There were so many strange deals at the Sarasota-Manatee Regional that I thought some computer nerd had infiltrated the hand-generated deals. Take a gander at these beauties.

WHAT'S PRECISION?

After winning our first two matches in the Tuesday-Wednesday Knockouts, what do you do on Tuesday evening? With Adam Kaplan, it’s play some more bridge.

So Tuesday evening we played in the Side Game and racked up a 64% effort to take first place overall, worth 2.44 Gold points and 1.35 Red points. In third seat, both white, I hold: S-Qxx, H-Kxx, D-KQxx, C-Jxx. LHO passes and Adam opens a Precision Club which I alert.

RHO takes no notice of my alert and bids 1 Spade. I double to show a positive hand (at least 9 HCP). LHO bids 3 Clubs, alerted as a Bergen raise, and Adam passes. RHO bids 3 Spades and I can’t get the red card on the table fast enough.

Following Eddie Kanter’s advice, I lead a low trump. Kanter in his book, Modern Bridge Defense, states that if you hold more HCP than the opponents in a trump contract, lead trumps and turn the hand into a no-trump hand. The dummy show up with four low spades, Ax in hearts, three small diamonds, and four clubs headed by the queen.

Adam wins the SA and we set the contract three for +500 and a top. RHO looks at my card and wants to know what is Precision. I think he just found out. He had bid with S-KJxxx, H-xxx, D-Axx, C-xx. Just ducky!

SWISS DELIGHTS

Adam and I had excellent partners, Steve Wallis of Tampa (who used to play here) and Dian Petrov of Buffalo, NY, in the evening Swiss Event and took first place in Bracket II, worth 6.20 Gold points.

Here’s one of the hands that helped. In fourth seat, we are white, they are red, and I hold a balanced 11 count. LHO passes and Adam bids a Precision Club which I alert. RHO blithely bids 1 Heart and I double to show a positive hand. LHO bids 2 Hearts and Adam bids 2 NT showing two stoppers in hearts. RHO bids 3 Hearts and once again I double.

This time the opponents go for 1,100. The lady looks quite aghast at the result and quietly says to her husband, “You really didn’t have too much.” I’m about to rupture my spleen from laughing. I try to explain to RHO that Adam and I are playing “The Big Club System.” But my explanation falls on deaf ears. It must have been a lovely ride home!

MORE SWISS DELIGHTS

In the Sunday Swiss (bracketed), we are 4-2 with one 7-board round to play. We are playing a delightful couple who play a weak no trump.

The woman on my right has a severe eye problem and her husband has to point to the card he wants played when he is declarer. The turning point is when he opens a 12-14 NT. Adam passes and RHO bids 2 Spades alerted as a Club relay. I hold: S-QJxx, H-QJxx, D-K, C-Kxx and I pass. LHO bids 3 Clubs and RHO bids 3 Diamonds.

Hmm! Adam has either one or both of the majors or a diamond stack and a decent hand, so I double. Adam passes and we are +1,400. We win the match and finish first in Bracket II, good for 16.83 Gold points.

Sincerely, Jim Somma{easycomments}