Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Bridge Blog 904: How low can you go?

Lower than you ever expect to go. I used to think it was 24.48% or something like that. That was my all-time worst game, shared with Judy Kaprove two or three years ago, and that was a record that was certain to stand eternal.
But noooo. Even record lows are made to be broken and pickup partner Tish Schiffman and I managed to do a limbo walk under that 24% on Saturday. Bad right from the start, we knew it was, and it kept getting worse. The final tally – a new milestone in misery: 22.02%.
Fifteen bottom boards out of 28 hands, one of them an ill-considered pass-out on a hand that could have made 3 Spades. Another three ties for bottom. Only one top.   
Worst of all were the hands where Tish had six-card or seven-card suits opposite my voids. Of course, she rebid them. Of course, she wound up playing them. And of course, she went down. Hard. Board 4 was such a hand. Tish is South and Liz Clark and Jerry Geiger catch her in a wicked cross-ruff.

South
Spades: K-Q-J-8-6-5-2; Hearts: Q-3; Diamonds: J-9; Clubs: 10-2.
West
Spades: 10-7-4; Hearts: 8; Diamonds: A-8-6-5-4-3; Clubs: 7-5-4.
North (me)
Spades: None; Hearts: J-10-7-5-2; Diamonds: Q-10-7-2; Clubs: A-K-J-3.
East
Spades: A-9-3; Hearts: A-K-9-6-4; Diamonds: K; Clubs: Q-9-8-6.

Tish only managed to take five tricks, thanks to over-ruffs by the opponents. Hand record says she should have taken seven.
It happened again on Board 18 against two more good players, Alan Greer and Nancy Wolstoncroft. East opened. Tish overcalled a Spade. I bid a No Trump, but probably should have bid 2 Diamonds and followed up with 3 Clubs after she bid 2 Spades. Hand records says it makes 3 Clubs and 3 Diamonds. Tish should have taken six or seven tricks, but captured only five.

South (Tish)
Spades: J-10-8-7-6-2; Hearts: A-Q; Diamonds: Q-10-8; Clubs: J-7.
West
Spades: K-Q-4-3; Hearts: 8-7-6-5-4-3; Diamonds: 2; Clubs: Q-4.
North (me)
Spades: None; Hearts: J-9-2; Diamonds: K-J-5-4-3; Clubs: A-10-8-5-2.
East
Spades: A-9-5; Hearts: K-10; Diamonds: A-9-7-6; Clubs: K-9-6-3.

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