Humiliated!

Author: Larry Cohen
Date of publish: 05/10/2016
Level: All Levels

After some deliberation with myself, I have decided to publish this humiliating deal. I am the one who was humiliated. Playing in an online money game, I held:
♠ 94
♥ K987642
♦ KJ85
♣ --

With nobody vulnerable, partner opened 1NT and RHO overcalled 2♠. I wanted to transfer to hearts, but this was a game with "no agreements" so I simply bid 4♠. LHO doubled and partner redoubled. A low spade was led and I saw:

♠ AK73
♥ A10
♦ 10973
♣ A65
 
♠ 94
♥ K987642
♦ KJ85
♣ --

I was hoping for better trumps in dummy, but all in all, this was a great contract. Even if I lost two diamond tricks, I'd be fine if I could hold my heart losers to one. Accordingly, I won the ♠A and ruffed a club to my hand. I led a low heart and LHO followed low. I inserted the 10, expecting (from the double) that hearts were 4-0.

This was the full deal:

 

 

 

Vul:None
Dir: North
♠ AK73
♥ A10
♦ 10973
♣ A65
 
♠ 6
♥ Q5
♦ A642
♣ KJ10872
  ♠ QJ10852
♥ J3
♦ Q
♣ Q943
  ♠ 94
♥ K987642
♦ KJ85
♣ --
 

As you can see, this play did not work out well.

RHO won and the defense now got a spade ruff, ♠A and a diamond ruff for down one (-200). Meanwhile, any old fool could have made 12 tricks! Just draw trump and play a diamond, making 6 (+1280).