Both vulnerable. South deals.

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1´ Pass 2ª Pass

2NT Pass 4´ Dbl

Pass Pass

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Opening lead: Five of ®

Club members are fully aware of Trump Coup Tommy’s unusual ability to shine when trumps are breaking badly. But visitors who have not been exposed to Tommy’s peculiar talent will double when holding a trump stack and line Tommy’s pockets. Here is a typical example.

The bidding was impeccable. Playing a two-over one response as game-forcing, Tommy’s rebid of two no trump showed a minimum opening bid, relatively balanced hand and stoppers in the unbid suits. North’s jump to four spades was followed by a double. It is difficult to fault East, who was looking at two, possibly three, trump tricks, but the result was disastrous.

Even looking at all four hands, it is not easy to spot the route to 10 tricks, but Tommy barely hesitated. After winning the first trick with the queen of clubs, Tommy cashed the ace of diamonds and ruffed a diamond low in dummy. He returned to hand with the king of clubs for another diamond ruff, then cashed the ace of clubs, discarding a heart from hand. The ace of hearts served as the entry to the closed hand to ruff another diamond with the king of trumps.

Both Tommy and the visitor were now down to nothing but five trumps. When a heart was led from the table, East ruffed with the eight and Tommy overruffed with the knave for his ninth trick. He then carefully exited with the seven of trumps and sat back to collect the six as the fulfilling trick.

Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Media Services Inc., 2010 Westridge Drive, Irving, TX 75038. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@aol.com.


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