MCBA's Result and Registration Service
Release 2.19r
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April 19th
Robots
A year ago not too many of the County’s players had come across BBO robots.  Now we have learned to either love or hate them. One thing is certain - even though they can be erratic to say the least in the bidding, they do sometimes play very well.
 
Board: 5
Dealer: North
Vul: N/S
IMP
                    North
                   ♠ Q4
                    KJ32
                    10532
                   ♣ 962
West                                       East
♠ AK1075                              ♠ J92
 98                                      A105
 964                                    AQJ
♣ J107                                  ♣ AK43
                    South
                   ♠ 832
                    Q764
                    K87
                   ♣ Q85
 
South    West    North    East
                        pass      1♣ 
pass       1♠      pass      2NT
pass       3      pass      3♠ 
Pass       3NT     pass      4♠ 
All pass
 
3  was new minor forcing, and the bot in East did not like ending up in 3 NT so converted to 4♠. The bidding might not be to your liking, but the Bot showed how to play the hand on the ♣ 6 lead (  lead is the best, but hard to find from KJ32!).
 
The lead was won in dummy with the Ace and a spade played to the Ace followed by a Diamond to the Ace. The ♠ Jack followed and when South didn’t cover the finesse was abandoned and the ♠ Queen fell from North. The ♠ 10 pulled the last trump and now came the first finesse with the ♣ Jack that ran to the Queen. South cashed the  King, but that was the end of the road as West’s Heart loser was parked on dummies last Club when the suit split 3-3.
 
A nice lesson in finesse avoidance!
 

Espen Gisvold

PS 

If you see a hand you think is worth mentioning please leave me a note at: Espen

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