Dealer
: East
Vuln : North-South |
HAMMAN'S
TIPS #39
by Bob Hamman
the world's #1 ranked player
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I
was South on this hand in a tense Bermuda
Bowl final a
number of years ago. How could
I make 4 ?
I had a club loser and a diamond
loser. I needed to hold
my trump losers
to
one, but in the meantime, they were playing
spades at
me.
I
won the lead in hand and led a heart to the 9,
losing to
the queen. Then I won the spade
return and cashed the ace
of hearts, the 10
dropping on my left. When I led a third
round
of hearts, I could finesse the 8, but it wouldn't
do
me any good. This picks up the trump suit
for one loser,
but I still need to give up a club
trick and they have three
spade tricks to cash.
I needed hearts to break 3-3 to make
this
contract. So I played for it by going up with
the king
of hearts on the third round. When
West showed out, I was
headed for an awful
result, down four or five tricks. At
this point
what would you do?
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I
led the 10 of clubs. There was only one small chance
remaining, and I took it: that West would make a mistake.
He did. He covered the 10 with his queen.
If
you think West made a terrible play covering the 10 of
clubs, you're right, but consider that this player has
won a dozen or so world championships! His name is Garozzo.
He simply didn't consider that I could hold a side six-card
suit.
My
tip today is: Never give up. If there's one last chance,
go for it.
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A
8
K
8 5 3
A
J 8 3
East