Wednesday 8 June 2016

CLub Pairs CHampionship 8 June

Playing N/S with Gerry came 2nd, something to be pleased about, though of course you berate yourself for the ones you could have played or bid better.

Our very first board got us a complete bottom.  Gerry opened 1H, I bid 1S and Gerry improvised with 3C, I bid 3H and after 4NT Gerry bid 6H.  As you can see there are 13 tricks if you guess the spades but after Norma led 3D to Q and Ace, Gerry drew trump ending in hand, played AS and ran JS.  One down.

Two others bid 6H and made 13 as did most who bid 4H.
Don't understand that, if you end in Dummy and play KS then finesse, you've blocked the suit.  Taking an immediate finesse is inferior as you might lose to singleton Queen. As is playing on spades before drawing trumps and risking a ruff.

A complete 0 for what looked like the correct line.






I opened 1D, Raymond bid 2C and Gerry doubled.  Alec bid 2H, I bid 2S and Gerry raised to 4S.  A bit frisky but it played well.
Heart lead to T, J and A. I need the diamonds to make this so QD, covered and Ace.  Now I ran 7S, Raymond played a club to Dummy's Ace, I ran another spade, Raymond won and exited with a spade.
Now JD, ruff a diamond, back to hand with a club ruff and claim 10, conceding a heart.
I can see double dummy that I can make 11 by way of another club ruff by taking AS on the second round of trump, but making game is going to be a good score which it was, three others in game, one going down.





A tricky game to reach when after two passes Sheila opened 1H.
I doubled, Gerry bid 1S and I bid 2H.  Gerry now found the excellent bid of 3S so I had no problem bidding 4S.
Four other pairs managed to bid 4S and three went down.

Sheila started with three rounds of hearts, Gerry ruffed and played KS, QS overtaken by Ace and JS drawing all the trumps.  He then ran TC and tried QD for an overtrick but that was 10 tricks.

Note if 10C had lost, there were two discards for diamonds and the diamond finesse would have been certain as Sheila had opened the bidding.  Taking the double diamond finesse does not guarantee the game and of course you go down here.
Very well played.  Those who went down weren't necessarily wrong, many players open 1H in 3rd seat with AKQxx and JD outside, but Gerry's line is superior.


Nobody passed this hand out.  East was dealer and passed as did Gerry, I suppose some Souths might have opened.  West might have opened in 3rd seat and although 1C doesn't impede the opposition much, at least it gets you the lead you want.  So three passes to me and I could pass as partner will have about 10 points and if he has both minors we end up too high and a negative score.  I could open a weak 2S (via our multi) but this hand is not suitable for that. However I prefer to play and opened 1S.
Gerry bid 2D, I bid 2H and Gerry bid 4H.  Well we have a fit, but surely too high. Four others were in it, two made.
Mervyn led JD and I took the Ace.  Spades will have to come in so I immediately played QS, covered by King.  Lewis returned a diamond, I ruffed and ran JS discarding a club.  Another spade ruffed.  I ruffed a diamond giving me AD, JS and two ruffs so far and with AKT hearts in one hand and QJ9 in the other I simply claimed another 6 tricks by a high cross ruff. Alternatively I could have drawn 4 rounds of hearts instead of ruffing the diamond and claimed my 3 spades.

Nearly missed a good score as Gerry after three passes opened South 1D.  I thought I might have a chance at improving the contract by bidding 1H rather than passing.  Just as well as Gerry now bid 4H!

Nothing in the play, just find QH which even I managed.  Only one other pair reached the game.

In my simple bidding I open South 1H which I thought everyone would.  North has a raise to 2H or 3H if you play that pre-emptive.  Either way South has a 4H bid.







This was strange hand, Kevin opened a weak 2S and Gerry bid 3S.  Not a bid that has come before, but looking at my hand I had no problem seeing it was a Michaels.
I gave some thought to 3NT but even with a bad heart break, 4H is surely better, so that is what I bid.
Kevin led 9D and Gerry's 7-5 hand went down.  I discarded the spade and took AD.  I played KH and took Kevin's Jack as genuine.  I ruffed a diamond and played AC and QC, discarding two diamonds.  Nat's TC was very welcome, but I won't relish another diamond (though I still make).  Instead Kevin played a spade, I took AQ of hearts and played club winners.  Nat can ruff when he wants, Dummy is good for the rest and 11 tricks.
There is only one other pair in 4H, also making 11.  A few 5H or even 6H all going off.  Two are in 3NT by Norrth and luckily got a spade lead to give them the top. Five others in clubs, from 3C to 6C.


This was an arrow-switch and I am West.  The horrid 4441 hand. I never lie about majors and so I have to open 1D.  Of course Gerry bids 2C and I have to bid 2D (ugh!).
Gerry now bid 2H and I know he will be at least 5-4 but perhaps more likely 6-4 as we always try to bid the major first, so I am hoping for a diamond shortage in Gerry's hand.  Therefore I bid 4H.  David produced a very clever double.  Martin laid down AS and switched to a diamond.  David won the Ten and returned a high diamond.  Martin over-ruffed Gerry and led QS for David to ruff. So that was four tricks to the defence.  Gerry made the rest via AK of clubs and a cross ruff.