+41 (0) 21 544 7218 Contact Us

Menu
Green for Danger

Green for Danger

By In 16th World Bridge Series On 29th August 2022


I am reliably informed that red is one of the most visible colours in the spectrum (surprisingly, at least to me, yellow is  the most visible, which perhaps explains why it was the colour of choice for both WBF and EBL staff polos for many years). It is readily identified as a warning sign – for example think traffic lights and fire engines. At the bridge table a red card is sometimes used to tell the opponents they are in trouble, and red is used in connection with vulnerability.

However, green can also be dangerous, especially at the bridge table!

In Round 1 of the Mixed Teams, you have a modest hand as South:

Do you pass in sleep?

This was the layout:

Partner’s sequence is indicative of a powerful hand, almost certainly with four-card support.
South’s fifth heart has become important so you should raise to 3Cuori, which will see partner advance to game. (Replace South’s CuoriK with the Cuori6 and as long as trumps are 2-2 you will still take ten tricks!)
As you can see, 4Cuori is child’s play.
Of the 56 pairs who played this deal, nine failed to reach the heart game, once in the same match.


About the Author

Mark Horton
Mark Horton

Mark Horton British journalist and expert player, was Editor of Bridge Magazine 1995-2017 and now edits the online publication Bridgerama+. At one time, his business cards were inscribed: Have Cards will Travel, but following the death of his most famous sponsor, the Rabbi Leonard Helman, he has tended to concentrate on his writing exploits (in 2018 he had five books published!). Anyone wanting to discover how to lose at bridge on a regular basis (and pay for the privilege) should feel free to contact him. He currently lives in Shrewsbury with his wife Liz.