EVENT>Monday Night Bridge      |SESSION>Monday Eve   |SECTION> A N-S
------------------------,------ ------------,-------- --------------------------
DATE>July 31, 2017      |CLUB NO.>185264    | 07/31/2017 22:15
---------------------,-- ------------------- -------------,---------------------
DIR> Mike Lipp       |RATING>Club Masterpoint (100%, 80%, 70% Open)|MOVEMENT>MITCHELL
------------,-------- ,-------------------------,--------- ---------------------
AVE>   84.0 |TOP>   7 |MP LIMITS>None/500/200   |CLUB>Mike's Games At The CBC
------------ --------- ------------------------- -------------------------------
PAIRS IN STRAT A=9/B=6/C=2                       ,---,-------------------------,------,---------,
-------------------------------------------------|   |           Section       |      |Section  |
No Name                   Name                   |Flt|Rnk-A|Rnk-B|Rnk-C| Score | Pct  |Awards   |
------------------------------------------------- --- ----- ----- ----- ------- ------ ---------
 1 Debbie Wiest           Pamela Kennedy           B    .     .     .     79.36  47.24
 2 Donald Pollack         Bernice Pollack          C    .     .     1     71.14  42.35  0.14(C)
 3 Joyce Tedrick          Joy Singerman            B    .     .     .     80.80  48.10
 4 Nalin Mehta            Ila Mehta                B    3     2     .     92.17  54.86  0.45(A)
 5 Liz Lin                Elmer Hubka              A    4     .     .     88.03  52.40  0.32(A)
 6 Judith Lubow           Patrick Lammers          B    2     1     .     92.34  54.96  0.63(A)
 7 Cecilia Kloecker       Kathy Rice               C    .     .     .     68.65  40.86
 8 Doris Kehoe            Lilam Stanley            A    1     .     .     99.51  59.23  0.90(A)


                                          Totals                         672.00


                           **PAIRS**
BOARD     1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9
  /
   1>   1.79        1.79  6.36  4.64  1.79  6.36  1.79
         -50   ----  -50   420   140   -50   420   -50   ----

   2>   2.93        6.36  4.64  0.64  2.93  6.36  0.64
        -100   ----  100    50  -130  -100   100  -130   ----

   3>   1.79        5.79  5.79  1.79    3-  5.79  0.07
       -1370   ---- -620  -620 -1370  -690  -620 -1440   ----

   4>   1.21    3-        2.36  6.36  4.64  0.07  6.36
        -630  -600   ---- -620   100  -140  -650   100   ----

   5>   2.36    3-        0.64  6.93  5.21  0.64  5.21
        -150  -130   ---- -400    50  -110  -400  -110   ----

   6>   0.07  1.79          3-  5.79  6.93  4.64  1.79
        -300  -130   ---- -110   110   140  -100  -130   ----

   7>   5.21  2.93  0.64        5.21  0.64  2.93  6.93
         200   100  -140   ----  200  -140   100   400   ----

   8>   4.64  0.64  4.64        2.36  4.64  0.64  6.93
         980   490   980   ----  940   980   490   990   ----

   9>   5.21  0.64  0.64        5.21  2.36  6.93    3-
         100  -110  -110   ----  100   -90   300   -50   ----

  10>   4.07  1.21  4.07  1.21        5.79  1.21  6.93
        -600  -630  -600  -630   ---- -170  -630   200   ----

  11>   6.93  2.36  4.64  0.64        0.64  4.64  4.64
         450   -50   420  -100   ---- -100   420   420   ----

  12>     3-  1.21  0.07  2.36        5.79  4.64  6.93
         140   110  -100   130   ----  180   150   600   ----

  13>   2.93  2.93  2.93  6.36  2.93        0.07  6.36
         130   130   130   400   130   ----  100   400   ----

  14>   4.64  2.93  0.64  5.79  0.64        2.93  6.93
         150   140   110   170   110   ----  140   200   ----

  15>     3-    3-  6.17    3-  6.17        0.17    1-
         AVE   620   650   620   650   ----  500   600   ----

  16>   5.79  5.79  2.36  2.36  5.79  2.36        0.07
         430   430   400   400   430   400   ----  -50   ----

  17>   4.07  1.79  0.07  5.79  1.79  4.07        6.93
         120    90   -50   170    90   120   ----  400   ----

  18>   5.79  6.93    3-    3-    3-  1.21        0.07
          50   110   -90   -90   -90  -120   ---- -160   ----

  19>   0.07  5.21  5.21  1.79  1.79  5.21  5.21
       -1370  -600  -600  -630  -630  -600  -600   ----  ----

  20>   0.07  5.21  5.21  2.36  5.21  5.21  1.21
        -110   100   100   -80   100   100   -90   ----  ----

  21>   5.79  1.21  6.93  2.36    3-  4.64  0.07
         100  -500   140  -150  -100    50  -800   ----  ----

  22>     4-     -    2     4-    4-    7      -    4-
        -130  -690  -600  -130  -130   100  -690  -130   ----

  23>     0     1-    3     6-    1-    6-    4     5
        -790  -620  -170   100  -620   100  -110  -100   ----

  24>     2-    2-    2-    2-    7     2-    6     2-
        -450  -450  -450  -450  -100  -450  -420  -450   ----

  25>         6.36  4.64  6.36  1.21  1.21  1.21    3-
         ----  400   150   400  -150  -150  -150   -50   ----

  26>         4.64  0.07  5.79  2.36  2.36  2.36  6.93
         ---- -110  -200   100  -170  -170  -170   200   ----

  27>         2.36  6.93  5.21  1.21  5.21  0.07    3-
         ----  170   480   420   140   420  -100   200   ----



EVENT>Monday Night Bridge      |SESSION>Monday Eve   |SECTION> A E-W
------------------------,------ ------------,-------- --------------------------
DATE>July 31, 2017      |CLUB NO.>185264    | 07/31/2017 22:15
---------------------,-- ------------------- -------------,---------------------
DIR> Mike Lipp       |RATING>Club Masterpoint (100%, 80%, 70% Open)|MOVEMENT>MITCHELL
------------,-------- ,-------------------------,--------- ---------------------
AVE>   84.0 |TOP>   7 |MP LIMITS>None/500/200   |CLUB>Mike's Games At The CBC
------------ --------- ------------------------- -------------------------------
PAIRS IN STRAT A=9/B=6/C=4                       ,---,-------------------------,------,---------,
-------------------------------------------------|   |           Section       |      |Section  |
No Name                   Name                   |Flt|Rnk-A|Rnk-B|Rnk-C| Score | Pct  |Awards   |
------------------------------------------------- --- ----- ----- ----- ------- ------ ---------
 1 Joseph Kammer          Gail Zimmer              B    2     1     .    101.91  60.66  0.63(A)
 2 Pete Williams          Matt Williams            C    .     .     2     81.45  48.48  0.20(C)
 3 Lewis Temples          Richard Koch             C    4     2     1     86.06  51.23  0.34(B)
 4 Myrna Waak             Ralph Terbrueggen        B    .     .     .     69.20  41.19
 5 Patrick Hoffman        William Cook             A    .     .     .     81.27  48.38
 6 Pam Campbell           Robert Roark             A    3     .     .     97.74  58.18  0.45(A)
 7 Joan Diers             Evelyn McCarthy          C    .     .     .     69.14  41.15
 8 Amy Connett            Pat Lindeman             C    .     .     .     50.94  30.32
 9 Stephen Felson         Robert Brown             A    1     .     .    115.74  68.89  0.90(A)

                                          Totals                         753.45


                           **PAIRS**
BOARD     1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9
  /
   1>   5.21  5.21        0.64  5.21  5.21  0.64        2.36
          50    50   ---- -420    50    50  -420   ---- -140

   2>   4.07  4.07        0.64  0.64  6.36  2.36        6.36
         100   100   ---- -100  -100   130   -50   ----  130

   3>   5.21    3-        1.21  1.21  6.93  1.21        5.21
        1370   690   ----  620   620  1440   620   ---- 1370

   4>   2.36    3-  6.93        0.64  4.64        0.64  5.79
         140   600   650   ---- -100   620   ---- -100   630

   5>   1.79    3-  6.36        1.79  6.36        0.07  4.64
         110   130   400   ----  110   400   ----  -50   150

   6>   0.07  5.21  2.36        5.21    3-        1.21  6.93
        -140   130   100   ----  130   110   ---- -110   300

   7>   4.07  4.07  6.36  0.07              1.79  1.79  6.36
        -100  -100   140  -400   ----  ---- -200  -200   140

   8>   6.36  6.36  2.36  0.07              4.64  2.36  2.36
        -490  -490  -980  -990   ----  ---- -940  -980  -980

   9>   6.36  0.07  6.36    3-              1.79  1.79  4.64
         110  -300   110    50   ----  ---- -100  -100    90

  10>   5.79  2.93  0.07  5.79              2.93  1.21  5.79
         630   600  -200   630   ----  ----  600   170   630

  11>   2.36  2.36  2.36  6.36              0.07  6.36  4.64
        -420  -420  -420   100   ----  ---- -450   100    50

  12>   2.36  6.93  0.07  4.64                3-  1.21  5.79
        -150   100  -600  -130   ----  ---- -140  -180  -110

  13>   4.07  0.64  0.64        4.07  4.07        4.07  6.93
        -130  -400  -400   ---- -130  -130   ---- -130  -100

  14>   6.36  0.07  1.21        6.36  2.36        4.07  4.07
        -110  -200  -170   ---- -110  -150   ---- -140  -140

  15>   0.83    5-    3-        0.83    3-          3-  6.83
        -650  -600  -620   ---- -650   AVE   ---- -620  -500

  16>   6.93  4.64        1.21  1.21  4.64  1.21        4.64
          50  -400   ---- -430  -430  -400  -430   ---- -400

  17>   0.07  1.21        5.21  2.93  2.93  5.21        6.93
        -400  -170   ----  -90  -120  -120   -90   ----   50

  18>   6.93    3-          3-  1.21  5.79  0.07          3-
         160    90   ----   90   -50   120  -110   ----   90

  19>   5.21        5.21  6.93  1.79  1.79  1.79  1.79
         630   ----  630  1370   600   600   600   600   ----

  20>   4.64        1.79  6.93  1.79  1.79  5.79  1.79
          80   ---- -100   110  -100  -100    90  -100   ----

  21>   4.64          3-  1.21  2.36  5.79  6.93  0.07
         150   ----  100  -100   -50   500   800  -140   ----

  22>           2-    2-    0     6-    6-    5     2-    2-
         ----  130   130  -100   690   690   600   130   130

  23>           5-    7      -    5-    3     4     2      -
         ----  620   790  -100   620   110   170   100  -100

  24>           0     4-    4-    4-    1     4-    4-    4-
         ----  100   450   450   450   420   450   450   450

  25>   5.79        5.79  0.64  5.79  2.36    3-  0.64
         150   ----  150  -400   150  -150    50  -400   ----

  26>   4.64        4.64  2.36  4.64  6.93  0.07  1.21
         170   ----  170   110   170   200  -200  -100   ----

  27>   5.79        1.79  4.64  6.93  0.07    3-  1.79
        -140   ---- -420  -170   100  -480  -200  -420   ----
Monday Night Bridge, Monday Eve, July 31, 2017

N/S lose one Spade trick, one Diamond, and one Club, making four. If West leads a trump (as they should on the auction), many declarers will get the hand wrong. After a trump lead, declarer doesn't have the timing to ruff two Clubs, so they should switch tactics. South should win trick one in their hand and play a small Club towards the ♣T in dummy. West will hop with the ♣ J and play another round of trumps, but declarer is now in control. The ♣ K is covered by the ♣ A and ruffed in dummy. The ♥ A pulls the last trump, and a small Spade is led towards the closed hand. As long as declarer guesses correctly in Spades, the only other loser they'll have is a Diamond, making four. Nicely played!

It's surprising that 2 ♥ by N/S goes down two, but it does. If West can find the pass of East's balancing double, they'll get a top board. As it is....

E/W lose one Club trick and one Spade, making five. North will lead the ♥ K.

East was pretty sure they were going to be in 6 ♦ when they picked up their hand. They were right. E/W lose one Club trick, making six. If North leads anything other than a Club, E/W will make seven when dummy's ♣ 8 goes away on the ♥ Q. It's more likely that North will lead their stiff Spade (or a trump). Both are disastrous.

E/W lose two Diamond tricks and one Diamond ruff, making four. 3 NT would score better, since there are 10 tricks off the top (five Spades, one Heart, and four Clubs), but it's hard to fault E/W for being in Spades. If South leads anything other than a Diamond, E/W will make five.

By the time the bidding reaches West, they're pretty sure the deck has 60 HCP in it. They're positive of that when it gets back to them again, but they bid 3 NT fully expecting to make it.

E/W take three Spade tricks, two Hearts, one Diamond, and four Clubs, making four (N/S get two Diamonds and the ♣ A). North has no good lead, but they'll probably lead a small Diamond. South will win with the ♦ K and return the ♦ J, but declarer will cover with the ♦ Q and the hand is essentially over.

West's 4 ♥ bid, while risky, has a lot going for it. Sometimes trump split 3-3 (36%). Sometimes the defender with the fourth trump will end up ruffing a loser anyway (105%). That last percentage might have been made up.

E/W lose one Spade trick, one Club, and one Diamond, making four. North will lead the ♠ A and continue with a low Spade at trick two, ruffed by declarer with the ♥ 3. If declarer knew that the Club finesse was losing, they wouldn't bother taking it, but they'll probably play a Diamond to the ♦ A and lead the ♣ J losing to North's ♣ K. North will probably continue with ♠ Q, but declarer will ruff with the ♥ 6, cash the ♥ K, and finesse against North's ♥ Q. When that works, declarer will cash out and concede a Diamond at the end.

Why not pull trump before setting up the Clubs. Well, if you like it when the opponents cash a bazillion Spades, then by all means pull trump first. I'm allergic to that.

When you're responder and you make a pseudo 2/1 response after an overcall, you're promising partner that you'll take another bid. That sort of backfires here as E/W get one level too high. Oops.

E/W lose one Spade trick, two Hearts, and two Clubs, down one. South will probably lead the ♦ 2 (small from an honor).

North figures that there are just as many tricks in notrump as there are in Spades, so they bid the notrump slam (i.e., it's matchpoints). N/S take five Spade tricks, two Hearts, one Diamond, and four Clubs, making six. There's no way for N/S to steal 13 tricks without knocking out the ♦ A, so East's choice of leads is irrelevant. The ♠T looks safe.

N/S take two Spade tricks, one Heart, one Club, and three Diamonds, making one. Problem is, N/S aren't declaring. E/W, on the other hand, take one Diamond trick, one Heart, two Spades, and two Clubs, down one. Or E/W will take one Diamond trick, one Heart, one Spade, and three Clubs, down one as well. Sigh.

South may lead the ♦ 4 on the auction, and declarer will likely hold up the ♦ A one round. When in with the ♦ A, declarer has a choice of ways to start getting additional tricks. If they play a Spade, North will hop with the ♠ A and play a Heart. Declarer will win with the ♥ A (if they duck this trick, the Heart suit will remain blocked) and play a second Spade. South will duck once to restrict entries to dummy and declarer will switch their attention to Clubs. Unfortunately, N/S have already established three Diamond tricks, one Heart, two Spades, plus the Club trick they're about to get.

1 NT contracts are often a race to seven tricks. If you're not vulnerable, you don't mind declaring the hand and losing the race, since defeating 1 NT a single trick is worth +50 to the opponents versus the +90 they would have gotten declaring the hand. If you're vulnerable, +100 to the opponents is an unfortunate score.

E/W take four Spade tricks (the ♠T drops doubleton), three Diamonds, one Heart, and two Clubs, making four. South won't enjoy being on lead, but a small Club looks as good as anything.

N/S play a 2 ♦ opening as Flannery showing four Spades, five Hearts, and 11-15 HCP. That's a hand that's traditionally difficult to bid, often resulting in opener being forced to rebid 2 ♣ with a two-card suit after 1 ♥ - 1 NT - ??.

N/S lose two Spade tricks and one Diamond, making four. East may lead their stiff ♥ 4. Suspicious of the lead, declarer may win in hand with the ♥ Q and play the ♠ A and another Spade. If East hops with the ♠ K and plays another Spade, they'll lose one of their trump tricks, but N/S will gain a Club loser when declarer is unable to ruff both of dummy's Clubs.

South is all too happy to accept North's game invitation. N/S take one Spade trick, one Heart, two Diamonds, and five Clubs, making three if they guess the Clubs correctly. That may not happen, since most declarers will play for 2-2 Clubs and go down one. Oh well. West will lead the ♦ J.

North's hand isn't quite worth a jump-shift rebid of 3 ♦, so they'll bid a "heavy" 2 ♦. What does "heavy" mean in this context? A two-level rebid in a new suit by opener shows a hand that ranges from 11 HCP to a really bad 18 HCP. That's a huge range, and responder is wise to try like heck to take another bid. In this case, South is thrilled to be able to pass given that they already stretched a bit to bid once. Also, notice that West, holding 16 HCP, never took a bid. Why was that? Shouldn't they have bid like crazy with a hand that good? They should if they like going down three doubled when partner shows up with nothing. The more points you have in an auction such as this, the fewer points your partner has. Remember that.

N/S lose one Club trick, one Heart, and one Spade, making four. The proper way to play the Diamond suit is small to the ♦ Q and then the ♦ A trying to drop a doubleton ♦ K. East may lead the ♥ 6 (MUD).

South checks to see if North has a five-card Heart suit, but with 4333 shape, they don't want to continue to look for a 4-4 major. If East finds a Club lead or switches to Clubs after grabbing the ♥ A, N/S will take only eight tricks. Anything else will result in N/S making three, since declarer will be able to get to dummy with the ♣ A and cash the long Heart.

N/S lose one Diamond trick and one Club, making five. West may lead the ♥ J.

N/S take four Spade tricks, two Clubs, two Diamonds, and three Hearts, making five. More likely, declarer will finesse into East's stiff ♥ K and end up making four. It's also possible that West will lead a small Heart on the go, and East will win trick one.

N/S take two Spade tricks, three Hearts, one Diamond, and three Clubs, making three. If West leads the ♦ J to East's ♦ A and East returns the ♦ Q, South should duck. When East has no more Diamonds to play, E/W will be limited to the two Diamonds they've already won, the ♠ K, and a Club (declarer can lead a Club from hand and duck it to East's ♣ 9). If South makes the mistake of overtaking the ♦ Q, West will cash three Diamonds when in with the ♠ K. Oops.

If your hand looks like a 1 NT overcall, but you don't have enough points (15-18), it's a pass. That said, you'll sometimes come back in the auction when the opponents try to park in a part score. N/S lose two Spade tricks, two Diamonds, and one Club, making two. West may lead a trump.

West's 3 ♣ raise shows 4+ Clubs. E/W lose to both red Aces, but that's it. South will probably lead a small Spade. Declarer will win with dummy's ♠ A, play a Club to the ♣ A, and lead the ♥T towards their hand. When the ♥ A is favorably placed, they can essentially claim 11 tricks.

West has an easy 1 ♥ response, but after partner reverses into Spades, they become a bit cautious. Luckily they play Lebensohl as a method to slow down the auction. A 2 NT bid at this point requires (most of the time) that partner bid 3 ♣. West's 3 ♠ bid is a suggestion for a final contract, and East, with a minimum reverse, decides to park there.

E/W lose three Spade tricks, one Heart, and one Club, down one. Declarer's best course of action is to avoid playing trumps at all and try and cross-ruff the whole hand. South may lead the ♥T, and declarer will win with the ♥ A and play a second Heart. North will win cheaply and lead their stiff ♦ Q. Declarer will grab the ♦ K, play a Club to the ♣ K, and lead a Diamond towards their hand. North has nothing better to do than ruff and continue with another high Heart. Declarer will ruff high, South will overruff, and lead back the ♠ 9. Declarer will win, cash the ♠ K (getting news of the bad break), and play the ♦ A. North can ruff, but declarer still has the ♣ A and a trump in each hand for eight tricks.

I have sympathy for the N/S pairs who don't play Flannery, since North is going to open 1 ♥ and end up playing there, most likely down three. Playing in 2 ♠ doubled isn't much better, since N/S lose one Spade trick, two Diamonds, one Club, and one Heart.

If West leads anything other than a Heart on opening lead, N/S will make two. If they lead the ♥ 5 (MUD), declarer will win with the ♥ A and pitch a small Diamond from their hand. The ♦T is next, and East will hop with the ♦ K and lead the ♥ K. Declarer will ruff low and lead the ♦ Q to East's ♦ A. East will continue with another Diamond to the ♦ 8, ruffed by West with the ♠ 7, and declarer will overruff with the ♠ K. Another Heart ruff is followed by the ♦ J, ruffed by West with the ♠ Q while declarer pitches the ♣ J. The ♠ 4 is led to East's ♠ A, and East will exit with their last Spade. Declarer can win two more Spade tricks and the ♣ A, but they'll have to play away from the ♥ J8 to East's ♥ QT at trick 12. Nice defense!

If South finds the lead of the ♣ 6, E/W will be down one when North scarfs up the first five tricks. It's much more likely that they'll lead the ♥ 2, and E/W will take 11 tricks. Oops. E/W will take six Diamond tricks, four Spades, and one Heart.

If N/S weren't vulnerable, they'd have a good sacrifice in 5 ♦, down three doubled for –500. That's better than –620 for E/W making 4 ♥.

E/W lose one Heart trick, one Diamond, and one Club. South will probably lead the ♦ A and switch to a Club when North plays the ♦ 2--suit preference for Clubs on the "obvious shift." If South switches to a trump, or leads a trump at trick one, declarer won't be able to ruff their Diamond losers, but they will be able to set up dummy's Spades.

The auction is interesting. North has shown 5-5 in the minors and will show up with one Spade during the play. That leaves them with only two Hearts leaving eight for South. With eight Hearts and two Spades (again, showing up on the play of the hand), South has room for only three minor-suit cards. Watch how that information will be put to good use.

The opening lead will probably be the ♥T. Declarer will play low from dummy, and ruff in the closed hand. The ♦ Q is next, and West should not cover (it only aids with declarer's communication). When the ♦ Q holds, declarer should lead the ♠ 2 to the ♠ A, and play a Spade back to the ♠ K to pull the enemy trump. The ♣ A is cashed (South following), a Diamond to the ♦ J (South following with their last minor-suit card), ♥ K covered by South with the ♥ A and ruffed in the closed hand, and a Diamond to the ♦ A (South pitching a Spade). These are the hands after eight tricks:

North: ♦ K7 ♣ KQ4
Dummy: ♠ 8 ♥ 8 ♣ 963
South: ♥ QJ954
Declarer: ♠ J94 ♣ J5

The ♥ 8 is led from dummy, South will cover, and declarer will pitch a losing Club leaving South on lead. With nothing left but Hearts, South's forced Heart return will allow declarer to ruff in dummy and pitch their last Club, making six. Nicely played!

N/S take two Spade tricks, two Hearts, three Diamonds, and one Club, down one. If East leads anything other than the ♣ 8, declarer will make 9 (or 10) tricks. Even if East does lead the ♣ 8, their partner has to duck at trick one! Declarer will be surprised when their ♣ 9 holds the trick, but they'll continue on their merry way oblivious to the fact that their contract is now doomed. The ♠ K goes to East's ♠ A, and East plays the ♣ 4 to dummy's ♣T and their partner's ♣ Q. It does declarer no good to duck, so they'll win the ♣ A. When West turns up with the ♥ A, they'll be able to cash three good Clubs for the setting tricks. Nice defense!

Note: If East does split their honors on the lead of the ♣ 8, declarer has to duck to guarantee their contract. This is a hand with many ducks (quack).

West's hand isn't quite good enough to invite when their partner shows 12-14 HCP, so they sign off in Spades. E/W lose one Spade trick, two Diamonds, and one Club, making three if North finds a Club lead. On any other lead, E/W will make four. North will lead either the ♦ 8 (MUD) or the ♠ A and a trump. Oops.

For those of you who play XYZ, don't overuse the 2 ♦ rebid to create a game force. If you know where you're going to play the hand, as North does here with a known 8+ card fit, simply bid game at your second turn after a 1 NT response.

N/S lose two Club tricks and one Diamond ruff, making four. Two Club tricks? Yep. East's best lead is a Heart. Declarer will win with the ♥ A and lead the ♦T towards their hand, covered by West, and taken with the ♦ A. The ♣ 2 is next, and East will hop with the ♣ K and play another Heart. Declarer will ruff in hand and lead the ♦ K, ruffed by West with the ♠ 3. West can't lead away from the ♥ K or the ♠ Q, so they'll lead a Club. Rather than ruff, declarer should pitch the ♦ 3! East will win with the ♣ K and exit with a Heart, ruffed with the ♠ 5. A small Diamond is ruffed with dummy's ♠ A (West pitching a Club), and this is the hand position after eight tricks:

Declarer: ♠ KT98 ♦ 7
East: ♥ 9 ♦ Q6 ♣T6
Dummy: ♠ J7 ♥ Q ♣ QJ
West: ♠ Q64 ♥ K ♣ 8

The ♣ Q lets declarer pitch their losing Diamond, and the ♠ J through West's Spade holding ends the drama. Nicely played!

Look for opportunities to sneak in lead-directing bids. There's very little risk bidding 2 ♣ with the West hand when you're not vulnerable--what's the worst that can happen with a suit that meaty?

N/S lose three Club tricks, one Heart, and one Diamond, making two. East will lead the ♣ A on the auction and continue Clubs at trick two. West wins the ♣ J and continues with the ♣ K. Rather than ruffing in dummy, declarer should probably pitch a small Heart. When West continues with the ♣ Q, declarer should ruff with the ♦ A (East pitching a second Spade). ♠ A and ♠ K are next, pitching a small Heart from dummy on the second Spade, and the ♥ 8 is led towards the ♥ K. If East hops with the ♥ A, declarer will play low and eventually conceded a trump trick to West's ♦ J. If East plays low, declarer can win the ♥ K and exit with a small Heart. At this point, E/W can't do anything to get additional tricks, since declarer can cross-ruff Hearts and Spades or pull trump with equal effect.

E/W don't want to be in slam missing two keycards, so stopping in 4 ♠ is quite reasonable. East won't have three Spades on this auction, since they checked twice for a minor-suit fit. If West doesn't want to play in 4 ♠ opposite a doubleton, they're free to correct to 5 ♦.

E/W lose one Heart trick, making six. Dummy has two entries to take the Spade finesse twice. North will lead the ♦ 4.

N/S have a nice auction to reach the slam. N/S take 13 tricks when Spades behave, and the restricted-choice logic in Clubs proves correct (i.e., when an honor falls from one opponent, play their partner for the touching honor). East may make that easier if they lead their stiff ♣ J (thanks East!).

Nice auction! We usually don't like to have two fast losers in a side suit when we ask for keycards, but it's hard to imagine a hand that would have jump shifted into 3 ♣ with ♣ QJT9 of Clubs. That said, if anyone is going to do that, it's your partner (hey, you chose them).

N/S lose no tricks. The correct way to play the Spade suit is to start with the ♠ A. If either opponent has ♠ Jxxx you can still pick up the suit. East will lead a "safe" ♠ 7.

We don't usually bid with a preemptive-type hand when the opponents preempt. We never do if we're in the direct seat (immediately after the preempter). In this case....

N/S are going to collect five Spade tricks, two Hearts, and two Diamonds, making three. If E/W make "attitude leads" against notrump contracts (i.e., leading the smallest card from a suit they like with any length), then the singleton ♣ 6 might very well win trick one. Heh.