Jimmy Sez #2
Oswald Jacoby, in an article wrote that bidders using a strong club system have problems with the system when the suit is clubs. Matchpoint players who all too frequently land in impossible no trump games or difficult major suit games also miss many games and slams when they should be played in clubs. This hand was played by Barry Crane. It exhibits some of the bidding difficulties when the suit is clubs. Some of the field actually passed the hand out. One pair, it was noted, opened one heart after his partner passed. He eventually found a way to go down in a heart game. Most standard bidders found a club contract. Some played partials while others played a club game. Crane played the hand in slam. It depended on finding the heart queen and Crane was one of the greatest. He could not be certain but he found, by playing, that East was long in hearts and he therefore played him for the heart queen and finessed correctly.
Here is the hand with the bidding. See what contract your system would have landed you in!
S- K 8 3
H- K 10 7 5
D- A
S- Q J 10 9 C- Q 9 8 4 3 S- 7 6 5 4
H- 8 3 H- Q 9 6 2
D- J 9 8 5 3 S- A 2 D- K Q 10 2
C- A 7 H- A J 4 C- J
D- 7 6 4
C- K 10 6 5 2
*** BIDDING ***
West North East South
1C
Pass 1H Pass 2H
Pass 6C Pass Pass
Pass