Monday 22 April

Playing N/S with Adrianne came second with a Butler score of 36.

I've noticed that when partner opens 2N and you have 10 or 11 with a 5 card suit you almost always make a slam.  Here I opened 2N, Adrianne had the requisite 10 points plus two 10s but 4333 shape.  However she tried for a slam anyway and despite me make a dreadful mess of the bidding (wrong reply to 5 card Stayman, wrong reply to Gerber), I bid 6N because I have the long suit.
Play was simple enough, QS lead, make sure you win in hand to keep the entry. KC, cash AK diamonds as an extra precaution from being stranded from QD, Ace and another club and you have 12 tricks.

We seemed to get into the wrong contract on this one, but it was actually the only making game.
Adrianne opened 1H, I bid 1S and Adrianne bid 2D. I would have been in a quandary if playing Match Points, not wanting to commit us to the minor over the major.  However in Butler it can't cost more than a point and I have to make a slam try, so I splintered 4C.  Adrianne with a poor minimum bid 5D.
You can only lose a club and a diamond so a safe 11 tricks.  Note that 4H goes off, AD, ruff, AC ruff. However nobody found that defence.
Half the field didn't bid game.  If South doesn't open (probably correct being Aceless) and opponents don't compete in clubs the bidding should probably go 1D by North - 1H - 2H - 4H (double fit worth extra).

I made a complete hash of this hand, very poor play in deed.
Our bidding went :
P   - 1C  - 1D  -  3C
3D - 5C - all Pass

AD lead, JD ruffed, AC to find 3-0 split.
I went over to AS and finessed JC then realised I had a problem.  If I cash another club I'll have a diamond loser unless spades are 3-3.  Without any further though I played KH, However Katie won AH and led KD, I have to ruff with the last top club and lose QC for 1 down.
Playing KH was never going to work unless opponents make a bad mistake. I should play a second spade to QS to have a look.  As here that's my 11 tricks, just draw the last trump.  Terrible play.

We finished with another good slam. Adrianne opened 1N, I transferred with 2D and Jim Forsyth doubled.  Adrianne bid 2H (promising three), Jim McMahon bid 3D and I bid 4D. Nothing Adrianne can say (well maybe 4S, but that's a big push), so she bid 4H.  However on the bidding Jim & Jim surely have AKQ diamonds, so where are Adrianne's points? AQ hearts, QJ clubs, KS? If not KS then must have QJ and slam is on finesse at worst.  However, you never know, she might have wasted values in diamonds, I just bid 5H (always my get out), but at least Adrianne won't bid slam without AQ of hearts.  6H she does bid, they cash a diamond and switch to a spade but the contract is lay down.