Palo Alto 1/30

Few hands from tonight. I have 2 other days left to post...

2.


First of all, can you reach 6D? It's scary on a spade lead, but it seems to be a good contract.

I got to 3N, got the H6 lead. I took an "unnatural" finesse in diamonds, toward the short hand. Clearly this loses, but I feel like Qxx on my right is better than Qxx(x) on my left given the lead. This was a terrible score, with a lot of the field making 490. Is it that much better to finesse toward the long hand, or did people just not think about it?

4.


Can you bid this? I almost blasted 6 over 4. Of course, on a bad (normal?) day, it goes HA and a ruff.

14.


This one feels straight out of a book.

Of course, I failed to ruff the SQ. Partner commented on this after the hand (I didn't even notice a trump promotion was in the making), and I replied, "Oh! Then you should lead a small spade!"

I'm not posting this here to blame my partner; in fact, I should be able to figure out that it costs nothing to ruff, but I think it really is instructive.

1/24 Pleasanton Sectional

Wow, what a frustrating day. We played in the second lowest bracket and mostly got our clock cleaned. Ted and I just sat there and watched them do it to us. They would get to untouchable partscores or games (sometimes crazily), and the best we could hope for was a push. Of course, I did some unspeakably bad things (I always make at least one goof that I'm sure convinces people that I don't know how to play bridge at all.) It always seems to be against people who know me too.

I want to feel good about myself right now, so I'll post this. I ran a squeeze here after the defense did something crazy.



Yes, the opponents were mostly like this. I'm so ashamed.

Here's a genuine problem I had. You hold QJT98 xxx AKTx x. Partner opens 1C, you bid 1S, partner splinters 4D. Now what?

The hands are:
A76x AQxx x AKxx
QJT98 xxx AKTx x

We missed a pretty good slam here. I didn't like AKTx of diamonds, but it's better than AKx. It's on one of two finesses, and the 76 of trump in dummy is monumental in helping to ruff two diamonds.

Looking at it again though, if Ted had AQJx of clubs (and let's say not 76 of trump), things can get ugly. Now I need 2 of 3 finesses to come off, and I need to not get overruffed as I try to get rid of my diamonds. What would you do over 4D?

I have some hands from earlier in the week to write up; I'll do it soon.

BBO 1/18

Haven't really been playing, trying to get back in shape.



I thought a heart seemed like a standout lead.

When partner came back his highest club, I should shift to the diamond and continue the attack. It knocks out the entry to the spades, and I know that a club will blow a tempo, allowing declarer to set up a discard in spades.



On this hand, I just wasn't counting declarer's high cards. I know he has KJx of hearts, on the diamond play it looks like he has KQ, and when the third round of spades comes to me, I should know he has AQJ. That's 16, so partner must have the CQ, so I can just abandon diamonds and the defense will cash out.



This one I was just sloppy. Have to unblock the spades before doing anything else.

random hand

This is a hand I was dummy for a few nights ago.



I bid 3S, then 4S over 4H. Comments? In my book, 4S directly shows a limit raise.

The lead of the H5 makes it easy, but declarer can always make thanks to the blockage in clubs.