Some quick observations:
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1: Despite all the failing finesses, 3NT +1 could not have been stopped by force. John was the only declarer to post 3NT +1; Jim, Connie and Larry played 3NT =, which seemed heroic enough.
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6: West held QJ107 KQ1043 42 J4 opposite (often) a 2H opening bid from East and usually some number of diamonds from South. At the unfavourable vulnerability there are various possible strategies for West. Had South passed West might have tried 2NT in hopes of scaring N-S out of the auction completely. Rich passed 2H-3D, hoping the auction would stay low, though N-S reached 5D = anyway. At other volnerabilities one would be more willing to sacrifice at the five-level. Three pairs did here opposite East's xxxx Axxxxx ---- KQx; it could have cost more than game but N-S never found their spade ruff.
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8: Everyone played 4S N, usually with East having overcalled diamonds on AKQ763 in the suit. South and West held doubletons, allowing the chance of a trump promotion on the suit layout:
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..........AJ1084
Q3......................62
............K975
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Only three declarers (Paul, Hank [B] and Connie) made the possible overtrick, ruffing the third spade with the king and finessing West for the queen. Particularly with a diamond overcall from East, this seems a worthwhile line. Obviously if East had held Q, Qx or Qxx East would want dummy to ruff high. I don't see any sensible case for a double bluff unless we get deep into Mollo territory.
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10: E-W had a possible slam:
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AK10
75
AKQ64
KJ8
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J862
AJ8
J92
A32
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East opened 2NT and eight Wests were content with 3NT. Twice West invited with 4NT, left there both times. Had I been East I likely would have ended in 6D after 2NT-4NT, although the suit turns out to offer no practical advantage. One pair who shall go nameless reached 6NT after West responded with (shudder) Gerber.
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6NT has close to a 40% chance of success after a heart lead and a good deal better against anything else. South held Q7543 43 1075 765. The South on lead against 6NT was good enough not to lead away from an unsupported honour (ruling out the spade lead) and a diamond from 10xx might have helped declarer as well. The club lead did not give declarer anything in the suit that was not coming naturally, but it gave declarer the timing to lose a spade and still make the contract. Paun set 3NT; Don found the heart lead and declarer got confused and ran the club jack with the hearts established.
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11: Two Norths passed in third seat holding Q84 K942 K84 KJ7. Unfortunately they got very unlucky: South held J103 A10753 32 A42 and every other N-S pair went plus.
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12: Would N-S play 3NT N or 4H S?
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542
97
AK853
AQ9
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QJ106
AKQ1054
2
54
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Maybe a little surprisingly the margin was 7-3, with one pair stopping in 3H S. With spades 3-3 all the declarers in 4H took eleven tricks, enough to beat 3NT even if East led a club from the king. Connie took eleven tricks in 3NT for the top board after a club lead when West did not adhere to the principal of saving the entry to the established suit. Down to only one more club in hand, West did not rise with the spade ace on the first round.
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13: N-S had 6-3 spades and 2-6 hearts, playing in hearts only when East came in with 2NT over 1S and N-S were playing four-card majors.?
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AK10986
A6
863
42
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QJ5
K109875
74
AJ
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Gareth, Jim and Connie all played 4S N +2 after East lead the low singleton heart, which set up the ruffing finesse while there were still entries enough to get the benefit (after a club lead West could duck the first heart and even winning low would not let declarer run the suit.
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14: This time it was N-S's turn to have an iffy slam after a 2NT opening bid:
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AJ106
54
A432
Q63
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KQ3
KQ97
K75
AK8
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Again 20 HCP opposite 11, although this time responder has the good shape while opener is flat. With a hand a good deal closer to opening than the responding hand on Board 8, slam was reached five times instead of once, although part of that came from misunderstandings about the auction 2NT-3C; 3H-4NT. Multiple Norths bid an invitational 4NT after Stayman, but the only South to leave it in was playing Puppet and knew it was not a key card ask with hearts as prospective trumps. Slam prospects were poorer than on #8; East would need to hold AJ10 tripleton in hearts or there would have to be some sort of squeeze in the red suits. 6S (which was played once from each side) had slight extra chances (my favourite being that East, holding Axxx in hearts, likely cannot duck twice) but never made.
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17: 4H had a chance of two overtricks if the lead were not one of the two missing aces. Only George produced +480 for the top score.
