The Real Deal
About four years ago I admitted that I was a recovering bridge teacher – you're never entirely over it I'm told. Now I have to confess that I've taken it up again, albeit in a very small and informal way. My official classes for Suffolk Adult Education were a long time ago and I am relearning aspects of teaching by tripping over the same obstacles again. However, one rule that didn't need reinforcing was "never let them deal".
It may seem attractive to play 'real' bridge – of course it is, that's why we do it - but for a lesson, cards dealt at the table are complicated and unpredictable. That is why teachers put a lot of time and thought into creating set hands to emphasise a particular theme. In real life those themes are there, but too many of them at once.
But pupils cannot and should not live on such a pappy diet. It is striking how markedly those students who play competitively outside of lessons separate from those who do not; they get better quicker and they get much more from the game. So, with some misgivings, but hoping for the best, I acceded to a 'let us deal' session. In one room, this was the first board:
| Game All Dealer West | ♠ AK972 | ||
| ♥ --- | |||
| ♦ AQ102 | |||
| ♣ 9743 | |||
| ♠ 864 | ♠ QJ3 | ||
| ♥ Q87 | ♥ AKJ65 | ||
| ♦ 8 | ♦ 65 | ||
| ♣ KQJ1065 | ♣ A82 | ||
| ♠ 105 | |||
| ♥ 109432 | |||
| ♦ KJ9743 | |||
| ♣ --- | |||
| West | North | East | South | |
| Pass | 1♠ | 2♥ | Pass | |
| 3♥ | Pass | 4♥ | End |
I thought they bid well; west didn't get her side tangled up by introducing clubs when she had good support for her partner's vulnerable two level overcall. East made a punchy raise to game when she might have down valued her points in spades (vulnerable to a ruffing defence) but a 'fifteen count' deserves some respect; 3NT anyone? North could have tried a take-out double of three hearts – it would have worked well here.
The play was perhaps more typical of a teaching class: south led the spade ten for two rounds of that suit and ruffed the third. A diamond went to the ace and another spade was played, ruffed in dummy. Not unreasonable and this had the effect of inducing counting confusion - east didn't draw all the trumps, allowing south to score another heart for down two, +200 to north-south. Not, with sight of all four hands, a great result for them.
When the deal was played at the other table, west took a shine to her long suit and essayed a pre-empt, her three club opening bringing matters to a premature close. Well, would you bid on the north cards? I suppose you have to and three spades seems to be the only choice. If east stays silent – and there would be some who would try four clubs or even three no-trump – then south does not seem to have any sensible action.
We can see that north-south can make a lot of tricks in diamonds. If south declares and west leads the club king, or if north plays the hand and east leads an ace, then all the tricks can be made. It's not easy to see that this is the case and it will take the eyes of an advanced player to see why the ace of hearts lead does not defeat seven diamonds.
In the real game, north led the spade ace and king and south petered (should he with no trumps?). Undeterred, north underled her diamond ace and south won. Wondering why he was on lead, he tried a heart. That was ruffed for four defensive tricks but no more. Nice play but -110 was not much of a score.
Who could say what would happen in a club game? At county level or even higher, in an international match? North-South can make a slam on their combined seventeen high card points yet they may struggle to even declare. It is this rich unpredictability that keeps all of us playing the game.
Published Saturday 7.Jun.2008