Monday 10 January

Playing with Adrianne we came second 3 points behind with Butler scoring. There were a few hands with big swings, mistakes by our opponents helped us. Only one hand with a big score against us when Derek Shafer bid 6S that few others did. King of trumps was onside and cards lay favourably to make it unbeatable.
Most other hands were just +2/3 or -2/3

Board 20 had the potential for some swings, but nobody made a game. One N/S made 8 in NT. You would think that would be four down or else make (2 diamond entries to get 3 club tricks). 5D goes 1 off.

Adrianne, like the majority was in 4S by W going 1 off.
Adrianne opened 1S, Davna overcalled 2D and I bid 4S.

Davna led AD and switched per force to 5H. Adrianne won the Queen with her King and cashed 2 top spades. She plays another heart to her Ace. She continues JH discarding a club, Davna cannot rough or she is end played.
Adrianne continued a heart to rough in dummy, and immediately realised her error.

If she had just played a spade, Davna wins and has to give a rough and discard or give Adrianne the King of clubs.

On this board Gerry & Ileen made it difficult for us (as you would expect). They bid all the way to 5H. Adrianne then pauses over this and although I am sure double is more sensible, once she has paused feels she must make the decision and with her shape thinks 5S might be better.
Gerry had shown his clubs in the bidding so Ileen gets her side off to the best start with the club lead, but Adrianne was quite right about her distribution and I just lose a club and a heart.

5Hx would have gone for 500 instead of the 450, but then Adrianne would have worried that I would have found a way to keep it to 300.

This is the board Derek & Alan bid 6S against us.

Alan opened 1D, Derek bids a spade and Alan 3S, Derek then employs Blackwood and is soon in 6S.

Derek drew trump, took two club discards on the hearts and one club rough then a diamond finesse into Adrianne's Jack. Roughs the heart return, AD and he's home.

You could also play for two club roughs and take two diamond discards.

Either way an unbeatable slam that few bid, the complaint is more should have!