Monday afternoon May 7, 2007

Eeuuwww. Nasty. Well, Peggy had no reasonable bid other than 1NT, so she passed. The other side was vulnerable and 1D doubled isn't a great score anyway. It was a horror show. Two hearts, a club, three spades (after trumps were gone) and two diamonds. The Rocky Horror Show meets Goren On Bridge. She's still a very nice lady, but she went down 2 at 1, doubled and vulnerable!

Monday afternoon May 7, 2007

Three NT played to plus 3 twice, but 6D went for the throat. After the ace and trumped king of spades, West faces a daunting task. She wishes it was 6C instead of 6D. The hand quickly plays in no trump. After the nine of trumps falls on a the ace, things don't look good. The king of trumps reveals the bad news. A club back to the board. The ten of trumps is led. Oh well, do or don't. Don't and a club back to the hand which picks up the remaining trump, then We Play No Trump to the end. Boots bid a good six diamonds and pulled it home. Well done.

Friday night May 11, 2007

I would have loved to put the names of the winning slam bidders on this hand, but alas, I cannot. Everyone bid 4 and made 5/6. With West's 2NT bid (or even 2S), East knows the team has Points Schmoints. When West supports hearts, East can count on at least three with decent support--thus the 2NT bid. He can also suppose that part of West's points is a stopper in diamonds (wouldn't it be nice if it was the king?). After ruffing the initial spade lead, the correct play is to take the ace of clubs and lose a club. This allows East to maintain trump control while ruffing clubs in dummy to establish piddly winners. This should not have been a difficult slam to at least attempt.

Friday evening May 11, 2007

Well, another hand not actually seen in nature. Hearts was pushed to the five level, making once doubled, doing down once. Finesse the 10 of diamonds after trumping the heart lead, then finesse it again, winning on the board. A low diamond, trumping high in hand. A low trump to the board reveals South to have no trumps! Yea! Play the ace of diamonds pitching a spade, felling the king. Draw the remaining trumps, then lead a the last diamond, sluffing a spade. Because of his free bid of 2H, North should have six hearts; along with his known 4 diamonds (as played) and three trumps (as played). This leaves him with 0 (or zero) spades, making the finesse through South a piece of cake. Looking at hands after people have played them is a lot easier to come up with really cool stuff to make the hands.

Friday evening May 11, 2007

East's bid is difficult. Two diamonds is a transfer. Three diamonds shows a bigger hand. Yuck. What to do? Bid three diamonds and lie. East will infer that you have six diamonds, otherwise you would have bid 2NT. Why mess with success? Keep on bidding those diamonds. The ace of spades is the KILLER LEAD. No other lead causes the opponents to suffer defeat. So, would YOU lead the ace of spades? The real problem is why didn't they bid NT? Three NT makes four for a 430 top. Even with the horrible spade drop; six diamonds, three hearts and a club/spade makes four all day long.

Friday night May 11, 2007

Again this didn't happen in real life Four hearts is a shutout. The response to 4NT is very relevant--one means 5H, anything else means more. Transportation isn't an issue. No one bid 6H on this hand, although three made it.

Saturday afternoon May 12, 2007

I can't believe I let Peggy play 5S with this hand. Unfortunately, the above didn't happen--but it had to. I sat down for Rita and held East's hand this afternoon. I bid 4D to indicate an 8-card suit. Unfortunately, my partner has a hand that is very good, with game-going credentials. She bid 4NT. Peggy overcalled with 5S. I should have bid six diamonds as a sacrifice. Five diamonds is cold, losing two black aces. Instead, I let Peggy take the contract at 5S, which makes. Too much time as director, not enough time as bridge player! Well done, Peggy. By the by, Janet and Peggy got to play 5 diamonds N-S, making.

Saturday May 13, 2007

West's third bid cuebidding the ace of hearts denied the ace of clubs; East doesn't care much. East cares about trumps. In this life it's OK to be lucky. East loses a club if the lead is a club. If a heart, well, then it's possible to GET THE LUCKY BREAK then, wear the opponents down in hearts and spades, then discard the remaining diamonds on the hearts.

Saturday afternoon May 12, 2007

The question came up on how to cuebid this hand to slam. The key cuebid in NOT BIDDING BLACKWOOD is to show the suit where the opponents CAN'T TAKE TWO TRICKS. Thus, the key bid in this contract is North's 5C bid, showing a non-two-trick-losing suit. This bid makes South feel so much better!