from a friend

You reach 4H.

SJ led, RHO follows 3

2 Q7 AKJT2 AT652

AK7 KT6432 53 82

home game 12/13

We have JTxx AK8 K98x T9. Partner deals and opens 1C

1C - (1H) - x - (1S)

2C - (p) - 2N - (p)

3N

H4 led

Q9 JT9 Qxx AKQxx

JTxx AK8 K98x T9

RHO plays a low one.

home game 12/13

Partner deals, your side bids uncontested

1D 1S

2S 4S

HQ led

AQx K QJ87x QT87

J87xx Axx K9x Ax

Stanford 12/6

r/w, I deal and hold x 932 KQ65 AKJxx.

1D - 1S - x - 4S

p - p - 5D - all pass

K AKJ4 A9872 xxx

x 932 KQ65 AKJxx

3rd/low H7 led.

Stanford 11/8

QTxx AT xxx Kxxx

AKxxxx Jx Axx Jx

San Jose 9/18

One of many that I got wrong on Sunday's NAP qualifier

MPs r/w 7642 Q AJ53 ATxx

(2S) - p - (p) - x
(p) - ?

I didn't want to guess which minor to bid, and I felt like my singleton HQ was very defensive.  I elected to pass.  Zia's advice of "avoid zeroes" crossed my mind, but when else but matchpoints do you make speculative doubles of partials?

Declarer ended up making exactly 2.  I think I did the wrong thing by passing with such bad trumps (we make 4C), but it felt a bit unlucky.  Declarer had a max, dummy had a good hand (10 count, Kx of trumps, a side ace), and we still nearly beat it.  I just needed a bigger diamond SPOT to have nicked it one.  Besides, why shouldn't partner's minors be reversed, and 3C is down a couple while 3D is the one that makes 4?

BBO 9/10

Here's a hand I really really butchered
 
We are w/r in 4th, holding x Jx T87x AKQ8xx

(1H) - p - (1S) - 3C
(3S) - 5C - (x)

The lead is the HK, we see

A987
xx
Kxx
JT9x

x
Jx
T87x
AKQ8xx

The HK holds, then LHO shifts to the SK. We win the spade, ruff a spade big, cross to dummy in trumps, ruff a spade big, cross to dummy in trumps, ruff a spade big. LHO showed up with 3 spades and 2 clubs.

---
x
Kxx
9x

---
J
T87x
8

I exited the HJ at this point. LHO wins and tables the DQ.

If LHO is 3532, we have to guess the suit properly. If he led from QJ, we have to duck this trick and freeze the suit. If he led from Q9x, then we have to cover and put in the T on the way back. These were my thoughts anyway... what honors has he shown up with...?  Wait a minute, this is stupid!

The opponents have 9 hearts... there's no way hearts are 5-4. Hearts must be 6-3 for this auction to make any sense. Therefore, LHO must be 3622, and now we just cover the DQ. When RHO wins the A and tables another diamond, we put in the T, not caring at all if it loses. LHO will be endplayed and be forced to give us a ruff sluff. What's more, finding the DQ lead from a non honor sequence is difficult. I would not and should not give someone this much credit.

I ended up losing 3 diamonds and 2 hearts for -500... a good save against 620, but not as good as 300 (Duh).

I hate that I don't pay any attention on BBO, butcher a hand, and then get upset about it. I should strive to play my best, always.  What a poor excuse.