Today’s deal is from a tournament in Australia, where men are men and they love to bid. South made a normal opening bid, and West chimed in with a cocktail hour overcall. North’s negative double can be justified by his four-card diamond support. East just joined the party for the fun of it. South couldn’t know that everyone was lying, but he knew that somebody was. He cue bid two spades just in case his partner had a good hand. He followed with a game bid supported by his full values.
South, Australian expert Paul Dalley, won the opening club lead with his ace. He mis-guessed trumps, reasonably enough, by cashing his king of hearts and leading a heart to dummy’s jack. East won with his queen and led a club to West’s jack. West exited safely with his last trump. Dalley won in dummy and led a diamond to his jack for a successful finesse.
Dalley still had to find a way to hold his spade losers to one. He cashed his diamond tricks, then led his ace of spades and another spade. This end-played East, who won with his king and had to yield a ruff-sluff, so Dalley made his contract. Well done!
