Finally home

Back to Oulu again. After White House juniors I went to my parents near Helsinki. I was supposed to take a little break from bridge cause I was steaming after week of about 400 deals but I just sort of couldn't and played more bridge and started writing this blog and everything.
Have to say that I really enjoyed playing at White House even though we didn't do too well. It was first time I played a long tournament but I didn't really feel tired at any time. I know that my game turned worse towards end of the week but I had no slightest desire to stop playing.
However after the week and now, I can't really remember any of the deals from there. I mean of course I remember some of them, but looking at the results and hands there are many where I have no idea what happened in bidding or the play. I think this shows how straining it can be.
Here are couple funny incidents I do remember rather well as they had extraneous factor.
First was in our match against Poland. There was little hassle with system cards, as they were missing them. Or actually they had card for different pair but it was pretty close to it. So they just said they are playing Polish Club and so. However my partner was getting our system cards he had lost somewhere and apparently missed this. There were many boards where this didn't matter at all but then there was sequence that went something like this.
(1C*) 1NT* (X) 2D*
(X) 2H (3D) P
(3H) P (3S) P
(4D) P (5D) X AP

Our defence against Polish Club is that 1NT shows long minor or both majors, pre-emptive. Against natural club it is natural 15-18 balanced. So what happens here is that my partner missed the alert on 1C or there were no alert, whatever, so he declared my bid as 15-18NT. Now my partner bids a transfer to hearts which I take showing that he wants to play clubs at least on lvl 3 if I have them but I just bid 2H to show majors.

None/N
                 AQ97
                 J6
                 A32
                 QT43

T2                              K8654
A8732                        KT95
Q65                            9
K92                            876

                 J3
                Q4
                KJT874
                AJ5

Obviously not guessing the diamond queen, we write +500 and get the TD to our table. This is of course the first time we at our side of the screen even realize there is anything wrong. Result was let to stand.

Another funny incident happened against Israel Schools.
I held x Axxxx xx AJxxx all vul. Now I somehow saw my screen mate opening 1S so I bid 2S michaels and alerted it. She looks at me strangely and I start explaining the bid. She points at her bid and I realize it's 2S she opened. Well luckily with screens no harm done. But I though that since I have already told so much about my hand, I won't let it go cheap and bid 3H. Partner had easy time finding 5H over 4S with
xx KQJxx AQx Qxx while he would have had serious problem if I had passed.

I really hope we get an invitation to White House again next year. I liked the city a lot, getting high and I don't just mean the bridge contracts.