| West | North | East | South |
| 1♠ | Pass | 2♥ | |
| Pass | 3♥ | Pass | 4♥ |
| All Pass |
Tim Bourke is well known as a writer and collector of bridge books. On this deal from the Australian National Open Teams in 2004, he demonstrated that he knows a thing or two about taking tricks. Bourke was South. The deal was reported by Richard Oshlag.
West led the ♣5 and, despite four natural trump losers, Bourke managed to take 10 tricks!
Bourke played the ♣Q at trick one, played a diamond to the ace and ruffed a diamond. After a spade to the ace and another diamond ruff, he cashed the ♠K. Next came the ♣A and a club ruff in hand with the ♥2.
Bourke then led his last diamond, hoping to ruff it in dummy, but West ruffed in with the ♥9 and dummy discarded a spade. This was the position:
Hoping for the best, West played the ♣K. If Bourke won the trick in hand, he would have to lead away from the ♥K, allowing East to win the singleton ♥Q. West would be poised to take the last two tricks with the ♥A J.
Bourke, however, knew what to do. He ruffed the ♣K in dummy with the 6 and underruffed with the 3 in his hand! He had nine tricks at that point. At trick 11, he played a spade from dummy, and when East played the queen, Bourke ruffed low. West had to overruff and was forced to concede a trick to Bourke’s trump king at the end.
The full deal:
