Hand Evaluation.
Bridge Column for November 4, 2001, Harvey Bernstein
Neither side vulnerable.  North deals.
                              NORTH
                              S: 9 7 2         
                              H: 5 3         
                              D: K 7 6 5 2   
                              C: 10 7 5
            WEST                             EAST
            S: 10 6 4 2                      S: Q J 5        
            H: 8 6 2                         H: Q J 9 7   
            D: Q J 10 4                      D: A 9 8 3           
            C: 3 2                           C: 9 8        
                              SOUTH                         
                              S: A K 8
                              H: A K 10 4  
                              D: Void      
                              C: A K Q J 6 4
          The Bidding:  
                  NORTH    EAST    SOUTH    WEST                  
                   Pass    Pass     2C      Pass
                   2D      Pass     3C      Pass
                   3D      Pass     3H      Pass
                   4C      Pass     6C      Pass
                   Pass    Pass
     Sitting South at a rubber bridge game, I felt a rush as I
sorted my hand.  Twenty-four high card points plus a void doesn't
come around very often.  The opening bid of two clubs showed a
"game forcing" hand.  Two diamonds was a "waiting" bid.  Three
clubs is natural, showing a club suit.  Three diamonds is a
"second negative" showing a bad hand.  
     Three hearts is my second suit and it is still a forcing
bid.  North took a preference to clubs and I decided to bid the
small slam.  I had every suit double stopped and partner, by
taking a preference back to clubs, indicated that he had less
than three hearts.
     The opening lead was the two of clubs.  I won this trick
with the ace of clubs and cashed the two top hearts.  Both
opponents followed suit.  I trumped a third heart in dummy and
returned to had with a spade.  I trumped my last heart in dummy
with the ten of clubs and trumped a diamond in hand as the entry
to finish drawing the outstanding trumps.  It was a simple matter
to concede one spade trick and claim my small slam.
     You don't see many "three loser" hands and when they come up
you should attempt to maximize your result.  There are a lot of
ways that partner's hand can "cover" a loser, so bid aggresively
in these situations.
_______________________________________________________
Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon.