VBA State Pairs final begins.

It’s round one of the State Pairs final.
How do you play 4S doubled?
Opening lead jack of hearts. Let’s suppose you win, play a spade to the ten and king and another spade to RHO’s eight, LHO following twice. Another heart, you ruff and? Over to you.

WEST ♠ KQ9752 ♥ — ♦ J7652 ♣ A4		EAST ♠ 6 ♥ A9653 ♦ K108 ♣ KJ102

WEST	NORTH	EAST	SOUTH
Chua	Caplan	Hinge	Thompson
	Pass	1♥	Pass
1♠	Pass	1NT	Pass
4♠	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

I guess I bid too much. I was torn between 2S to play, 4S and even 3D. It is true I hit a great heart holding, but dummy otherwise has little to recommend it and even with spades 4-1, I should have made it…..I suppose that means overbidding to game wasn’t such a bad move.

Victorian State Pairs final
Session one
Board 21
Dealer North
NS vul

	NORTH ♠ 43 ♥ J107 ♦ Q93 ♣ 98653
WEST ♠ KQ9752 ♥ — ♦ J7652 ♣ A4		EAST ♠ 6 ♥ A9653 ♦ K108 ♣ KJ102
	SOUTH ♠ AJ108 ♥ KQ842 ♦ A4 ♣ Q7

WEST	NORTH	EAST	SOUTH
Chua	Caplan	Hinge	Thompson
	Pass	1♦	Pass
1♠	Pass	1NT	Pass
1♠	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

Partner thought about sending back 4S after RHO doubled and he has good reason for thinking so. The heart ace on this auction is gold. On the other hand, there is that spade support….

After winning the HA I played spade to the king and a spade. RHO continued hearts, I ruffed, the jack of diamonds went around to the ace and another heart brought me down to 2 trumps, the same length as RHO. After a diamond to the ten, the layout is known. RHO is 4522.

It is the critical moment. One could consider club back to hand and the club hook…but if it loses -300 will be zero when -100 – well, you never know, it could be worth something. And more to the point, it won’t give you enough tricks even if it does work. I gave in at that point, played a diamond and claimed one off. It didn’t occur to me that it is no cost to cash two rounds of clubs after diamond to the ten holds. If the queen drops – as it does – you are gin by continuing clubs. If it doesn’t, you can revert back to diamonds as before.