Tuesday 18 November 2014

Monday 17 November

Playing N/S with Adrianne came 1st with a Butler score of 47.  Only one hand of any note.

I opened 1H, Adrianne raised to 2H and I bid game.
Alec led a small heart which I won with the 10 in Dummy.
I only have 7 top tricks plus a ruff for 8.  Ten tricks seems highly unlikely.  However I only have three losers (2 spades and a club) and the opponents won't want to open up diamonds with K10 in Dummy.  As it says on the front of The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy, DON'T PANIC!
I led a small spade from Dummy and Raymond split his honours taking the trick with the Queen. Luckily for me  he doesn't have another trump and quite reasonably chooses to play KC.  I won the Ace and played another spade which went round to Raymond's King.  Raymond cashed QC and I have now lost my three tricks but the club situation transforms my prospects. Raymond decided the defence will now need a diamond trick and exited with a diamond which I took with my Ace, cashed AH then JC,  Alec had to follow and a diamond went from Dummy. I ruffed my 4th club, over to KD and I have a high cross ruff for the rest of the tricks. I made 6 hearts, 2 clubs and 2 diamonds.

Thursday 6 November 2014

Wednesday 5 November

Playing N/S with Gerry came first with 62.5%.

Got off to a great start on hand 3.
Gerry opened 3N.  Not a purest bid but although I would think about 1D, would probably opt for 3N in the end.
So what should I bid?  Looking at JD, I though Gerry was more likely to have 8 of them which gives us 12 top tricks, probably 13 on the run of the suit though if I bid the Grand it would be in diamonds.
However I can't be sure he has an 8 card suit, but even with 7 diamonds I reckon he is odds on for 12 tricks and decide to bid 6N to beat those in 6D and well done to anyone who makes the Grand.
It turned out to be a complete top.  Edna led JH and as Gerry ran the diamonds she had to decide which black suit to keep and made the wrong choice, 13 tricks. Only two pairs found 6D, the rest in 5D or 3N. Of course some will have opened South 1D.

Got away with murder here. Our bidding went 1S - 2D - 2H - 3C (x) - 3S - 3N - passed out.
Raymond led a club to the King, Gerry cashed his hearts and finessed a diamond for 11 tricks, another complete top.

The question is, what would a double of 3N by Joyce mean? I play if my partner has bid a suit then double 3N means lead that suit, otherwise it is for a lead of Dummy's first bid suit.
But what about Raymond's double of 3C, would a double of 3N ask for a spade or a club lead?
I've decided it should ask for a spade. In a sequence like that you really want partner in to lead a club through and want to find an entry. If you don't double partner will most likely lead a club anyway.
On a spade lead the defence can take the first 10 tricks (though might content themselves with 9), 6 down doubled vulnerable, haven't experienced that for a long time.  Gerry would probably have pulled to 4D though.


Tuesday 4 November 2014

Monday 3rd November

Playing N/S with Adrianne came first with a Butler score of 26.  Could have been a lot higher as we missed slam and game chances, for instance we both pulled making 3NT contracts.  Not very clever.


We got most of our points against Alec and Raymond rather ruining their score.
Alec opened East 1N and Adrianne overcalled 2H.  Raymond bid 2N Lebensohl and I bid 3S.
This was uncharted territory for us and Adrianne decided she had better bid in case it was forcing.  She bid 4H passed out.
Raymond led a club allowing two club ruffs and Adrianne just lost a diamond and a heart for 11 tricks. Only one other pair in game. A fortuitous mix up.




Raymond opened West 1H, Alec bid 1N (6-9), round to Raymond who bid 2H. Now I managed to show some decorum the first time red against green, but what is happening? Adrianne must have a decent hand. I couldn't resist bidding 2S.  Alec now bid 4H, Adrianne bid 4S. Alec bid 5H!  Adrianne doubled! Boy did this hand light up.
I thought for a while before passing out the double, even if they make, we are surely losing 500 for 5Sx.
Raymond had to lose 2 spades and 2 clubs to give us 300, a good score.  Not as good as 5S making would have been mind you, probably doubled as well.