| 1st | Hutchesons' Manta Rays |
| 2nd | Hutchesons' Coyotes |
| 3rd | HSOG Beetroots |
| 4th | Aberdeen Plus |
| 5th | HSOG Dragon Fruits |
Report on SBU website here.
This was the most exciting hand
My pupils have between 0.5 and 2.5 years experience, and we've barely got on to slams. So I was delighted to see that my top pair bid 6NT here, and they even got the Spade finesse correct for an overtrick. Some other less experienced declarers played in 3NT and made 11 tricks. It's a good teaching hand, as 12 tricks are guaranteed as long as you do the seemingly obvious thing of tackling Spades before cashing all of your winners.
The Hutchesons' Seniors were more adventurous. The Coyotes bid to 7NT, via keycard asking for Kings and Aces, and the Manta Rays somehow got to 7♠. Both pairs made 13 tricks, and you can't do better than that.
The winning team with coach John Dimambro
The Cauliflowers
I'm pretty sure I'd have gone off in the grand. Cashing all your tricks in the other suits, you find out that East had 5 hearts, 2 diamonds and at least 3 clubs, so either 3-5-2-3 or 2-5-2-4, whereas West is either 4-2-4-3 or 3-2-4-4. Given this, it must be pretty strong odds on to play West for the spade Q.
ReplyDeleteEven in spades, where you can't cash the other suits first, you can pick up Q98x with East, but not with West, so I think I'd still get the trumps wrong.
Well done to both Hutchie declarers for getting it right - I guess you've got to have that table presence.