High-card points are almost universally accepted as the primary gauge in hand evaluation, especially for notrump bidding, and trick production is usually proportional. Partnership assets for game or slam are well established, e.g., 25 HCP justify a bid of 3 NT. Sometimes, however, a bad lie of the cards will unravel a contract despite having substantial HCP. To wit:
Virtually every North-South pair would reach 3 NT on these cards. Two balanced hands, 26 HCP and no major fit makes game in notrump routine. Ah, but this deal arose in the Crooked Swiss, where players have an uncanny knack of knowing how the cards lie. North paused to think over 1 NT, no doubt for show, then exercised “good judgment” to pass. Indeed, even 1 NT was too high.
West led the 10 to South’s queen, the 10 lost to East’s queen, and a spade return felled the top honors. Leading a second club would result in down three, so declarer wisely cashed out for down one.
It has often been said that down one is good bridge. Twenty-six HCP may seem like a lot to fail in 1 NT, but there can be “good bridge” with a lot more, which brings us to the puzzle:
If North-South are unable to make 1 NT from either side:
1. What is the most HCP North-South can hold? 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39
2. What is the most HCP South can hold? 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
3. Given the above, how many cards in South’s longest suit? 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
*Solvers had to construct a complete deal as their solution. Multiple choice was only added for this writeup.
The object was to construct a deal where North-South have the most HCP but cannot make 1 NT from either side. Deals with the same HCP were judged by the highest pip count (A=14 K=13 Q=12 J=11 T=10…) An additional challenge was for West to have the best poker hand, which could not be a straight flush. Solvers who constructed deals with at least 35 HCP are ranked below, with ties broken by pip count, West’s poker hand, and lastly by date and time of entry.
While two short of the maximum HCP, and hardly a contender in the poker department, I liked this construction for providing West with the worst best poker hand:
Sherman Yuen: East-West cash seven club tricks. West wins at poker with a measly 9-high flush, whilst everyone else has only a straight.
Note Sherman’s careful placement of the cards to avoid a full house in any hand.
Another non-contender for the top spot, but this solver took no prisoners. Down three!
Nicholas Greer: West cashes nine diamond tricks!
This solver took poker to the other extreme with the best possible hand (given the conditions) but fell a point short of the HCP maximum. I enjoyed the solution for its intriguing play aspects.
Cyrus Hettle: The play in 1 NT is nontrivial…
Indeed. West must lead the 10 (or East the 2). North wins, cashes the A, and leads a crafty 2. East must pounce with the jack and lead hearts until exhausted, then his spades are just good enough to win two more tricks in the ending. Observe that swapping the 5 and 4 allows declarer to succeed.
Three solvers found identical solutions (except for suit identity, N-S hand swap, and 7 7 swap) which nailed the maximum possible HCP and PC for North-South. Given that and the no-straight-flush condition, West’s best possible poker hand is quad fours.
Henry Hsieh: A spade lead will eventually set up five spade tricks. Diamonds must be at least Q-J-9-x to stop the suit twice and not get endplayed.
Foster Tom: The defense leads spades and can establish five spades [along with] two diamonds.
Only our ‘queen’ found the king! Ms. Denlee noticed that A-K-10 in declarer’s 9-card suit could be changed to A-Q-J without altering the HCP, PC or trick result, thus enabling a king kicker for West’s quad fours. Alas, she couldn’t stop there but included a fantasy tale as well:
Tina Denlee: In my game players do not have a clue where the cards are.* West opened 3 , I overcalled 3 , and South bid 3 NT. Some unlucky pairs played there, but I removed it to 4 . Partner bid 5 , West doubled, and I ran to 5 , which East gleefully doubled. I won the heart lead and led the A, which East ruffed and returned a diamond. I ruffed a club high, cashed K-Q-J (unblocking diamond), Q-J-10, then exited with the 9. East had to give me the last two tricks. Plus 850!
*Are you sure about that? South seems to have a big clue in not bidding 6 .
Where do you roam? Well, let’s see… his roaming began in ‘57 when Have Gun, Will Travel became my almost favorite western, second only to Maverick. As a kid it was cool to have the same first name as Richard Boone, but I could never acquire his suave persona, no matter how many times I pretended to be a soldier of fortune.
Then in 2003 Paladin roamed into my life again with Have Cards, Will Double, a defensive play contest with 776 participants, won by none other than the prolific Charles Blair — a knight without armor in a savage land?
Now in 2026 Paladin no longer roams alone! His fast guns for hire heed the calling wind:
Sherman Yuen: If North-South have that “uncanny knack of knowing how the cards lie,” they would never be playing in notrump!
Prahalad Rajkumar: North-South hold massive high cards for bridge and poker, yet somehow come home empty-handed in both games.
Charles Blair: This puzzle reminds me of the “worst result with best hand” in real life. Harry Fishbein supposedly was the victim of 4 P P 4 NT (takeout by Fishbein); Dbl P P Rdbl (pick a suit); all pass! [Eight spade tricks later Fishbein could claim.]
Nicholas Greer: Without the requirement that West not have a straight flush, this is reminiscent of a previous puzzle some years ago.
Fittingly, your deja vu seems to be Old Scoring Deja Vu (April 2016). The goal then was for 6 NT to be down seven, equivalent to 1 NT down two, for which the most possible HCP was 36.
Acknowledgments to CBS Television and Richard Boone (1917-81)© 2026 Richard Pavlicek
by Richard Pavlicek by Richard Pavlicek