Weak jump shift? Results 6/24

Weak Jump Shift? 6/24 Results

            This is the West hand from the Tuesday game in Vineyard Haven on 6/24. EW vulnerable; NS, not.

                         ♠ T985432   ♥ 76   ♦ AT   ♣54 

North deals and the bidding goes

North      East     South     West
   1♣         1♥       Pass         ?

            Nancy and I play weak jump shifts (always). 2♠ (alerted) in this auction says, “Partner, I have six or more spades and fewer than 6 HCP.”  That’s probably what I should have bid, but I didn’t. I bid 1♠, and the auction progressed:

 North      East     South     West
               Nancy                  me
   1♣         1♥       Pass        1♠
 Pass        3♥       Pass        3♠
 Pass        4♠          all pass

        I think if I had held the North hand (see below) I might have doubled.

                                           ♠ KQJ6
                                           ♥ K84
                                           ♦ J42
                                           ♣ KT8
                                              N
              ♠ T985432                                 ♠ A
              ♥ 76                                           ♥ AQ953
              ♦ AT            W                  E      ♦ Q7
              ♣ 54                                          ♣ AQJ72
                                              S
                                         ♠ 7
                                         ♥ JT2
                                         ♦  K98653
                                         ♣ 963
            The opening lead was the ♦2. I played low from the dummy, and no matter what South does, I win two diamond tricks. He played the king, and I won with the ace. I led a club to the queen, winning the finesse, then played the ace and ruffed a low club in my hand, dropping the ♣K. Now the heart finesse won, and I played the ♥A, the ♦Q, and ruffed a heart in my hand, dropping the ♥K. Things are going amazingly well! I led a spade to the board and led the ♣J. Of course I have to ruff it, because I have nothing left in my hand but trumps. No matter what North does, he gets only the KQJ of spades. +620 and 6 match points (out of 8). Isn’t it amazing what a 21-point dummy will do?

            Would we wind up in 4♠ if I had made the weak jump shift to 2♠? Maybe not, but it could be argued that we don’t belong there. It’s pretty lucky to get a diamond lead and find both the other kings on-side and those suits splitting 3-3. On the other hand, maybe it’s UNlucky to find KQJx in one hand.

            The results of this hand were all over the place, but in every case it was EW winning the auction. One West played two spades, making four (+170) and earning 4 match points (average). That might have been our result if I’d made that jump shift. Other Easts played 2♥, 3♥, and 4♥, making three and five (+140, +200, +650). 4♥ making five was the next-to-top match points score EW (7). The best EW score (8) was 3♠doubled, making four (+930 - foolish North). The worst EW score (0) was 4♠doubled, down four (-1100 - brilliant North). One West was down one at 4♠ (probably not an opening diamond lead), and one East was down two at 2NT. 

Winners on Tuesday night 6/24 in Vineyard Haven: NS 1. Patsy McCornack and Gail Farrish. 2. Michael and Sandy Lindheimer. 3. Bob Iadicicco and Berkeley Johnson. EW 1. Bill Blakesley and Hugh Knipmeyer. 2. Dan and Nancy Cabot. 3. Miles Jaffe and Jim Kaplan.