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The Horror!

I thought maybe I had missorted this freak!

Then, I feared that BoltHead might possibly have SYKED 1!

Anyhoo, why bollix-up a machine? KEEP it SIMPLE — I don’t want any random K’s or Q’s interfering, or mistaken identities. So I wheeled out my brilliant 4NT RKCB. Pard’s 5NT response didn’t faze me — gotta be 2 Aces (even #) + ♠ void. So 9 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 13 trix for +1520 — at minimal risk (since it’s matchpoints).

BOTH opponents DOUBLED my 7NT. Did you know that, by ACBL law, BOTH doubles get cancelled? (I found that out the hard way at a Pittsburgh Regional in the late ’70’s, when as a joke, as my RHO was in extremis to switch a doubled contract to something even worse… I PRE-doubled) 🙁

Meanwhile, who knew that “zero” is also an even #? So here I was, stranded 2 Aces shy of 7NTX. 🙁

West smugly led its ♣8!! (vs. a doubled grand slam!) — and East smuggly DUCKED!! (vs. a doubled grand slam!)

So now West’s ♣Q thru my K bagged 6 clubs + A, for a shocking -1700. 🙁

I fell 2 Aces, 7 trix, and 3490 total points short of making.

Too bad it wasn’t rubber-bridge — Ida saved at least 1550 points. Of course I will bid 7♠ in an instant (for safety) — down no more than -300 at worst — Plus I recover my precious +150 ♠ honors! 🙂


Comments

13 responses to “The Horror!”

  1. dsLawsd

    Well, the robots play well against me at every turn, including my robot partner. I think you meant 5S but the diagram shows 5NT. So the safety play(bid) must be spades eh? At least versus 6 you might come out OK.

    They keep adding points including their void when opening…

    1. Razorsharp

      Yes, I mis-typed 5S. 5nt was bid as shown, even # ❤️ keys + some void. Actually, it’s best to play 1_- 4NT regular Old Black, but I realized RKB❤️ would do the job!! No time for “safe”!

  2. DGoldfarb

    I was once in 6NT off two aces against the bot, who of course doubled…and then UNDERLED one of its aces to give me my 12th trick!

    1. Anonymous

      I once was defending 6 D with a Heart void. After having opened 4 Spades on AKQJT986 and a few pips in the minors. I led the 6 and partner failed to cover with 75, the six won the trick, so no overtricks 😉 That obviously was NOT a bot…

  3. smerriman

    It wouldn’t have gone much better if GIB had one ace, given your 4NT bid agrees hearts as trumps – count yourself lucky if you could have stopped in 6S.

    This one’s actually very easy to bid, given 2S is a Soloway jump shift (highly underrated, so much better than weak).

    1. Razorsharp

      Good post. Yes, I mistyped 5S. 5NT was bid – obviously 2 ❤️ keys + a void ( I wonder? ). But if 5D, first Ida thumbed “6S” and if BoltHead is not gonna bury me, I’da considered 6S for safety. But it’s matchpoints, so of course 6NT is a low-risk gamble for a top. wooden U? and who needs Soloway js, when I can bid 4NT – 7NT, go for -1700, have the time of my life + a hilarity to share with everyone? 🤪

  4. Anonymous

    I know a pair who got to 7NT missing three aces…after old-fashioned Blackwood. The answering player, having overbid previously, decided to lie about his one ace by bidding 5C. The 4NT bidder assumed it meant 4 aces (he had also previously overbid with no aces) and bid 7NT. Next hand doubled with one ace and the defender with two aces had to pass.

    1. Razorsharp

      A worthy submission to the newly-established “Razor’s Believe it or Else” Bridge Museum at ACBL Headquarters (wherever that is)

  5. prfelsner

    How can anyone play with the robots? Last night it opened 2 spades, righty bid 3 clubs, I bid 3 NT, and robot partner bid 4 NT quantitative, down one.

  6. oldmoondog

    Why not go to 6S. Its only 1 off and not two!

  7. Razorsharp

    As I told you, I thot I could count 13 top trix, and anyway it’s matchpoints, not imps. And I went down 7, not 2 🤬

  8. chigal64

    if you play sayc, you cant count the pts for the void so your opening bid should be pass with 11 pts. Then you can count your void in your response to partner. SAYC means counting length and not distribution or the combination.

    1. razorsharp

      Wisdom of the Ages, sir. Humans know better. Robots spitefully mock us with metallic R2D2 clikkks 🙂