Thursday 30 October

Playing E/W with Gerry came joint second with 58%.

Two hands against Steve & Marilyn got us a top and bottom via playing Lucas Twos.

I opened this rather anaemic looking East hand 2S which stymied the opposition into passing it out.
Marilyn lacks any attractive lead and chose a heart which I won with the Queen.  Short of entries to hand and wanting to lead minors to Dummy I played KS to Marilyn's Ace and won the heart return in hand. I played a club now and Marilyn won her Ace and played a trump to Steve's Queen. I ruffed the club return, drew the last trump and led a diamond to J and Ace. I just lost two spades, two diamonds and a club for a top.  Luckily opponents hadn't forced me earlier in hearts.

On the very next hand I am Dealer.  Now if I open 2S on the last hand, I have to open this 1H.  There is no keeping out of game now via 1H - 1S - 2C - 2D(a) - 2S - 4S.
Steve led a spade to the 10 in Dummy to kill any diamond ruff, though there would have been two spade losers that way. There was no avoiding a spade, two diamonds and a club loser and Gerry was 1 down for a joint bottom.

We were in some hopeless 3NT contracts on the night with 25/26 points.  This hand with 25 was a good 3NT.  After 1C - 1D - 1N - 3N, Victor made it even easier with a perfectly reasonable 2S lead which Gerry won in hand with the 9.
He now played a club to the J, club to the A and diamond to K and A.
Phil Played a heart back to 10 and J, Gerry finessed 9H and then finessed 10D.
Now QD both Gerry and Victor discard a spade, heart to Ace, Victor letting go a club.
Now Gerry has a complete picture and plays A and another spade to Victor who has to return a club from Q7 into K8. making 11 tricks. Great stuff especially as even 10 would have been a top!