Perhaps my main purpose in posting was to make a plea for a little less haste in making judgments. This occurred just a little earlier.
I was South. Not a slam we want to be in, and indeed it made only 11 tricks when the spade finesse lost. But N would bid the same way if that Jack of spades were the Queen. I have partners with whom, after the 2
♠ response, I could bid 3
♥ as an exploration for a spade slam. But this was pick-up, usually the slam would be a stretch, so I just bid 4. It could have been wrong and, if so, it would be my fault. If partner sticks around, we can build on that. If he is out the door, we can't.
Kibbing a game, I watched a defensive botch. Third hand won the opening lead against a suit contract. Holding the AK in a side suit with the Queen in the dummy, he led the Ace, returned the original suit, and then left the table when his partner did not return a card to his King. A moment's thought would show him that the error was his. Had he played the King at trick 2 his partner would have diagnosed the location of the Ace when the King held the trick. There were other possible interpretations for the lead of the Ace.
From what I have seen, it is the players who make these sudden exits who most need to work on their own bidding and play. I suppose I could just say good riddance to them, but I decided to say a word or two.
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