Tuesday 15 July 2014

Monday 14 July

Playing N/S with Adrianne came 3rd with a Butler score of 30.

As North I was in 3N on a spade lead.  Half the field went down but there seemed to be only one line to me.
I ducked Jennifer's spade lead and won John's continuation in hand followed by a successful heart finesse.
It seems I have 8 tricks, 2 spades, 3 hearts, 2 diamonds and a club.  A heart break will give 9 or an extra diamond trick. The extra diamond trick can come home in lots of different ways and is well odds on as Jennifer is holding in both majors.  My problem is when Jennifer gets in she will clear the spades and if she has the club Ace I'm off.  However there is no other way I can see, AC will have to be with John.
So at trick four I led and ran 7D which held!  Now I don't care who has AC, 10D to King, heart finesse and club to Q for 9 tricks.  If John had split his honours I would still have 9 tricks.  If Jennifer has singleton or doubleton diamond honour (even J8) I still make as when the 8 wins, I win spade return and play AD, 10D for the extra diamond trick.

After 1H -2D - 2H, Adrianne bid 4H
Katie led QS and I cashed AK to discard a club. With seven running diamonds you have tricks galore but, how do you play the hearts?  Can I make it against a 4-1 break. Can I go wrong against any 3-2 break? Don't think so, even KJ10 over the Q I don't see how I lose more than two hearts and a club.  Just don't play AH first as then West can draw my trumps and cash two clubs.  So I played a small heart to the Q at trick three, as it was there were no worries, Katie has to rise with the King and it is all over.
KJ10x over the Q would have been too much. 4-1 the other way should be OK, only a singleton King with West would have been a killer.

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