Thursday 8 January

Playing N/S with Gerry came 2nd with 59.5%.

Steve passed the West hand and I opened 1C, Gerry bid 1D and I bid 2N leading to 3N (we actually had a little mix up on the way, but no matter).
John is always likely to lead a major on this bidding and found a heart, so I made 6 tricks.  Complete bottom.  It looks as if most Wests have opened a weak 2H as 4S by South is the popular contract, but that has 4 obvious losers.  Likewise diamonds doesn't do well.  However if I'd opened 1D, Gerry bids 1S and I bid 2N, we will still be in 3N but John will lead 5C.  If I win in dummy and run QS I have a chance of making it, John might well play 8D now, but not to be, I always open 1C on these hands.

Gerry came back with a top on the next hand by some excellent play. Although the defence was in error you still had to play to take advantage of it. After two passes Gerry opened 1H (why not 1N?). Steve overcalled 1S and I bid 4H passed out.
Gerry ruffed the spade lead, diamond to Q, spade ruff, diamond to 9. Cashed AS and now played KC to Steve's Ace, Steve played a heart and John took the Ace, exiting with AD on which Gerry pitched a spade.
QH now, club Q, club J and in dummy with winning diamonds leading through John'd J8 to his K10 gave 10 tricks.

How to stupidly get a bottom.  You've often as a beginner played from KQ into AJ and when declarer ducks, continued to give away a trick.  You learn never to do that again, unfortunately I've managed to remind myself.
Nat opened West 1H, Issy bid 2H and Nat 4H.
I led KD to 5, 2 and 3 (the 2 is count).
I felt end played here, a heart might rob us of a trick (if Gerry doesn't have the 8 it does), Nat could be Kxx in clubs, Gerry Qxx, so 10C is a disaster, Nat would have no problem picking up the suit for a diamond discard. Finally I hate the idea of leading AS when Nat is Kx.  I opted for a small diamond, duh!
Two things should have alleviated my problem, 1. We lead Q for attitude, the K was stupid. 2. I should have played AS, if Nat is Kx he is going to run JS from dummy.
So probably about 20 years since I last fell for the KQ into AJ, hopefully this was the last.