The Novice

Playing on BBO last night, I got invited to a team match with a random partner and opps. First hand, my LHO held this hand, Vul vs Not, AQ2 AKJT763 7 Q3, opened 1H in first seat and heard his partner bid 1S. I think this is a good hand at this point, as the 1S call has improved it, but not to the point that this person thought it had. He now bid 4D, showing a singleton Diamond and a GF hand. I think I might have bid 3H, hoping partner can scrape up another call, have to admit this particular call would not have occurred to me.

Anyways, his partner signed off in 4S, but apparently being concerned his partner had not caught the brilliance of his first bid, he now went 4N and heard his partner bid 5C (0/3). He finally decided he might be high enough, and bid 5S, which went pass all around. The opening lead was a Diamond, and the opps cashed the A of Diamonds, and the AK of Clubs off the top. Since his partner only had Kxxx x Kxxx xxxx, with the Heart Q offside and Spades not breaking 3-3, he had to go down another 2 tricks.

As the hand ended, this person announced that he was dropping out of the game due to his partner being a ‘Novice’. I have played against his partner a few times, and feel he is one of the better players on BBO, but at least we had lost 1 novice from the table :)

Incidentally, the contract at the other table was a simple 4H, which was allowed to make, even with the 3 top losers and slow Heart loser. That declarer seemed to think that he needed 4 Spades in his hand to force a Spade contract after the same 1H-1S start to the auction, what a ‘Novice’ idea :)