Henry's Homepage
Hmmm.... Beer.... (3/29/03)

Home

News
About Me
Favorite Links
My Resume
Bridge
Work
Guest Book and Contact Information

Hmmm.... Beer....
 
In some circles in the bridge world, taking the thirteenth trick with the D7 while making your contract is worth a beer from partner. There are variations to this, as some believe that diamond contracts or slams shouldn't count. I've had quite a good run with the beer card lately. In my last seven or so events at the sectional or regional level, I've scored up about 10 beer cards, with all of them leading to good boards. Below are two hands on which I won (deserving) beers from partner. Boards are rotated for convenience so that I sit South as declarer.
 
EW Vul
Dealer S

North
S  K84
H  J3
D  AK972
C  AK4




West
S  AT62
H  Q5
D  654
C  8732



East
S  QJ
H  A86
D  QJT83
C  QT5
South
S  9753
H  KT9742
D 
C  J96
 
I opened 3H as dealer as it was my turn to bid. My partner raised me to game even though we had previously discussed that 3 level preempts first seat favorable can be very light. LHO, however, comes to the rescue by leading the SA which makes the contract much better. If I can pick up the trumps for one loser I'll lose only one spade, one trump, and one club. LHO continues with another spade which I win with the SK as I notice RHO complete his echo with the spade honors . I play the DAK discarding my two spades and lead the HJ from the board. The finesse loses to the HQ as LHO returns another spade. I notice that I now do not have the entries to take advantage of even a 4-4 diamond break, but I did notice that this position looked an awful lot like the textbook trump squeeze position. RHO is in fact helpless as I reach this endposition:
 


North
S 
H 
D  972
C  AK




West

Immaterial




East
S 
H 
D  QJ
C  QT5

South
S 
H  42
D 
C  J96

 
As I play my penultimate trump, discarding the D2 from dummy, RHO must either unguard his CQ or discard a diamond, allowing me to reach dummy with a club honor and ruff my last diamond good, while still getting back with the remaining club honor. The opponents have been very friendly on defense so far and continue to be friendly as RHO discards a diamond. I get to dummy with a club honor and carefully ruff the D9, taking the last trick with the D7.
 
The beer card can also make declarers do strange things:
 
Both Vul
Dealer S

North
S  AJ96
H  QJ7
D  A97
C  943




West
S  K753
H  AK32
D  T8
C  KT6



East
S  T84
H  85
D  Q532
C  AQJ8
South
S  Q2
H  T964
D  KJ64
C  752
 
After two passes my LHO opens 1C, and my partner makes an aggressive takeout double on his flat shape with no wastage in clubs. RHO raises to 2C and I bid my major, 2H, buying it there. The defense begins with the CA and CQ and then my RHO switches to a small diamond. This goes to the D10 and dummy's DA. I lead the HQ from the dummy which LHO takes with the HK. LHO now returns the D8 to the D9, DQ and my DK. I lead another trump out of my hand, unblocking the HJ as LHO flies with the HA. At this point LHO cashes the last club trick and underleads the SK which I let ride to my SQ. I have the rest of the tricks now. But wait! That D7 in the dummy sure looks tempting. After counting the hand out again to make sure I'm not doing anything dumb, I draw the remaining two trumps and then lead my spade, finessing the SJ! I discard my DJ on the sA and claim the D7 as my last trick. Hmmm.... Beer....

Enter content here

Enter supporting content here