Q943 Q2 852 J853
2 led
	7 AKJ4 AK94 AK76

More shocking than the lead is the discovery that we've violated Burn's Law of Total Trump. And that slam try means were in FIVE (I said the auction was bad).
Anyway, as is often the case, terrible bidding leads to interesting play. I played small from dummy, RHO played the T and the continued the ace. How to make this. Since I'm not playing at the Griffin's club and I can't see how to make by ruffing, I pitch a diamond. RHO thinks about this, as well she might, and switches to the diamond queen. The good news about terrible bidding is that sometimes everyone believes it. I win and think.
Obviously I need trumps to split and the club queen to fall doubleton. But if that happens, what about my diamond loser? After a bit, I spot the answer and said the traditional bridge player's prayer:

No one, not even you, will remember if we were good players or bad. Why we played, or why we lost. All that matters is that six trump withstood many. That's what's important! ... so grant me one request...(mumbles distribution)

	Q943 Q2 852 J853
Kxx2 xxx Jxxx QT		AJTx xxxx QT 9xx
	7 AKJ4 AK94 AK76

(Moving around some of the spots doesn't affect it). I'll pull trump (pitching a diamond and spade from dummy), the cash two clubs ending on the board, leaving —

	Q - 85 -
K - Jxx -		Don't care
	- - AK9

LHO still has to discard, and is squeezed. Making five.

RHO could have stopped my by continuing spades .... but she believed my bidding too, I guess. My revere is broken up on the third round of trump, when LHO shows out. After going down, I glance at her hand and discover that the squeeze would have worked if she'd traded her fifth diamond for another trump. To hell with you, Crom.

I can't recall seeing two high contracts redoubled in one session, much less back to back. (Of course, Meckwell are way behind, and taking big risks...)

(Rodwell's hand on that slam was AKJT98653 -- 9 A94)

AQ96 AJ7 A2 A542
Said partner opens 1 Diamond, then rebids them over my 1 Spade. Deciding to a) give up on science and b) play the hand, I bid 6NT.

	85 K3 KQJ853 K96
5 led		Q played
	AQ96 AJ7 A2 A542

With the carebear lead, you have twelve tricks. But that's no big deal. [A spade, three hearts, six diamonds and two clubs.] On the fourth diamond, RHO (having followed three times) graciously tossed the queen of clubs.

I was happy because I saw that the spade finesse for the overtrick wasn't necessary. Since RHO has shown the QJT of clubs, I can just play all my diamonds, cash the king of hearts, lead to the spade ace, keeping the following.

	8 - - K96
[Bored to tears]		K -- -- JTx
	Q J -- Ax

On the lead of the heart jack, dummy pitches the spade and east is squeezed. If he pitches a club then I play the ace, cross to the king and win the overtrick with the 9 of clubs.

In a just world, RHO would have had the spade king (or west would have had it singleton), but sadly west had the king and friends; no squeeze. And this was surely the babiest of squeezes, instantly obvious and requiring no work.

But, I take satisfaction out of the fact that it was instantly obvious to me. [To see tough squeezes ask Jeff ...].

This is why some people like golf ... one good shot makes up for a pathetic round.

East South Me  North
--------------------
1C   X     1N  2S
3C[1]3S    P   P
P


[1] Just competing .... (you hope). [Yes, I should play Good/Bad 2NT to cover these situations.]

So, what do you lead?

	QT87 3 QT543 QJ7
A4 J8762 KJ86 63		J63 K5 A2 AT9542
	K952 AQT94 (7 K8

I led my top club. We got one club, two diamonds and a spade to hold three spades to three. But the computer (double dummy) analysis swears we can set 3 spades (looking at all four hands) with perfect play. With perfect knowledge I should have just started with the ace of trumps to protect my heart tricks. But that still isn't clear to me. Letting 3 spades make was worth 1.5.

Time for another monster.

AKJ86 KQT86 A Q4

As I gazed happily at this formidable collection ... partner opened 1 Diamond. I responded 1 Spade ... and partner bid 2 Hearts.

Amazing.

Pd Me
--------
1C  1S
2H  4N*  [*Roman Key Card in Hearts]
5H* 7H** [*2 Aces] [**See below]

Partner held Q AJ94 KQ975 A65

Of course my 7H bid was way too fast. If partner really can reverse, then she should have a) 16+ HCP and b) 5-4 in the reds, which means that I should consider 7 No-trump, to get those extra ten points. But I just figured that she probably had a stiff or two small spades, and then we'd need to ruff to set up my spades. I think 5N-6D;6S may ask for the spade queen but that's easy to interpret as "long spades, picking the slam" so perhaps 7H or shooting 7NT is a practical bid.

My opponents were bitterly complaining about their bad luck to have us bid a grand. But honestly, I'm not sure how I can stay out. Assume I bid hearts first (which may correct). I can see something like this.

1D  - 1H
3H* - 3S [*not strong enough for 3S splinter]
4C  - 4D
4S  - 4N
5H  - 5N
6D  - 6S* [SQ ask]
7D  - 7N

In any case, nobody found Seven No trump, and half the field missed the grand. One missed the slam.

The last hand is embarrassing.

West deals, N/S vulnerable.

	J94 3 AKQJ642 KT
Q73 KQ984 9753 A		AK6 J652 8 QJ872
	T852 AT7 T 96543

Honestly, I can't remember if West opened or not. I do know that we got to four hearts, and that north bid 5 Diamonds. I think West passed, North opened, I doubled, west bid 2D, North bid 3D, west bid 3H, North bid 4D, I bid 4H and then North bid 5D.

But maybe west opened and was worried that she'd shaded it.

Clearly someone should have doubled. Sigh. So we got 2 points on the final board, instead of a clear top.

Anyway, in looking back on the session (from a few weeks distance) it wasn't quite as interesting as I'd made out, although there were still plenty of bizarre little hands....

More amazingly, this hand sat when partner got doubled in 5H. The things you see online. (Although, the player self-listed as intermediate which means that I sympathize instead of mock).

Update: Just to make clear, I was serious about sympathy. Partner opened 1 Heart. Our beginner jumpshifted to 2 Diamonds and then bid 2 spades over the (expected) 2 hearts. Now opener (self-listed as expert) bid five hearts.

I understood what he meant by that ("I have good hearts but two club losers"), but I didn't a year ago.

	AJ642 AJ9 T753 7
Q985 53 AKJ JT64		KT83 KQT752 Q94 --
	-- 64 862 AKQ98532

Both vulnerable. Dealer was west, I made a 3rd seat opener of 1H. South jumped to 3C, passed back to me and I doubled back in, figuring I could stand any suit. Of course, I can't really stand 3 clubs doubled, which floated and made. -670 was a zero. (The top was +790, four hearts doubled making). Bidding 3H would have worked out, but it felt wrong to give up on spades or even diamonds. Perhaps partner should bid 3S ... looking only at my hand (East) I'm still not sure.

In the next hand, I opened 1 diamond with a flat 3-3-4-3 13 count, and got to play it.

	AKQ2 T84 Q96 T63
JT976 765 J82 95		543 J32 AK43 KQ4
	8 AKQ9 T75 AJ872

Three tables played in 1 diamond, off three. Getting to game isn't easy at all. I must admit, I'd be very tempted as South to overcall 1 Heart (for the lead direction value), or for north to balance 1 spade. Solid four card suits are biddable. North could also double, which is more flexible...

One poor pair had west make a weak jump shift into spades, and now N-S suddenly know what to do — take the money. Anyway, even among the N/S that bid, most missed their game, although one pair wound up in 4 Hearts (which made five...west must have led a spade). A touch over 4.5 match points.

The last hand was a relatively flat 3N.

Update: Fixed first hand ...

Then I picked up KQJ84 KQ98632 9 -

North passed (both vul). What's your plan?

I see two reasonable plans.

1. Open 1 heart and rebid hearts (assuming partner doesn't bid spades). If you get a 3rd bid, then consider bidding spades. Given that I'm light, I could easily see an 1H-2m;2H-2N;3S auction).
2. Open 1 spade and rebid hearts forever. (Pretending the hand is 6-6).

I decided to open 1H. It may have been right or wrong. I'm not sure I feel strongly about it. Partner bids 2NT (Alert!), showing a strong heart raise. Now we're on solid ground (so I think), I bid 4 Spades showing a good five card side suit. Partner bids 5 Diamonds, which I like (since we hadn't discussed how to handle Blackwood with a void). I assume partner has the diamond ace.

After some thought, I bid six hearts. My thinking was that partner could carry on to seven hearts seeing both major suit aces, but perhaps I should bid six clubs to make it clearer.

Unfortunately for me, LHO led the spade ace and dummy hit with: 5 T754 AK864 KQJ

Oops. Down one. Opening 1H jinxed us after all. Perhaps Betsy should just splinter, but she has a good five card side suit. Another auction is:

Me   Betsy
----------
1S   2D[1]  [1]=Likely game force
2H   3H[2]  [2]=Confirm fit and non-minimum GF

Without that, over 3H I could bid 4C (showing first round control of clubs and denying it of spades), but the auction looks like it could easily get confused. (4C-4D;4S-5C;5D-?;Betsy could now bid 5H under the theory that we have a spade loser and I need AKQx of trumps to go)...

Board #25 -- I hold 84 QJ32 A876 K93. (E-W vul). I'm in second seat, and pass after north. South opens 2 Spades (weak) and it passes all the way back to me. I'd present this as a problem, but I don't think there's any debate. I balance with a double. Partner is marked with 10+ points, and probably more. Anyway, partner bid 3 clubs ...

	A2 8764 QT2 T874
T76 AT K543 AQ65		84 QJ32 A876 K93
	KQJ953 K95 J9 J2

3 Clubs making was 8 points. I have no idea why the auction wasn't repeated throughout the entire room. (Some enterprising EW may have even gotten to diamonds). But the fact is that I took a position the rest of the field didn't like. Seems to me to be a LAW of total tricks issue ... and if partner happens to have 4 spades, double will also work out just fine...

Board #26.

I'll show you a hand, you tell me the final contract:

	AKQ7 9 AKJ5 QJT6
532 AQT7 Q9864 9		T96 KJ8643 7 854
	52 T32 AK732

East is dealer. Both vul.

Please check your incredulity at the door. N/S played 1NT. I (as East) didn't want to preempt,so I passed and after North opened 1 club I still didn't see any reason to do anything. South bid 1NT and North had a huge mental lapse and passed. My partner found the heart 7 lead and we managed to untangle our heart tricks. -80 is another top.

Another guess the contract:

South dealer, none vul.

	AK9632 T84 Q J62
8 K62 T642 AKT85		J7 A973 AK83 Q97
	QT54 QJ5 J975 43

Our table went

South Betsy North Me
--------------------
P     P     2S    X
3S    4C    Float

Precision bidding or just luck? Probably both. We got a 6.5, but this table is interesting for the (flight A) pair who managed to play in Four spades, E-W, redoubled. There's a story here, but I haven't been able to piece it together. Anyway, since one E-W pair scored 3400 points, our +130 had to settle for 6.5.

and opens 1 Heart. Now I bid 3 spades. Here's the thing: we didn't really agree to play splinter bids until last month. So Betsy bid 4 spades, and then woke up when I bid five hearts. [A splinter bid shows 4 card trump support, a singleton in the bid suit (spades), and enough to force to game but not much extra.] Betsy called the director, retroactively alerted my 3S bid, the opponents decided to not change their bids, and she had to decide what to do after my 5H bid.

Now this is an interesting problem. By the law (of unauthorized information), I (Brian) had to assume that Betsy's 4 Spade bid showed the ace of spades, slam interest, and denied the ace of clubs and diamonds. So my five heart bid is pretty much forced ... (I "know" we're off two aces).

Betsy is allowed to know all of this (I think). Given that my five heart bid is basically meaningless ... Do you pass 5 Hearts, hoping that it makes five, or bid 6 Hearts under the theory that you are going to get a zero if four hearts is the limit, and may be getting a bad score if six makes, so five has to make exactly for this to break even?

Unfortunately the nerves carried onto the next hand...

Betsy held:

87 T765 AK76 AT6

Betsy passed, then over my 1 Heart bid (in 3rd seat), bid 3 Diamonds, intending it as a Bergen raise (4+ hearts, 10+ points). The auction continued ...

Betsy  Brian
------------
 P     1H
 3D    3S
 4H    5C
 5D    5H
 P

I held AKQ4 AJ932 -- KQ83

Slam requires one heart honor onside, which happens. (I did interpret 3D is 'probably Bergen and not a Weak jump in diamonds'). I guess with a fit I should go even expecting that half the points would be wasted in diamonds. Either she's going to have the club ace or the KQ of hearts, and may very well have the spade jack. In fact, a grand is still possible, although it won't be cold. Another 2.5

The last hand was just a routine 23 count (held by Betsy). AKQJ AJ9 A94 A87.

Since I had the club king and heart queen (and 2434 distribution) 3NT making four was the typical result, although a few people held themselves to three... 5.5

Needless to say, we were late finishing this round.

Update: Fixed the first full hand.

(You are playing Cappelliti/Hamilton defense, so you can bid 2C showing a 1 suited hand if you want to compete cheaply, or you can bid 3 or more diamonds, or you can pass or or psyche).

Board #14 -- You are dealer, none vulnerable.

KT2 A98 QT KJ987

You South Partner North
-----------------------
1C  P     1N      P
 P  X     P       2S
 ?

Board #15 -- White vs Red. Opponents silent.

You hold KJ32 AT 87 KJ973

Partner opens 1NT (15-17). What's your plan? (You are playing Jacoby Transfers, but with no good/bad acceptance into minors, if that matters).

If you bid stayman then ...

What I did and results below...

Me South West North
-------------------
1C X     2C    2S
3C P      P    3D
Float