Played a half set with Jeff against Dan and Susie.  One of the most boring half sets I can remember.  How do you play this suit combination for 1 loser with no opposing bidding?

9

AKT876

Surely the right way to play it is to start with the 9, but with no cover to play AK and another, winning against stiff or doubleton honor offside and losing to QJxx onside.

For some reason I had an overwhelming desire to run the Spade, but decided against it.  Of course, Spades were QJxx onside and I went down.

So the next hand I picked up:

52 / AQ75 / A832 / AQT

An easy 1NT bid.  I click on Movie and have another look at the hand that was.  Jeff bids 2 Hearts, ok, I'll bid 2 Spades next, back to the Movie.  Oops, I hear a bell, time to bid 2 Spades, oh look, Dan doubled, 2 Spades.

Oh crap.

Yeah, when you're busy looking at the last hand, sometimes you lose focus on this hand.  I had an automatic redouble of 2 Hearts doubled, but I'd already decided on my bid and was otherwise occupying too many of my neurons. 

Jeff raised to 4 Spades (normally a slam try, but not in competition) and I bought the dummy I deserved.

AK863 / 6 / QJ94 / 982

52 / AQ75 / A832 / AQT

On a Heart lead I figured on 2 Spade losers and probably a Diamond loser.  I was sure the bridge gods would punish me for my inattention and put the Club King offside for down 1.

I won the Heart Queen and played a Spade up to lead the Queen of Diamonds (I planned to play Dan for Kx.)  When that lost to the King and another Heart came back, I pitched a Club, won the Heart, crossed my fingers and played the King of Spades and a Spade.  When Spades were 3-3, Diamonds were 3-2, and the Club King was onside, I was home for 11 tricks.  Of course 3NT was destined to make only 9 tricks, so my carelessness had earned us an extra 2 IMPs or so.

The set was essentially a push (we 'won' by 4, but we played pretty sloppy.)