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.
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