Friday night October 12, 2007

Lead: king of clubs.

What fun! West loses a spade and a heart, then cross-ruffs the hand out, making 5 easily. One South got into a train wreck at 5H doubled down 5 for 1100 while four hearts on the north made four.

Friday night October 12, 2007

Lead: ace of spades.

I love it when game contracts make in both directions! Four spades makes EW, losing a heart a diamond and a club. Five diamonds makes because West shifts to his singleton club after dropping South's ace. East makes a mistake and climbs with the queen, allowing South to draw trump then discard losing hearts on his piddly clubs. West should have seen that the only chance to defeat the contract was with a heart shift instead.

Friday evening October 12, 2007

Lead: three of hearts.

No one bid this while everyone made it; spades makes six; the only loser being a diamond. If West passes at 5S it's East's responsibility to kick him under the table and bid six anyway.

Friday evening October 12, 2007

Lead: six of diamonds.

A certain director went overboard when his partner opened the bidding, falling in love with the notion of slam. When dummy came down he heard the dreaded words "I used one of those Rules to open." The Rule of 20 allows a person to open the bidding when the total high card points plus the total length of the two longest suits equals 20 or more.

The opening lead was finessed in hand with the ten. A spade went to the queen, followed by the ten of hearts which rode all the way around the table. Another heart was led, the queen captured by the king in hand. The eight of hearts then forced out the ace. West was between a rock and a hard place; leading a low club which was finessed around to the jack. The ace-king of diamonds were cashed followed by the nine of hearts. Declarer turned his pair of A-Ks over and claimed; making three spades, three hearts, three diamonds and three clubs!

Saturday morning October 13, 2007

Lead: king of hearts.

No one bid this slam this morning because no one opened a weak 2/3 diamonds with only 5 HCP. In the bidding above, West has no real questions of partner; either bid five, six or seven. Missing a bunch of kings, West stops at six. The proper play with two outstanding is to play for the drop; unfortunately, this time it didn't work. No matter; lose the king of trumps and claim. Six clubs also makes.

Saturday morning October 13, 2007

Lead: ace of clubs.

Which was followed by a diamond lead, snaring the K9, down two. Two of us did the same thing. We should have let NS play in clubs; they lose a club and two spades.