Monday 27 January

Playing N/S with Gerry came third with a Butler score of 25.

An excellent 6D for N/S on this hand but only one pair played there.  At other tables the bidding might have been similar to ours:   2C - 2N - 6N

2N is surely a lot more than sensible than 3D with the South hand and you should avoid a 2D -ve when you have an Ace and a King.  Anyway about half the field are in 6N and Gerry was the only one to make.
Robert led 7S which Gerry took with the Queen in Dummy and immediately tried a club to the Queen for his 12th trick. That didn't work, Robert played a club back to the bare Ace in Dummy and Gerry ran the diamonds ending in hand.  The discards were fairly revealing as Robert let one heart go, a couple of spades and eventually a club. Jack had let a couple of hearts go and a club.  Now Gerry led a heart and Robert split his honours, it seemed clearer now as he won in Dummy, returned to a spade and finessed the heart for 12.

I was in 4H like many people but I got a fairly easy ride as Phil led 5D which went to the Q and K.  Worried about that being singleton it seemed obvious to play Ace and another heart then any ruff would be by a winning trump. That ensured I could only lose two heart tricks.
Phil exited with his second diamond but all I have to is draw trumps to safely make 10 tricks (no interest in a club ruff for 11).  So I win diamond in hand, exit with heart, Phil wins and plays QS, I win in hand, draw last trump and run my diamonds and two remaining black winners for 10 tricks.

Most people went down, but I think you should make it most times by setting up the spades. Even though you can lose three trumps, that is all you should lose.

A big score for us here as after two passes Gerry decided to open 2D multi, I bid 2H, Gerry converted to 2S and round to David who doubled.  Gerry now bid 3D, Raymond passed (3H surely???) and I passed.  Undaunted David doubled again, Gerry bid 3S, back to David who bid 4H (good bid it will make even though a club, ruff and two diamonds defeat this, try cashing those tricks in defence).
This came round to me and I bid 4S, David doubled.
Raymond led JC won by Ace, spade to Q and K, AH, club ruffed, JS to Ace and it is all over 4Sx made.

(??? I wonder if Raymond did bid 3H here and I've forgotten)

E/W can make 4S on this board (on the bidding you can place North with AD and only lose a diamond, a club and a heart).
At my table there were three passes to me.  I have 14 points, so 26 between the other three figures to give partner 8 or 9 points. It seems pointless to bid anything other than 4H which is what I did.
Partner couldn't be much worse unfortunately, however after three rounds of spades I ruffed and led a club. Mary went in with the King and failed to find a diamond as she exited with a heart. Two rounds of trumps, another club to J and A and I had a heart entry to the club winner to pitch my losing diamond for one off.