SOURCE OF TRICKS SLAMS

Kent Hartman, my Sunday partner, and I have a tradition when we play: We have at least one auction that is not duplicated anywhere else in the room. Board #9 was the one. Kent opened 1♣ (which, since we play a Weak NT system, means he EITHER has an unbalanced hand with five or more clubs OR he has 15 or more HCP—as any balanced 12-14 HCP he would have opened 1NT). RHO bid 2♦. (He explained later that he thought he was third hand after two passes.) I was looking at: ♠A9753 ♥KJ102 ♦AQ ♣A6 and got quite excited. I bid 2♠. Kent bid 3♣. I bid 3♥. Kent bid 3♠ (not wanting to bypass 3NT). I am sort of stuck for a bid at this point, so I simply bid 6NT. Kent thought a LONG time (about bidding 7NT) but finally passed. His hand: ♠106 ♥A ♦K94 ♣KQJ9732. 7NT is frigid. However, no one got to the grand slam. The board was played 14 times: 8 pairs were in 6NT; 3 pairs were in 6♣; 3 pairs were in 3NT. A more “normal” auction would have been opponents passing throughout: 1♣/1♠/3♣/3♥/3NT/4♣ (now Minorwood for clubs since we have bypassed 3NT)/4NT [two Key Cards with the Queen)/5♦ (asking for Kings)/6♦ (specific Kings—showing the ♦K and denying heart and spade Kings). Even if partner has ♦Kxx of diamonds—which is NOT guaranteed on this auction—he could easily be short in diamonds—the West hand can only count 12 trick——6 clubs; one spade; two hearts; three diamonds. If the diamond King is singleton or doubleton, we only have 11 tricks. So 6NT will be the stopping point.

Board #31 featured a classic “Source of Tricks” suit. West held ♠A74 ♥3 ♦AKQ107652 ♣Q and opened 1♦. Partner bid 2♣ (game forcing). I rebid 2♦. Partner bid 2♥. I bid 2♠ (temporizing, seeking more information) and partner bid 2NT—making my ♠A74 look a LOT better. I then bid 4♣. As suggested by Eddie Kantar, my partners and I agree that any jump to 4♣ over a 1NT or 2NT bid is Gerber—even if clubs have been bid in the auction. Partner showed one Ace—presumably the ♣A. I am expecting the ♠K for the 2NT bid, and I think the ♣K is highly likely which gives me a parking spot for the third spade in my hand. Partner's hearts do NOT, however, have to include the ♠K, and I am pretty sure he does not have the ♥A, so I am not risking 6NT. I bid the sane 6♦ contract which is icy cold. Two pairs were in 6NT getting an undeserved tie-for-top board when ♥A and ♥K were split between the defenders, so declarer did NOT lose two heart tricks off the top. Partner's hand was: ♠K10 ♥QJ109 ♦J9 ♣AKJ103. One pair, obviously with a bidding misunderstanding, bid 7♦ and the opening leader cashed the ♥A for down one. Two pairs were in 5♦. Five pairs were in 3NT and four pairs (including us) bid 6♦.