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Crackle (South) opened 1♣ in first seat red v. white and Snap (West) considered his very flat 12 HCP hand. Years ago, when he had first learned to play, this hand was an automatic pass, but lately he had been reading there can be some nice benefits to getting in the auction early by doubling with so-called totally flat “pancake” holdings (4333 shape). Yes, if it turns out the opponents are headed for game they will know where to place the opponents’ points, but if it is in fact a part-score deal, Tony would have no problem bidding his longest suit and find Snap with at least 3-card support. The shapelier Tony’s hand, the more likely they could find a playable spot or at least push the opponents higher.
Tony, however, had other ideas in mind. He believed the “field bid” over the double would be 3NT and that his honor-filled major suit doubletons alongside his nice diamond 5-carder and ♣AK-4th would likely allow that contract to make, especially since South’s opener had already located all or most of the missing high cards. The Tiger’s analysis was “spot on” (despite not being a leopard), but instead of calling 3NT, he passed! His thinking: why not try for +500 or more when the non-vul game is only worth 400 or maybe 430?
Would you have passed for penalty? It’s generally not recommended at the 1-level when you hold only 4 trump and, truthfully, the rest of his hand did not exactly cry-out “lots of defensive tricks here.” In fact, a recent bridgewinners.com bidding poll (posted by yours truly) indicated that 82% of the participants (including a couple of bridge super-stars) chose 3NT, whereas positively NO ONE voted “Pass”! Believe it or not, even Tony the Tiger voted for 3NT – go figure.
Now it was up to Crackle. She could have made an “SOS redouble” to ask Pop to rescue her in his longest suit, but she too decided to pass, perhaps not wisely. Snap, on the other hand, really liked his cards for defending 1♣ doubled. Tony had passed for penalty without knowing that his partner held 3 clubs; surely dummy would hold a singleton or void in the trump suit.
Snap had no problem finding the lead of the ♣J. He recalled Frank Stewart had recently written that a trump is “the textbook lead when partner [has] converted a low level takeout double for penalty.” Larry Cohen had even more demanding words: “It's a nearly iron-clad rule that you should lead a trump against doubled part scores.”
Snap was pretty surprised to see 2 trump in dummy. His sister clearly would have redoubled for runout if she held only 3 clubs - what was Tony up to? Could this be one of those “let’s see if I can get a top” deals? Snap had heard that Tony was a reputed cereal-killer, so he figured his sister must be in big trouble. You can follow the play by clicking here and hitting “NEXT” repeatedly.
Tony ducked Snap’s ♣J lead to Crackle’s Queen, and Crackle knew she was in deep do-do. Her dummy was pointless and entry-less and she looked like she was about to cry. She was certain that redoubling would have fetched a 1♠ bid from Pop and then he would be declarer! Having to do something, she began with a low spade to Tony’s Jack. Tony cashed the ♣K, removing dummy’s 2nd trump, and was overjoyed to see his partner follow suit. Tony’s plan was to set up his diamonds while either ruffing down or eliminating declarer’s trump holding.
Now for the key play. Take a look at the diamond suit to see what would happen if Tony leads his 4th best ♦7:
----------------------------Dummy: ♦95
--------------W: ♦Q62-----------------------E: ♦K10873
----------------------------Decl: ♦AJ4
When declarer plays low, dummy’s 9 forces Snap to win with his Queen, leaving declarer’s ♦AJ sitting over Tony’s King. To prevent that occurrence, Tony recognized that he had a “surround play” available. Whenever the 9 is in dummy and the defender over the dummy (East) holds the 10-8 (the cards “surrounding” the 9) PLUS a higher honor, he should lead the 10 rather than the 3rd or 4th best.
Tony did indeed play his 10 and declarer could score only a single diamond trick, the Ace, no matter how she played. At the table, Crackle covered with the Jack, Snap winning with his Queen. Before continuing diamonds, Snap surprised Tony by cashing the ♣10, leaving declarer and Tony each with a single trump, Tony still holding the Ace. The diamond 6, 9, K, A were next, and Tony’s ♦873 were now high. If you were at the club that day, you would have heard a ferocious “That’s GR‑R‑REAT” in Surround Sound everywhere in the room. Snap found out later that even the attorneys next door heard it.
Crackle had won just 2 of the 1st 6 tricks, and she was getting quite flustered. I am sure she should have cashed her ♠A next and played another spade, hoping to somehow score her ♥K and her last trump, but even if that were possible (it wasn’t), she would be down 2 (-500). Instead she made the mistake of a low spade, which ran to Tony’s Queen. As we are about to see, poor Crackle – you should pardon the expression - could now “kiss her Ace good-bye.”
Tony drew declarer’s final trump and ran his 3 diamond tricks leaving a 2-card ending. It didn’t matter which 2 cards declarer came down to: ♠A-♥K or ♥K8 since Snap held onto his ♥AQ to take the last 2 tricks. Down 5 (1400!) was not just an E-W top at North Penn, it was a very rare 100% result in the Common Game.
Declarer’s best line against best defense would have resulted in -1100, making little difference to her matchpoint score. Some East-West pairs did find their way to 3NT, making 400 or 430, but 1♣ doubled was destined to be the top. Snap actually felt bad for his sister, but he overheard Pop consoling her with “Don’t worry, Little Krispie, it’s only one board.”
Tony the Tiger, on the other hand, was rather proud of the accomplishment and his “brilliant” pass. When Snap asked him about that board after the game, Tony said that he was fortunate to have his “Lucky Charms” with him and then confided in a whisper: “Don’t tell the Kellogg’s execs but I always play Gr‑r‑reat when I eat those General Mills Wheaties for breakfast. They’re the ‘breakfast of champions,’ you know.”
Snap advised his partner that the surround play was really cool but never mentioned that he not only detests Wheaties – and Frosted Flakes too - but he is in fact “Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs”! They’re “Gr‑r‑reat!”
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