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Spectacular MP zeros ... or tops

#1 User is offline   MFA 

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Posted 2009-February-25, 16:05

What's your favourite story?

Some years ago we were playing a rather strong MP invitational tournament with nice cash prizes. With about a dozen boards to go we were in good shape for an ITM place, but we needed a decent finish. B)

The next opponents were Rosen Gunev - Dessy Popova of Bulgaria.

Pass from Gunev on my right, 1 from me vul vs not, 1 from Popova on my left, and pard quickly got to declare 3NT.
As it was, Gunev didn't have too hard a lead to make. He swallowed the first 9 tricks with his solid hearts (that he of course had passed in first seat!) and lead a club to Dessy's ace. Down 6, 600! :(

Ok, we didn't exactly expect a good score for that. But seeing the frequencies was gruesome. -600 was a cold zero (as anticipated), but at almost every other table, the bidding had been 4-X- all pass. 9 heart tricks + A and ... 590!! Ugh. ;) :D

Needless to say we didn't recover from that one :P.
Michael Askgaard
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#2 User is online   mikeh 

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Posted 2009-February-25, 17:04

This is an old one, but Marshall Miles was playing against, I think it was, Allan Graves and the late Peter Nagy. One of them had overcalled with a preempt in spades and Marshall ended up in 3N. LHO led from, I think it was, Jx in a side suit, through dummy's King and into partner's AQ10xxx... they ran that suit, and switched to overcallers,and ran 7 tricks there... for +900.

Marshall told his partner that this should be a little over average because the opps were cold for 990 in 4 x'd with an overtrick, on the lie of the cards.
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#3 User is offline   awm 

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Posted 2009-February-25, 17:34

Here's a couple funny ones from a number of years ago, both playing with a friend in graduate school.

(1) We were playing in a regional fast pairs, and I was getting a bit frisky after not having eaten all day. RHO opened 1 and I made the ill-advised decision to overcall 1 red/white with:

KQxx
xxx
x
xxxxx

LHO made a negative double and RHO rebid 1NT. At this point LHO made the very odd decision to pass with twelve high card points, giving us the opportunity to defend 1NT when the opponents held twenty-six highs and were cold for either of 3NT or 4. Unfortunately partner decided that now would be a good time to balance on his ratty five-card diamond suit with a 1453 pattern. His 2 bid was quickly doubled by LHO, at which point I made my second dubious decision of the auction -- to redouble for rescue. Partner, evidently not on the same page, left this in!

So here we were playing 2XX on a 5-1 fit, with fourteen combined points and opponents cold for game. Partner did not put a lot of effort into the play (for obvious reasons) and ended up five down for -2800 and a bottom board. But the funniest part was, if partner had played the hand carefully and held it to four down (basically the best he could do) then it would not have been a bottom! I bet the pair going -2300 on our cards was surprised to get a matchpoint for their efforts!

(2) Playing in an individual event, I happened to be paired with the same partner. Of course, pairing with a regular partner in an individual, you would expect to get a good board or two out of it. However, this was not to be the case.

The opponents bid to 3, with partner making several intervening calls. Eventually partner doubled which was "cards" and I left it in. Opponents were vulnerable, so beating this contract would be a top whereas letting it make would of course be a bottom. I held basically nothing. But at some point in the play, declarer lead a small card out of his hand towards a small singleton in dummy. Partner was holding the trick with the seven, but it was obvious that I needed to overtake with the eight in order to prevent partner from possibly being endplayed later in the hand.

After overtaking with the eight, I realized that there were two possible suits I might need to lead back in order to take partner off the endplay, and it wasn't completely obvious which would be the better choice. While I was considering the situation, partner took it into his head to lead another card! Of course, it would not help me to say anything, so we played the hand out. Sure enough, partner got endplayed, and the contract made. After the hand, partner asked me why I didn't overtake his seven and play something through. When I replied that I had, hilarious laughter ensued.

And here's another from the same partner (but not playing with me):

(3)

The auction started with 1-3-X. White versus red, my friend held six small clubs and nothing else. It seemed obvious to raise the preempt, so he jumped to 5. Auction continued:

... 5 - X - 5 - X

What the heck? Partner preempted clubs, was raised, got doubled, and runs? Still holding six small clubs (and still at favorable), my friend corrected to 6.

... 6 - X - Pass - Pass

At this point my friend realized what had happened. Very late the night before and after a number of drinks, he and his partner had agreed to play a form of Roman Jump Overcalls. This is sort of like Ghestem, in that some jump overcalls would show two-suiters. Now, even with this new agreement, 3 in the auction given would be natural. But partner had evidently remembered the idea but forgotten the details, and most likely held the two red suits.

Now, this was actually at BAM scoring, and 6X going for a huge number will be a losing score regardless. So my friend decided to redouble. Now the auction proceeded:

... XX - Pass - Pass - Long hesitation....

Turns out opener was five-five in the black suits with AKQJ9 in his hand. Responder, looking at a void in clubs was starting to wonder if this contract was actually making! But after a great deal of thought, he found a pass.

My friend managed to score his long trump, reaching a result of 5XX-10 for -5200. His teammates were reading off scores, and on this board they read off +1430 for bidding and making a very difficult hand. "LOSE" my friend said. Teammates couldn't believe it!

They won the BAM anyway.
Adam W. Meyerson
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#4 User is offline   mtvesuvius 

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Posted 2009-February-25, 17:49

A funny one was when I was watching an old lady at the club one day... At our table I held her hand of AKQxx x - AQJTxxx and we reached a routine slam when partner held Txxxx x xxxx xxx, it was down when I finessed the RHO played her stiff King... Making 7. So I pulled up a chair to watch, and I saw this auction: 1 - (1) - P - (4) - she bid 4NT, intended as blackwood, all pass! LHO cashed 6 tricks, and led a to his partners 6. The poor lady had to choose which black ace to pitch at trick 12. She chose the A, and lost the last trick to the stiff K for down 10. -450 was a dead average because nobody attempted to reach the slam, and 4 people of 9 doubled them in , making 5.
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#5 User is offline   manudude03 

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Posted 2009-February-25, 18:19

Last August playing in the Congress Pairs, I decided to psyche a 1NT overcall in third seat over 1C on Jxxx Jx xx Jxxxx. LHO doubles (unsurprisingly) passed round to me where I pull to 2C. My partner ended up playing in 2S X with me wanting to hide. For a while, it looked like I had become very lucky. First TD was called and found out she forgot to bring psyche forms. She then looked at the opps curtain cards and made the remark that they've struck a little unlucky, making it seem like they have something big on (indeed DD said LHO can make 6 red). Then it came to actually watching my partner go down. He was already 3 down (vul was WvR) when my last 2 cards were a top club and the last trump. The opps play a top heart and my partner chose to discard the club to finish off 4 for 800.

No-one in the room found the slam so we ended up getting a bottom. The flipside was that if partner had ruffed the heart at T12, we would have had a top (-500 vs -650/680).

The very next board I decide to sac 7H vs their 6S RvR with x Jxxx KJx Jxxxx after the auction went:

(1S)-2H-(2NT*)-3H *limit raise or better
(6S)-P-(P)-7H

At this point, partner is thinking I'm trying to torture him. There wasn't much to the play, it ended -4 for -1100 against their making 6S (though it was -1400 vs perfect defence- still a good deal at MPs). What was the reward? A measly extra 1MP out of 28 after only one other pair found the slam, but got no sac.
Wayne Somerville
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#6 User is offline   Lobowolf 

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Posted 2009-February-25, 18:35

Just a club game, but I like it...after an opening bid by us and a 1 overcall, my partner and I cruised into 6 (red) without further opposition. Out of the blue, it went 6 on my right. Partner bid 6NT, all pass, and went down 4 on the lead of a small spade. Partner had the stiff queen, and I had three small. His explanation was that he knew 6 was on, people wouldn't be sacrificing at other tables, and we wouldn't beat 6 enough; so with the 6NT bid, at least if I had the ace or king of spades, we'd salvage our slam.

All correct...the field was in 6, making, 6NT would have made if I'd had the king of spades, and 6 would have gone for 1100 at best. Unfortunately, I didn't have the hoped-for king of hearts, but we were dead as soon as they bid 6, partner sussed it out and tried for the only chance.
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#7 User is offline   keylime 

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  Posted 2009-February-25, 19:26

I have two favorite zeros, one which was Canada-wide in the nation-wide sectional, but the other one was rather comical.

I'm playing with the ex-wife in Nanaimo in a club game. You get dealt an interesting hand of 2-5-1-5 shape, and pard opens a strong club:

1C* (strong) - 1NT * (G/F 5-5 or better)
2C* (asking) - 2NT (pointed or round)
3S - ....

At this point you're going, WTF, this isn't part of the script...what the hell is 3S? I rebid 4C, 4D of course comes back, I rebid 4H, pard finds 4NT. I'm on a decent hand, I rebid 5NT, pick a slam, pard bids 6NT, doubled, redoubled, off for -2800.

The 2nd and 3rd board of the round we earned cold tops, but after this hand, I think we had hours of discussion this sequence.
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#8 User is offline   xcurt 

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Posted 2009-February-25, 22:28

I've certainly gotten my share of zeros but I can't remember any spectacular ones. But this takes me back to my favorite top story. 1996 Blue Ribbons late in the 2nd semi, this event was scored across the room on a 90 top, I had, favorable, 4th seat:

KJ8xxxxx, xx, Jx, x.

We were playing Krekorian-Blanchard (who would go on to win the event the next day).

Auction round 1: At warp speed, to me: (1) - 2 - (3NT) - ?. So I bid 4.

Auction round 2: LHO bids 4NT in a shot, checked back to me. So I bid 5. This is a sick call, but I was younger then.

Auction round 3: 5 is doubled on my left, pass from partner, now Krekorian goes into the tank for 5 minutes and emerges with 5NT. I pass of course.

Auction round 4: Partner doubles 5NT, now Krekorian redoubles like a shot with the comment "5NT doubled going down is a bad score."

There was nothing to the play, I led the J, partner had AQxxx and an ace, so once declarer ran his 9 tricks we took the rest, +1000.

A few months later I was rehashing hands with someone else who played that event. Me: "You hold KJ8-8th, ...." Him: "My partner made 4x on that hand. It has no play. +590 should have been a top! Someone managed plus a thousand on our cards!!!!!!"
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#9 User is offline   Phil 

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Posted 2009-February-26, 01:17

From a few years ago:

+160
Hi y'all!

Winner - BBO Challenge bracket #6 - February, 2017.
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#10 User is offline   skjaeran 

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Posted 2009-February-26, 12:03

I've got a favourite from ages ago, with my then junior partner.

All red. LHO opened 1NT, partner doubled (penalties) and RHO passed. Looking at some random 4333 and a stray jack, I knew that if I took this out we most probably would be murdered. So I decided to sit for it.

After a very good defence, we held declarer to nine tricks for -580. Which turned out to be an absolute top. Partner didn't really have a penalty double, so the normal auction was 1NT-3NT. Most of the field made an overtrick.
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#11 User is offline   jdonn 

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Posted 2009-February-26, 12:20

My favorite story was this one. I had a partner I would play precision with, and he didn't like my system over the 2 opener (short diamonds, 10-15) but agreed to go along with it. In particular he didn't like that to bid keycard for certain suits I he had to make natural sounding bids in other suits. He had told me he was worried one of us would forget but I said don't worry about it.

So playing on bbo partner held something like KQx Ax xx AKQJxx and I opened 2. He bid 2NT asking, I bid 3 to show a minimum. He bid 3 asking more, and I bid 3 showing 3415 in that order. He bid 4 which by agreement was keycard in clubs, but naturally I passed. He said out loud 'great....can we get undo please?' (just random fun game with friends) and I said 'no, I made my bid so we have to live with it.' He said then I should play it instead of him, I replied no just give it a try.

So they led and I put down dummy. xx JT98xxxx x xx. 3 suited with short diamonds, just like I promised (and I even got to show my minimum!) I love scaring the sh*t out of people. :P
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#12 User is offline   Edmunte1 

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Posted 2009-February-27, 02:52

One of my favorites happened in National Pairs Championship, a few years ago. We just discussed that against 2 Multi to play:
- x overcall in one major or strong
-2 T/O vs.
-2 T/O vs

After a few boards, RHO oppened 2 MULTI, and I held Axxx --- AKxx AKxxx and bid 2.
Partner had Jxx x QJxxx QJxx

On his part of the screen he alerted that 2 should be T/O vs. but he thinks that i forgot the convention and i have hearts B) . So he passed, and i became declarer in 1-0 fit :)

But the story didn't finish here. LHO led K, i took with ace and played back. LHO won and played third round of spades, all following. Now i cashed AK and AK everyone following.

Now i claimed zero tricks :D, and both opponents, pretty amazed :), showed their cards. They both remained after 7 tricks played with 6 trumps :P
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#13 User is online   helene_t 

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Posted 2009-February-27, 05:55

In last years Bermuda Bowl, it was Canada versus someone else (red/red), one EW pair had a misunderstanding and passed a splinter bid, opps cleverly refused to double for 4-6. The other table had 3NT= in NS for a wash.
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#14 User is offline   Fluffy 

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Posted 2009-February-27, 06:44

On a 2 session tournament in France, me and dad where fighting to win it, this was the last board:

(1)-pass-(1)-pass
(1NT)-all pass

Partner led a heart, wich declarer won, he next played a diamond to my ace, and having read many books, I decided to try J from KJ9x dummy having 10xx

What actually happened is that declarer cashed AQ + K + 5 diamonds from his 6 card suit for 8 tricks -120. We had 5 quick tricks in the majors + A otherwise for -90

When we opened the scores there was one and only one score in all the columns for the 12 previous results: 2+1 -110.

We finished 7th, half a top away from second place.
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#15 User is offline   Codo 

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Posted 2009-February-27, 09:35

you read too much... :)
Kind Regards

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#16 User is offline   TylerE 

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Posted 2009-February-27, 10:00

Ok, here's mine, one of my favorite hands ever, but it occurred early in my career when my memory wasn't that great.

My hand was something like:

Axx
AKQJ
Kxx
Kxx


MP..none vuln, partner opens 3 in first. This could be..erm, wide ranging, which gives me a problem.

Which RHO promptly resolves by doubling for takeout. I calmly pass in tempo and LHO goes into a major tank and bids....4! Pass-Pass----erm, double?

We ended up taking 10 tricks (4 trumps, 4 spades (partner's suit was BAD), and the two minor suit kings, for 2000. Only time I think I've made a suit game on defense, when it was actually bid.
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#17 User is offline   MFA 

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Posted 2009-February-27, 10:25

Edmunte1, on Feb 27 2009, 03:52 AM, said:

One of my favorites happened in National Pairs Championship, a few years ago. We just discussed that against 2 Multi to play:
- x overcall in one major or strong
-2 T/O vs.
-2 T/O vs

After a few boards, RHO oppened 2 MULTI, and I held Axxx --- AKxx AKxxx and bid 2.
Partner had Jxx x QJxxx QJxx

On his part of the screen he alerted that 2 should be T/O vs. but he thinks that i forgot the convention and i have hearts  B) . So he passed, and i became declarer in 1-0 fit  :(

But the story didn't finish here. LHO led K, i took with ace and played back. LHO won and played third round of spades, all following. Now i cashed AK and AK everyone following.

Now i claimed zero tricks :D, and both opponents, pretty amazed  :o, showed their cards. They both remained after 7 tricks played with 6 trumps  B)

Hehe.

We had a funny board in our club some years ago where several pairs played the 0-0 fit. The bidding went 1-4 ... :D
Michael Askgaard
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#18 User is offline   Fluffy 

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Posted 2009-March-03, 13:31

I have remembered one from long ago.

the bidding went

----1NT
3-3NT
4NT-5
6NT-pass


I was on lead with something like

10xxx
Qx
J109x
Jxx

And I lead the passive J

Dummy had AK8xxx declarer Qxx. It was the only lead to let 6NT make.

I called director because they never alerted the transfer, but sadly director was my mother, and there was no way that she would adjust a score for me.
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#19 User is offline   inquiry 

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Posted 2009-March-03, 17:37

One of my favorites was parnter held a heart suit that looked like this....

AKJT9x

The opponents opened and he decided not to bid, and the opponents crawled up to 6NT (I could find the actual hand and auction, as it is in a log but no matter). My partner was opening lead, and he found a double. He lead the King, and I played low, and partner switched so that when I got in, I could lead a heart through declarers queen.... :)

As an aside, the heart queen was doubleton... :huh:

And yes, of course, they had like 15 tricks outside of hearts
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#20 User is offline   awm 

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Posted 2009-March-03, 17:53

There was a funny one from the Reisinger a couple years back.

I don't remember the exact hand, but my opponents had the auction 1-P-1NT(semi-forcing)-A/P. My partner lead something which declarer won in dummy, and at trick two he called for the diamond queen from Qx.

I held Kx in my hand, and made the utterly normal play of covering the queen with my king. This was spectacularly unsuccessful, as declarer held JT98xxxx with no side entries. My king crashed partner's ace, and declarer then scored up 1NT with a huge number of overtricks (I think it was making five or something like that). Of course, if I duck the diamond king he cannot even make the hand. My teammates had some ordinary result like +130 playing in diamonds, so my cover lost us the board.

Nonetheless, every time I see this position I still cover. Some people never learn I guess. :huh:
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