Thursday 1st November

Playing N/S with Gerry we won our way in a Play with the Experts format.
There were many hands where 12 tricks made though most weren't biddable.

Against Stephanie and Avril we reached 4S via 1H - 1S - 3S - 4D - 4S.  Only 12 points in the South hand but I would have been tempted to rebid 4D.  Partner would now surely bid 6S, however Gerry's 3S is much more sensible and on a good day it is what I would choose.
Steph led 3C which ran to the Ace. Avril returned 2H, I took Ace and 4S to Q, A and 6.  Restricted choice says I should finesse now which is what I did and made 12. Very lucky. If Avril just returns a club to dummy, I will probably lead a small spade to King and have a spade loser.

Gerry had a big defensive problem against Les and Shirish.   Shirish opened 1C and Gerry overcalled 1S passed back to East who now bid 2H, Les bid 3N.  After some though Shirish decided to pull this to 4C and Les bid 5C.
So Gerry was on lead and decided on AD to see dummy. Now we play reverse attitude on an Ace, JD and maybe 9 would indicate a spade void so I played the 8 and Shirish the King.  Not much help to Gerry, the last thing he wants to do is play AS, but if KD is singleton and JC is an entry then the spade trick could disappear.  After long though Gerry played AS and then exited with a diamond to the Queen. I followed with 6D and maybe my carding made Shirish think I had four because he played 2D to a small ruff and Gerry over-ruffed for one down.
You can of course make 5C double dummy by dropping the singleton KC and either South doesn't take AS or you have JC entry to cash a couple of spades. Also 3N is of course a good contract but so is 4S!

Both experts stopped in 4S, but most at the GBC bid 6S.
Bob and Paul bid it against us after a 1S - 2N - 3C (min with 5 spades) sequence.
I led an aggressive 2H which was not a success.  Bob ran it to the Q, cashed the spades, finessed and cleared the hearts and exited with a diamond to my King to give him a club discard and 12 tricks.
13 tricks is of course unbeatable but you would not like to be in this contract on a 7C lead, or a high red card for that matter.  I think the experts got it right.

Again against Bob and Paul this was just 1N by West passed out. I'm glad I didn't have that West hand playing with Adrianne.  Not using checkback we have to open 1S and that would have been passed out.
Anyway this is a tricky hand.  I led 3H and Gerry put in the 8 and Bob took the 9. He now led QD and I took the King rather than getting conned into putting it on air (though sometimes partner has singleton Ace). I now tried 5S to Q and Ace.  Bob played AD and Gerry followed with the 10.  Bob now read that correctly and finessed 8D giving him 7 tricks with AK of clubs. The expert in 1N only made 6 after the same lead and winning 9H he played AD then QD and North ducked.  There are only two diamond tricks now. So, I should have ducked that QD, I got conned into taking it!

 Stole a game against Jim and Nat. Nat opened 1H and I bid 2C.  Gerry bid 2N and I ventured a cheeky 3N.  Nat led 2S to Jack and King, Gerry played three  rounds of clubs and now Jim was on lead. A heart will defeat the contract as Gerry has to take the Ace, lead to AD to get into Dummy and Nat can keep 2 red Kings and 2 spade winners.  However after some thought Jim went for a spade return and after cashing three spades Nat is end played into leading a red card and nine tricks made.

A difficult decision for me here. Gerry opened 1S and Nat overcalled 3D.  I doubled, Jim redoubled and Gerry bid 3S, I bid 4S and Jim 5D.
Now most sensible people will just double 5D but I'm good at getting the five level wrong. So I gave this some thought.  Gerry is void diamond and 6 spades but maybe 7 because he could have bid a decent four card club suit after the double and redouble (he doesn't have four hearts). I'm not defending if he has seven spades and he probably only has 10 points. I decided on 5S and Jim doubled.
Nat led AD, ruffed, heart to the Q and Ace, Jim tried Ace and another club to Dummy's Queen, spade finesse and 11 tricks.  Hey, I got a five level decision correct!
Of course if Gerry opens 3S it will be passed out so great judgement to see that it was too good for a pre-empt.