Drury

"We need to learn Drury," Julie said.

"I thought we decided to focus on play of the hand and defense, and to try to just remember the conventions we are already using," I replied.

"I know we said that, " Julie continued, "but people are saying we need to learn Drury.  So I've asked a few of the A players, and they said we definitely should."

"Okay," I agreed.  "Let's both read about it this afternoon, then talk about it before we play this evening."

Later that day I went online and read an article by one of the inventors of Drury while Julie read a different article.  We then read each other's article as well and talked on the phone.  We agreed that the basic premise seemed simple enough, and decided to play it that evening in its most simple form.  The only question was which version of Drury to play; Julie volunteered to go early to the club and ask John.

That Friday evening Julie was already at the club when I arrived.  We discussed what John had told Julie about Drury, and then I went to him with some follow-up questions.  By the time play began we were ready.

At the first table I was alert for opportunities to bid Drury; none appeared.  The same was true for the next few tables.  We were following John and his partner around the room, and when we reached table 6 we saw that table 7 was a sit-out.  John used this break to pull up a chair behind Julie and kibbitz.  The first board was uneventful, but on the second board Julie opened 1 spade.  I had 10 points and 2 little spades:  "If I bid 1NT," I told myself, "Julie won't know I have 10 points.  Maybe I better bid my nice 5 card club suit."  I pulled out the 2 club card from the bidding box.

My LHO passed and Julie pondered her next bid.  I looked at the table and suddenly realized that Julie had opened in 3rd seat.  Oh no!  I had missed the chance to bid Drury!  I was crestfallen, but only for a moment because I suddenly realized that I had bid Drury.  "Whew," I thought, relieved that I had accidently bid correctly.  I decided that when it was all over I would pretend that I had known what I was doing.  Unfortunately my relief did not last long, because as Julie continued to think I had another realization.  I had indeed bid Drury, but I had bid it incorrectly.  I only had 2 card support.

Julie bid 2 spades.

At this point I had no idea what to do.  Julie had not alerted my bid, but had she just forgotten to alert or had she forgotten about Drury?  Either was possible.  And was I obligated to respond as if we were playing Drury, even though my bid -- at the time that I made it -- was natural?  And what did her 2 spade bid mean, anyway??  I bid 3 spades and the result was disasterous.

When the hand was over, John spoke up.  "I thought you were playing Drury," he said.

"We are." Julie looked at him, baffled.  Now I knew; she had read my bid as natural.

"Well . . . "

We talked about what had happened and John gave me some good advice about bidding Drury with only 2 card support:  "When your hand comes down, just say you thought you had three of them."

Apparently Drury is easier to read about than to implement.