An interesting board I played against Paul & Nat just got us 50%.
When Dummy went down I was thinking 4S could have been better, but concentrating on this hand:
1. Likely 5 card diamond suit, so I held up till 3rd round, discarding club from Dummy.
2. East the danger hand, so led JS intending to run it to West.
Nat decided to cover, I won Ace and a spade back to the King showed that I had only 3 tricks in the suit.
Now I need 5 tricks from hearts and clubs. I cashed my spades and Ace of clubs knowing that East still can't get in. Next finesse QH which Paul took. He can't exit with a club (he is in fact completely end played), so came back with 3H hoping Nat has the ten, I went up with the Ten and as Nat followed to both hearts it is all over now. I played a third heart to Ace and exited with 9H. Paul only has clubs left and has to lead into my KJ.
4S went 1 down so beat those pairs however one pair is in 3N by South and got a heart lead for 10 tricks. Another is in the same contract and lead as me and made 10. What do I know?
We were doing well enough but finished with a lot of tops on the last 6 boards. This one was lucky.
Bobby started with AK of diamonds and Ian must have got his signals wrong as he switched to a spade. Gerry won in hand and led up his club, Bobby took and played another spade to Dummy allowing Gerry to cash two clubs and discard his diamond and spade loser.
Now TH, J, Q, then a heart to the 7 and 8. Gerry ruffed the diamond return and exited with a small heart. Ian is end played to lead away from Kx.
I opened 1D and although you sometimes can bid 1NT with a 10 count, Gerry is too strong for that, an AK and a K as well as good intermediates, so made his only bid of 2C. I reversed with 2S as I'm strong enough after a two bid. The other options of 2D or 3C could both be on an 11 count and shouldn't be considered. Gerry bid 2NT to show his minimum and I raised to game.
The lead doesn't really matter but Gerry's bid of clubs avoided a club lead and then a heart through, so he got an easier ride with a spade lead.
He won in hand with the 10, diamond finesse, cashed a spade, diamond finesse, cashed third spade and just cashed his 10 tricks.
Only one other pair found game and they got a club lead. Although they can still make 10 tricks they were held to 9.
1C - 2Na - P - 3D
P - P - x - P
3S - P - 4S - 5D
x - P - 5S - ap
E/W lose 500 for 5Dx, so vulnerable game is important for us.
I won the diamond lead, spade to Ace and KD discarding a club. I ruffed a diamond and led the last club from Dummy. Laura had to take the Ace and with the clubs breaking all I could lose was the AC and QS.
Only a joint second top, someone was doubled in 4S!
