Lots of bridge

It seems like this is my time to play lots of bridge and with lots of partners.  Yesterday I played with Colin and Julie and tomorrow I play with Sylvia.  Julie and I were actually just bidding so there is less to report on that front unless you want to chat about whether opener should rebid one of a major with a balanced minimum or 1NT, there, I thought you wouldn’t. 

But Colin and I had a lot of action.  This time we spent most of the evening playing with Isabelle and Sondra as team-mates.  Still a lot happened.   We won some imps partly because Colin and I didn’t bid when the opponents did.  And if you get overboard against Isabelle and Sondra you are going to play the hand doubled.  Here is an example.

I held

AQ984

873 

J6

1076Nobody vulnerable I passed in first chair as did my compatriot in the other room.  And at both tables the auction continued 1 pass (by partner) 1.  So do you think I should bid one lead directing spade?  I thought about it but wondered if partner would take the joke.  At our table the opponents wended their way to 3 and we let them have an uptrick when we erred a bit on defense.  At the other table my hand overcalled.  Partner who held

J75

KJ65 

A85

Q85was pushed to 3 over 3.  As it turned out the hand was not favorable to our side and this went for 500.  I am not saying I did a brilliant thing or even the right thing.  I was just noting that on occasion keeping quiet is a good thing.

Sylvia and I played on a team game.  Pamela and Francine were sitting in the same seats as we were and we had some opponents who had a star or two but I didn’t know.  It is interesting to compare some of our results although a lot of the differences were caused by our opponents.  At our table we had an aggressive pair who were playing a forcing club system.   

Now I have reported about how everybody bids a lot against an opening strong club bid.  Well it turns out I am no exception.  With nobody vulnerable North opened 1 and I held

8

Q87632 

K43

K86

I had a rush of blood to my head and overcalled 2.  South doubled showing any 6-8 and this was passed to his partner who held

AQ1096

A1094 

Q8

KJ

I can see the thought process.  Game seems unlikely opposite 5-8.  I will take a chance that partner doesn’t have spades and pass.  But partner held the right hand to make the spade game likely.

K7543 

K5 

J7

9732

The worse part was that they didn’t find the defense against 2 doubled although it isn’t an easy defense to find.  Here is the whole deal.

   

At the other table where North opened 1 it was easy to find the spade game which would probably have made on the auction.  Pamela and Francine did well to find the diamond save but it still cost them but they still lost 11 imps.

This little number at our table was a well deserved lose for North who decided who held

7 

K2 

A864

J98764

After I opened 1 in fourth and Sylvia bid 1NT he ventured out vulnerable with 2.  I doubled and that was 800 for the good guys.  Without the intervention we would doubtlessly have been in the same 4 contract as Pamela and Francine which was destined to go down because of bad breaks.

Anyway I am done with my bridge marathon.  After this I have lots of lunches and dinners.  Eric our intern, is leaving for around the world tour, yes he is, and Jessica has taken the reins.  Eric just finished our facebook page for ABTA teacher of the month, have a look at it, become a fan!  So before he leaves its a lunch on the company.  Lots more meals beside that one.