It's August 21, but I"ll be backdating the next few entries until I'm caught up.

Boston was a nice change of pace, but I'm still in sleep deficit mode and it showed today during a 40-board set with Jeff.

4th all white

 

AQ852 / 2 / KQ94 / T82

 

Jeff opened 1 Club in 2nd.  Righty bid 1 Heart.  I bid 1 Spade.  Jeff raised.  I bid game.

 

Lefty led the 8 of Hearts.

 

KT97 / KQ76 / 76 / A64

 

AQ852 / 2 / KQ94 / T82

 

On a Club lead I was likely toast.  Obviously I'm gin if trumps are 2-2 (5 Spades, 2 ruffs, and 1 trick in each side suit) but what if they're not?

I covered the Heart lead, pitched a Club on the Heart return (winning the Queen as LHO followed with the 4) and played a Spade to the Ace and a Spade to the King so I'd be on the board to lead Diamonds if trumps were 2-2.

Yeah, that was pretty dumb.  Why cater to a friendly lie of the cards instead of an unfriendly lie on a hand you're always cold on the friendly lie?

T9 / 76 / 76 / A64

Q85 / - / KQ94 / T8

RHO showed out on the 2nd trump and now I'm in deep trouble.  I can't afford to leave the last trump outstanding because the risk of an uppercut is too great.  But I need to lead Diamonds twice from dummy.  Sigh.

I drew the last trump with the Queen and led the 8 of Clubs, covered by LHO.  I ducked in Dummy and prayed for a defensive lapse (specifically, a Diamond switch.)

T / 76 / 76 / A6

85 / - / KQ94 / T

LHO continued with a Club and now I can still recover.

T / 76 / 76 / 6

85 / - / KQ94 / -

I led a Diamond off dummy and after a BIT from RHO I decided my best hope was for RHO to have the JT of Diamonds (with or without the Ace, likely with.)  I stuck in the 9, losing to the Ten, and down I went.

RHO started with Ax of Diamonds, so the winning line at that point was a Diamond to an honor and then a small Diamond.

-50 was a 10 IMP swing away (lose 5.20 instead of win 4.70)

LHO

J63 / 84 / JT832 / K95

RHO

 

4 / AJT953 / A5 / QJ73