CONTRACT BRIDGE The night the Doll played Texas

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33062, 1 November 1972, Page 10

CONTRACT BRIDGE The night the Doll played Texas

(Contributed by

J.R.W.)

One evening in October I am partaking of a nice friendly rubber with the Doll j against Colin the Card and a character by the name of Big I Tex, and the reason I am so partaking is to entertain Big Tex who is a visitor and a very big noise in Deep Freezing. He wears long boots, a check shirt you can hear about a mile away and a large 10-gallon hat, but this last item he removes before we start to play as a mark of respect to the Doll. Now it is clear from this that he does not know her very well for it is the considered opinion of most members of Jack’s Club that the Doll is no lady. I am picking up my usual tram-tickets so things are not going at all well for our side, and the others are vulnerable when I deal this hand:

I Against four spades, I lead I the queen of diamonds i covered by the king and ace. I The Doll sends back the i diamond deuce to my jack so I return a club which she 1 trumps with a great flourish. I ruff the third round of diamonds, the Doll ruffs ! another club, then she puts me in with the king of hearts and I lead a third club on which she bangs her last spade. Colin the Card makes

the rest of the tricks, but he is four down and the Doil makes it clear to one and all that she is pleased with our defence as she writes down 400 for our side. Colin recovers from the shock after a little while and says with a poker face, “Partner, you should open your hand one spade, I raise to four, East is on lead and nothing she leads does you any harm.” Big Tex replies, “Where I come from, I can open that hand one no-trump and still play it in four spades.” He explains that the Texas convention allows South to call four hearts and the no-trumper converts to four spades and the stronger hand is the declarer. If the final contract is to be hearts, the responder jumps to four diamonds and the opener again converts. Colin the Card is most impressed and announces they will play this new convention but the Doll says: “Against four spades by North, perhaps I lead a low heart to my partner’s king and he switches to the diamond queen and we continue as before.” “Could be,” drawls Big Tex, “But where I come from it is not safe to make such leads for some of our boys still pack a rod.” Well, that is my only good hand, and I am not sorry when they win the rubber quickly and Harry the Horse takes my place. They change partners and pretty soon this hand comes up: N.

trump, and the Doll bids four ; hearts with not a little gusto, but then her partner calls four spades. It is quite clear that something is going wrong and furthermore that her partner is playing the Texas convention and she is not, so after a little thought she decides she is going to play in the right suit even if it is at the wrong level. She smiles sweetly, calls six hearts and places her hand face down on the table. Big Tex shakes his head slowly and passes. Now Harry the Horse is not aware of all this sighing and shaking but leads his ace of spades because he has the ace of spades and he wonders what to lead next. It does not cross his mind his partner also has an ace, but he remembers the Doll calls spades so East cannot have many and besides Colin plays the seven on the first trick which is a very encouraging card, so Harry continues with a spade. The Doll’s king wins, she i draws trumps, crosses to; dummy’s ace of clubs and; cashes the queen of spades on which she discards her only diamond. Then she makes all the clubs, and claims her contract. She leans across the table and addresses her partner as follows: “Darling, I think the Texas convention is absolutely wonderful. There is no other way we can reach six hearts on these hands and, furthermore, make it.”

N. S—K8 H—QJ 7 4 D—K 10 4 C—AK84 W. E. S—5 4 S—7 32 H—K 10 2 H—A 8 6 5 3 D—Q J D—A9652 C—109763 2 C— S. S—A Q J 10 9 6 H—9 D—87 3 C—QJ5 Me B.T. Doll C-C W N E S N 1NT No 4S

S—Q 5 4 H—K J D—K 9 8 6 3 C—A K 4 W. E. S—A 9 8 6 2 S—J 10 7 H—7 5 H—9 8 4 D—Q 10 7 D—A 5 4 2 C—9 7 2 C—J 8 6

s. 12 S—K 3 H—AQ 10 6C H-H C—Q 10 5 3 B.T. C-C Doll W. N. E. S. No INT No 4H No 4S No 6H All Pass Big Tex opens one no