Holy demolition, Batman!

 

Batman and Robin quotes

Colin and I had a bad night, sorry Isabelle and Sondra.  We both had excuses of one sort or another but that doesn’t really excuse us.  You just got to come to the game prepared to play.  But on to the interesting and the positive.  I promise you that no game involving the players in our team game will ever be dull and uninteresting!

Dave Willis was bolder than I was on this deal.  What do you think?

Linda (Dave)

10952
Q
K9873 
A54

With everybody vulnerable I passed and Jeff bid a strong notrump.  David transferred to hearts and this was passed back to me.  I passed.  Honestly I didn’t consider bidding much.   On essentially the same auction (except partner had several more chances to bid) Dave Willis balanced double.  So I have to think about whether this is the best action or just worked this time.  What do you think?

Okay now over to Colin

Colin

K3
10752
A5 
QJ863

What do you lead?

……………….

	Jeff S. A764 AKJ Q62  K72
Linda 10952 Q K9873  A54		Colin K3 10752 A5  QJ863
	David S. QJ8 98643 J104  109

 

Pretty well anything but a club works.  I sort of like a trump myself.  If Colin goes for the ruff with diamonds we can make two diamonds, a ruff, a spade (the spade king scores) and I can promote the 10 back to a winner with the fourth diamond.

A trump lead is interesting.  Jeff’s problem is that if he draws three rounds of trump and leads a spade, Colin can win and cash his 10.  Now we can play clubs.  Jeff doesn’t have time to set up a diamond winner and he can’t get back to his hand for the fourth spade.  If Jeff doesn’t draw three rounds of trump Colin can still get a diamond ruff and a diamond promotion.

But after the club lead we can no longer get the trump promotion so Jeff doesn’t have to draw trump right away and can use a trump as a hand entry for the fourth spade, very cute. 

3 works very well on the lie of the cards.  Well done Dave and Paul.

I thought David and Jeff did well on this board.  Jeff held

Jeff

K1052
Q1032
J65 
75

Colin opened 1 which can occasionally be short but is almost always 3+.    David doubled and I bid 3   preemptive.  This was passed to David who double again.  Jeff decided that he had a great hand on the auction and bid 4.  David bid 4.

The auction was similar at the other table which is a good contract and makes easily as does 4.

David held:

A876
AKJ6
9 
AJ103

This was a problem hand for us and was handled well by Paul and Dave.  One of the pivotal bids was Colin’s so let’s look at it first.

–
J1074
KQ6 
AQ10873

At favorable vulnerable I open 1 in first.  1 is four plus and I can have a longer minor.  Should Colin make a game forcing bid or an invitational one?  He has to decide.  I think it is too good for an invitation and so did Paul Thurston when he held the hand.  He bid a forcing 2.  Colin decides to bid 3 which shows 6 clubs and an invitational hand and can therefore be passed.  I understand he doesn’t like his void.  Now this is my hand

KQJ1094
A3
A5 
J65

Opposite an invitational hand I was really looking for slam so I decided that 4 would be the easier game.  I could 4 which should be forcing but the problem is that I can easily have a four card spade suit and longer clubs.  True partner might try 4 with 3 of them but I don’t need Colin to have 3 trump.  Anyway even if I bid 4 we are only getting to the club slam if Colin just bids it.  6 is very good and we should be there.   After a game forcing 2 it is a lot easier.  Here was the Thurston-Willis auction

Willis	Thurston
	2
2	3
4	5
6

It got the job done and Blackwood was even required.

Perhaps the hand that has the most bidding lessons for us is this one

Linda

KQ6543
Q
9 
AKJ93

With 15 we can open a strong club with a top of the line hand or one with good playing strength but in retrospect I should not open it and I did in fourth chair. 6-5 girl gone wild.  Jeff bid 2 showing suits of the same color and I knew which color that was.  Colin doubled which showed 6-8 points and David bid   2, pass or correct.  I doubled showing spades so now every knew that Jeff had red suits.  Jeff persisted with 2NT since David’s bid suggested he liked the reds.  It’s Coin’s turn

Colin

107
763
KQ1074 
Q104

Colin doubled here which probably suggested some defense.  Jeff bid 3 and I bid 4.  I think this is my second bad bid but by this point I was sort of endplayed.  However I think this should show at least 5-5 (I could have bid 3 over 2 with longer clubs.  But I thought it suggested a shapy hand since Colin had suggested defending.  Colin didn’t get this message at all and he bid the club game.  As it turns out, oddly the spade ace is offside and 4 has no play.  I suspect in retrospect we were doomed once I opened a forcing club with or without the interference.  Colin has a maximum 1 bid and I don’t think he will let me out in a club partial.  But I still prefer to be in the spade game which has some play.