Hi all
This deal is from Quick Tricks in San Francisco. About a year ago our DC party (Remco, Dennis, Martin and me) pillaged the club night. We finished first in both directions. So the stakes were high when Remco announced he was coming to visit us again, and that a night at QT was definitely on his schedule.
We meet our random teammates and sit down against an elderly couple. I’m holding:
When I hear Remco open 1
I know we’re in for a ride.
13
4
461. Natural, or invite+ with
2. 14-17 balanced
3. Slam try with
4. Cue
5. First round control
6. Three key cards
After the 5 response I could count Remco’s hand to be a 5332-distribution with Ace – King, Ace and the King. If Remco is holding three to the Ace then the grand is solid. The odds to that are 2 to 1, so I leapt to the grand.
Above you can see the single distribution where Remco was unable to pull off thirteen tricks. Even the added bonus of the Queen of dropping doubleton didn’t occur. With tears in my eyes I write down one for a 17 IMP laceration.
The Viking approach would have worked out fine:
2343363389101. GF relay
2. Maximum (14-15 hcp)
3. Relay
4. Balanced or a side suit in the other Major
5. Balanced
6. 5-2-3-3
7. Two Aces of the same rank
8. Two Kings of the same shape
9. I know you can’t possibly have a Queen, but I still want to ask
10. No Queen
11. Sigh