IMP Best hand south, GIB 32 robodupe
6 pairs bid and made 5D.
Most achieved this via a similar auction except that they bid 4D over 3S, raised to 5.
This elicited a Diamond lead taken by the Ace. A Club is pitched on Heart Ace, then Spade up, some playing J, some Q but it did not matter: West won the Ace and continued Spades. No Spade ruff required.
One other player duplicated my auction, and of course both received the Club lead. But where I (apparently carelessly) lead a low Diamond to the Ace, my counterpart astutely overtook the Diamond King with the Ace. At this point play proceeded along the same lines: Heart Ace pitching a Club, then Spade up. West at this point somehow read some significance into my counterpart's Diamond King to Ace and, on winning the Spade Ace, continued Spades.
I, however, suffered the ignominy of a safe Club exit by West and no way to recover.
This sort of thing is bound to happen from time to time, although on this hand I cannot see that there can ever be a profit in West continuing Spades when in with the Ace, whatever the preceding auction or play.
Well, never mind that, the bidding I guess is the thing.
I was desperate to find a route to 3NT that partner would respect and leave me there (no-one else was successful in this). Any number of NT bids too early would describe more points than there were in the pack, so I had to walk the dog with a cheap Diamond bid and hope that it didn't die during the walkies.
Imagine my delight when partner bid 3S. Hoo bloody ray. Partner is trying to get me into 3N, or so I thought. But it was not to be.
Why not just bid 3H over 3D???? Then when I bid 3N he has no reason to pull it.