Where did all the spades go? Bridge Column for November 14, 2003, Harvey Bernstein Neither side vulnerable. West deals. South holds: S: 4 H: K Q D: A K J 8 7 C: A K 10 7 6 The Bidding: West North East South 2H Pass Pass ? Before reading any further, decide what you would bid as South with the cards shown. My wife, Irene, and I traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada last month to meet some friends for a short vacation. I looked up the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) web site, www.acbl.org and found the phone number for the local bridge club in Las Vegas. I called the director a couple of days before our departure and asked if he could arrange a game for me on Friday afternoon. He told me that was not a problem and that the game started at 1 p.m. The Las Vegas Duplicate Bridge Club is located near "The Strip" on East Sahara Avenue and Sixth Street. I arrived about a half an hour before game time and was introduced to my partner, Kai Larsen of Las Vegas. His name seemed very familiar and I asked him why I should find it so. He told me that the name I was familiar with was Kyle Larsen of San Francisco, one of the top players in the country, who also happens to be his son. Larsen and I had a very nice game and while we did not win anything we did have some interesting hands. I held the South cards in the hand shown below. North S: K 8 6 H: 10 4 2 D: 10 9 6 3 C: 8 5 3 West East S: A S: Q J 10 9 7 5 3 2 H: A 9 8 7 6 5 H: J 3 D: Q D: 5 4 2 C: Q J 9 4 2 C: Void South S: 4 H: K Q D: A K J 8 7 C: A K 10 7 6 The first question I thought of when it became my turn to bid was "Where are the spades?". My partner could not overcall or double for take-out and the player in the East position could not make a call. Something very strange was going on! There appeared to be many problems involved with finding the correct bid with the South cards. I couldn't really double because it was so very likely that my partner would bid spades. I couldn't bid two no trump to show the minor suits because that bid does not apply here. I finally decided that my partner had to have a spade stopper and I just bid three no trump. This was passed all around. West led the queen of clubs and I was very surprised when East showed out. I won the first trick and put West back on lead with a small club to his nine. He exited with the queen of diamonds! I won this trick with the ace and played the king of clubs and then another club. West won the jack and exited with his last club. At this point I had three club tricks and a diamond trick. I cashed four more diamonds and got out with the king of hearts. West won the heart and returned a heart. I won the queen for my ninth trick and conceded a spade to the ace. Even if West leads a small heart at trick one he cannot defeat this contract. The ten of hearts in the dummy guards the heart suit and declarer can score five diamonds, two hearts, a spade and two clubs, for a total of ten. I don't think I can ever remember someone holding an eight card spade suit and not being able to make a bid. If West opens the bidding with one heart, North will pass and East will bid one or two spades, depending on their system agreements. South can now make an "Unusual Two No Trump" bid, showing the minors. West should double indicating a willingness to defend one of the minors, and North should bid three diamonds. What happens after that will depend on who is bidding the hand but it is very likely that a spade contract by East or a diamond contract by North will be defeated in short order. I found the bridge club to be much friendlier than the casinos and it was a nice way to spend a Friday afternoon in Sin City. _______________________________________________________ Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon.