Day 3 of the Austin Regional (for me, at least, I took yesterday off.)

Showed up about 20 minutes before game time.  For some reason I felt confident that a solid squad would magically appear around me.  I didn't want to play pairs.  Billy Marshall, who played with Ellen Hessel on our victorious Tuesday-Wednesday squad asked me if I was playing with Buddy again.  I told him that I was alone, just there on spec.

He came back about 5 minutes later and asked if I wanted to play with him.  I told him I didn't want to play pairs but that if a reasonable team could be found that I was game.  He quickly discovered that George Pisk (Austin's masterpoint leader, with 15K+) and Kerr Godfrey (from Houston,) teammates from the team we beat in the final on Wednesday, might be looking and soon we had bought an entry.

About the only rock-crushing team at the tournament is Passell-Bramley and Wold-Morris playing on Hansa Narasimhan's squad.  They weren't in the Tuesday-Wed KO (they won the Mon-Tues KO and Wed-Thurs KO) and would probably make an appearance in this event, but they weren't really on my radar after our favorable draws on Tuesday and Wednesday.

I made a few boards and my RHO showed up at the table.  I glanced up to say hello and it was Bob Hamman! 

Oh ...

He was playing with Petra on a team with Hemant Lall and some guy I've never heard of. 

Our teammates let an unmakeable white 3NT through (we were +120,) but otherwise had a great set and we led at half-time 27-13.

Here's an interesting hand from the 2nd half of the match:

QJxxx / KJxxx / - / xxx

Petra opens 3 Clubs on your left.  Pard doubles.  Bob slams it into 5 Clubs.  You're up.

7 of a major is conceivable but as they say, 6 is enough boys!  Pard might not be void in Clubs.  He might not have the AK of Spades or the A of Hearts, but I think he's a favorite to have enough for slam, especially when you factor in the possibility of a Diamond lead.

I bid 6 Clubs and pard bid 6 Hearts.  Bob whipped confidently.  I prayed he was whipping on Diamond cards and passed.  Now pard bid 6 Spades.  Bob whipped again.  Float.

Bob's double had chased us from a cold 6 Hearts to a beatable 6 Spades.  But he led the wrong Ace (he has both red Aces and can give his pard a Heart ruff) and the slam came home.  +1210

Lose 9

Do tell, did you forget to rewind as well?  They sent it back at the other table (on a slightly different auction.)  -1620

Here's another tough hand:

AQx / - / AKTxxx / JTxx

JT9xxx / KTx / Jx / Kx

You opened the 2nd hand 2 Spades.  Petra bid 4 Hearts on your left.  Pard bid 4 Spades.  Passed around to Petra who commented 'I feel like the whole world is against me', agonized, and bid 5 Hearts.)  Pard bid 5 Spades.  Float.  Ace of Hearts lead.  Plan the play.