I am kibitzing my favorite pro, Jenny Mae, partnered by
Dizzy Agnes, against Larry the Elephant (West) and his
wife, in a local pair event.

Jenny opens 1, and Dizzy, looking in great distress,
jumps to 3NT. This is unlike Dizzy, who doesn't usually
grab the notrump from her pro if she can help it.

What should Jenny do?

 South Jenny
   K 6 2
   2
   A 6 4
   K Q J 10 9 8

Since Jenny and Agnes play 2NT forcing, Agnes must hold
a terrific hand. I think 4 is the right bid, to invite a slam,
but Jenny tells me later she is unwilling to risk it, because
Dizzy may think it's Gerber and get flustered. Six clubs is
the practical call.

West leads the queen of hearts. How should Jenny play it?

 South Jenny
   K 6 2
   2
   A 6 4
   K Q J 10 9 8

Jenny wins the first trick in dummy and cashes a second
heart, throwing a diamond. Then she leads a trump to her
hand and West shows out, throwing a heart!

What now?

 South Jenny
   K 6 2
   2
   A 6 4
   K Q J 10 9 8

Jenny cashes the ace of diamonds and leads a diamond
toward dummy. When the Elephant follows with the 2
and 9, Jenny sizes him up. Larry is a well-known player,
and capable of playing low, holding the king of diamonds.

What should Jenny play from dummy?

 South Jenny
   K 6 2
   -
   A 6
   Q J 10 9 8

Jenny plays the queen. If the suit is 3-3, it won't matter,
because one diamond ruff will make dummy's last diamond
high. But if West holds four diamonds, it's 4-to-2 odds that
he has the king. These odds are very strong, and unless
West is a very weak player, says Jenny afterwards, over
a beer and hamburger, you should go with the odds. But
the queen loses to the king. Mrs. Elephant returns a trump.

Now what?

 South Jenny
   K 6 2
   -
   -
   Q J 10 9 8

Jenny wins the trump return with dummy's ace and ruffs
a diamond. They divide 3-3! So she draws trumps and
shows her hand, discarding a spade on dummy's 13th
diamond.

"Nicely played," says Dizzy Agnes, though in truth D. A.
wouldn't really know if it was or not, except that when
Jenny writes plus 920 on the score slip, Dizzy assumes
it was.

 South Jenny
   K 6 2
   2
   A 6 4
   K Q J 10 9 8

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