Monday 30 June

Playing N/S with Gerry came third with a Butler score of 30.

I played this in the obvious contract of 4S and received 9H lead taken in hand. Now most people seemed to have no problem with this hand, making 11 was quite common. What I saw was 9 likely tricks, 4 likely spades, 4 red suit winners and AC.  A club ruff was the simplest way to set up a tenth and so I immediately played Ace and a club to J and K. Back came a heart to my K.  As I planned a few ruffs, cashing AK of diamonds is always sensible first.  Unfortunately the KD is ruffed, heart back, ruff and over-ruff. Another diamond ruffed and over-ruffed by me.  I cash AS and both fall, two club ruffs gives me the rest for 10 tricks Q actually falls). So I made 6 trumps, 3 red suit winners and AC.
Of course winning AH and cashing AK of spades gives you an easy 10 tricks, but where is your 10th if the Q doesn't fall? And what chance have you now if spades are 4-1?

Like most we found ourselves in 4S by Gerry but most went down.  We got the best and worst defence.  Moreen led 9C ducked by Ernestine to keep her AJ over Dummy's King. This is the best defence. Unfortunately when Gerry led a club from hand, Moreen ruffed a loser with a trump trick giving away the contract.
What if West takes AC and gives partner a ruff? East can return a diamond to Q and A, South plays KS which East must take and has to exit with a spade or they give away a red trick. But now declarer can ruff a heart and discard the other on KC for 10 tricks.

I got us a bad score at the end  by bidding the wrong contract.  Gerry opened 1S, I bid 2D, Gerry 2S and instead of the obvious 3N, I tried 3C just in case partner can bid 3D as 6 might be on.  However getting to game is all that Gerry can see with his poor 11 count and he bid 3H.  This is usually Jxx, Qx(x) and I could still have bid 3N but decided on 4S. A heart lead from West set up that trick and three spade losers put paid to that. 3N has 10 top tricks, 11 by North on a heart lead..
Let's say however I bid 3S, Gerry will now bid 4D and say I venture 6D. West might lead a club, win the Ace, Ace and another spade won by the 9. Heart back won by Ace, KC, spade ruff high, AD, diamond to 10, spade ruff high, diamond to Q and two long spades to discard a heart and club for 12 tricks. Minus in spades was not good.