Round 3
Board 1. Love all. Dealer N
K654
K7
J82
KQJ9
JT AQ93
Q3 T9852
QT9654 K
762 AT8
872
AJ64
A73
543
N E S W
1NT 2D* P P
P
When North opened a 11-14 NT, I overcalled 2D to show both majors. There's not
much South could do and probably what he really wished to do is to bid a
natural 2N, which may not be available in most partnership.
Fred gave 2D a brief thought and passed. Against my 2D, the South led a C to
North's J and my A.
South won my DK with the A and did not give it a good thought. Cashing the HA
and clarifying the suit might be better but he chose to continue C. After
North cashed two C he found himself in a serious guessing.
Eventually North played S, a 2-1 favorite as it won't cost a trick whenever
South had either A or Q, where as H would cost a trick if South didn't have
the A. Reasonable? I don't think so.
Let's rewind to where S won the DK. OK, so it could cost a trick if had the
CAK, HK, and DJ. But which C did South continue? South should forsee that if
North got to cash two C's, then this would be a proper time for suit
preference, therefore South should continue with a LOW C, not the high C as
you would play in a count clarification case. That would tip North to switch
to the H confidently.
Now that North led the S, I let it ride to the T, and continue with the J. I
overtook the Q and cashed A to pitch a H, then a 4th S and dummy pitched the
other H to cut bridge for any possible promotion. But that was to no further
benefit when D was 3-3, and that means +110 was 44/51.

Board 2. NS vul. Dealer E.
K3
KJ8
KQ63
8765
AJT5 Q96
A93 Q654
974 AJT2
AKJ T3
8742
T72
85
Q942
Fred opened a strong NT and after an invitational sequence he played 3NT from
West.
North led a C to the Q and A. A D to the T won, and Fred ran the S9 to North's
K. Perhaps it's best for North to duck it and surely Fred will continue again.
North persisted with a C to Fred's K, and Fred wrongly played the D9 which
North covered. Now Fred didn't know what to do as he did not have a convinient
entry back to lead toward dummy, so he ducked. A 3rd C came, and Fred won per
force. Now he cashed the S to force some discards from North, and North
pitched a C and a H. When Fred led another D and collected the low D, he put
his contract in jeopardy if finessing. He played the A and realized his
earlier mistake. At that point he can still recover by exiting a D to the
North to endplay him in H. But he was disturbed and played a H to the A. A
very poorly played contract and the penalty was severe. As +400 only worths
3/51. The lowest score of the night.