Damage Control

    Second session of an Open Pairs in a Regional, you were laying 4th, with a 208 at half-time. About two-thirds of this session (where nothing bad, but some "good" has happened so far) your regular partner arrives on your right, as opposition. You accepted "filthy lucre" from an aspirant for this event, thence the RP had to get his second choice.

You almost drool, when, as 3rd hand red-against-white,  you pick up 

S: A,J,3 | H: Q,8,2 | D: A,K,9,8 | C: A,K,8

... something, that will allow you be the Master of Your Own Destiny, instead of what RP might do to you. Fingers itch for the 2NT card in the BiddingBox, but not so fast !!!  Pass by "moneybags", but a 2 comes out of the BB on your right; with the response to your ever-so-careful query as "Standard Weak-Two". 

Ouch ! With a passed-hand Client facing you sophistication is not much of an option, 3 NT appears to be an adequate choice, counting on some help from Briggidda (the Goddess of Our Game). Her help comes in a form not expected:
6 NT, bid proudly by partner (having remembered the discussion of 2NT showing 16-18). 

You blanche, awaiting the opening lead, but blood returns to the right place, when the 6 lead lets Dummy to "beamingly" display:

S: Q,7,5  | H: A,J,6,5,4 | D: 7,6 | C: J,7,4

    Could have been much worse, you are almost ready to congratulate MBags for her outstanding bid, while winning RP-s expected 8 with the Jack. Now you advance Q.  Lo-and-behold the King covers, you win with the Ace and Briggidda softly snickers in the background, while RP follows with the 2.  

This is what you see (or surmise)

Briggidda found you not worthy of her help, because there was absolutely no need to take that King, none at all. With the Poet Lucretius from Rome, let me count the ways:

1 - The King was singleton, you always have two losers; thus going down one anyway;

2 - The King is doubleton or tripleton, your slam is cold, as long as you remember to duck one round;

3 - The King has 3 armsmen, RP having a singleton, if the 10 or the 9,  you are cold as in {2}, if not, down as in {1}.

4 - But when RP has no -s, as is the actual case, you are down three or four having taken the King with the Ace, but will go down one (or most two, if you misguess RP-s minor distribution) if you Duck the first two round of  -s, because the "man on the right" will be both squeezed and in-played. 

The field will be in 6 -s, down two or three, caution in damage control may win the event for you.

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