Monday 27 March

Playing with Adrianne we came 4th with 24 Butler points, behind the winners Bob & Cathie with 32. We had a terrible start as at trick 2 against Norman and Bill when I doubled a weak NT with a flat 15 count, Adrianne with her flat 3 points passes and it makes 12 tricks! Sensible defence probably keeps it to 9 tricks, but it is just a part score hand. On the next board against Issy and Gerald we felt we were in for a dreadful score : Our bidding went: P - 1S – 2S – x 4H - P – P – 4NT P -5C – P – 6C P - P – 6H – x – Passed out No comment on some of the bids, but Adrianne went 3 off for -500 when it looked like there were 2 spade losers in 6C. However we got a plus score. Four people made 6C and a few were in 4S making. Also, would I have led AD against 6C? If so, it makes. On this hand only 4 of us made 4H. I didn’t make it easy for myself. Against Steve & Mike, Steve led QD to my Ace and I led a spade to Ace, Queen and Jack. Steve now led 8C to Mike’s Ace. A diamond came back and as I fancied the club finesse was right, I discarded a spade. I now played Ace and another heart and Steve shows out. I took the King, finessed the club and cashed the King. Over to the KS, ruffed a diamond, ruffed a spade for 9 tricks and leading the winning club from dummy guarantees me a 10th whether Mike ruffs low, high or not at all. We reached slam on this hand after: P - 1H - P - 1S P - 4S - P - 4NT Adrianne shows 3 or 0 and I bid 6S. Adrianne has no chance and goes 2 down. Only 5 out of 14 reach slam (one was in 7S?), so a poor score. Missing QS and an Ace stopping in 6S is reasonably sensible, but no good as you go off anyway. We got a terrible score on this board as our opponents landed on their feet. After 2 passes I opened 3C, the East hand doubled?! West bids 4C?! and East bids 4S. West now bids 5D passed out. There were 4 pairs found this excellent contract, though I doubt it was this way! Twelve tricks make, you can't argue with success.

Thursday 25 March

Playing with Adrianne we came first in a 6 table Howell with 64%. Mostly by luck I must say. We were in an unmakeable slam until a defender led from the QD where Adrianne had 3 to the Jack opposite 3 to the AK. A few hands were misplayed against us for other tops.
There were two interesting highly contested hands.
On this board we were E/W against Bob McKinnon & Paul Maiolani. Our bidding went:

3H - P - 4H - 4S
P - P - 5H - P
P - 5S - passed out

Really difficult decisions here. The first round of bidding seems natural enough. I decided it was very unlikely we defeat 4S and hope to be just 2 off in 5Hx, Bob though has the most difficult call and opts for 5S.
Paul loses the obvious 2 spades and a diamond (discarded on AH) for 1 down. Turned out to be middle. Two worse scores were E/W in hearts going off our way. Two better scores, Len & Chris doubled the 5S and Victor Goldwater was allowed to play AND MAKE 4H. Can't beat that.


This was another contested auction. we were N/S against Derek Diamond and David Gerrard. Our bidding was:

P - P - P - 1H
1S - 2H - 2S - 3C
P - 4C - 4S - 5C
5S - P - P - x

Adrianne should have bid 4S straight away, good chance we get doubled there. I drop the KS and go 1 off losing a club, diamond and a heart. Our opponents don't make game. Not quite a bottom as Steve & Marilyn were allowed to play in 3H.

Most of our good scores were down to opponents' errors

WD Sim pairs 21 march

Playing with Adrianne we didn't do too well, 3rd with 54%, but didn't have much luck.
We were East / West

After 2 passes Derek Shafer opened 1H, opposite a passed hand, 4H is probably better. Anyway our bidding was:
P – P – 1H – x
P – 2S – 4H – 4S
5H – x – P – 5S

I don’t know where Alan’s 5H came from but Adrianne thought for a while then made the good decision to bid on but couldn’t find the slam. After the heart lead and King and another spade, 13 tricks rolled in.


Lost out here against Bob McKinnon and Ian Patrick who found the game against us.
I opened 1NT as East, Bob bid 2S and Ian made an excellent bid of 4S. There was nothing in the play, we made the obvious 2 clubs and a diamond.
More interesting would be the non-weak no trumpers who would open 1C with my hand, 5C will probably go 2 off (a diamond from South and a diamond back before AK hearts go is the only way to make it 3 off). Either way a good save.



Against Ian & Betty Morrison, our bidding went :
1NT – 3S – 4H – 4S
P – P – x

The 3S left me unable to show 2 places to play as 3NT would be to play. If North had bid 4S immediately I would have bid 4NT and ended in 5H. This makes double dummy, but I wouldn’t have made it.
Anyway we found the perfect defence, I led a small heart to dummy’s Ace, Jack of spade is led and Adrianne correctly goes up with the Ace, I signal a diamond. We cash 3 diamonds, Adrianne exits with a heart, ruffed. Declarer tries a club but I go up with Ace, exit a heart and declarer has to lose QS for 3 off.


Ian Morrison made an unbelievable bid on this hand.
North opens 1S, South 1NT, North 4S!

Nothing can stop 10 tricks: 6 spades, 2 hearts and 2 diamonds.

You can't argue with success.






Here against Gerry & Ileen I opened 1NT which is what we do with this distribution, but immediately regretted not opening 1S as I am too strong for a weak NT.
Anyway Ileen bid the obvious 2H passed round to me and now I bid 2S. Adrianne comes to life with 3S, Gerry bids 4H and I bid 4S which Gerry doubles.

On this bidding Ileen leads the obvious singleton club and the 8 in dummy holds. I finesse a spade, Ileen leads a heart and is crestfallen as I win the Ace and no ruff materialises. I take out trumps, finesse again in clubs and make the rest of the tricks for 1190.
You can't argue with success!

Ileen gave us a bottom on the next hand by being the only one to bid 6H.


Another top for us was in this hand where I was the only one to make 12.
Kate opened 1C as South, Adrianne doubled, David passed I bid 2S and Adrianne 4S.
Kate led the Ace of clubs and switched to a small heart. I won in dummy, crossed to AS and ruffed a club, David's King fell.
Now even when dummy went down I was 80% sure that Kate would have KD, there are only 14 missing points and she opened. With David having KC I am 100% certain about the KD as otherwise Kate would have opened 3C. So in due course I laid down the Ace of diamonds and dropped the singleton King.

Thursday 17 March

Playing with Adrianne we came first N/S with 56%. The usual ups and downs with a few more ups.


Got a bottom on this board. We tried for a slam but backed out, I played 4S by North making 11 tricks while everyone else makes 12!
Christine led a spade to Len’s Queen and my King. I immediately tried the Ace but the Jack didn’t fall. I then played AK and a diamond ruff, but they didn’t break 3-3, so now I tried King of clubs and a club finesse which lost to the Queen. My heart loser went on the Ace of clubs and I gave up the master spade claiming 11.
Where did I go wrong? I don’t believe everyone else played for the 3-1 trump break. Did everyone get a club lead, maybe 10D?


Here we got a very good score for what seems a normal contract / defence against Gloria and Sandra.
West is playing 2S and I lead KC taken by Ace. Sandra immediately returns a club which I win with Queen and I exit with a spade. Sandra wins in hand and ruffs a club. She now tries a diamond to king and Ace and I cash my master club and exit with a diamond. Adrianne takes this and plays a spade to Queen and King giving us 5 tricks and declarer makes the rest. Joint top for us.
What is really intriguing about this hand is how did Len and Christine bid to 3NT? Even more intriguing is how did they make it???



Against Steve and Marilyn, Adrianne got us a top for a well played 11 tricks in No Trump which I followed with a bottom for an ill-chosen lead.

Marilyn opens 5C which is passed out, I lead a spade. Oops!
Two quick heart discards later and Marilyn is claiming 12 tricks. I obviously did go wrong here. Ace of hearts is a better lead, but in fact Ace of clubs is probably best. It is extremely unlikely we lose a trump trick and I can see if KQ of hearts are in dummy and now try a spade or whatever.






It was so simple to get a bottom by an ill-advised lead, here is a simple way to get a top.
Against David & Kate, Kate is declaring 3NT by East and Adrianne leads TS (I had opened 1S). Kate took the King in dummy. She now leads KH and I took the Ace (Adrianne plays the eight). I know Kate has 3 spades, 4 hearts and is extremely odds on to have 5 diamond tricks, so I cashed Ace of clubs to keep Kate to 11.
Hearts and NT elsewhere were making 12.





Still with David Kate, I gave them back a good score by just not concentrating.

As North I am in 3NT and Kate leads 8S, leads were described as reverse attitude. It looks like David might be doubleton QJ. I play small and take David's Queen with the Ace. Lacking entries to dummy, I played a small diamond to the ten which held and now a heart to the Queen which held. I now give up the KD and Kate does well to return a heart which I duck. Kate now plays QC which I take with the Ace. Now I have 4 diamonds, 2 spades, 2 hearts, a club and if I just play a club back I have 10 tricks (or KS). But I wasn't counting, I became fixated with the spades and remembered David's Queen at trick one. If Kate has the Jack and if I run the diamonds she might be squeezed into letting one go and so I make the rest. So I run the diamonds, finesse 10S and lose to the singleton Jack. Weird.

Wednesday 9 march

Playing with Joan we came 1st E/W with 61%.

The very first board was good for us


Our bidding went

P - 1C - P - 1NT -

P - 2NT - P - 3NT

Margaret mcCallum as South led a small club and I won the 7 in dummy. Lacking entries I had no option but to reverse finesse in spades, Ann McLeod covered my Jack with her Queen and I won the Ace. I now advanced the 10H, covered by Queen and taken by the Ace. I just have to play another heart to set up my 9th trick, but I want to try for 10. So next I played a club to the Ace and a diamond to Queen and King. Ann exits with a spade. No entry to hand, but I play JH and Margaret takes the King and exits with a club. Now I play heart to hand and Ann's play of 2, 3, 6 makes me hopeful she started with 3, so I risk another diamond. If Ann started with AK10x I still make 9 if she doesn't have the last heart. Anyway Margaret produces the 10, Ann has no more hearts and I have 10 tricks for a good Match Point score.

This was a top for us, Joan being the only one in game. Our bidding went:

P - P - P - 1NT -

P - P - 2C(Astro) - 2S

3H - long pause, 3S is surely sensible at MPs, but if partner has little in hearts, diamond honour(s) and a club winner - surely quite likely on the bidding - we can make game. Anyway I couldn't resist it -- 4S - passed out.

Joan plays the hand with her usual aplomb. Moira leads a heart to Celia's Ace. Celia return a club to 10 and Jack, but Moira doesn't cash the Ace, she plays another heart. Only 1 club loser now to go with the AH. After drawing trumps Joan ends in hand and advances the QD. Brilliant! 11 tricks made. Just as well Joan's play is up to my bidding. 3S was enough really.

I didn't do so well with this hand.
Joan opened 3S and Helen McEwing overcalled 4H. Being vul I am hopeful Joan has 7 to AQ, giving us 9 sure(?) tricks and AD onside or maybe a minor Queen in Joan's hands for game. On the other hand against 4H, Joan is well odds on to be singleton club giving us immediately AC, ruff, KS. With a certain trump trick, 1 off and possibly 2 off with KD onside or a second spade.
Anyway I made the losing choice, 4S. Cathie promptly doubled and Joan can't avoid 2 off.
4Hx can go 2 off after AC, 10C ruffed, spade to King, another club to Jack of trumps. Silly me.
Amazingly, the optimum contract is 3NT by N/S, unbeatable.

Monday 21st February

Playing with Adrianne N/S with Butler scoring finished just above average.


Could have saved 8 imps on this board. Robert Grubb opened 1H, Adrianne and Celia passed.

It seems to me that partner will have around 13 points and 4 hearts, I could so easily have passed but had to put my oar in with 2H. Of course Robert bids 3H, Adrianne 3S and Celia 4H. Robert loses the obvious heart, spade and one diamond, ruffing the other for 10 tricks.

We might have had 4S on, but it always turns out the opposite way.

These two hands against Alec Cram & Raymond Levitus gained us a few points.

I opened a fairly pathetic 3C and Alec overcalled 3NT, passed out.

Adrianne led a small heart and Alec won QH, finessed a club and cashed his 8 tricks hoping for the best. Adrianne though is not under any pressure and keeps her 5 winners for 1 down

On the next board Alec opened 1C (1NT looks better as 2C is the only rebid), Raymond bid 1S and over Alec's 2C, Raymond bids 2NT. Undaunted Alec tries 3NT.

I led a small heart to Jack and King, QC goes to Adrianne's King and a heart back leaves Raymond high and dry. Another club lets me signal a spade and Adrianne wins and puts me in to cash the hearts for 3 down.

However Raymond immediately notices that he can make if he ducks the first heart and so he probably will (though if Adrianne ducks clubs twice it will be difficult, though still possible).

As usual we all play to quickly to the first trick.

On this pair of boards against David Macdonald and Kate Kearney we both got a good score casncelling each other out.

Our bidding went the obvious:

1S - P - 2H - P

3H - P - 4H - passed out

Adrianne was the only one to make.

David led a club to the Ace, Kate cashed AK of diamonds and exited with a heart.

With one club ruff Adrianne had her 10 tricks. If Kate doesn't cash the diamonds, best exit is a heart and I can't see how Adrianne can make now.

However David made it back on the next board being one of only three to make 4S.

I led AH and switched to JS. David took Ace, crossed in diamonds, ruffed a heart, crossed in diamonds, ruffed a heart. Played a top diamond and discarded the last heart.

I have to ruff and can only cash AC to give David his 10 tricks.

WD Sim Pairs 17 feb

Came first in the club with 66%. Still made a few mistakes, had some luck and got some good scores by just doing the normal thing.

For instance we had two good boards against Eileen Caldwell and Alistair Crawford without anyone doing anything brilliant or defenders making mistakes

On board2 where I am East and Adrianne West it went:

P - P - 1D - P -

1H - P - 2C - P -

3C - P - 5C passed out

11 straight forward tricks, a triple joint top with another 5C and one 3NT. Others in 3N going down or a part score. It surely can't be right to bid 3N with a spade lead advertised. Certainly Adrianne didn't give it a moment's thought.

On the next board Alistair opened 1H (surely 1D better?) and Eileen 2H. Now I thought for a moment about coming in, but just for a moment. Double is out of the question when partner will surely say 3D and I hate the idea of bidding 3C with such limited values. So 2H it was, down 1 and a second top for us (should have been down 2 but I failed to give partner a trump promotion).

Most E/W played in a disastrous club contract or N/S played a part score in NT (presumably 1D - 1NT)

A second top on this board against Ian McIntyre and John Logue (the top was 4S by E/W making 12).

Anyway Adrianne opened 2NT and we play Baron, so 3C by me got 3NT from Adrianne. Match Points or not, I bid 5C which made the obvious 12 tricks. Everyone else was in 3NT down 1 on a heart lead.

On this board, 3 N/S made 9 tricks in 3NT, the rest 12 or 13. We were playing against Bob McKinnon and Paul Maiolani. Adrianne led out the spades and we took the first 5 tricks for a complete top.

However Adrianne started with the Queen and followed with the Ace then Jack. You can see at other tables they started with the 2S and blocked the suit.

Many others didn't lead a spade at all.

I think I would have led the 2, so brilliantly done by Adrianne.

Another complete top here against David Macdonald & Katy Kearney.

The bidding went :

1D - P - 2D - x - P - 3C - P - P - 3D - x - P - 4C

Katy should have bid 3D the first time to make my life more difficult. I paused over doubling 3D, but we have a clear arrangement in this sort of sequence that double just means we have the balance of points. Adrianne didn't fancy that, but I think she should leave it in with only 3 clubs. We could have had a great score for 3Dx, but 4C was what I was in. David led a diamond, I took Ace and exited with a diamond. Katy won and tried a small heart which I took with the King. I now played a club to the ten which seemed right to me, it would only be a singleton Jack that could cost me, even then it just gives a guess about dropping the King or not the next time. Also Katy opened the bidding so is more likely to have the King. Anyway, I didn't lose a club for 11 tricks and a complete top. Everyone else was in clubs but couldn't do better than 10 tricks.