Thursday 7 February 2008

Wednesday 6th February

Good result at last, even won the Jackpot, despite a few poor scores one following a stupid bid by me. However I should have known from the start that it was going to a good night after board 1.






We don't open poor 12 counts, but 3rd in hand Harry opens and in our system my 11 points commits us to game and we duly end in 3NT. Now as soon as I see dummy I know that eveyone else is in 2NT. Anyway a heart lead won in dummy and a small diamond to the Queen and King. This is followed by another heart (defender will never find the 3 club tricks at this point). Now I played a spade to the Ace and the 9 spades from the defender with 5 hearts made me sure the spades were 4-2. Well 8 tricks will get me a bottom, might as well go 3 down, so with fingers crossed I finessed the 10 Spades, the diamonds broke and 9 tricks made.


The next few hands went well, then the first poor score of the evening:



Again, we don't open the North hand with a poor 12, so 3rd in hand Harry opens 1H, the next hand bids 3C and I bid 3NT. Harry is on the spot now, can't introduce the spades, decides to pass. I make 9 tricks (deep finesse says you can make 10, but pigs can fly), however there's 10 tricks in hearts or spades which everyone else can reach after the North hand opens.


However we get a good score on a later board in similar circumstances when everyone is in hearts going more off than our 3NT.


Harry got us a complete top on this board:



Playing a strong club, harry opens 1C, next hand passes for now, I decide to bid a -ve 1D and hope to bid both suits later, Harry bids 1H, now West can bid 2NT, I bid 4H. East hesitates and passes and West therefore passes. However I would have had no problem bidding 5H over 5 of a minor whether my partner doubles or not. Well Harry made 12 tricks, picking up the Q of trumps. The few others who were in hearts or spades just made 11. Most defended 5C or 5D doubled for 300.


The very next hand was another top because of our bidding methods.



Harry opens 1H and I bid a non-forcing 1S, Harry bids 2C and I bid a natural 2D which Harry passes. What a horrible hand to bid in Acol. Most people were in 2NT which made, but we got 130 in diamonds. However, I would have though 2H or 2S would be the Acol contract. I suppose what happened at most tables was the bidding went the same as us, but over 2D (4th suit) South bid 2NT. How you can bid 2D 4th suit, I have no idea!


I managed to get us a good score on the next board by underbidding for the first time ever.



We don't play weak twos, so after two passes 3rd in hand opens 1S, Harry overcalls 2H, West doubles for the minors and I pass to see what happens. East bids 2NT, Harry bids 3D which comes round to me and I manage to just bid 3H as I don't fancy the distribution in this hand. Harry duly made 9 (double dummy 10 are there and Harry nearly ran the 8H but eventually put in the Queen and wasn't able at that stage to pick up the JH. So he lost a club a spade and two hearts. Most people were in 4H off 1, some in spades going off. One pair in 3H did make 10.


A complete top in the very next hand:


After 3 passes the bidding went West 1S, East 2S, this came round to me and I bid 3D. Everyone is in 2S bar two Wests who are in 1NT. So I was the only Kamikaze there. I should have gone 1 off but the defender failed to overtake their partner's JC and I got rid of the club after a heart finesse and 3-3 break.

A few more better than average scores, mostly averages to finish and 65%, much better than my last few outings.

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