Wednesday 30th January

Up and down like.... all night. Scores that is. Tops and bottoms with some weird results in between. Our first set wasn't a good start, I made 10 in a 4H contract on a spade lead when a lot of people made 11 on other leads. we played in 5 of a minor going off when partner is 6-5 in the minors, a few people found the cold 3NT and some were in part scores. Now our opponents were not exactly the best pair in the club and although their bidding is not to be recommended they did finish in 4H on this:


..♠ 8.... ♥ A J 10 9 3.. ♦ 4........ ♣ A K Q J 7 3

..♠ A 5.. ♥ Q 7 5 4..... ♦ A Q 9 5 3 ♣ 9 2

There are 3 hearts to the K offside but otherwise no problems with the distribution. They easily made 12 tricks, so why do we get such a bad score? Well there's a 4NT -3, a 7H -3 and a few 5C +1!!!

However we ended the first set with the first weird top of the night. My RHO opens 1S, I pass, LHO bids 2S and partner bids 4H. I hold:

....♠ J 9 8 2.... ♥ K 10 9 3.... ♦ A K 6 5.... ♣ 6

Now I am busy wondering whether 6H could be on when my RHO produces a double! I pass and we score 12 tricks as partner is void in spades and has QD. Not quite a top, one pair found the 6H.

In our next set we didn't score very well on part score hands but I then took my first flyer of the night, holding:

.... ♠ 8 2.... ♥ A Q 10 7 6.... ♦ A.... ♣ A Q 9 7 3

In the bidding my partner had showing about 11 points and 6 spades and I bid 5S meaning bid 6 if you have good spades. Partner was missing AJ but had extra values and bid 6. Luckily the AS was onside and partner's singleton KC allowed 12 tricks to roll in, but I really should have left it in 4S, nobody else was as wild as me.

However, the first hand of the next set and we have a bottom again by failing to bid a cold slam. We did find a 4S in this set making 10 when everyone else is in 3N making 9. Then the next weird top. Our opponents open an horrific Lucas Two and on these hands and end up in 3D:


♠ A Q 3....... ♥ 10 9 8 6 3.. ♦ 9 8 6 4.. ♣ 3

♠ K 10 7 6 5.. ♥ 7........... ♦ 10 3 2... ♣ A 9 5 4

The hand that opened the Lucas was the top one! Anyway after 3D is getting passed out, my partner doubles and I leave it in. It was played very well for 5 tricks, +800, better than the 600 or so for our 3N.

We did well for a change in the part scores in the next set and found a top with another slam. This time my partner overbids his hand making we think he has more points, so I had no problem bidding 6H.

..................ME
............... ♠ A Q 9
............... ♥ 7 4 3
............... ♦ 10 9 3
............... ♣ A Q 6 2

♠ J 10 6 4 2................. ♠ K 8 7 3
♥ 8 2........................ ♥ 9 5
♦ K Q J...................... ♦ 8 7 6 2
♣ K 9 5...................... ♣ 7 4 3

.................Harry
............... ♠ 5
............... ♥ A K Q J 10 6
............... ♦ A 5 4
............... ♣ J 10 8

After the diamond lead the club finnesse and fourth club discarding the diamond gives 12 tricks. Nobody else found that contract, most people being sensible bidders.

Partner finds himself in 3NT in this hand:

..................ME
............... ♠ A Q 9 7 2
............... ♥ J 10 7
............... ♦ K J 7
............... ♣ 10 7

♠ 6 5.......................... ♠ J 8 4 3
♥ K 8 5........................ ♥ A Q 9 4 2
♦ Q 8 2........................ ♦ 9 6 5
♣ K 8 6 5 4.................... ♣ 9

..................Harry
............... ♠ K 10
............... ♥ 6 3
............... ♦ A 10 4 3
............... ♣ A Q J 3 2

Now the club lead gives 9 tricks if you find the QD and the suit 3-3, a bit unlikely. What if the spades break and if that fails try a diamond finesse, but if the suit isn't 3-3 then that's only 8 tricks. My partner hit on the answer, sneak another club first. So partner wins the club lead with JC and plays small to the 10 which is allowed to hold. Super! KS followed by A & QS, no luck, OK try the diamond finesse, he's in dummy so plays small to the 10 --- 3 down (5 hearts, a diamond and JS). Another bottom for what I thought was a well played hand.

The next weird top comes with this:

..................ME
............... ♠ A Q
............... ♥ K J
............... ♦ 9 8 7 5
............... ♣ A J 8 6 5

♠ 9 3.......................... ♠ 8 4 2
♥ A 9 2........................ ♥ Q 7 3
♦ A J 6 4...................... ♦ Q 10 3 2
♣ K Q 3 2...................... ♣ 9 7 4

..................Harry
............... ♠ K J 10 7 6 5
............... ♥ 10 8 6 5 4
............... ♦ K
............... ♣ 10

Harry finds a 1S opener (?!), the next hand doubles which I, in my innonence redouble thinking we have about 27 points between us and interested in seeing what happens. well it was passed out! One partner thought a bid by the other was compulsory unless they had a lot of spades. Harry played well for 11 tricks, +2320. I don't think I've had that score before.

Now comes the last set. I haven't a clue what our score is but despite some obvious tops the machine keeps giving us 38%, 13%, 25% for a lot of part score hands, so it doesn't feel good. Anyway I proceed to make it worse.

..................ME
............... ♠ 3
............... ♥ K 9 7 2
............... ♦ A J 4 3
............... ♣ Q 9 5 4

♠ A 8 6 4.......................... ♠ K 10 7
♥ A Q 8 6 5........................ ♥ J 10 4
♦ K 9 6 5.......................... ♦ Q 7 2
♣ ---.............................. ♣ K 10 3 2

..................Harry
............... ♠ Q J 9 5 2
............... ♥ 3
............... ♦ 10 8
............... ♣ A J 8 7 6


After 2 passes Harry opens 1S (now 3rd in hand didn't register with me -- error number 1). The next hand doubles, so the bidding proceeds P - P - 1S - x - P - 1NT - 2C - 2H - 3C - P - P - 3D - x - 3H - P - P - x

Harry thought it was worth a try to find a fit with me and bid 2C, I am always going to think that this is our contract now and so it is really, 3C is a good contract. Well 3H should go down against decent defence, but I am afraid it was down to me and I let it make by some really silly play which I refuse to discuss, so you won't hear about errors 2, 3 and 4).

So the next hand, I take a flyer (again) and bid 6D on this:

..................ME
............... ♠ A 9 7 2
............... ♥ A J
............... ♦ A Q 10 6 4
............... ♣ J 4

♠ Q J 4 3.......................... ♠ K 10 8 6
♥ Q 9 6 4 2........................ ♥ K 10 7 3
♦ J 7.............................. ♦ K 2
♣ 9 5.............................. ♣ Q 7 6

..................Harry
............... ♠ 5
............... ♥ 8 5
............... ♦ 9 8 5 3
............... ♣ A K 10 8 3 2


We bid this 2D - 2H (game force relay) - 2NT (no singleton) - now Harry could bid 3C for a major now, but bids 5D. So I reckon he has good clubs as well as having diamonds with me and is short in both majors, so still upset over the previous debacle, I punt 6D. Harry has the perfect hand and all I lose is the Diamond finesse. So 1 top, 1 bottom in the last set.

The next board Harry is the only one to make 9 tricks in spades for a 2nd top (1 pair got a penalty for a better score). Now unbeknown to us, we are actually winning the tournament N/S going into the last board. However we manage to play in the wrong part score and get a zero, we lost out by 1 MP to take 2nd place. It was certainly a roller coaster ride.

Monday 28th January

Well, we had a dreadful night, mostly by our own mistakes. Better to get a lot of bad hands over with on one evening! However to rub salt into the wounds one pair of opponents opened 2NT, their partner gave a quantative 4NT with a flat 10 points and their partner bid 6NT with 21 points. It was unbeatable and only one other pair bid it.

In the last round a normally timid bidder raised their partner's 14-16 NT to 2NT with an isipid 8 count. This was raised to game and although it can go down, defence is always difficult and it made. Again only one other pair are in this game (they made 630).

Knowing our score was bad I bid onto 3NT (after a 1S opening) on this rubbish:


.........................ME
..................... ♠ Q 9 6 5
..................... ♥ A Q
..................... ♦ K Q 10 6
..................... ♣ Q 7 3

♠ A 10 8 4 3 2....................... ♠ J 7
♥ K J 4.............................. ♥ 8 5 2
♦ A.................................. ♦ J 5 4 2
♣ 10 9 5............................. ♣ K 8 6 4

....................... Adrianne
..................... ♠ K
..................... ♥ 10 9 7 6 3
..................... ♦ 9 8 7 3
..................... ♣ A J 2

I got the JS lead to the Ace, now for some reason the defender returns the 8S which I win with the 9 and still have Q6 over 10 432, so I won 3 spade tricks to go with 2 diamonds, 2 clubs and 2 hearts. Actually I made 10, when in with JD the defender led away from KC.

We missed a chance of a good score on this hand:

.......................ME
................... ♠ A K 10 5
................... ♥ 9 7 5 2
................... ♦ 3
................... ♣ A 9 5 3

♠ 2................................. ♠ J 9 8 7 6 3
♥ 10 8 6 4 3........................ ♥ A
♦ 8 5 2............................. ♦ Q
♣ K J 10 8.......................... ♣ Q 7 6 4 2

..................... Adrianne
................... ♠ Q 4
................... ♥ K Q J
................... ♦ A K J 10 9 7 6 4
................... ♣ ---


After a previous blog where I failed to open a weak 4-4-4-1, I decided to go the opposite way and open an even weaker one 1C, the next hand bids 1S, Adrianne bids 2D, I bid 2H (well I have no option now). Adrianne decides to plump for 5D with the doubleton QS looking a liability. Without interference there is one way to get to 6 after 1C-2D-2H-2S-3S-4NT. This finds me with 3 Keycards and Adrianne could bid 6D, even knowing I might have none, I might have 3 Aces which would be enough. Three pairs found 6D and if the North hand opens, and there is no interference, the South hand can always just bid it.

Wednesday MP Pairs 23rd January

You don't have any scores to compare when you are first to play Board 1. I thought I must have a good score for making 13 on these hands.

....................ME
.................. ♠ A 9 8
.................. ♥ K J 7 6
.................. ♦ 10 4
.................. ♣ A Q 10 6

♠ J 6 5 4...................... ♠ 10 2
♥ 10 9......................... ♥ 5 3 2
♦ Q J 9........................ ♦ K 8 6 5 2
♣ K 8 5 2...................... ♣ 9 4 3

....................HARRY
.................. ♠ K Q 7 3
.................. ♥ A Q 8 4
.................. ♦ A 7 3
.................. ♣ J 7

Playing 4H, I got the lead of 10S which I took in dummy. On the 3rd heart my RHO discarded the 9D, but with club finesse correct, finessing against JS and ruffing my fourth club, I made them all. Surely that will score above average? No, below average in fact. Everyone made 13 and one pair bid to 6H. Thinking about it, the key was the 9D discard, other defenders have let a black card go on the 3rd heart. If they discard a club, two diamonds can go from dummy and if they let a spade go then no finesse is needed.

I didn't do well on this board against the winners:

.................. ♠ K J 7 6
.................. ♥ J 8 6
.................. ♦ J 2
.................. ♣ 10 8 6 2

HARRY............................ME

♠ Q 9 8 5.................... ♠ A 4
♥ K 5........................ ♥ 10 7 4 2
♦ 7 6........................ ♦ K Q 10
♣ A Q 9 4 3.................. ♣ K J 7 5

.................. ♠ 10 3 2
.................. ♥ A Q 9 3
.................. ♦ A 9 8 5 4 3
.................. ♣ ---

I am in a slim 3NT and get a diamond lead to the J and Q. I will have 8 tricks when another diamond is played. For my ninth I can play towards the QS or KH. I decide to play Ace and another Spade, no luck. On Ace and another diamond I don't even act sensibly and cash 8 tricks but embarrassingly play a heart towards the King now to get a deserved bottom. If I had just played that heart first it would have been a top.

Another bad score against the winners was on this hand:

.................. ♠ A 10 7 2
.................. ♥ K 10 7
.................. ♦ 8 7
.................. ♣ J 10 6 4

HARRY............................ME
♠ K J 9...................... ♠ Q 6 5 4
♥ A Q 4 3 2.................. ♥ ---
♦ A 9........................ ♦ K Q J 10 5 4
♣ A K 2...................... ♣ Q 9 5

.................. ♠ 8 3
.................. ♥ J 9 8 6 5
.................. ♦ 6 3 2
.................. ♣ 8 7 3

After a strong 1C opening from Harry, he shows me 20/21 points and 5 hearts, I show 9-11 point with 5+ diamonds and 4 spades. I bid 3NT to end the bidding not liking my heart void. Nobody else had problems bidding the slam, presumably after a 2NT opening. I am still not sure whether I did the right thing or not (although actually we have wrong sided the contract and would go down on a heart lead!)

Monday Aggregate 22nd January

On board 8 the hands were:
.......................ME
....................♠ J 9 5 4
....................♥ 6
....................♦ K 7 5 2
....................♣ A K J 9

♠ Q 6..........................♠ K 8 3
♥ K Q J 10 8...................♥ A 7 5 4 3
♦ 8 4..........................♦ J 10 6 3
♣ Q 8 5 4......................♣ 10

.....................Adrianne
....................♠ A 10 7 2
....................♥ 9 2
....................♦ A Q 9
....................♣ 7 6 3 2

After a pass on my right, I passed. Weak 4-4-4-1 hands don't appeal to me especially 1st or 2nd in hand and more especially with only 1 major. So the hand was passed out with 4S stiff and half the field bidding the game! If I had opened, our bidding would have gone 1D - 1S - 2S - 3S - pass. HOWEVER, it is East that would drive people to game, if they come in 1H. Now we have all 4 players bidding: 1D - 1H - x - 3H - 3S - pass - 4S. The West hand might bid 2D rather than double and that might stop 4S being bid. Another way of getting to game is if west opens a Lucas 2H. Anyway, I was the ONLY player to find a pass. O me miserum.

Anyway. on board 9 the hands were:

......................ME
...................♠ 7 3
...................♥ 8
...................♦ A 10 9 8 6 4
...................♣ A K 6 4

♠ J 10 9 8 6.........................♠ K Q 5 4
♥ J 9 5 3 2..........................♥ Q 10
♦ 3..................................♦ K J 7 2
♣ 9 5................................♣ J 3 2
................... Adrianne
...................♠ A 2
...................♥ A K 7 6 4
...................♦ Q 5
...................♣ Q 10 8 7

I opened 1D and bidding went 1D - (x) - 1H - (1S) - pass - (2S) - 3C - (pass) - 5C

Adrianne played the contract very well to make 12 tricks. We're the only ones in 5C, the rest of the field are in 3NT which had no chance on a spade lead. Without the interference we would have been in 3NT as well.

Another good score was obtained when my partner opened 3D and I held:

♠ A 10 7 4 ♥ 9 8 3 ♦ A 10 2 ♣ A 9 8

I bid 3NT with fingers crossed. Anyway the hearts were 4-4, but it was a spade lead I got. However, Adrianne did not have quite what I hoped for (do partner's ever?). She had doubleton KS and 7 diamonnds to QJ. I won the lead in dummy and finessed the diamond for 10 tricks.

West District Pairs R2 14th January

On board 4 the hands are:

..........♠ 10 5 4 3 2
..........♥ 7 5
..........♦ A 9 4
..........♣ J 8 2

Angus ............... Adrianne
♠ 6...................♠ A K J 9 8 7
♥ Q J 10..............♥ A K 9 6
♦ 7 5.................♦ Q
♣ K Q 10 6 5 4 3 .....♣ A 7

..........♠ Q
..........♥ 8 4 3 2
..........♦ K J 10 8 6 3 2
..........♣ 9


My RHO opens 3D and I refrain from bidding 4C, this comes round to Adrianne who has a quandary. Double is liable to get 5C from me when 4S is better. She chooses 4S which is passed out. 6C is cold, 6S will make most times as well. The pre-empter has to find a diamond from KJ to partner's Ace to get that trick, if they do, as long as you don't get a heart switch and ruff a diamond, you can pick up the spades by drawing one round of trumps to crash the Queen and using heart entries to lead club winners through the long spade holding (discard HIGH hearts if the club is not ruffed).



What should you open with this hand?

♠ ----
♥ Q J 10 9 8 7 2
♦ Q J 7 6 4
♣ 4

I chose 4H. Adrianne holds:

♠ J 6 4 2
♥ A K 4
♦ ----
♣ A J 9 7 6 5

and has no hesitation in bidding 6H.

The player on lead holds AK of spades and AD, so leads AS. You can't go wrong. The hearts are 2-1 the clubs are K 10 opposite Q to 4 (just ruff 1 club, draw 2 trumps and give them QC). Also diamonds are 4-4 so 3 diamond ruffs get you home as well.

Easy game.

Festival Pairs 13th January

The ever inventive Harry finds a 3D opening with this: (non vul vs vul)


♠ 9 8....♥ ---....♦ J 10 9 8 5 2....♣ J 8 4 3 2

The next hand bids 3S and her partner goes to 4S. I hold:

♠ A 10 7....♥ K Q 10 5 4 3 2....♦ Q 4....♣ 7

I had already refrained from 4H and managed to refrain from 5D as well and passed. What to lead? The singleton club was attractive, then win AS, get partner in with a diamond and get a club ruff, hope that a heart trick is to come. But does partner have AD? Will a diamond stand up? A club lead might expose my partner's holding and lose us a natural trick. I eventually plumped for KH lead.

Declarer was looking at:

Declarer ............ Dummy

♠ K J 6 4 3..........♠ Q 5 2
♥ J 9 8 6............♥ A 7
♦ A K................♦ 7 6 3
♣ K 10...............♣ A Q 9 6 5

As it happens the singleton club works fine as long as I play KH when in with AS, but KH gets us off to a great start, partner ruffs dummy's AH and exits with a diamond. I win the second spade on which partner signals for a club (absent-mindedly surely?) Anyway club exit is fine as declarer has to win with K to get over to dummy, but clubs don't break and I have to get Q and 10 of hearts to go with our two trump tricks.
A number of people suffered a big penalty for playing in 4Hx. Harry's offbeat 3D opener saved me the embarrassment of playing there.

GBC Festival Teams13th January

Harry's Amazing Bid

Harry Caraher is a very inventive bidder, but he surpassed himself with this hand in the Festival teams on Sunday. Our hands were:

Harry ......................................... Mine (we're vul)

♠ K 10 9 3...............♠ Q J 6
♥ 10 7...................♥ A Q
♦ J 6....................♦ 9 5 2
♣ Q J 10 7 5.............♣ A K 6 4 2

We play semi-strong Twos and I open 2C, Harry bids 2D (game force relay), I bid 2NT to show a balanced hand, Harry now bids 3S (to show 5!) and I bid 4S which is where Harry plays.
The spades break 3-3 and despite being made to ruff a diamond, Harry gets 10 tricks with the KH onside. (the clubs were 3-0 but opponents can never envisage this). What should have been a club partial became +620. Our opponents made it to 5C down 1.
Of course if the AS had been held up to the third round then it can't make, but the defender assumed declarer had 5.

I made the wrong decision on this hand against the eventual winners.

Harry.................................................Me (both NV)

♠ K 10 8 7 5 4 2..........♠ A Q
♥ Q.......................♥ 10 8 6 4
♦ A Q 9 2.................♦ 8
♣ K.......................♣ Q 8 7 5 4 3

Harry opens 4S (not what I would do, but it does get the hand off your chest). and this was passed round to North who bid 4NT, his partner bid 5C which I passed, but no chance! North bids 5D and his partner after some thought changes this to 5H. After some thought I bid 5S which North doubles. After a heart lead and spade switch this must go 1 off losing 1 diamond, 1 club and 1 heart.

Now holding AQ spades I know partner must have something useful outside the suit, but in what? If he holds something good in clubs we must bid on, but I suppose diamonds were more likely and I should have doubled 5H.
The problem has been not doubling the earlier bids in case opponents change to a better spot, if I double 5C, I am sure Harry will double 5D and then I'll double 5H.
North held :

♠ 9....♥ A K 7 5 3.....♦ K 10 7 6 3....♣ A 2

Basic defence would put 5H 3 off. We were -420 at the other table for 4S making.

Wednesday 9th January Sim Pairs

Playing with Harry we had a poor score North / South, but there wasn't a lot we could have done about it. However:

My RHO opens 3NT (long running minor) which is passed out. I hold:

♠ K 7 4
♥ K Q 9 8 5 4
♦ 8 5
♣ 6 2

What do I lead? Dummy should have a heart stop, so looks like Ace. I didn't think KH could be wrong, but oh boy! Dummy has 3 to the Jack, partner has doubleton Ace. Instead of down 2 it made plus 2.

On another board my LHO opens 1H, partner doubles and RHO bids 2H. I bid 3D and LHO bid 4H. PArtner hesitated for a while and passed and it came round to me. I hold:

♠ 9 8
♥ 9
♦ Q 7 6 5 4 3 2
♣ A 7 2

I acknowledged my partner's long pause but bid 5D anyway which I was intending to do before partner paused. Anyway our opponents found clubs before I could set up partner's spades for two discards and went 3 down undoubled, -300. Second bottom, a lot are in 5Dx but got rid of their clubs for 1 down (-200). Only 1 person was allowed to play in 4H which made.

Other than that we made just one obvious overbid (very constrained for us!) and misplayed one hand (well, only one definite misplay). I am afraid the rest was down to opponents who clearly find us an easy touch.

Monday 7th January

Playing with Adrianne.

How not to get a bottom

Holding ..............................Opposite
♠ A 9 7.........♠ J 10 5 ......bidding starts
♥ A K J 5.......♥ Q 10 6 4
♦ 4.............♦ J 9 7.......1C - 1H - 3D - 4C
♣ A J 9 8 4.....♣ K 5 2

Now 2D by me is a big hand, so 3D is a splinter agreeing hearts, but partner does not alert. Now I have to ignore this and bid as if it was alerted. I decide that as partner does not have an Ace to show, she would do this with a good hand and KQ in clubs, so I bid as I am supposed to and cue bid 4S, partner bids 5C and I bid 5H. Partner bids 6C! (thinks this is another cue obviously), I bid 6H.

All the bids are perfectly correct by by Adrianne who imagines I have a big 5-6 hand in the minors and am probably cue bidding an Ace of spades and a heart void, and of course my bids are correct as explained above!

Anyway hearts are 4-1, clubs are 4-1 with Queen offside, Adrianne played extremely well to make 10 tricks. How did we not get a bottom? Three other pairs are -200 playing in 4H!!!!!


How to get a bottom

Holding: ♠ 10 7 2 ♥ --- ♦ A K 8 7 3 2 ♣ A K 9 4
I open ID, the next hand doubles and partner bids 3D (typically about 3 points with 5 diamonds), the next opponent doubles. Now I think they have game in a major as partner is unlikely to have a defensive trick and we are probably not cashing any diamonds, so I pass, next opponent bids 3H and this is passed round to me. Still convinced they make game I don't want to push them and pass. Three hearts just makes because partner has five to the Q 10 and must make two tricks plus my AK clubs. Other tables scored better for the phantom 5Dx -1 losing 100 or for defeating higher heart contracts.

Why don't I stop trying to think and just bid my hand?