LHO thinks about this for a good while as well he might and emerges with 1NT. Three rounds of bidding and we haven't left the one-level! We don't as it goes all pass. Partner leads the

3 and an interesting dummy hits.

	J Q8 10932 KQ10863
		9732 AK5 A5 7542

Me	Declarer	Partner	Dummy
1	Dbl	Pass	Pass
1	Dbl	1	Pass
Pass	1NT	All Pass

I wonder why dummy didn't bid 2

or 2

. In any case, I'm envious of his

10. If declarer has

Ax, he's making a lot of tricks.

Declarer plays low from dummy and I win the K. The 2 does not appear, so it looks as if partner has led from a five-card suit. In order to beat this, we are going to need a spade trick unless partner has the A and J. If he has both of those, I don't think I can blow the hand, but if he has the K and J, I need to set up our seventh trick right now; partner will not be able to lead spades himself. So I shift to the 7. Declarer plays low from hand and partner wins the K. He continues with the 2. I win and continue hearts, of course; if partner needed spades played, he would have returned a higher heart.

It turns out that partner does have the J so we take the first seven tricks for +50. It's not exactly a huge board, but when declarer turns up with 4351 shape exactly (with the stiff A), I see I have pulled off a rare coup. My first bid picked off one of the two trump suits they can play. My second bid picked off the other!