My subconscious obviously hates me
Today's Bridge: Dang, it was a good day. The opponents started with 3S, and we answered with 3D, after which I picked up S Q-J-9-8-x-x-x H 8 D K-x C x-x-x. A consummate (minimal) 3S opening, and Ken responded 5S, clearly inviting slam. Since I had no extra values and my distribution was already included in the opening bid, I declined, and the lead was a diamond through his S A-10-x-x H A-Q-J-x D Q-10-x C K-x. Respectable, but missing two aces, I'm not sure a slam invite was justified. Give me Q-J of clubs and I'd still open 3S, but I might well accept the invite. In the event, I declined to put in the ten of diamonds, and the ace didn't appear. That was a big boost, since having two diamond tricks still means I need the heart finesse to work so I can sluff two clubs from hand. Getting the king meant I could get rid of one diamond and be okay to lose two clubs, if I picked up the spades. So I took the finesse immediately, won it, and tossed the remaining diamond on the ace. Then I ruffed the little heart with the queen, hoping to drop the king, but it didn't fall. I counted my trumps, saw ten, and took the finesse into the "safe" hand, losing. Brent couldn't lead a club, so he tried a diamond, which I ruffed high. Another round of trump showed me how I'd miscounted, and I had no option left but to lead toward the king of clubs. Fortunately, the ace was onside, but I feel like there was a play for the contract that was better than 50/50. The other particularly interesting hand was Brent's 1NT opener. With S Q-10-x H K-Q-10-8 D K-Q-9-x C 7-5, I had no overcall, so the opening bid was passed out. I started with the king of hearts to Brent's ace, and dummy's S J-x-x H x-x D A-J-8-x C Q-J-x-x wasn't promising. Brent tried a club to the queen and Ken's ace, and Ken led back the seven of hearts to the jack and queen. I had to assume that Brent had the nine, but did he have another? I eventually just cashed the ten, and Ken dropped the nine while Brent played the two. The eight drew Ken's five, so I got no clues about how to continue, but the only exit card I had was the club to Brent's king. He cashed the ace and king of spades before turning to the diamonds (having thrown the low one from dummy on a heart) - I put in the nine, and he took the ace. Then he led another diamond, so I cashed my two, then the queen of spades, and nobody had a fourth diamond to cover mine. I think he had a shot if he'd attacked diamonds while holding the top spades, since I had no good exit cards, and the chances of spades splitting 4-2 with the queen in the short hand are pretty slim.
Today's Work: We're starting to resolve things, but I have an issue to discuss tomorrow morning to determine how we're going to finish what we're doing. I also made it to my morning training on time despite dreaming that I'd missed it, waking up, realizing that I still had a chance, missing it again, and then waking up from THAT dream.
Today's Work: We're starting to resolve things, but I have an issue to discuss tomorrow morning to determine how we're going to finish what we're doing. I also made it to my morning training on time despite dreaming that I'd missed it, waking up, realizing that I still had a chance, missing it again, and then waking up from THAT dream.