Partner, choose your slam.

Lead: ten of hearts.

North's 2NT bid was a least-worst bid. With no 5-card suit and only four diamonds, North is stuck between a lie (don't have the other suits covered) and a lie (don't have 5 diamonds in order to use 2D, Inverted Minors). Two NT seems the better lie. South was correct to bid her second five-card suit, showing partner a real two-suited hand. North should figure that 3C shows a five-card suit, which means the 1D bid was also from a five-card suit. No trump will be a disaster. South's 6C bid is a "you pick which slam" request to North. The heart lead was trumped, trumps broke nicely, the diamond finesse worked and everyone lived happily ever after.

Except neither the club nor the diamond slam was actually bid; 5DX + 7, (2) 5C + 7, and 3NT -2 were the choices this day.

I'm playing it?

Lead: king of spades.

North looks at his hand, then at dummy, then says under his breath, "Hey, I can make this" even with an un-shapely 7 pointed hand. Rise with the ace. Maybe my ten will be good. The ace and king of clubs are played, followed by the last club forcing out the queen. Good, East is in the lead (3 tricks). With two side aces, East knows there is plenty of time to cash the Q-J of spades. Which suit to attack? North bid diamonds, so hearts seems the best. North wins the Q (4) and figures East must have all the remaining cards for his 1NT bid. At least one, most likely both of the red kings will be winners in addition to the two remaining clubs. At this point there isn't anything West can do to prevent eight tricks.

120 by North was the top score followed by 3 clubs making three (110) and 2NT by East going down 2 (100). On the EW side, one NS pair let West play 1 heart! (making 2 for 110).

Thursday evening December 13, 2007

Lead: four of clubs

This hand was actually played in spades from both East and West! How, you ask? While the book says East should open 1S, many players will open with the artificial 2C even though a point shy. If EW play Step Responses to a strong 2C opener (2D = 0-4 with no ace, 2H = 5-8 points, 2S = 9-12 points and 2NT = 13+ points), then West will respond 2S and end up playing the contract! When North sees the slew of clubs, he should refuse to cover with his king. Make life as uncomfortable for declarer as possible. Not only that, by not covering declarer is unable to establish the club suit because he doesn't have enough entries to the board, forcing declarer to lose the diamond on the thirteenth trick. The proper play in spades is to finesse when holding eight, although I would run a high trump first, then back to the board with a heart to lead the second round of trumps to see if the queen drops easily.

Friday evening December 14, 2007

Lead: six of clubs.

Ignoring a perfect three spade bid, Gene jumped right into the fray with 4S. While East was tempted to double, after West's lead of the six of clubs he was glad. The club went around to South's queen, then the ace of trumps was forced out. With a choice between hearts and diamonds, East led the ace of diamonds which was trumped by South. The remaining trumps were drawn, then the clubs run with the hearts being discarded. Four diamonds EW makes 4.

Friday night December 14, 2007

Lead: ace of clubs.

This was a pure guess by South that turned out well. After the ace West shifts to the ten of spades, taken by the board's ace, discarding a club. South then runs six hearts and the top diamonds, ending up with the four of hearts, the J of diamonds and the three of clubs. What three cards would you keep as West? West is down to the Q-4 of clubs and the Q of diamonds. South leads the last heart and West is toast, squeezed!

Friday evening December 14, 2007

Lead: nine of spades

Nice lead. I did it myself. Declarer gets a free shot at an extra trick in a near cold slam at trick one; trumps break and the diamond finesse works. Everything is all right at the Presbyterian Church in Riverchase!

Friday December 14, 2007

Lead: four of spades.

It's OK to get lucky once in a while. The three of hearts would have been a great lead, saving the possibility of getting back in with the king of spades to run the hearts. But, alas--the four shuffles around to the jack. The queen of clubs forces out the ace. East leads the jack of hearts, South gulps and plays the king. It wins! The ace of diamonds is followed by the jack, covered by the queen; the diamond suit is run. South then plays the king of clubs and the jack falls, establishing the ten six as good. Five diamonds, three clubs, two spades and a heart--top board. Thanks Gene!

Friday evening December 14, 2007

Lead: ten of diamonds.

The ten floats around to the ace. Every East playing the contract drops North's king by playing the ace instead of coming back to the king of clubs and the queen of trumps floated. I'm glad I wasn't playing because that's the way I'd play it, making six for an average minus!