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AND THE JOKER IS?  

We finish the year with a light-hearted look at a recent Akarana deal …and with only 14 boards played on Akarana’s last Wednesday of the year because of the club AGM, we will go back three further days to Akarana’s Christmas Party tournament, run as a two session Individual.

Let’s go to a deal in the first session where on one side of the player about to become declarer (let’s call them South) sat “Biritch’s friend”, by the name of Douglas, and on the other a famous “cat (or imp) burglar” Michael BWare.  The problem facing South was to decide which of these earnest players was not telling the truth.

Douglas had arrived at the table announcing that since he was very unlikely to win the “best dressed” prize (the theme this year was to come in a1980’s outfit…outlandish, bright colours etc), he would aim to win the bridge.

Kinga who made the "best dressed" competition no contest.

 It seems Douglas had already seen Kinga Hajmasi who made the “best dressed” category her own (you be the judge). So, in the East corner, we have Douglas and in the West corner Michael. Here is the bidding and the play so far:

 

 

1NT was 12-14 or seeing as it is Michael BWare in relaxed mode, maybe between 6 and 16 (he will dispute the range as not being wide enough!). The double showed values though North was not in a mind for defence, escaping to his powerful long diamond suit. “Out of one frying pan” thought North as East failed to double 2 but "into the fire" as South double - jumped in hearts. You might think North should have been pleased with the 4 call though before laying down dummy, he did check to see if 2 had been alerted as a transfer!

The answer was “no” though had it been “yes”, you would have to admit South had great cause for their super-accept. A bemused North thought of sending the double back though was too stunned to put this into practice.

Michael led the A and on seeing the king fall from the South hand, switched to the J. With one loser in each side suit, it came down to who held the trump king.

South won with the A and played the Q ruffing in dummy. He then called for the Q to see if Douglas would discard maybe hesitate or cover with the king..but no, he produced the 10 in perfect tempo! Where was the king?

 In whose hand am I?

You could try and count Michael’s high-card points but at favourable vulnerability, that would not be much of a clue. Our declarer decided to play Douglas for something useful and took the finesse.

 

Michael won the K as the contract failed by a trick and Douglas achieved his aim of coming first in the bridge. “Pretty normal” Michael was heard to comment about his 1NT opening though everyone wondered why Douglas had found it necessary to double. The end result of the day, a narrow win, was surely enough of an answer.

Stan Abrahams presenting the trophy he donated many years previously to this year's winner,

Douglas Russell. You can see why Douglas wrote off his "best dressed challenge (maybe, though,

second best dressed?) and concentrated on winning the bridge. "Third best dressed" perhaps

or with "the most on top" was club President, Mark Hangartner.

Before we finish for the year, a word (maybe a few more) on Wednesday’s AGM, the highlight of which was seeing Michael Cornell receive life-membership of Akarana. He first came to the club in 1968 shortly after it was formed and has been a most regular and enthusiastic club member ever since. It is no coincidence that Life Membership comes at the end of the year of two of Michael’s most significant international achievements. Life membership is richly deserved.

Richard Solomon

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