A Raspberry for the Rabbit, Another Creature of Habit
“I love Paris,” said the Rabbit enthusiastically as we sat reminiscing over a recent visit. “Those beautiful brioches, the Louvre and palaces, the Beaujolais and shows and shops on the Champs Elysees.
“But there’s another side to it, too, you know. Take the traffic. It isn’t just that they drive on the wrong side of the road, for they do that abroad anyway, but they seem to have a death wish. Why else should they keep driving at each other? And I must say I don’t like their funny French cards. Why can’t they have the same as we do?”
A creature of habit, the Rabbit liked to stick to the things he knew and to play bridge with people who knew him. He looked rueful and forlorn when we strolled into a club and found no Hog or Papa to revile him and make him feel at home.
We didn’t have long to wait before a table was up. RR promptly cut in, while I decided to get a feel of things by kibitzing a young man who had been introduced to me as Andorra’s top international.
This was the first hand:
| Dlr: North | ♠ Q 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Vul: None | ♥ 8 7 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ♦ A J | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♣ A Q 10 8 7 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♠ A 10 6 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♥ A K J 10 9 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♦ 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♣ 9 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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The auction was straightforward and there was nothing wrong with the contract. West led the ♦5, removing a precious entry from dummy, and now the play became more interesting. How could declarer give himself the best chance?
The Andorran began by cashing the ♥A. Then he led the ♣9 to dummy’s ♣Q. That was surely the right play. If the finesse lost, the only hope would be a 2-2 trump break, providing a trump entry to dummy’s clubs which could be established with one ruff — assuming the likely 3-2 split.
Should the club finesse succeed, declarer would take the trump finesse. If it failed, dummy’s third trump would serve as an entry to clubs. Finding East with three trumps would be more embarrassing, but declarer would still have every chance of bringing home his contract by losing one trick only in spades. The ♠K could be right or the ♠J might come down after a ruff.
The ♣Q held the third trick, East following with the jack. The Andorran paused, but only for a moment. With the ♣10 in dummy, he had no reason to fear a 4-1 break. The trump finesse would put him in the same happy position as before and he proceeded to take it.
West produced the ♥Q and returned a diamond. The Andorran ruffed and took the “marked” finesse against the ♣K. With the ♥8 as a certain entry, he would set up three winners in clubs to take care of his spades.
On the ♣10, however, the Rabbit who was sitting East, played the ♣K. His left ear twitched uneasily, while a rich red glow suffused his plump pink cheeks.
This was the full deal:
| Dlr: North | ♠ Q 8 | |
| Vul: None | ♥ 8 7 4 | |
| ♦ A J | ||
| ♣ A Q 10 8 7 5 | ||
| ♠ J 5 2 | ♠ K 9 7 4 | |
| ♥ Q 3 | ♥ 6 5 | |
| ♦ K 8 6 5 3 | ♦ Q 10 9 7 4 | |
| ♣ 6 4 3 | ♣ K J | |
| ♠ A 10 6 3 | ||
| ♥ A K J 10 9 2 | ||
| ♦ 2 | ||
| ♣ 9 2 |
There was a gasp from the kibitzers. Andorra’s top international looked at RR in awe. He was deeply impressed. “Magnificent deception,” he said admiringly. “Spectaculaire. Have we not encountered together before? At the Championat . . . .”
“No, no,” broke in the Rabbit hastily, “I wasn’t there. I mean, it wasn’t me you encountered.” He was immensely flattered to be mistaken for someone else, but for how many deals could he hope to keep up the deception?
“You played so naturally,” said an elderly kibitzer. “What gave you the idea? Was it because declarer laid down the ♥A before testing clubs? Did that suggest that your partner had the doubleton queen? A brilliant analysis, Monsuieur. I congratulate you.”
How could the Rabbit tell them that he had been himself a victim of deception, mistaking the ♣J for the ♣K? Those funny French cards had got him into a muddle.
“Oh dear,” he sighed. “I’d like a liqueur, a Framboise d’Alsace, like I had for lunch at the Tour d’Argent. What is the French for framboise?”