Partnership Play-up

            partner, partner – a clever bid

            opponents now are forced to four
            they will be hard pressed for one trick more

                                    . . . four cards to play . . .

            Declarer has two more to get
            partner’s partner starts to sweat

                        contract is cold – ice cold

            declarer has club ace and queen
            with my king caught in between

                        unbelievable - squandered his entry ¹

            Declarer’s in a right old fix
            he can’t make his two club tricks!

                        partner wins the ace of spades

            partner - I can rely on you
            partner - you know what to do

                        partner slowly places a card upon the table

            a club, a club - a club is led!
            my club king is sandwiched dead!

                        partner, partner – that’s not clever!
            partner’s partner sends a frown

            and our Bridge goes falling down

            © Richard Scutter (updated 9 February 2020)

Context

You may have little understanding unless you are a Bridge player. Declarer is the guy trying to make the contracted tricks from the bidding sequence. His partner’s hand is face open and on table and is called the Dummy hand. If he wins a tick in his hand he can lead from Dummy if he has an entry ¹  to a tick in the Dummy hand.

Bridge can be very frustrating game at times and forgiveness is needed. This is especially so in a situation that is so obvious to you that when the unexpected happens you are completely taken aback. In this poem when the contract should have been made and Declarer has given you a chance of defeat by bad play then the lost opportunity adds to the disappointment.