A Puzzle from Mike Huston

Date: Unknown
Time: Early morning
You are South, and grumpy
Dealer: West
Vul: Forgotten
Event: Your job to figure out

• 6 3
• 8 7 6 5
• 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
• —

• ?
• ?
• ?
• ?

• ?
• ?
• ?
• ?

• Q 9
• —
• J 10 9
• 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

The auction:

Your LHO (West) opens with 6 , and the next 2 hands pass.

You stare at your poor collection, and, after a few moments, bid 6 , and that ends the bidding. You then proceed to make your contract, and are no longer grumpy.

The puzzle: Answer ALL 4 questions below for a complete solution!

1. What 13 cards were dealt to West?
2. East?
3. How did you make the contract? (Describe the play, trick by trick.)
4. And under what circumstances could this occur? You should assume that East-West are NOT trying to be cooperative.

Mike Huston from Joplin MO first showed this to me in 2001; he does not know the original source. The puzzle has a legitimate solution; there is nothing wrong with the deck of cards, and all appropriate laws are followed. Have fun!