Monday 22 April

Playing N/S with Adrianne came second with a Butler score of 36.

I've noticed that when partner opens 2N and you have 10 or 11 with a 5 card suit you almost always make a slam.  Here I opened 2N, Adrianne had the requisite 10 points plus two 10s but 4333 shape.  However she tried for a slam anyway and despite me make a dreadful mess of the bidding (wrong reply to 5 card Stayman, wrong reply to Gerber), I bid 6N because I have the long suit.
Play was simple enough, QS lead, make sure you win in hand to keep the entry. KC, cash AK diamonds as an extra precaution from being stranded from QD, Ace and another club and you have 12 tricks.

We seemed to get into the wrong contract on this one, but it was actually the only making game.
Adrianne opened 1H, I bid 1S and Adrianne bid 2D. I would have been in a quandary if playing Match Points, not wanting to commit us to the minor over the major.  However in Butler it can't cost more than a point and I have to make a slam try, so I splintered 4C.  Adrianne with a poor minimum bid 5D.
You can only lose a club and a diamond so a safe 11 tricks.  Note that 4H goes off, AD, ruff, AC ruff. However nobody found that defence.
Half the field didn't bid game.  If South doesn't open (probably correct being Aceless) and opponents don't compete in clubs the bidding should probably go 1D by North - 1H - 2H - 4H (double fit worth extra).

I made a complete hash of this hand, very poor play in deed.
Our bidding went :
P   - 1C  - 1D  -  3C
3D - 5C - all Pass

AD lead, JD ruffed, AC to find 3-0 split.
I went over to AS and finessed JC then realised I had a problem.  If I cash another club I'll have a diamond loser unless spades are 3-3.  Without any further though I played KH, However Katie won AH and led KD, I have to ruff with the last top club and lose QC for 1 down.
Playing KH was never going to work unless opponents make a bad mistake. I should play a second spade to QS to have a look.  As here that's my 11 tricks, just draw the last trump.  Terrible play.

We finished with another good slam. Adrianne opened 1N, I transferred with 2D and Jim Forsyth doubled.  Adrianne bid 2H (promising three), Jim McMahon bid 3D and I bid 4D. Nothing Adrianne can say (well maybe 4S, but that's a big push), so she bid 4H.  However on the bidding Jim & Jim surely have AKQ diamonds, so where are Adrianne's points? AQ hearts, QJ clubs, KS? If not KS then must have QJ and slam is on finesse at worst.  However, you never know, she might have wasted values in diamonds, I just bid 5H (always my get out), but at least Adrianne won't bid slam without AQ of hearts.  6H she does bid, they cash a diamond and switch to a spade but the contract is lay down.

Thursday 17 April

Playing N/S with Gerry came first with 62%. Of course you always need luck to get a good score

We were certainly lucky against Steve and Mike.  Mike opened West 1S which was passed round to Gerry who was a bit too strong to just bid 2D which can just be protective, so he doubled.  Mike bid 2S, I bid 3H and Gerry 3N. Now I really want to bid 4H but that QS made me stop and think (always a bad idea) and I passed 3N.
Right enough JS lead and the Queen wins the first trick. Gerry played heart to the King, ducked. Now you need two entries to enjoy the hearts and hey presto, Gerry laid down the Ace to fell a singleton Queen followed by club to the 9, QH to the Ace and all Mike could do was cash AS for 11 tricks.
Of course if AS is led, 3N goes down, in fact two down. 4H will always make.  Nobody else was in game.

A  real piece of luck which was unnecessary.  We had had a few bad boards and I didn't feel our score was much better than say 52%, so was on the look out for good scores.
Gerry opened South 2C and I made a good start by forgetting the system and bid 2H (we play as double negative). Gerry bid 3C and I bid 4N, Gerry 5C showing 4 Keycards.
Now this is enough for me to bid 7C, there are 11 certain tricks giving Gerry AK to 6 clubs, AD and AH and me only getting 1 diamond ruff.  Gerry must have more than this, never mind the prospect of two diamond ruffs. However I thought surely a few people can bid 7C on this hand.  So, looking for a score, I bid 7N. Gerry could have opened his hand 2C without the QH and I would have needed some luck.  As it was I have 14 top tricks and a top. I was correct that others would find 7C, but one went down(?) and if I had just bid 7C it would only have cost us 2 match points.

Monday 25 March

Playing N/S with Adrianne came above average with a Butler score of 17.
Not a lot interesting play but one hand presents a bidding problem that nobody surmounted.

Anatomy of a slam hand.

We reached 6H via

1C – 1H – 2C – 2S – 4H – 4N – 5H – 6H

2S is just a one round force so 4H is stronger than 3H. The final contract could have been 6C at Butler scoring but we are all so programmed to bid majors as we play Match Points most of the time.  However the clubs are probably 6 so maybe the extra discards might be better. Anyway Adrianne chose 6H and made the easy 12 tricks on the diamond lead, AH, ruff a diamond cash two more top trumps and running clubs until eventually the JH was taken.

7C and actually 7NT are stiff.  Most people bid 6C, unluckily Ian McClure and Steve Bailey bid 7H.

So how do you get to the best contract of 7C?

North always opens 1C, South bids 1H (nobody would bid 2H nowadays unless they had a 6^th). North surely always rebids 2C.

At this points South ‘knows’ they are going to play in 6C, if they embark on RKC they get 5S (2 with) and what do they know? Three hearts, likely a fourth, 5 clubs (partner could be xx xx AQxx AQxxx) a diamond and two spades, slam seems certain. A six card club suit is a bit more likely, in that case a grand slam is more or less certain but thirteen is rare, you would need to be looking for a score to bid that. What if partner only had a singleton heart, what if only five clubs? No, 6C looks right.

However, let’s go back to Adrianne’s bidding of her 2S reverse with her three card suit (safe to do so, I've denied four spades) and my jump to 4H. What does she know? Well I’m not just a minimum 1C – 2C, I have three hearts, could I be 4-5 in the minors or is she certain I have six clubs? Well the latter actually because with 1-3-4-5 I would have rebid 2H (this requires good partnership understanding).  So I must be 2-3-2-6 or 1-3 in spades and diamonds.  What can South work out now? If there are normal breaks you have 6 clubs, 5 hearts and two Aces and a King, 14 tricks.  If I did have five clubs, you can still expect thirteen tricks. However we are not playing MPs so you should bid 7C because the six card club suit is very likely and you know that if the hearts don’t run you can ruff one to make the four tricks you need. So 7C is an excellent grand to bid.
So brilliant bid that 2S reverse, you should always look to make forcing bids like that to find out more about Partner's hand.  However, the main point is always count your tricks in suit slams.  People tend to concentrate on RKC and controls.  That just tells you what top tricks you might lose, doesn't tell you how many tricks you make.  In fact I would never teach Blackwood to beginners, teach trick counting when it comes to suit slams (yes I know you can have 12 tricks and three top losers -- I'm assuming some common sense comes into it). Just use point counting when it comes to NT -- 33 points, can't be missing two Aces, bid slam.

Wednesday 5 March

Playing N/S with Gerry, came first with 63%. There were a lot of big hands around, on one set when we were close to slam two hands in a row, we didn't bid them but made 12 or 13.  Then on the third, the best one to bid, we did try for 6S. Small club led, the slam depends on one of two finesses in clubs and spades, Gerry played Q from AQxx in Dummy, lost to the King, club back, ruffed! The spade finesse was on of course. C'est la vie.

This was an early hand where a number of people bid 6H, one even bid 6N.  I opened 2N, Gerry transferred with 3D and as I am always playing this in hearts, I broke the transfer with 3S. Gerry knows there are plenty of points missing and doesn't like the idea of me having good spades opposite his singleton so foregoes the diamond cue bid and just bids 4H.
Robina leads JD and Gerry takes King in Dummy followed by AK of spades (throwing a club) and a spade ruff felling the Queen.  Now a heart to the Ace, Phoebe dropping the Jack.  A low heart back and Phoebe plays the 10.  Gerry plays low, losing to the now bare King and has 12 tricks.
Of the three 6H bidders only one made it, those playing North got JH lead.  I sympathise with anyone who covers with the Queen, it is almost an automatic reflex.  However you have to play low and play west for a singleton or doubleton King.

This was actually board 23 and most are in slam (South is the dealer). Our bidding went 1S - 2N (Jacoby) - 3H (singleton) - 4C (cue) - 4D (cue) - 4S (I'm only kidding, I'm minimum) - 6S.
Everyone received the favourable lead of 6C to Q and K. Gerry took KD, spade to A, AD throwing a heart, diamond ruff.  Now QS then JS overtaking and he ran all his spades.
Gerry just discarded all his hearts from Dummy on the run of the spades but Brian as East has to keep a heart winner because of Gerry's JH in hand and so his last three cards are AH and T8 of clubs.  A classic squeeze, Gerry took another three club tricks for 13.

This is board 28, Gerry was berating himself  for not making the contract but it was actually an excellent defence.
Paul opened West (remember board 28, dealer West) 1D passed round to Gerry who bid 3N.
Paul found the 2S lead to Nat's Ace and a spade back to the King.  He now played JC which Gerry won and he played out his top clubs and conceded the 4th to Nat.  Nat now returned a heart and there was nothing Gerry could do.  The defence have three tricks, if he goes up with the Ace he can only cash and Paul will have AD and KH at the end.  He tried JH but no good Paul just got his tricks earlier.
Gerry was annoyed he didn't duck the club, he has to make now as the only sensible card Paul can play now is a diamond to J and K, but after cashing clubs Gerry just plays a diamond ensuring a 9th trick.
However although ducking a club would be sensible at Teams, it is not good at Match points if everyone else makes 10 tricks.  No, you just have to admire excellent defence by Paul and Nat.

Monday 3rd March

Playing N/S with Gerry came middling with a Butler score of 7. However I suffered the indignity of two complete stupidities which lost us an unbelievable 49 points. In one I failed to ask partner for the Queen of trumps and bid 7 instead of a making 6, in another I inexplicably failed to take a trick I was given to let a game make. Not my night.

We had got off to a great start as well.

I opened North 1H and Charles overcalled 2C, Gerry bid 2S and Raymond passed. I now bid 4C, Gerry 4D, 4N gave me two with and I bid 7S.  I know partner has 5 spades so I can count 5 trumps, 6 hearts, AD and a club ruff, 13 tricks.  If hearts don't run there can be a second club ruff.
The first round of bidding must have been identical at every table but we were the only ones who bid the grand.

Not so lucky on this board. After 1D - P - 2D, Gerry came in 2H, I raised to 3H and Gerry bid 4H.
Only three pairs found what is a very good contract. However nothing lies right.  The lead, rather strangely was 3S which went to East's King, AD was cashed and a spade returned to Gerry's Q.  A diamond ruff, losing heart finesse and a third spade.  Unfortunately this still left a club finesse to be taken and that failed as well.

We crawled into 3N on this one, only three pairs played there and only Gerry and Kathleen made it.
Mary opened 1N, Gerry doubled and Moira redoubled (shows a 5 card suit). I bid 2C and Gerry bid 2D, Moira bid 2H and I passed.  Gerry bid 3D which makes my QD look a huge card, so I sprang to life and bid 3H and Gerry took 3N.
Moira led JH which ran to the Ace. Gerry took QD and passed JC followed by a club to Ace, no luck (double dummy A, K and JC makes the contract -- but Gerry's no dummy). Tried Ace of diamonds, no luck. However Gerry 'knows' Mary has a singleton heart honour as well as all the significant cards and pulls off the master stroke of exiting with 8H.  However Moira scuppers that somewhat by rising with KH. Moira exits with another heart to Dummy's 10 but this squeezes Mary who lets a spade go.  Gerry knows Mary has Qx in clubs and J9 diamonds and must have AK spades to open 1N and coolly plays a small spade from Dummy. Mary can cash AK of spades but must now commit hari kari with either a diamond or club.  Brilliantly done.

Monday 11 February

Playing N/S with Adrianne came third with a Butler 36 though only two points behind the winner.  There were a lot of part score score hands and we did quite well on those.  There were two possible slams and we got both wrong but came out even!

Never open unless you know your rebid.  I thought if I open 1C, partner bids 1M then I rebid 2C.  I don't like that at all, so I opened 1N.  We don't have any method with both minors so Adrianne had to improvise.  She bid 2N, if I bid 3D then she can bid 5C.  However I broke the transfer and she made the practical bid of 5D.  With the suit 2-2 you always make 12 in either minor and half the field were in it.
If I open 1C, Adrianne bids 1D and I raise to 2D. Adrianne will now bid 3S splinter but I bid 5D, however with the big two suited fit Adrianne would bid 6D.

Here Adrianne opened 1H, I bid 2D and Adrianne has to rebid 2H.  I could bid an immediate 6H now, 5H another possibility asking partner to bid 6 with good trumps.  4C cue is another possibility but partner might not like to cue 4S with a minimum.  Anyway I decided to bid 3C instead, Adrianne bid 3N. I should bid 5H now and Adrianne would pass however  a) she might have AS and 6H should easily make or at worst the slam is on a finesse.  I just bid 6H.  So how did we come out even?  Well unfortunately a nameless defender failed to cover the QH and Adrianne just lost the AS which had been led.

Monday 3rd February

Playing N/S with Adrianne came in the middle with a Butler score of 4.  I could have beaten a game by playing my singleton, other than that we did well enough.  Unfortunately our opponents usually seemed to get things right.

We got off to a good start when Alan opened East 1S passed round to me and I bid 2D.  Ten points is very minimal to try 2N over an overcall however there are two good reasons here.  One, you have what looks like two sure spade tricks and two, partner with no spade stop and lacking four hearts can bid 2D with some very good hands.
Anyway Adrianne did bid 2N and I raised to game.
A club lead or quick switch will defeat this contract but Myra led QS  and Alan ducked to Adrianne's King.  A diamond finesse and game was made.  In fact as Alan continued spades, Adrianne made overtricks.

Another good score that can fail on a club lead or immediate switch.
I opened 1N and Adrianne raised to 2N via Stayman.  Now I have 12 points and theoretically an automatic pass. However I have good intermediates (I think of it as density) and this is a better hand than many 13 pointers.  SO at this scoring I raised to 3N.  Interestingly Adrianne's hand also has density, as you can see all the suits are nicely packed.
A club lead would have defeated me but Jack led AD. He should now try the club, but perhaps thought Robert had five diamonds and continued with King and another. That was it, finesse the heart, Robert tried KC, I took Ace, over to AQ hearts, JC ducked and nine tricks.  Lucky but even so a spade lead might have been more normal but useful to me, heart finesse, KC and I'd be home eventually that way.

Maurice opened 1S, I overcalled 2H and Phil bid 2C.  2S by Maurice and an excellent bid of 6S by Phil.  This has to be a great call but only one other pair found it (and they went down).
I led a trump, Maurice won in hand and finessed QC, AC, drew trumps, ruffed a club and AD entry for the clubs.  Well done.
A diamond lead would have been best but still unbeatable.  Either you place KC with North after the overcall and just win AD, spade to Ace, finesse club, AC, ruff club and draw trumps ending in Dummy.  Or win AD, AC, ruff club, QS to King, ruff club AS and 4S to the 6 to take all the clubs.

Another great slam, one that nobody should miss.  Adrianne opened South 1S, what should I bid?  2H or 4D the most obvious choices but what are you going to rebid?  Are you going to find 7S if it is there? I decided to just bid 6S this has the advantage that a diamond is the most likely lead (a club lead might defeat the contract and a diamond lead is welcome).
Anyway Li had a more natural club lead than a diamond which went to Bills's Ace.  There was no way to avoid a spade loser on the three love break  with QTx over the KJ and the great slam went down.

Did finish well with a game nobody else found, though we shouldn't have either!  Adrianne opened 1S and I bid 2D.  Adrianne rebid 2S and I decided if we are playing this in a part score, better in diamonds.  So I bid 3D, however Adrianne now ventured 3N and I bid 4S. Strange way to get there (should probably pass 2S, or should I have bid 3S?), but there it was.

JH lead to Ace, heart ruff, small diamond ruff, heart ruff. Adrianne had 7 spade tricks plus three Aces and her ten tricks