The first day of Stage 2 of the Open Butler Pairs Championship. The field of 20 pairs is divided into 2 groups, NS and EW. Each pair plays all of the pairs in the other field in a 12 board match, 5 matches today and 5 matches tomorrow. The top 5 pairs in each direction will then proceed to Stage 3.

Match 1 against Michael Courtney and Chris Depasquale. Michael and Chris are friends and sometime teammates. Talented and very dangerous.

We started with Board 7. Tania opened 5D. Looking at 3 honours in diamonds, a singleton and an ace there was some temptation to raise but I have seen Tania's 5 of a minor openings before so I passed. Chris led the HA and then contemplated the dummy. He switched to the SK which Tania ruffed. Now a heart ruff in the dummy, another spade ruff, a second heart ruff, a club to the K, and the last heart ruffed in the dummy. Tania tried to ruff another spade back to hand but this was over ruffed with the 9. 11 tricks for 11 IMPs.

Board 10 was more action. Michael opened 2S showing spades and a minor. Tania doubled for takeout, Chris bid 3S and I tried 4H. Michael, rarely shy in the bidding, bid 4S before Chris could express an opinion about 4H. I doubled this. Tania could have beaten this 2 tricks by leading the DA but instead sensibly chose a heart. Michael was now able to establish a heart trick but couldn't make more than 9 tricks. +200 was worth 7 IMPs.

Board 11 the bidding was similar. Pass by Tania, 2S by Chris, double by me, 3S by Michael, 4H by Tania, pass, pass, double by Michael. He announced that this was retaliation for us doubling him on the previous hand and that it might well make. Tania could have made an overtrick if she could see their cards but played normally for 10 tricks. +590 was another 4 IMPs.

Board 12. Chris passed as dealer, I opened 1H, Michael tried a slightly unusual 2D, Tania bid 2NT showing a 4 card heart raise, invitational or better. Chris bid 3D which also seemed a little unusual (presumably 3C would have shown some diamond tolerance). I bid 4D showing short diamonds and undeterred Michael bid 5D. Tania knew what to do to this and after A, K and another diamond we took 6 tricks for 800 and another 7 IMPs.

Michael and Chris bid a nice slam on Board 2 to pick up 5 IMPs.

Overall a 17 IMP win for us and a good start to the event against a dangerous pair.

Match 2 made me feel old. Many years ago when I lived in Canberra I played with Ian Robinson. Now we played his son Adam, who I remember as a baby, playing with Jacques Cherbuin.

They were a little conservative on Board 20. Adam opened a club and Jacques bid 1H transfer to spades. Adam bid 1S which apparently showed 3 or 4 spades and 11-17 points. Jacques passed. Tania gave them a lifeline when she balanced with 2H. Adam bid 2S and that was the contract. We play similar methods and after 1C-1H I would have tried 4D splinter on his hand. Then again we go down in game quite often in search of the vulnerable game bonus. The hands fitted like a glove and 11 tricks were easy. 7 IMPs.

Our other major pickup in this match was Board 17. Jacques opened 1H, Tania bid 2H showing 5-5 in spades and a minor, Adam bid 2NT showing 4 card heart support invitational or better. I volunteered 3S and Tania couldn't resist raising to 4 with her 6th spade. Jacques led the SJ and I had no problem wrapping up 10 tricks. Trump leads are often dangerous and should probably only be made with a definite purpose in mind. Notice that I could always make 4S by running the SQ from the dummy but if you look at the scoresheet all 7 other declarers in spades only made 9 tricks. 10 IMPs to us.

Adam and Jacques defended very nicely on Board 13 to beat me in 2H. I misguessed the spades when I played a spade towards the QT. In the endgame Jacques smoothly bared his SK to avoid getting endplayed and I again misguessed the position (compare this with the hand in yesterday's post). 5 IMPs away.

A win by 22 IMPs. These guys are working on their game and improving.

Match 3 was against Phil Markey and David Appleton. An aggressive pair who play an aggressive system with a 9-13 1NT opening and very light overcalls. One of the stronger pairs in the other field.

Board 1 we bid to slam after they had competed to 5D. The lead of the SJ made the play simpler and we scored 980. A 9 IMP pickup when 3 pairs went down in 6 and one went down in 7.

They struck back on Board 10 when they bid 6D. This was cold for 13 tricks. 6S was probably a better contract but only 4 of the 10 EW pairs bid slam (one mysteriously played in 2S!). 9 IMPs away.

Board 6 was another close slam. We stopped in 4S. Half the field bid slam. At our table the east hand had opened 1NT, 9-13. This meant that the spade finesse was likely to lose. At the same time it meant that the heart finesse was probably better than 50%. 6 IMPs to the bad guys.

A loss by 7 IMPs.

Match 4 was against Bill Tutty and Ruitian Lang. A local ACT pair who play Polish Club.

Board 19 was curious. Tania opened 1S, Bill overcalled 2D, I passed, Ruitian bid 2S which apparently was a cue raise. Tania bid 3S and Bill jumped to 5D. Ruitian put down the dummy somewhat sheepishly saying that he didn't really have what he showed. 8 solid clubs and Qx in diamonds. On a heart lead 13 tricks were easy. Slam in either minor was cold but only bid at 3 tables (NS saved in 6SX at one of these tables for -1100). 5 IMPs to us but the only table to play 5D in the 5-2 fit rather than the 8-2 club fit!

Board 15 was also a little strange but this time it was us. Tania passed as dealer. I opened my 3433 11 count 1C, Ruitian made a weak jump overcall of 2D, Tania doubled, Bill redoubled, I bid 2H and Tania raised to 4H! I couldn't imagine what hand she could have that would pass then bid game in this situation. It turned out that she had miscounted her points and thought that she had 10 when she passed. 4H was a catch up bid. 8 IMPs when I picked the club Q. East had turned up with QJ of diamonds and the spade K. Seemed more likely that Bill had the CQ and AK of hearts for his XX. 8 IMPs.

A two IMP win. Felt slightly like a missed opportunity.

Match 5 was the last match of the day against a very experienced pair from Melbourne, Dee Harley and Stephen Weisz. They play Precision. Tania and I have a very active style against strong club openings where we try to make obstructive bids and raises as often as possible. All bids show either the suit above or the other two suits (never the suit bid). NT bids show C & H or D & S. The level we bid at is dictated by the vulnerability and the lengths of suits that we hold. For those that care this is called Suction or Twerb depending on who you talk to.

Board 26 was an example. Dee opened 1C, 16+ any distribution, Tania overcalled 1S showing 5+ clubs or both red suits. Stephen bid 2H natural and game forcing. I bid 3D saying I was prepared to play 3D if Tania had the red suits or 4C+ if she had clubs ('Pass or Correct'). Dee bid 3S natural, Stephen 4H, Dee 4S, Stephen 5C and Dee 6C. The 5-1 club break resulted in 4 down for -400. 13 IMPs.

Board 35 Stephen opened 1C, I overcalled 1H showing 5+ spades or both minors. Dee bid 1S showing 5+ spades game force. Stephen bid 1NT asking for controls, 2NT from Dee showed 6 controls (3 aces or 2 aces and 2 kings i.e. A=2, K=1). Stephen bid 6NT. On a club lead there were only 11 tricks. 6 spades needs spades 3-2. 15 IMPs.

I'm not suggesting that this method had anything to do with these results, however I have had a lot of success (and fun) doing this for many years.

A win by 48 IMPs was a good way to end the day.

At the half-way point in Stage 2 we are running second. Scores here.
5 more matches tomorrow. Time for bed!