3 Beers in a Row, 10 Hour Tennis Matches, World Cup Drama, USBC

I must say that my production at work has been down this week due to trying to keep up with the World Cup and Wimbledon. I suppose I could block all that out from my mind during the day when it’s all happening and just watch highlights or reruns at home, but after work I have other cool things to do like watch the US Bridge Championships on BBO Vugraph and play bridge and do yard work.

First it was the United States’ late goal in the 91st minute to put the US into the second round of the World Cup, then the never-ending tennis match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon. I mean, seriously, their 5th set has gone on for over 7 hours and is extending into a 3rd day.

I saw only a couple of hands at the USBC in the 2 hours I had between work and going to play bridge, but even those were exciting. Ron Smith and Billy Cohen had slams on 4 of the 5 hands I watched, including a 4NT opening bid, which was apparently blackwood followed by a 5NT query, which I would have thought would be asking for specific kings, but Cohen went directly to 7NT with no kings (but a potentially useful Q to go along with the A and a side QJ). I guess it was a good bid since the heart K was onside.

Anyway, the real excitement came at the bridge club this evening. But it would have been more exciting if I was playing with a partner and opponents who recognized the humor and incredible odds against what was happening. The first 3 hands of the night, I declarer 4H making 6, 4H making 4, and 3NT making 6, and on all 3 I won the last trick with the beer card, the ♦7. They were all totally legitimate. The defense could have prevented an overtrick or two or three, but I don’t think they could stop the beering, as the cards laid.

I picked up: Q, Txx, J987, KJxxx at unfavorable vulnerability. RHO deals: P-P-3S-X-P to me. I opted for 4H, thinking the Moysian might play well, especially since it’s matchpoints and I’ll be tapped in the hand with shorter trumps (I hope I have sorter trumps, anyway). Partner puts down a beautiful dummy: xx, AKQxx, AKx, Axx. After 2 rounds of spades, I drew trumps in 3 rounds and played the AK of diamonds, luckily finding LHO with QT doubleton and the beer was easy to score from there. On the other 4H hand, all I had to to was set up the diamond suit of Tx opposite KJ87x and manage my entries well, and the 3NT hand was really easy to score the beer, having 6 running diamonds. A different opening lead may have made it difficult to score the beer without giving up chances for overtricks but who can fault LHO for leading a club after her partner had opened 1C. What are the odds?