75.7% Game, Part 2

Continuing with the boards from the 75% game...

At Matchpoints you are rewarded for plus scores and generally punished for minus scores.  Boards 3 and 4 were the only two minus scores in the game.

On Bd. 3 I made the wrong bid:

5D was a bad bid at matchpoints (perhaps not so bad at IMPs where the rewards of bidding game are so high).  I fell in love with my 18-count and couldn't bring myself to pass partner's preemptive 3D bid.  In retrospect, 3NT was the winning call.  Even pass would have netted a good score.

Bd. 4 was a flat 50% board as all E-W pairs bid and made 4S.

Next come 4 boards in a row, all with the unimpressive score of plus 110, but all resulting in huge percentage scores.(!)

Bd. 5

I won the spade lead in my hand and led a diamond which West won with the Ace.  West continued spades.  East won the ace and shifted to a club which I ducked to the CQ.  West continued with a club to my jack. Now it was an easy matter to draw the last trump, ruffing my last diamond and losing two hearts.   Plus 110 scored an amazing 87.5%.

Two other pairs were in 2S and went down; other pairs were in 1NT, 1H, 3S or passed out.

Bd. 6 

East led the D10 which I ducked to West's King.  West followed with the A,K Q of spades and shifted to a club with East winning the ace.  I had all the rest of the tricks.

Plus 110 was worth 79.5% of the matchpoints.  It appears that at other tables E-W competed to 3C and either played there or forced N-S higher for minus scores.

Bd. 7

When my 1D opener was passed I was a little sorry that I hadn't opened 2NT. West led a club won by East who shifted to the 8 of spades. West won the queen and shifted to a heart which I won on the board.  I next ran the D9 and West won and shifted to a club, 10, Q and K.  I am starting to get some tricks going. The defense is friendly.

I cashed the A,Q of diamonds which revealed the 4-2 trump break and started on hearts.  West ruffed the third heart and I overruffed.  I then led the S10 from the board and it went J, K and A.  Now the dummy is good.

Plus 110, making 3, was worth an amazing score of 96.8%! One pair scored 120, a few were plus 90 in diamonds, and others got too high.

Bd. 8:  The last in the string of high-scoring plus 110 scores.

After a routine 1D, P, 1S, P, 1NT, East balanced with 2C.  Unwilling to risk letting 2C be the final contract, I bid 2S which was the final contract. Partner North only had 4 spades, but had 10 points.

East led the singleton HA and shifted to a club. I won the CA and played another club which West won. West cashed the DA and then gave East a heart ruff.  East returned a diamond to my king and I led a spade to the queen and cashed the ace.  When the smoke cleared I had 8 tricks.

Plus 110 was worth another 87.5% board.  Several pairs played spade contracts at the 1, 2 and 3 level--half making and half going down.  There were a couple of club partscores.

I have to admit that I'll give the humble score of 110 more respect in the future!
Stay tuned for part 3. The last 4 boards are more interesting as they involve 3 out of 4 game bids.

See you at the virtual tables!