St. Mary's Cathedral 4/2

Mildly drunk, no hand records.

I blew one defensive hand very badly.

After the auction (we are sitting in second)
1C - p - 1H - 4S
p - p - 5C - p
5H - ap

Partner leads a small diamond and you see

KJxx
KJTx
Jx
Axx
------x
------xx
------Axxxx
------xxxxx

I won the DA, declarer dropping the DK. At this point I looked at the hand and didn't think I was getting a spade ruff so just returned something stupid like a diamond. Partner bid 4S on his 6-5, and of course, I get the ruff to beat 5H. This was very poor by me.

Now onto the good stuff...

Opponents bid unopposed
1S - 2C
2H - 3H
4H

I'm sitting over the 1S opener with AKJ9 xx AJxxx xx, so a trump lead looks obvious. I make it, and we get

---------x
---------Jxx
---------KTx
---------AKxxxx
AKJ9
xx
AJxxx
xx

Declarer pops the jack from dummy, partner signaling even. Looks like they walked into the 4-3. Declarer plays a spade to the ten, I win the jack, and continue trumps. Declarer wins in his hand with the Q and ruffs a spade.

Now he crosses to hand with the CQ and leads a diamond. I pause here and give some thought (probably shoulda done that earlier, but if I'm gonna hitch with the DA, then I'm gonna hitch long enough to think.)

If declarer had 2 clubs (I didn't watch the club count from partner) then he would just draw trumps and run the clubs. I give declarer the stiff CQ, so partner is 2425. Why didn't declarer just draw trumps anyway? I guess he might be missing the K and is trying to trump coup the hand.

Oh well. I hop the DA, cash two spades, partner pitching to a void in diamonds, and deliver the ruff. Three spades, one heart, diamond ace, +200. Declarer had AKQx of hearts all along.

Another hand, we're in second with AJxxxx Kx xx KTx
1H - 1S - 1N - p
2D - p - 5D - ap

I attack with a club. This proves to be necessary.

---------KQx
---------Qx
---------KJTxx
---------xxx
AJxxxx
Kx
xx
KTx

Partner puts in the CQ, and the hand is over. Declarer draws trumps in two rounds, runs the HQ. I cash out for -1. I know it's not a very exciting hand, but I'm a very passive leader. I'm working on improving my leads, picking my times to attack, and I'm really glad I got this one right, as simple as it is.

Amusing side note: You get KJx xx AKxx Axxx unfavorable in second
2S - 2N* - p** - 3D
p - 3H - 3S - 4H
ap

*Would you?
**LONG tank. I thought I was going to get murdered.

LHO leads a spade, you've got

x
KQTxx
xxxxx
xx

KJx
xx
AKxx
Axxx

Spade to the ace, shift to the club king.

Diamonds are 2-2 and hearts are AJx onside, making 5. Partner was on tilt from getting 4 terrible boards in a row, and decided he was going to get to 4H on this hand no matter what. We really fixed Steve and Kim here, and I have great respect for them (they're both great bridge players as well as really nice people, which seems rare), so I felt sort of bad. They ended up winning the whole thing anyway, so I'm happy there's justice in the world.

Afterward, we hit up a random sushi place on the way home, and partner picked up a 50 dollar bill. Thanks for the food and cards, partner!