Unfair

Part of the lure of duplicate is everyone has the same cards. But that doesn’t make it fair. Today E-W average over 22.7 HCP (to NS’s 17.3). Thankfully I normally sit East or West. And not just the HCP but (for the most part) things were on. My partner was complaining “How can I beat the field by finding a squeeze when every finesse is on?” A typical hand. West: Axx Axxx Axx Kxx East: KQ JT KJxxx AT8x With north having QT9 of diamonds in the pocket (and clubs 3-3), slam is cold in NT and/or diamonds, but we were in 3N making 6 (which happened 4 times today, once by N/S!). I also held the following: (void) KT9 A9xxx AKQxx (on the advice of the Imp, I took a phantom sac against 5S when partner admitted to having a double fit in minors) Axx xx Axx AQxxx (3N making only five) KT8xx AK9x T AKx (4S off one on a 6-1 side suit break and 4-1 trump break) AKxx Jxx AKx AJx AKJx Kx Tx KTxxx Kxx KQT9 Ax QJxx (3N making six when the opening leader lead the 6 from QT86xx of spades and dummy had AJ9x…