Show 1 CULBERTSON on CONTRACT I By Ely Culbertson I Worlds World's Champion Player flayer and Greatest Card Analyst J SLAM I BIDS Slam bidding probably is the most exciting part of Contract Even E the themo mo most t conservative of players will vill occasionally oc oc- oc overbid a hand outrageously outrageous ly 1 y just for the sake of having an opportunity op to enjoy the thrill which comes from making same impossible slam The following hand probably is one of the worst bid hands in the history of the game and the South player who succeeded in fulfilling his contract con conS tract will probably lose mone money in inthe inthe inthe the long run through this particular ha land hand d. d As it happens the hand can be Beaten but only if the West Vest player leads a suit which has been bid by bythe bythe the opponents through weakness in inthe the Dummy Upon close anal analysis sis I think that this player should have appreciated this and acted accordingly accordingly accord accord- although admittedly it is an unusual m method thod of defer defense e. e North North Dealer Neither side vulnerable A A AJ J 9 S K Q 7 0 K J 8 6 5 3 s S SA o A Q 7 G 54 N 1 2 c V 63 J 6 W E 0 o 0 0 A Q r 4 tSi 5 A s K Kb 10 8 B 3 V J 10 8 S 2 0 0 1 A K IC Q 10 3 The Bidding Figures after alter bids in table refer to numbered explanatory para para- graphs i-aph i South West North East I 10 1 Pass 32 3 Pass 30 3 Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass 1 This 1 This is one of the few sound bids made 2 A 2 A tremendous overbid In the first place the hand contains only 2 2 1 honor tricks and in the second place it is marked marled as a misfit after after af ter the first bid 3 The 3 The suit is not strictly but North must do something and shies clear of three on account of the singleton club laid this trap for himself South must now assume the I re 5 Not 5 Not as much an overbid as it looks On the bidding South should hold some strength in diamonds 6 Incomprehensibly 6 insane The opening lead was the fourth fourth- best spade spade obviously obviously the best lead from the standpoint of declarer The trick was won by the 0 9 in Dummy and the heart King returned West Wesl held off the heart suit twice and finally took the third round with wilh the Ace If West could lead his void in diamonds the hand could be defeated 2 tricks but bul this would probably constitute constitute constitute con con- a revoke The Th lead which he must now make in order to the contract is that of a low club However However How ever the West pla player er was not gifted with imagination at nt this particular point so he finally decided that a spade lead would be quite harmless if il his partner held another one of that suit He apparently had been n a little dazzled by the bidding as ES otherwise oth e he would have noticed that the Ithe declarer was v in grave crave danger of blocking himself I Naturally the second spade lead gave declarer th the rest of the tricks as the club suit was was automatically es The lead of a club would have prevented declarer from taking the spade finesse as this play ply would have left him in th Dummy with all the diamonds to play into East The result was certainly all th that lt could be hoped for but this hardly excuses Sout South's s 's bidding Questions Answered Ans Mr Culbertson will be glad to answer an awer any my specific question on bidding or play pl lY sent in by readers Address Addre s him in care of this newspaper ing n a stamped sel self addressed addre sed envelope ope Copyright 1932 Ely Elv Culb Culb Culbertson |