new ko today
Take a victory where I can find it — played the semi final again yesterday and lost by less than a hundred. Less than the other day, anyway, when we lost to them by about 100. At this rate we’ll all be very, very old before we gain enough ground to go plus. I’ve been playing poorly for the most part, looking to get all of that out of my system before the KO starts in Nashville.  If it weren’t for the two or three really good (or perhaps just normal) things I’ve done, I’d be feeling pretty discouraged.
Favorite hand of the tournament so far: void / xx / AT9xx / AKxxxx. Partner opens 1H, I bid 2C, she bids 2D. They pass throughout. What’s your call?
July 13th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
What a power house. Grand slam a good possibility and small slam almost for sure. Not sure of your methods. Is 3S a splinter? Is 4S exclusion? 3D is the simple not fancy bid.
If 4S exclusion then if partner bids 5H showing 2 plus the Q, 5S should get you to 7D if partner has K of hearts or if partner has ace of spades knowing you cannot have more than 2 hearts.
So I am basically willing to commit hand to 6D and trying to find best path to a lay down 7 if it is there.
July 13th, 2007 at 9:48 pm
Was 2C game forcing? If so, I bid a simple 3D to set trump and leave lots of room for investigation. If partner has: AKx, QJxxx, Qxxx, x we probably won’t make FIVE diamonds!
As for being discouraged, my dear…. The Long Road is all that matters. I know the feeling; I cannot tell you how many times I told myself that I should give up the game, that I didn’t have a clue, was an idiot, couldn’t concentrate, etc. And that was just last Sunday - oy!
Hang in there. You really have not been playing “seriously” all that long. And even those of us who have been playing three quarters of forever still make bonehead mistakes!
Tell us what happened with “the favorite.”
July 13th, 2007 at 11:29 pm
Is my knowledge that it’s your favorite hand of the tournament authorized information?
If so, I bid 7 Diamonds.
Otherwise I agree with Bob. It’s a great hand for Exclusion. (Didn’t George have some misadventures with Exclusion, though? Maybe you don’t play it.)
July 14th, 2007 at 9:56 am
I chose 3D and Shannon bid 3H. I chose 3 forcing spades and Shannon bid 4D. I might have considered 6C when Shannon didn’t cuebid 4C (shortness), but instead I picked 6D. When she wakes up I’ll tell you her hand.
July 14th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
I know that you were playing 2/1 GF so 3H means either Shannon had huge distributional hand or hand too good to bid 3N over 3D. I think your bid over 4D is a tough one, hard to either show AK of clubs and spade void as well as A10xxx of diamonds. So maybe 4S and then bid 6C next which should be hollering for a grand slam.
July 15th, 2007 at 7:09 pm
Shannon must be in middle of world record sleep.