East and West were set. Could they have done better? Was it bad luck or bad play? Submit your comments:
You Be the Judge

The Public Responds:

This interesting deal, taken from actual play, has provided us with a wonderful variety of opinions. We understand why folks can argue endlessly over Spades. Now let's get some comments. Where did East/West go wrong? Did a mistake occur even before a single card was played?

Ruffkid: West overbid in first seat. A 4-bid with this hand in first seat is a bit much. If pard nils he has no chance making his bid. It is going to be a very tuff bid without pard nilling.

Well, no one else challenged West's bid. Most of the attention was directed at East/West's plays to the first two tricks.

Dustin: The biggest error on this deal appears to be East's play of the 10 under West's ace. Clearly, West read this play as encouraging and thus continued hearts. East's error of sending an 'encouraging signal' simply set up North's top hearts.

Ruffkid: Did East like the opening heart ace? Nooooooo......... Did East want a diamond shift? Yesssssssssss!!!!! [East should] play the smallest heart to suggest disinterest in hearts.

Very well. Score one demerit for East. But the 2 is only a suggestion to shift. Will West know to do the right thing? What indeed, is the right thing?

Ruffkid: Now if East is lucky pard will shift to dimes...

Dustin: But had East played the correct 2, West would have likely switched to the jack of clubs.

Even with a proper deuce by East, I suspect West would have continued with the K anyway. After all, a fellow who leads Ace from Ace-King usually pays no attention to his partner's throws. By the way, just how badly placed are East/West after West's king of hearts is trumped? Can they still recover? Someone seems to think so:

Silus Aureus: On the 5th trick, East should have pitched a club instead of ruffing. On the 10th trick, when North plays his K, East could have won it with the A and led spades to his partners winners.

I suspect North would have changed his mind about leading the K if the Ace is still lurking about. Maybe there really is no chance of recovery, after all.

Dustin: But even when West switches suits [at Trick 2], It seems impossible for East-West to escape!

Ruffkid: This hand was a goner once the top heart hit the table. East/West are cooked with a 6-bid. Once a top heart is led to have any chance they must shift to dime at Trick 2... Unless someone can show me a line of play that will work against any defense I believe I can show an alternative line that will set E/W.

It looks grim for East/West, does it not? Still, I believe Silus Aureus was on the right track when he stated that Trick 5 is the key. Instead of the club discard, however, try it this way:

Daddy_o_again: East and West got off to an unfortunate start, but still they should have had no trouble making their bid. No problems, that is, until East made a clearcut, bonehead error at Trick 5 when he trumped with the A. It is almost always wrong to trump with the boss spade merely to stop an overruff. (Amen, Brother! Tell us!) East must trump the J with his low spade. I can't say for sure what would have happened next, but it is likely that South would have overtrumped with his 10 and exited with his last diamond. Now East wins, cashes the A to draw South's last spade, and runs good diamonds. West discards both clubs before North can cut, and East/West will make their 6-bid with ease. In fact, North may even force a bag on them.

That will do it, fer sure. And so the verdict is in. For trumping with the A, This court rules East a Spades Blockhead. Next case.

East later trumped a club with the Q and North's 3 was high.

North's nil was sunk. Could North/South have done better? In your opinion, who made the worst play? Submit your comments:
You Be the Judge

The Public Responds:

This case was a lot simpler. In brief, North messed up at Trick 1.

Silus Aureus: When North played his 2 to West's 3, I think he should have played the 7 instead. This might have helped South decide not to trump East's 6 on Trick 5, and therefore, South would have had one more spade while taking trumps.

Dustin: Clearly, North made the common costly error of not playing a middle heart in the 2nd seat. This play was not only the worst play, but

Yes, quite so. The play of the second-lowest card by the nil hand risks a first-trick set, but it is the superior play in the long run. The court convicts North of spinelessness and sentences him to 8 hours of silent kibitzing.