New Orleans GNT C Semifinal 7/25

I doubled for the lead, partner duly led a heart, and I ruffed. I'm sitting there thinking it's time to lay down the SK and kill dummy... and then I notice the heart king unblocked at trick 1. I go into a huge tank; of course, nothing matters. :(

We're out.

New Orleans National GNT C Quarterfinals 7/23

I played this hand in 6H today.

Kxx QJTx AKxxx A

Ax AKxxx Txxx Jx

A great slam, no doubt. The SQ was led, I win in dummy, draw trumps in two rounds, CA, SA, club ruff, spade ruff. The hand is now stripped.

I can now guard against RHO having all 4 diamonds. I didn't have to, but it was nice to see that I could've!

BBO 7/13

I was really lazy here and didn't stop to think. I won the DA on the D9 lead, declarer dropping the K. I sorta shrugged and led a diamond back, hoping partner could ruff. Of course, this is fatal if she can't.

I should cash the CA at trick 2. Partner's signal in the suit will tell me what I need to do.

Santa Clara Firecracker Sectional 7/4

4th day of the sectional, and I've sorta been teaching my partner a bit here and there. On the first day, she made a takeout double of 1D and I penalty passed it. We could've gotten it for something like 500 or 800, but she was too scared to lead from Kx of trump. In between sessions, I gave her a bit of an explanation of why it's often right to lead trump vs doubled partials.

So today, this hand took place:



I was too chicken to lead a trump. I knew it as soon as dummy hit. (Actually I knew it as I was making my opening lead, but why trust yourself?) Partner won the ace, looked straight at me, and put a trump on the table. A diamond off dummy to her ace, another trump return, a club off dummy, and then she flew the club ace, put me in with a spade, whereupon I played the third round of trumps. Thanks partner!

We were playing in the lowest bracket, so we did a lot of doubling. We collected a lot of 300s and 500s vs air.

There was another hand where I was in 5D with

Axx xx J954 xxxx
opp
x KJT9 AKQT873 K

The auction went 1D - 3D - (x) - 5D
A spade was led, I tried a club, ace popping on my right. Another spade, ruffed big. Trump to the jack (all following), final spade ruffed, righty dropping the queen.

So I felt like righty had KQ of spades, AQ of clubs (he played the ace really smoothly), and I just have to guess hearts. I figured he was more likely to have the HA instead of the HQ because of his 3 level takeout double. Wrong again, lose 5. The other table was in 4D.

Santa Clara Firecracker Sectional 7/1

The saddest endplay ever.



(Just stepped through my post, east has doubleton club jack instead of club ten, if that means anything at all.)

casual game 6/26

Here's one that really struck me from a while ago. I'd completely forgotten to post it.



The diagram's a bit off, I had the SJ in my hand (because that seriously improves it to a 1 level opening.)

I shifted to the small club because I can see that spades are 3-3.

The interesting part was in the post mortem afterward, when dummy commented that it would be really amazing if I had shifted to a small club from AQx and knew that spades weren't breaking. Sneaky!!

Santa Clara Firecracker Sectional 7/2

There was a hand I declared spectacularly badly and lost the vul game. But I don't wanna think about that anymore.

Here's a pretty funny one:



I opened 2H on the south hand. West passed, partner bid 2N Ogust (we play new suit nonforcing, perhaps for this reason! Not that she knew I had a 5 bagger), and we quit in 3H. I was allowed to make it when lefty led a club and then shifted to a diamond. Righty got in, played a heart, and now I lose 2 clubs, 2 diamonds.

At the other table, my seat passed, west bid 3C, north 3S, east 3N, which is unbeatable thanks to the heart blockage :)

Santa Clara Firecracker sectional

Poor neglected blog.

Had some interesting hands today in the KO/swiss (knocked out in one round).



The auction and play are as listed. At trick 2, I flew ace and led another spade.

Here's a declarer play problem.



6D by north, lead is the CQ.