14 Tricks and a Beer

There was a funny hand in our match yesterday against Netherlands Orange. Our team managed to win 14 collective tricks against our opponents, who were playing in diamond contracts at both tables. You can click on the yellow bids to see what they mean. Click again to make the description go away.

The dutch declarer in the closed room forgot how to play this club suit combination, and so finished -2 doubled, 4 tricks for USA Blue. Even in the dark our boys got it right, though, and so when the last trick was played the declarer in the open room had taken just two diamonds and the ace of spades. 14 tricks and 11 hilarious IMPs to the good guys.

In bridge the 7 of diamonds is known as the 'Beer Card.' If you take the 13th trick with this card in a non-diamond contract, your partner owes you a beer (in Australia the rule is everyone at the table owes you). I feel if you win the last trick with the diamond 7 on defense, even when diamonds are trumps, your partner should get the next round. Now only if I could find a partner who would agree to that...