[AL78]

Random teams, I was South, opponents playing in 3NT:

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This should go two off.

Partner leads a spade to my ace and I lead one back, which immediately gives declarer another two top tricks. Declarer plays a heart which I duck, then plays (incorrectly) on the clubs, I end up on lead with the ♣9.

This looked like one of those surround plays (although it isn't here), and it was looking like we needed to generate some tricks quickly, so I played my ♦T, thinking if declarer holds ♦Kx, they might misguess and make no tricks, they will make one at most if partner has Axxx or Kxxx. Declarer plays the ♦9, and partner, thinking I have led top of nothing, ducks this to the jack. I can't quite remember all the play but declarer ended up scraping home with nine tricks. If I just play my fourth best diamond, partner plays me for an honor card and isn't getting it wrong.

At the other table, South played in 1NTX, which should go off, but teammates let through an overtrick for -380.

If you and teammates are going to cock it up, make sure you do it on the same board, the cumulative cost is quite a bit lower.

[FelicityR]

AL78, on 2019-November-29, 16:38, said:

If you and teammates are going to cock it up, make sure you do it on the same board, the cumulative cost is quite a bit lower.

Priceless

[Cyberyeti]

AL78, on 2019-November-29, 16:38, said:

If you and teammates are going to cock it up, make sure you do it on the same board, the cumulative cost is quite a bit lower.

This is true, our county matches are teams of 8 with the 4 scores totalled and IMPed, which accentuates this. I remember a board where you have an awkward decision. You have a hand with 2 6 card suits, one of which LHO has opened and partner has doubled. Both our pairs chose to pass, both theirs bid. This meant the scores were something like -380, -380, -1430, -1660 which would have been much more destructive than 23 IMPs at cross IMPs.

That said a board where opps played in 3♣x-3 for -800 twice (the two sides had 4-3 and 6-0 club fits) won me one of the few national trophies I've won by being more than the margin of a 48 board match.