Yesterday we had 2 really interesting big hands… I played one terribly, and the other beautifully, if perhaps with more risk than maybe I should. 

The first hand I ended up as N in a pretty secure 6H, a spade was led from E and dummy came down. Counted the tricks and thought “I can make 7 here if I can win that KD”, so I played low to the K, which promptly lost to the A in W. Half way round that trick I realised the dumbness of my thinking… all those winners in dummy: I could throw my losing D in hand on them…. I don’t need that finesse at all. Duh! Making 6H is usually very satisfying, but in this case I knew that the majority of the room was going to make 7 cos they are not as dumb as me. 

The lesson I learnt was that I play as declarer too fast. I need to slow down, not get too excited, count to 10, and look at potential Plan Bs, Cs and Ds. Then I will see the flaw in my Plan A. 

But my frustration turned to delight on a subsequent hand… I picked up 17HCP, and partner opened 1NT…. gulp! Deep breaths… slowly now. Where might this go? We proceeded slowly (as one should with big hands). I was concerned that partner might drop me before game, but I engineered some forcing bids just to see what she might have. All seemed worth a punt… we had minimum 32HCP, plus I had some decent shape (5431). 4NT… partner bids 5S: but I was staring at the Q of the last bid suit… aha, don’t forget that partner does standard Blackwood… how many aces? 3: I had the other and 2 kings. To get to her 15HCP minimum we were perhaps missing a K. 

On sober reflection, I should have checked Ks with partner, but with all the As and decent shape I decided it was worth the risk… life in hands… 7NT. I have never bid that before, but there’s a first time for everything. 

I thought I was playing the hand so my heart rate was high. But no… partner opened 1NT, partner is playing… oh blimey, I hope I haven’t stuffed this up and landed partner in it! But partner played beautifully, and made the 7 quite easily. Phew!

I realised later that if partner had had the KH rather than the KD, we may have not been able to run the Ds without a finesse and it may not have made. But it was a pretty satisfying moment to bid and make 7NT.

Dumb to inspired in one afternoon. 
Alec McQueen

Yesterday we had 2 really interesting big hands… I played one terribly, and the other beautifully, if perhaps with more risk than maybe I should. ..........