This keeps happening...

The following hand has some interesting possibilities:

♠	A T 9 5 2
♥	Q 9 6 4 3
♦	Q 4
♣	J

Nice shape but the suit quality lets it down. The short honours in the minors will be worth almost nothing most of the time and absolutely nothing the rest.

Still when partner opens 1NT it's worth driving to game in a major. Playing a hoopless* system I can transfer to spades then rebid 4♥ and expect to be in the right spot. However the auction took a bit of a turn.

My heart transfer was doubled by someone playing a hoopy system where double shows either lead directional in hearts or a penalty double of 1NT. Not a bad idea in principle.

My partners pass denied any interest in spades. Right hand opponent, who had been dealt a hand without any interesting possibilities, and who hadn't been consulted on this new treatment of double, also passed. Which left me in the pass out seat of 2♥ doubled when my intention had been to bid 4.

Making 5, +770

	♠ Q 7 ♥ K J T ♦ A J 8 7 ♣ A 9 7 4
♠ K 6 3 ♥ A 8 2 ♦ K 9 6 ♣ K Q 8 2		♠ J 8 4 ♥ 7 5 ♦ T 5 3 2 ♣ T 6 5 3
	♠ A T 9 5 2 ♥ Q 9 6 4 3 ♦ Q 4 ♣ J

^*Lacking in hoops one must jump through to show a hand. No relation to hopeless.

They played in my suit!

It's unusual to see the opponents settle in your suit and more so when you have six of them. From there it's most unlikely that you'll come out with a below average score but bridge being bridge it happens.

	♠ Q J 7 5 ♥ A Q 9 7 ♦ - ♣ T 9 8 5 2
♠ 9 4 ♥ J 5 ♦ A T 8 6 5 4 ♣ J 6 4		♠ A 8 3 2 ♥ K T 8 4 3 2 ♦ 7 ♣ Q 3
	♠ K T 6 ♥ 6 ♦ K Q J 9 3 2 ♣ A K 7

After two passes partner opened a weak two. Somewhat unusual for it contains four of the other major but in 3rd chair anything goes. South bid 3♦ and thinking I was on to a good thing I put on a rendition of the disinterested pass.

There they played losing a spade a club and three diamonds, down one.

Those who stuck to the `no weak two with a four card major' rule didn't open the East cards and North South flailed around usually finding 3NT (sometimes 5 minor).

There's no good reason why 3NT plays worse than diamonds and one excellent reason why it plays better (the clubs break). Unfortunately you do need to be careful 3NT as there are several wrong steps available and it was beyond many of our clubs declarers. +100 wasn't worth enough.

High level fun

With the dealer on my left and vul against not I picked up:

♠	Q T
♥	A Q 6 4
♦	K 9 7 6 4
♣	K T

which is a 14 count. Before I'd managed to count to 14 though (I am quite slow) the auction had made its way round to me:

West	North	East	South
5♣	5♥	Pass	?

Questions, questions. How has partner bid at the five level with such poor trumps? Who opens 5♣ anyway?

Considerations, considerations. We must have most of the points in this deck. It would be nice to protect the ♣K for the admittedly unlikely chance of of 8221 clubs.

Decisions, decisions. I can always hold the club suit in NT. It's pairs and NT scores the best.

	♠ A K 9 5 ♥ K J 9 8 7 5 ♦ A 8 ♣ 7
	♠ Q T ♥ A Q 6 4 ♦ K 9 7 6 4 ♣ K T

Also thinking in terms of matchpoints, West, led the ♣A and I claimed without playing a card. If that hadn't happened, how would you play?

Perfect Partial

Here's a well played hand from last nights club pairs session. We had what I'm sure many would consider a standard auction:

♠ Q J 9 5 4 ♥ A 7 3 ♦ A K 9 ♣ 6 2		♠ K 7 3 2 ♥ Q 9 8 ♦ T 8 3 ♣ A K J
Tim		Some Idiot
-		1♦1
1♠		1NT2
2♣3		2♠4
4♠

1. Anti-systemic to put off the diamond lead
2. Lying
3. Checkback
4. Can I really deny a fit twice?

The lead was a small club which was won and partner pulled a small spade to the Queen. Not only did it lose to the Ace but South showed out with a discouraging diamond.

The club return was finessed and a diamond was thrown on the King. Two rounds of diamonds then a spade to the table left this position.

♠ J 9 5 ♥ A 7 3 ♦ - ♣ -		♠ 7 3 ♥ Q 9 8 ♦ T ♣ -

A diamond ruffed in hand was followed by the Jack of spades completing the partial elimination and a heart to the 9 left South on lead with no winning options:

	♠ A T 8 6 ♥ J 5 2 ♦ Q 7 5 ♣ Q 9 7
♠ Q J 9 5 4 ♥ A 7 3 ♦ A K 9 ♣ 6 2		♠ K 7 3 2 ♥ Q 9 8 ♦ T 8 3 ♣ A K J
	♠ - ♥ K T 6 4 ♦ J 6 4 2 ♣ T 8 5 4 3

Nicely done partner!

A new score

As unusual auctions go the one I'm about to show you is remarkable because it contains only two bids. Two bids and a double.

This was my hand:

♠	A Q 4
♥	6 5 3 2
♦	Q J 7 6 5
♣	6

All vul, playing pairs my partner dealt and opened a club - that's one bid. Since we play a transfer system and we show majors before minors I bid 1♦ - see what's coming?

Left hand opponent holding a lot of points completed the first half of a double and bid; and was left hanging.

South	West	North	East
-	-	1♣	Pass
1♦*	Dbl	Pass	Pass
Pass

	♠ T 8 5 ♥ J 8 ♦ A K T ♣ A T 8 7 4
♠ K 9 6 3 ♥ A K Q 9 7 4 ♦ - ♣ K Q 3		♠ J 7 2 ♥ T ♦ 9 8 4 3 2 ♣ J 9 5 2
	♠ A Q 4 ♥ 6 5 3 2 ♦ Q J 7 6 5 ♣ 6

I'd never scored +340 before, have you?