The expression Trash Nothing, sometimes called Freecycle, has come to the fore during Lockdown. People give away their unwanted items, of little value to them, to deserving recipients. That cat carrier which you have in the loft even though your last cat passed away 15 years ago is a typical example. One can drop off these items at selected venues and they are collected by needy people.
The first thing that Stefanie and Bill agreed today was to play a Trash Multi. This means that the hand has little value and partner knows that you have minus one defensive tricks. He should not ever bother asking for keycards as you rarely have any! If the opponents bid game, they are probably making it, and you should save even at love all.
North's 2D has all the essential ingredients of the trash multi. No defensive trick in sight. Reasonable shape in that 6-4-1-2 is good. One should say that the agreement is 1-7 HCP as one would do it as well with JT9xxx in spades. In third seat it can be varied, but here it should comply. I would have bid something on East's hand, as South might pass out the trash multi with some diamonds, but 5C on the second round looks fine. Bill did well to save in 5S and it was almost impossible for EW to bid their cold slam. NS won this board, but EW came back in others and managed to tie first on 60% in a good contest.
If East does punt 6C he should make it. Even on the best defence of the ace of spades and a heart switch. Declarer can rise with the ace and run all of the trumps. South gets squeezed in the red suits in the three card ending. Phil Mattacks even made an overtrick in 6C as East when South did not cash the ace of spades, as the squeeze generated two extra tricks because of the extended menaces in dummy's red suits.
After Chantal's X of 5S, I should bid 6C.
ReplyDeleteIt wouldn't be so much of a punt then.