Monday 25 January

Playing N/S managed, with some luck, to come first.
Against John Larkin & Rob I opened 1C, John passed (could/should double). Adrianne bid 1H and Rob 1S. I bid 4H, John 4S, Adrianne 5C and passed out (again John could double).
Nothing to the play no matter how you take on the clubs, you lose 1 trump and 1 heart. Ruff 2 diamonds and discard the other on a long heart, easy 11 tricks.
A number of pairs were in 5H all going down. Looking at the South hand all you lose are 1 club and 1 heart. However you need to get 2 spade ruffs and a spade discard on the clubs or 3 spade ruffs. On a spade lead you could ruff 3 spades. On a trump lead, taking AH, the problem is you have to ruff 2 spades AND set up clubs then after K of hearts play a winning club discarding a spade.

Lost the gain from board 1 on this board against Willie Taylor & Alan Bergson.
Adrianne opened 2S passed round to Willie who found a 3NT bid??!
Adrianne led the natural looking QS and that's 9 tricks off the top. Same as I would have.
Maybe we should apply some thought here. Willie is normally either a strong hand or a long minor with AS, so perhaps a different lead could be found. No take out double so lead a heart?
If we had been E/W, we bid 3C as East showing this hand (we use 2NT for weaker overcalls). The West hand could now take 3NT and we would have lost the first 6 tricks.

Managed to bid the Grand Slam here against Victor & Brian. Adrianne opened 1D and I bid 3C, 4C from Adrianne. After RKC I know partner has AD, QC and KS. KD is the obvious problem. If she has less than 15 points (we play weak NT) then she is at most 2-2 in majors so exactly 3 points in the majors, 2 points in clubs leaving 7-9 in diamonds, could be AQJxxx, but then I realised the value of the 4C bid, if partner was that basic she would more likely have bid 5C, so 7C it was. However why did I not bid 5NT for Kings? Well funnily enough I cannot recollect ever agreeing whether we show the King we bid to confirm the Queen of trumps. So if I had bid 5N and Adrianne bids 6D, I am in 7C still not knowing if there are 2 Kings opposite! It cost us 2 imps not bidding 7NT, but when it comes to a Grand I'll always prefer a good suit fit.

We got very lucky here. Jack & Robert bid to 6NT after Robert had (over)rebid his hand 1D - 3D. Jack obviously goes for slam now. They are the only ones in it and maybe Robert's rebid was right after all because it is an excellent slam just needing 1 of 2 finesses and a 6 card suit to run to put pressure on the opponents before testing the hearts.
As it happens there is no play and so we got a great score by pure luck.



Against Moreen & Ernestine, here was another good score by good fortune. I won't relate exactly how, but I bid my hand 1C, 2C, 3C. Adrianne ends in 3NT which is unbeatable (except on a club lead?)









And on the next board we do well again.
Adrianne opens 1D, Moreen bids 1S and I think it is silly to worry about how many points you need for a 2 level bid with my hand. I bid 2C and eventally the opponents go to 4S, we bid 5C and are doubled.
Nothing in the play, the diamonds are easily set up for two heart discards so you lose 1 spade and 1 club.




Against Charles and Vi we got a great score.
Vi opens 1D, I overcall 1H and Charles doubles to show spades. Adrianne bids 4H, Vi 4S and I bid 5H, doubled by Charles.
Again nothing in the play, there is 1 spade and 1 diamond to lose and can cross ruff the 3 losers in each hand.
Many E/W got to play in 4S making, it is difficult to cash those 3 club tricks.

Monday 31 October

Not an horrific Halloween as Adrianne and I managed to come first with a Butler score of 59.

Playing N/S our first board was against Charles & Vi.

I opened 1C, Adrianne bid 1H and Vi doubled.

My KS and singleton diamond look very good now and I bid 4H.

Charles bid 5D and Adrianne 5H, everyone else was in 4H. Anyway Adrianne still had no problem as Vi started with two top diamonds.

However, what a problem she would have had if Vi switches to a spade at trick 2. How would she have placed the spades? Against Vi and after the take out double I think I would have gone up with the King.

On this board against Ros and Lewis Geneen I show yet again how to go down in simple contracts.

Ros had opened 1NT as East and Adrianne overcalled an Astro 2C. I bid 2H and there I played. Lead was 8S.

I took AS and then KS. I am not going to be in hand very often and if Lewis has a heart honour, there's not much room points wise for KC, so I decide to finesse QC before touching trumps. Ooops!

Lewis takes KC, plays a diamond to Queen, AD, ruff and with two trumps to lose I'm 1 down. Just play Ace and another heart at trick 2, 8 tricks can't fail.

Missed 3NT on this board against Jack and Robert.

Adrianne passed as South. I would open this. AJTxx scores more tricks on average than AQxxx (opposite 2 or 3 small), yet everyone opens this with AQxxx in clubs.

Anyway I opened 1NT, Jack overcalled 2S and Adrianne used Lebensohl to put me in 3C. This had no problem after JD lead to King, losing club finesse, heart through. TD exit (double dummy I should have played AD, KD before finessing), won Ace, AS and second finesse making 4 clubs, 4 diamonds and AS. Unfortunately 3NT makes 9 as well, difference is TS is played instead of a heart after the first club finesse, but I just cover with the Queen as I have A9 still. Also I would have played 3 rounds diamonds before the club finesse leaving Jack in a pickle.

On the next board I opened 1C and this was passed out. I went 1 down but my good ness all sorts of contracts were being played here.

First of all some Wests would be playing Lucas and open 2H. This is doubled and some Souths might leave that in or bid 2S. North would now bid 3S or even 4S. Weak 2 players might even open West 2H and the bidding would be similar, though now South wouldn't be likely to leave in the double.

If West passes as at my table, North opens 1C, surely passed round to West. Should they protect? I wouldn't at this scoring. You are not missing game and run a greater risk of opponents finding a good spade contract even with the bad break (if partner has 5 spades, (s)he has even less points than you might think and the bigger the North hand. If West does protect with 1H, North doubles (though as some Norths played in 2D presumably they don't have that option). Partner will bid 1S and North should just bid 2S. At least I hope that is what I would have done.

Monday 25 October

Playing E/W with Adrianne we cqme middle with a Butler score of -3. Didn't do much wrong, apart from me driving opponents into a 3NT contract which can't be beaten on a sensible lead.

Against Maurice and Rhoda I opened 1H, Maurice bid 2D and Adrianne 2NT. I bid 3C and Maurice bid 3D which Adrianne doubled.

After QH, heart ruffed, QD to King, JC to Q and King, a master heart which Maurice ruffs. Adrianne would be better to discard a spade, but over-ruffs so down 1 for 200.

3N was cold on the club finesses. At least we avoided the hopeless 5C.

On the next board the weak NT made sure that N/S couldn't find their game.

I opened 1NT, Adrianne transferred with 2D. At MPs I would bid 2H take out with the North hand but would likely pass here with an unlimited West, anyway Rhoda won't have a take out bid. I bid 3H and we went the obvious 1 off.

The Gerrards and the Outreds were the only two pairs to find 4S. Obviously I should compete with that North hand. Many others were in spade partials, but presumambly South didn't see their hand as good enough.

Though it might have been 2H from East that went round to North who now makes a take out double. Not so easy to bid 4S now.

Weak NT worked again here. 1NT by me, 2H transfer by Adrianne doubled by Katie. I bid 2S although I only had two, they were good ones. David can't compete as the double might just be for a lead. Katie didn't feel strong enough for 3H.

2S makes the obvious 8 tricks, but 4H should always make as it is wrong to finesse in Diamonds.

Nobody in 4H, but 3 pairs in 4S were probably sacrificing.

Yet another 1NT opening by me after 2 passes. Ileen isn't shy and bids 2D to show spades and another. Gerry duly bids 2S.
I lead JS which didn't fool him, so after Ace, King and TS, Gerry runs 9H. Adrianne ducks but wins the follwing 8H with the Ace and Gerry has 10 tricks.
The Gerrards are in 4S, but it doesn't really look biddable to me.

Missed a game opportunity against Jim & Ian. Jim opened 1C passed round to me and I overcalled a heart, Jim passed and Adrianne bid 2H. Round to Jim who doubled and Adrianne bid 3H. I now gave this some thought, but I can't envisage Adrianne with a singleton club and she didn't give me an unassuming cue. All in all I passed.
Three pairs bid and made it. I actually made 11 after AC and a switch to a trump. I finessed JD and ruffed a club, drew trumps and cashed the diamonds.
The play is a lot more interesting if the diamond is covered by the Queen. You have to win KD, come back to a heart, ruff a club, come back with a diamond, draw last trump and exit with a spade. Opposition can only get two spades to go with original club.

This was a strange one against Rene & Anita. Most N/S are in 4S or 4H. Strangely the 5-3 fit looks a bit better than the 4-4, two N/S made it. Presumably it might go AD lead ruffed, club exit, trump to K and A. Ruff a club, heart to Q, ruff a club, QD discard a club. I think you just lose a club a diamond and a trump that way.
At our table Rene opened 1S, I doubled and Anita redoubled. Adrianne therefore bid 2D which was passsed out!
After a heart lead and continuation ruffed, Adrianne played KS to the Ace. Another heart ruffed, QS, spade ruff, another heart ruff, Adrianne had 8 tricks.

Here, after 2 passes I opened 1C, Adrianne bid 1H, 1N - 3H - 4H.
Rene led a club, Adrianne played JH to Ace. Rene tried a spade, but Adrianne wins in dummy, picks up Anita's QH and makes the rest.
The spade might well have been the right switch. However Adrianne was the only person who made this contract.
The only way it goes down is to play 3 rounds of diamonds. By making dummy ruff , the QH can't be picked up.
Did everyone defend this way, or were declarers misplaying the hand?



We started against David & Cathie and wee lucky on this deal. Cathie was saying how they are pushing slim games at the World Championship opposite a weak NT. So when David opened 1NT as South and Cathie found a 4-4 spade bid, she bid 4S.
Adrianne found the best lead of a club. I won Queen and returned a club to Ten and Ace.
David now played TS to King and then finessed into my Queen. With a club and two diamonds to cash it was -2.
If David just runs that 10S and then follows with a QH, he will make 10 tricks. Obviously those players at the World Championships know something.

Monday 3 October

Playing N/S with Adrianne, we came first. As usual you can always do better.



Against the two Davids we were the only ones to have 4H bid against us. After 3 passes David Young opens 1H:

1H - 1S - 2H - 3S - 4D - P - 4H - passed out.

Adrianne cashed 2 top spades and played a third, ruffed. DY played a heart to the Ace, runs the QC and then leads JD to Queen and King. KH now and just play out winners until Adrianne takes JH.

No matter if I cover QC, David just goes bacck to dummy to lead JD. If I don't cover JD, David says he was letting it run.


On the next board we recovered. The bidding went:

P - 1H - 2C - 2H

3C - 4H - passed out.

DY led small club to Ace. Now I don't have the entries for a heart finesse and double spade finesse. However David Cree is in a quandary. Obviously a heart return is out and a diamond must be wrong. A club return could be wrong as well if say I hold Axx in spades I could discard a spade and then another on QC. Anyway David led a spade and so I got all my finesses to make 10 tricks.



Only 4 pairs out of 12 found the slam on this board. Of course one was against us.
Of the 4 slams 3 were in hearts and only 1 in spades.


Anyway Raymond opened the West hand 1S, Alec bid 2H and Adrianne came in 3C. Raymond bid 4H and Alec used Keycard to get a response of 2 and bid 6H.


Adrianne led AC, ruffed, Alec knocked out AH and claimed, the losing diamond going on the long spade.


I made a complete mess here against Mike & Steve. The bidding went:

1S - P - 1Na - x
4C - 4H - x - passed out.

Steve led KS to Ace and a spade ruff. AH to find 5 - 0 break, club to King and a diamond to King and Ace. Mike returns a club to Ace, I ruff club to confirm count and knowing Mike has 1 diamond left finesse into singleton Jack.
Spade comes back for Steve to discard diamond and I am 2 down for -500.
Go up with QD and I make. I have 6 tricks, 2 more diamonds for 8 tricks then play a winning diamond, discarding a spade to end play Steve in trumps.


Another bad score here against Jack and Robert. Adrianne opened 2S, Robert doubles, I bid 4S and jack bids 5D.

This can't make of course on a spade lead which ensures a spade, a heart and a club trick. However Adrianne naturally tries her singleton heart.
Jack plays well goping up with the Ace, drawing trumps and playing on clubs to get a spade discard.






We do better here against David and Katie.
After 3 passes I open 1S, Adrianne raises to 3S and I bid game.

David leads a heart, I go up with King and lead JS. No cover, so I rise with Ace and 10 tricks made

You win some and lose some.

Monday 26 September

Playing with Adrianne at Butler scoring we did very badly, 3rd bottom with -23, though everyone seemed to bid their games and slams against us.

We got a bad score here against Robert & Jack.

As West, Jack opened 1S. Technically 1D is the correct opening as opening a major implies 5 in any rebid and lying about diamonds is better as it more likely leads to 3NT.

Anyway 1S works brilliantly here.

Adrianne overcalls 2C, Robert passes and I bid 4C. Using Unassuming Cue this shows distribution.

Jack doubles and now Robert has a very obvious 4S bid. This comes round to Adrianne who now knows I am likely to have at most 1 spade and probably 5 clubs. She therefore can't see any defence and bids 5C. Jack doubles and we are down 2. 4S goes off 1. C'est la vie.

Bad score here against Barry and Lester. Some made 3NT, some 4S, some got a good double of 4H, I went down in 3NT.

Lester opened 2H passed round to Adrianne as South who doubled. I bid 3NT and barry led JH.

Doesn't look good, Barry has 3 hearts and I need to set up both minors for 3 tricks each. Spades has a possibility I thought. Lead JS, covered, take Ace and finesse 8S coming back. However if I was Lester I probably wouldn't cover JS, as North has at most 3 spades and if he has A9x it will not matter in the end.

Maybe QC is doubleton. Anyway I decided to take the worst option first, I tried AK of diamonds! I followed with AK and another club and went down 1.

All I have to of course is play Ace and another spade, 9 tricks via 3 spades and 3 AKs.

Against Avril & Stephanie, Adrianne opened 1NT and Stephanie bid 2D. I doubled and there we played.

I decided to lead one of my black doubletons. Of course I choose the wrong one and lead 10S. We make 5 trumps and that is it, Stephanie can dump her losing club on Dummy's 4th spade.

Again against Steph & Avril, we did manage to do well on this hand after a mix up.

Steph opened 1D and I bid 1H, Adrianne bid 2D and I bid 3C. Now we play long suit trial bids and although this sequence hasn't come up before, I thought that is what it would mean. Adrianne took it as showing probably a decent second suit, bid 4H.

I explained my bid before the lead, but Avril led a diamond. Steph didn't try to cash her two clubs, so I made 12.

This hand was fairly typical of our night. Against ian and Michelle, I opened 1D and Adrianne bid 3NT which exactly describes this South hand. Worried about the spades, I bid 5D.

No chance, 3 obvious losers. As Ian will surely lead JC, 3NT is unbeatable.

thursday 26 August

Playing N/S with Adrianne we came second with 56% despite a few stupid mistakes mainly by me (too embarrassing to describe).




We got the best score we could on the first board against Bobby & Willie, yet got a big fat 0.
I opened 1D, Adrianne bid 1H and Bobby doubled, I bid 2D, Willie bids 3C, Adrianne 4H and Bobby 6C.
What is going on?? Well Adrianne needs very little if she has say 8 hearts. Bobby might be 6-6 with AH and diamond void. I certainly trust the fact that he expects to make 6C, the QS might be the only defensive trick and that might be ruffed away.
So I bid 6D, doubled. It loses 2 spades, a club and a heart ruff for 800, better than the 920 for 6C. Unfortunately nobody else bid 6C.




Against Issy and Gerald 1 Opened 1C, Adrianne bid 1S and I can't see any other sensible bid than 3S. Adrianne brings out RKC and is soon in 6S. After QD to Ace, she takes the heart finesse and easily makes 12.

Only other pair in 6S were Charles & Vi.








This board was against Brian & John where a bit of my woolly thinking came into play.
After opening 2NT, Adrianne wisely decided through a transfer that 4S would be the best contract. Brian led QH and I thought clubs were the priority and I would chance my luck in trumps. So I finessed QC, then for some unexplicable reason I cashed KH throwing a club.
Anyway I played Ace and a small spade, so got away with one trump loser, but now John returns a diamond and I took Ace, cashed QS but cannot return to dummy to take another club finesse (I could have ruffed that KH and made 12 tricks). However the play of the diamonds made me suspect Brian was sitting with a singleton diamond honour, so I exited with a diamond rather than risk cashing AC, so came to 11 tricks.

Monday 22 August

Playing N/S with Adrianne we came 4th with 58%.


We got an extremely fortunate top on this board. After 2 passes I opened 1D and East overcalled 2C, back to me I bid 2S, Adrainne bid 3D.
Now there are pointless hands Adrianne can have (e.g. with doubleton spade and 3 diamonds) where with very fortunate breaks I can make 5D. She might even have 3 spades to a Queen and nothing else and I can make 4S. Anyway I though I was worth one more and if Adrianne can see anything in my suits she can maybe bid game. So I bid 3S. Adrianne doesn't really see much but thinks if he can bid 3S on his own, he might as well be in 4!
So AC, ruffed, AK of Diamonds, AK of spades, ruff a diamond, played a heart, ruffed a club and ran diamonds, they can trump when they want, 10 tricks.
Apologies to Ronnie & Celia.



6 people in 3NT on this board, 4 made it. I didn't. Against Barry Cooper and Lester Cram a heart lead goes to the King. Being in dummy I led a diamond, Lester pounces with the Ace and the hearts are cleared before I have knocked out East's AC.

It is probably Lester's good play that ensures I go down but even so will I make it? If he plays small and my King wins, I will know that Barry can only have AC as a sure entry, so will play club to the King. Now I might try spade to Queen and King, Barry will exit with diamond to Ace and now the hearts are cleared, still 1 down. Of course if I just play another diamond, Barry will eventually be end played in spades, but I wouldn't have found it.


Got a great score here. May N/S are in 3NT which is very adventurous. many in 3D going down.
I however am the only one in 2S. I opened 1NT, Adrianne transferred and 2S is where I played.
The QD was led and after Ace and another spade I avoided a defensive cross ruff just losing 2 spades, a heart a club and 1 ruff.