Had a frustrating half set against Buddy on BBO tonight.  Even when my decisions worked, my partners managed to underplay the hands and at the end of 12 boards I was almost 32 IMPs in the hole.

First board was a flat 3NT.

2nd board:  All Red 4th

 

JT6 / K9842 / 64 / 642

 

Partner opens 1 Club to you.

 

Lots of players would pass with this hand.  Lots of other players would bid 1 Heart.  I wouldn't fault partner for either.  Since I could stand a 2NT rebid, I chose 1 Heart.  If partner bids game, hopefully it'll be on a hook.

 

Unfortunately, I couldn't really stand a 2 Diamond overcall and a 3NT rebid.  Ugh. 

Pard's hand:

AKQ / Q53 / AJ5 / KT85

After a Spade lead and a Heart to the Ten, King and Ace, pard was home when Hearts were JT doubleton if he could figure out the minor suit situation.  He didn't.  Down 1.

Next hand another difficult decision.  All White 3rd:

AJT87 / 87 / KJT / T86

 

Pard opened 2 Diamonds.  Righty overcalled 2 Hearts.  I was torn between bidding 2 Spades and bumping Diamonds.  I think 2 Spades is right, allowing partner to get excited if we have a 2 suit fit.  A double in tempo on my left was followed by 2 passes.  Do you sit?

 

I never really seriously considered sitting.  Pard isn't going to pull this with any doubleton Spade, is he?  Even with a stiff spade, a random partner might be saying 'you're on your own, pard.' 

 

Of course, sitting was right.

 

932 / 543 / Q87543 / A

Perfect defense beats 2 Spades 2 tricks, but it's much more likely to get out for down 1.  After I ran to 3 Diamonds, the opps drove to 4 Hearts, which is cold with an uptrick.

The next board I failed to visualize partner's 6 card Club suit after he raised my 1 Spade bid to 4 with 4-1-2-6 shape.  I played him for the more typical 5-1-2-5 shape and that cost a little over an IMP.

The next board.  All White 4th

A732 / K5 / AKJ872 / J

I opened 1 Diamond.  Pard bid 1 Heart.  I bid 1 Spade.  Pard bid 2 Clubs.  I bid 3 Diamonds.  Pard bid 5.

Is this worth a 6 Diamond bid?  Was 2 Clubs natural?  If so, did it show extras?  Does pard definitely have Spade shortness?

I didn't bid the slam.  It was laydown.

Pard had enough to open, but a really bad rebid problem, so I'm ok with pass.  But we surely get to slam if he opens 1 Diamond and we probably get there if he opens 1 Club.

- / AJT6 / T954 / KQ954

The next board.  Favorable 3rd.

A6542 / - / AKQ83 / K75

Pard passed.  Righty opened 1 Heart.  I bid Michaels.  Lefty bid 4 Hearts.  Pard bid 4 Spades.  Righty bid 5 Clubs.

What call, if any, do you make over 5 Clubs?

...

5 Hearts and 5 Diamonds are two possibilities.  Which one is best?  I chose 5 Diamonds and now Lefty bid 5 Hearts.  Partner thought for a few seconds and bid 5 Spades.

Have we arrived?  Should I bid 5NT 'pick a slam'?  Should I bid 6 Diamonds?  Or rather than risk a disastrous misunderstanding should I just bid 6 Spades and hope pard has KQxx of Spades or better?

...

I bid 6 Spades.  My Spidey sense had let me down (perhaps in small part due to missing the cold slam on the prevous board.)  Lefty whipped.

A6542 / - / AKQ83 / K75

 

Q87 / A / JT942 / QT82

We had a big fit after all.  Unfortunately, not in Spades.  How do you play 6 Spades doubled on a Heart lead?

I dunno about you, but it looks normal to me to pitch a Club, play a Spade to the Ace and another Spade.

That would have held our loss to -300 and a little over 2 IMPs.

Playing on Diamonds led to a defensive crossruff, -800 and almost 9 IMPs away. 

A new partner arrived and a cold game, partscore and slam were reached by the opponents.  The game and partscore weren't particularly costly, but the slam cost another 12 and change.  I can't believe that NOBODY else got to 6 Diamonds on:

AKQ3 / K6 / KT93 / K74

75 / A8542 / AQJ2 / T8 (Dealer)

I don't know anybody (except for my friend Joanie) who doesn't open the 'Dealer' hand or who wouldn't drive to slam with the companion hand.  Pushy?  Sure.  But awfully normal.

On the penultimate board, I picked this up in 3rd unfavorable:

A84 / KJ74 / AQ852 / 7

I opened 1 Diamond and partner made the dreaded 1 Spade response.

I don't think there's a sensible alternative to 2 Spades here, is there?  I guess if you feel lucky you can try 3 Spades.

Partner bid 3 Spades over 2 Spades.

Over a 2NT or 3 Club bid I'd try 3NT.  Over a 3 Diamond bid I'd bid 3 Hearts.  But I don't think I have much choice but to raise 3 Spades to 4 here.

A84 / KJ74 / AQ852 / 7

QJT9 / 8 / K4 / QT9853

What a nightmare hand.  Buddy found the excellent trump lead and partner ended up down 3 (he played for a miracle in Clubs, he could have gotten out for down 1 double dummy.)

The last board was another cold slam bid by the opps.  Another 2 IMPs away.  Oh well.  Some days you get the Bear and some days ...