Poker Bridge by Walt Schafer

Here's a hand from the 2001 Motor City regional, near Detroit, Michigan. I held:
 

I am playing in a pairs game and partner opens one spade  at favorable vulnerability. RHO bids four hearts. I pass, of course, and it occurs to me that this would be the perfect time for the ª2 lead, hoping to trick declarer into ruffing low on the third round or high on the second round.

My hopes were immediately crushed as it went 4ª - Double - Redouble.  Doesn't look like the sneaky ª2 has a chance now, does it?  I passed again and LHO bid 5§.  Pass from partner.  No Dbl from partner is big news.  Partner just heard 4ª get redoubled. Surely he would double 4§ with either the ace or king.  So I guess a § lead is out.

RHO bid 5¨ and my devious mind was at it again. No club honor from partner?  They cue bid spades on my left and RHO redoubled my partner's double . . .  I didn't like our chances on defense. I doubled 5¨ hoping to slow them down in the bidding.

LHO thought and bid five hearts, RHO thought and passed. That was what I was hoping for, but now it is time to lead. 

A red suit lead is surely out of the question. Do I lead a hopeless spade or a hopeless club?  I decided to go back to the diabolical deuce of spades, as my partner later called it. A club seemed a lot less attractive to me and besides, it is a close decision, and the deuce of spades would make for a much better story if it happened to work!


I tabled the spade deuce and this is

Joe knows nothing about bridge… and his wife knows twice as much!

Richard Pavlichek