Playing Some Teams With Sylvia

I like playing with Sylvia on BBO.  She is cheerful, forgiving and funny and a good player too.  I told her yesterday that she was a great partner because she always made me laugh.

Here are a few moments from our game yesterday. 

Vulnerable Against Not

Sylvia

A6 

AJ98652 

104 

108

Opener passed.  What should Sylvia bid?  I decided to consult the preempt meister.  He liked 3 better than 1 and 2 not at all.

At out table Sylvia opened 3 and I bid 4.  We played it there making.  Here is the whole deal.

	Linda 3  Q104  AKJ32  9742
West K10987  K7  876  A65		East QJ542  3  Q95  KQJ3
	Sylvia A6  AJ98652  104  108

4 makes and 4 doubled, contract at the other table goes down 2.  For an 8 imp win for us.  At the other table where Sylvia’s hand opened 1, it was easy for the opponents to get into the auction in spades.  So you can see the advantage of Sylvia’s choice of bid.

I had some fun as declarer on this deal.  We were playing 4 after Sylvia had shown big diamonds and a spade fit.  I have rotated the hand.

	Sylvia 932 A102  AQ10964  4
West		East
	Linda AKJ54  J653  32  A2

The opening lead was the 7.  How do you proceed? The 7 looked a lot like a singleton.  But on the positive side if I lost the diamond finesse I might still have some chances even if East won and returned a diamond.  Still it would be a problem.  If diamonds were 4-1, I could rise and hope that hearts would work for me.  What would you do? 

I decided to put in the Q.  One thing I was sure of was that West was not leading from the Jxxx.  And you know what?  It held with East contributing the 8.  So by this point I was pretty sure that West did not have four diamonds (the spot cards didn’t seem right) and that East not surprisingly wanted a heart return.  Given the diamond situation I thought I was safe in finessing a spade.  So I did and it the J held.  This hand was getting to be more fun.  I played the A both followed with the Q dropping on my right.   I played a diamond to dummy and West played the K as East followed low.  I ruffed out the J which was with East.  West had indeed led a small diamond from the Kx.  East had falsecarded in spades with the  Q10x.  Anyway 4 plus 2 was now in the bag.  It was a fun hand with fun defense.  The other table was in 3NT which did not make.

	Sylvia 932 A102  AQ10964  4
West  87  Q74  K7  J87653		East  Q106  K98   J85   KQ109
	Linda AKJ54  J653  32  A2