Month: November 2010

Hi all

Thanksgiving weekend is close, and I’m looking forward to it. I can use the extra days off, I’ve been swamped with work. Even in my sleep I’m clicking through wizards and windows setting up projects for my company’s latest client. But I have been feeling valuable, so that’s a good thing.

This deal is from a sectional in El Cerrito. I was playing with Andrew Gumperz. After the following auction I got to declare 3NT.

West

North

East

South

 

 

 

1

1

2

pass

3

pass

3

pass

3NT

a.p

 

 

 

I see West leading the Ten of . Right, they didn’t need much time to find my weak spot. But to my surprise the trick runs to my Jack. I doesn’t hurt to rattle of six , and I see West discarding three small and two . East followed suit twice, and then rid himself of two , a and a .

Well, that finesse surely isn’t going to work now. I decide to exit in , maybe some endplay will develop. West won that one with the King and thoughtlessly continued a for his partner’s Ace. On the stream of Trifolium marked cards I have just enough consciousness to retain the AQ in dummy.

The magic has happened. Badaboom! East is endplayed, and has to surrender two tricks to the Ace – Queen.

Maybe West should have cashed his Ace somewhere along the defensive line. Perhaps East could have kept a to keep communications intact. There are some learning opportunities here.

I lost my cool, embarrassingly. I was just staring at the cards on the table, full of disbelief and wonder. Really? Really? Did I actually score up 9 tricks?

Hi all

I have recovered from what proved to be a nuclear cold. My 34th has passed by quite silently. An ant colony has invaded our kitchen and current (Orange Oil fueled) negotiations are stalled. For Thanksgiving we’re planning a roadtrip from Chicago via Denver back home. Tomorrow Massive Attack will be performing in the Greek Theatre in Berkeley. And our 4th batch of beer looks and smells very promising, it should be at its prime by the end of December.

Here’s a deal from a pairs match in Santa Clara. I was playing with Elenalani.

West

North

East

South

pass

pass

3

pass

pass

4

pass

pass

4

pass

pass

… pass1

1. I have lost connection to reality

It’s weird, all the others have something to say, but I’m fairly sure I’m the one holding the most points. I couldn’t process what was happening, I had no clue at all.

Full deal:

We held 4 to ten tricks, lead, switch and a ruff. But we’re cold for 5, some people even made an overtrick because of the very favourable position. It actually needs a lead and a switch to beat 6. I should take some blame for not rewarding my partner’s courage for entering the auction at the four-level. On the other hand, Elenalani’s hand looks like a fine preempt to me, why care about those four pips?

Why West didn’t open that hand is a mystery to me. “How to get yourself in trouble?” Chapter 1, Paragraph 1. Usually if I pass hands like this, my partners surprise me with a 3rd seat preempt in my void.