Twice 5 Spades - Deal of the Week #5

This week's Deal of the Week features JW bidding 'em up in 5♠, not once but twice.

On the first occasion he hit a monster dummy, but it wasn't quite enough:

♠ T x x x x x ♥ T x x x ♦ Q x ♣ x ♠ x ♥ A K Q J x x x ♦ K x ♣ x x x 2 13 10 15 ♠ - ♥ x x ♦ A x x x x x x x ♣ A x x ♠ A K J x x ♥ - ♦ J x ♣ K Q J T x x

DH NC AP JW W N E S 1♣ 4♥ - - 4♠ - - 5♥ 5♠ - - -

South dealt and opened 1♣. I was sitting West and had the big Heart suit. Maybe I should only bid 1♥, but I decided to go big with an immediate 4♥. North played it cool with a pass. East has a good hand but no bid, so passed too. South wasn't done, and came back in with 4♠, showing the two-suiter. North again made a reserved pass of 4♠, and East judged very well to bid 5♥. But South still wasn't done, and came back again with 5♠. This won the auction, but at what price?

When dummy came down in 5♠ it was a bit of a shock. Six card trump support! West lead the ♥K, ruffed by declarer. He drew trumps, and tried to set up the Club suit. But when East won his ♣A he quickly switched to Diamonds, and the defence got their three tricks. 5♠-1. But it was a good sacrifice, as East-West are making 5♥, 6♥ in fact.

On Wednesday night JW was at it again, bidding 'em up.

♠ J 9 ♥ K J x x x ♦ K J x x x ♣ x ♠ x ♥ A x ♦ A x x x x x x ♣ x x x 9 8 10 13 ♠ T x x x ♥ x x ♦ - ♣ A K Q J x x x ♠ A K Q x x x ♥ Q x x x ♦ Q ♣ x

DH NC TB JW W N E S - 3♣ 3♠ 4♣ 4♦ 5♣ 5♠ - - -

North dealt and passed. TB sitting East wasted no time with an immediate 3♣ opening. JW sitting South came in with 3♠. I was East and have a good hand for support in Clubs. I should maybe have bid more, but kept to a modest 4♣. But I needn't have worried. After North came in with 4♦ (we were all feeling quite bold) East bid 5♣ himself. This could have been the final contract, but JW stole it again with 5♠.

This time dummy didn't offer so many trumps, but has a good fit in Hearts. Against 5♠ I lead a club to East's ♣A, then switched to a low Heart. I won with the ♥A sitting West, and had a bit of a quandary. I have seven Diamonds in my hand and can see five in dummy, so I know that someone has a void. I was a bit afraid to cash my ♦A, as if it's declarer who's void he might ruff, then use that ♦K in dummy to discard a losing Heart (if he has one). I think this is a bit fanciful and I should just play a Diamond, but got myself a bit tangled up and decided the safest thing was to play a trump.

It looks like declarer can now make the contract, by ruffing a Club in dummy, drawing trumps, and eventually using the extra Heart in dummy to throw away his Diamond loser. But, with the trumps splitting like they do, he doesn't quite have enough entries. So the contract went one off. Another 5♠-1. However, like before, even though the contract didn't make it was an excellent sacrifice, as East-West have no trouble making 5♣ (12 tricks actually).

Next time when JW bids 5♠, I'll bid on over him.