He didn't look good enough

While looking at the hand record (from the Detroit NABC North American Pairs second qualifying session) for the deal I posted yesterday (Too much information), I noticed another interesting deal that I had almost forgotten about (hands are rotated):

                     ♠ A Q 8 3
                     ♥ Q 10 7 4 3
                     ♦ J 2
                     ♣ 9 7


==
                    ♠ K J 8 5 2
                    ♥ A 6 5
                    ♦ K 10 7
                    ♣ Q 5

       West   North   East   South
                       2♦    2♠
       3♣    3♠     All Pass

I have to admit that I was the 2♠ bidder. It was a little on the skimpy side, but I liked the position of my diamond honors. Okay, it was v-e-r-y skimpy. If you don't get in at the two level, what will you do over 3♦? I prefer to get in and get out. If they catch you speeding once in a while, that's the price you pay. I'm just sayin'.

Partner had a heavy 3♠ bid -- perhaps 3♦ would have been better, but you can't fault his 3♠ bid, and, in any event, we would have reached the same contract.

West cashed the ♣A and then the ♣K on which East discarded in a manner that showed a doubleton. West shifted to the ♦6. East won the to the ♦A and continued with the ♦Q, taken by my king.

I drew trump and when West had a doubleton, it appeared he had 2=2=2=7 distribution. I cashed the ♦10 and played the ♥5. When West ducked, I played the ♥10 from dummy. East won the ♥J and he fired back the 8. I thought about it and decided that West didn't look good enough to smoothly duck the ♥K 2. I played low and West followed with the 9 -- my endplay worked. In poker, they call that trusting your read.

Making 3♠ for plus 140 was a good matchpoint score. Here is the complete deal:

                     ♠ A Q 8 3
                     ♥ Q 10 7 4 3
                     ♦ J 2
                     ♣ 9 7
♠ 7 4                              ♠ 10 6
♥ 9 2                              ♥ K J 8
♦ 6 5                              ♦ A Q 9 8 4 3
♣ A K J 10 6 4 2                   ♣ 8 3
                    ♠ K J 8 5 2
                    ♥ A 6 5
                    ♦ K 10 7
                    ♣ Q 5

This was board 25 and you can see it on the hand record if you click here.