horror story

[Douglas Newlands]

If you think there is no horror in bridge, imagine
yourself in west's position for this hand and auction.

Imps, love all, dealer south
Q8754
AK52
63
K2
J3 A109
8643 Q10
AKQ1098 J54
Q AJ643
K62
J97
72
109875

W N E S
P
1D 1S 2H P
4C P 4S P
4N P 5C P
5H P 6D
X P 5S
P P X P
P P

I know it looks wrong but that's the auction at the table.
West had no idea what had happened and was poised to go down the gurgler.
North was very keen to double and got a bit ahead of himself.
East accepted the double out of turn and south lost the plot totally.
EW escaped the incipient disaster but NS grabbed it!

Can you explain what happened?
(for Ron the elder, Stan was N and Gurf was S).

doug

[p***@gmail.com]

This is why you should not play bridge in a rotating restaurant.

[Lorne Anderson]

Post by Douglas Newlands
If you think there is no horror in bridge, imagine
yourself in west's position for this hand and auction.
Imps, love all, dealer south
Q8754
AK52
63
K2
J3 A109
8643 Q10
AKQ1098 J54
Q AJ643
K62
J97
72
109875
W N E S
P
1D 1S 2H P
4C P 4S P
4N P 5C P
5H P 6D
X P 5S
P P X P
P P
I know it looks wrong but that's the auction at the table.
West had no idea what had happened and was poised to go down the gurgler.
North was very keen to double and got a bit ahead of himself.
East accepted the double out of turn and south lost the plot totally.
EW escaped the incipient disaster but NS grabbed it!
Can you explain what happened?
(for Ron the elder, Stan was N and Gurf was S).
doug

My best guess is that E thought he had cue bid 2S (or thought N had bid
1H) and then cued the spade ace over the splinter suggesting a diamond slam.

I am completely mistified by 5S however (even if a typo and it should be
6S).

[Player]

Post by Douglas Newlands
If you think there is no horror in bridge, imagine
yourself in west's position for this hand and auction.
Imps, love all, dealer south
Q8754
AK52
63
K2
J3 A109
8643 Q10
AKQ1098 J54
Q AJ643
K62
J97
72
109875
W N E S
P
1D 1S 2H P
4C P 4S P
4N P 5C P
5H P 6D
X P 5S
P P X P
P P
I know it looks wrong but that's the auction at the table.
West had no idea what had happened and was poised to go down the gurgler.
North was very keen to double and got a bit ahead of himself.
East accepted the double out of turn and south lost the plot totally.
EW escaped the incipient disaster but NS grabbed it!
Can you explain what happened?
(for Ron the elder, Stan was N and Gurf was S).
doug

Ye gods and little fishes. I think Gurf must be getting senile. Also Nth's x is typical for that player. What tricks does he think he is going to make?

[Player]

Post by Douglas Newlands
If you think there is no horror in bridge, imagine
yourself in west's position for this hand and auction.
Imps, love all, dealer south
Q8754
AK52
63
K2
J3 A109
8643 Q10
AKQ1098 J54
Q AJ643
K62
J97
72
109875
W N E S
P
1D 1S 2H P
4C P 4S P
4N P 5C P
5H P 6D
X P 5S
P P X P
P P
I know it looks wrong but that's the auction at the table.
West had no idea what had happened and was poised to go down the gurgler.
North was very keen to double and got a bit ahead of himself.
East accepted the double out of turn and south lost the plot totally.
EW escaped the incipient disaster but NS grabbed it!
Can you explain what happened?
(for Ron the elder, Stan was N and Gurf was S).
doug

I assume the 2H bidder wanted to bid 2C and in fact thought he bid 2C. So over partner's 4C he cued 4S. Who were East-West?

[Douglas Newlands]

Post by Player

Post by Douglas Newlands
If you think there is no horror in bridge, imagine
yourself in west's position for this hand and auction.
Imps, love all, dealer south
Q8754
AK52
63
K2
J3 A109
8643 Q10
AKQ1098 J54
Q AJ643
K62
J97
72
109875
W N E S
P
1D 1S 2H P
4C P 4S P
4N P 5C P
5H P 6D
X P 5S
P P X P
P P
I know it looks wrong but that's the auction at the table.
West had no idea what had happened and was poised to go down the gurgler.
North was very keen to double and got a bit ahead of himself.
East accepted the double out of turn and south lost the plot totally.
EW escaped the incipient disaster but NS grabbed it!
Can you explain what happened?
(for Ron the elder, Stan was N and Gurf was S).
doug

I assume the 2H bidder wanted to bid 2C and in fact thought he bid 2C. So over partner's 4C he cued 4S. Who were East-West?

EW west had started using switch bids over 1S and 2C overcalls
so 2H showed clubs, 4S was 2 without assuming 4C was minorwood.
5C was no king and 6D was an attempt to get somewhere sensible.
Whereas west thought 4C was SPL, 4S was a cue and 5C was 1 or 4
and 4 seemed unlikely.
West had a problem with forgetting switch bids and, unfortunately,
and as sir humphrey would say, west was the perpendicular pronoun.

doug

[Lorne Anderson]

Post by Douglas Newlands

Post by Player

Post by Douglas Newlands
If you think there is no horror in bridge, imagine
yourself in west's position for this hand and auction.
Imps, love all, dealer south
Q8754
AK52
63
K2
J3 A109
8643 Q10
AKQ1098 J54
Q AJ643
K62
J97
72
109875
W N E S
P
1D 1S 2H P
4C P 4S P
4N P 5C P
5H P 6D
X P 5S
P P X P
P P
I know it looks wrong but that's the auction at the table.
West had no idea what had happened and was poised to go down the gurgler.
North was very keen to double and got a bit ahead of himself.
East accepted the double out of turn and south lost the plot totally.
EW escaped the incipient disaster but NS grabbed it!
Can you explain what happened?
(for Ron the elder, Stan was N and Gurf was S).
doug

I assume the 2H bidder wanted to bid 2C and in fact thought he bid 2C.
So over partner's 4C he cued 4S. Who were East-West?

EW west had started using switch bids over 1S and 2C overcalls
so 2H showed clubs, 4S was 2 without assuming 4C was minorwood.
5C was no king and 6D was an attempt to get somewhere sensible.
Whereas west thought 4C was SPL, 4S was a cue and 5C was 1 or 4
and 4 seemed unlikely.
West had a problem with forgetting switch bids and, unfortunately,
and as sir humphrey would say, west was the perpendicular pronoun.
doug

I am not surprised nobody guessed this !

[Lorne Anderson]

Post by Douglas Newlands
as sir humphrey would say, west was the perpendicular pronoun.
doug

For those outside the UK with no idea what this is all about (it is a TV
comedy about how Governmentwork) might like to look here for a good laugh:

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Yes,_Minister