For the next story you have to know about Victor Mollo’s wonderful series “Bridge in the Menangeire”.
One of the strange animal characters is “The Rueful Rabbit”. He tries very hard, but he has absolutely no idea what is going on. Amazingly, all of his horrible mistakes and stupidities end up as impossible triumphs.
In a Knockout Teams, white against red, it went pass-pass to me and I pre-empted 3
with something like:
xx 
x 
Kxxx AJxxxx.
In 4th seat is Mike Passell, many times world and national champion. He overcalled 3 and the hand is passed out (the client should have raised to 4).
Partner leads a and it goes small, A, small. There is a short pause while I’m thinking what to lead. My partner breaks the silence with a surprising comment.
He says, rather sarcastically, “No clubs, partner?”…I am confused until I look down and see the A on the table (I had broken my glasses and had borrowed a pair that were not strong enough).
Totally embarrassed, I played the J. Later on I had to play my A on the third , and Passell made 5 for 200.
But I probably wouldn’t have bid 3 if I had known I had only Jxxxx, and they would have reached the easy 4 that our teammates bid. On this hand “The Rueful Rabbit” was me.