A) 4S. Partner never has the perfect hand.
B) 1NT. Show hand type. RHO didn’t raise, so maybe partner has a stop.
C) Double. I have a hand that oozes defense. I’d accept a pass.
D) 4H. I don’t mind a Moyse since I’ll be ruffing in the short hand
E) pass. Very tough, but maybe we can get 100 a trick.
F) 3NT. What heart suit?
G) 4S. Splinter.
H) S3. Can’t get aggressive when partner may be broke
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator 4C 1N P 4D Dbl 5D 4C S3
oirg 4C 2C Dbl P Dbl 3N 3N H2
SW 2H 1N P 4D 2N 3N 4C S3
ST
BTDT
NN 4S 1N Dbl 4H P 3N 4S S3
veni vidi vici 2H 2C Dbl P Dbl 1D 5C CK
Abstract Actuary
Leading 1N Dbl Dbl 3N S3
5 voters so far, with something leading on 3 problems (including something “seriously demented” leading on B 
. Only 3 days left, including today.
From ST by e-mail
A) 4S
B) 2S
C) 2D
D) 3H
E) 3S
F) 5D
G) 3N
H) D King
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator 4C 1N P 4D Dbl 5D 4C S3
oirg 4C 2C Dbl P Dbl 3N 3N H2
SW 2H 1N P 4D 2N 3N 4C S3
ST 4S 1N Dbl 3N 2N* 1D 4H S3
BTDT 4S 2S 2D 3H 3S 5D 3N DK
NN 4S 1N Dbl 4H P 3N 4S S3
veni vidi vici 2H 2C Dbl P Dbl 1D 5C CK
Abstract Actuary
Leading 4S 1N Dbl Dbl 3N S3
2N* he submitted Dbl to the magazine as his official pick, now thinks 2N is betterStill 2 problems where nothing has 3 votes. Unlikely anyone except AA will still vote.
Oops! D) Should be 4D. (3H is insufficient.)
Submitted 4S 1N Dbl 3N Dbl 3N 4C S3
At least we won’t miss a vul game on D, and partner can’t expect much more if we passed 3S. On G, the splinter is tempting, but are we sure it’s a splinter? And for that matter are we sure what 4H is? Feel free to opine on those, but today is the last day so I’m submitting now.
ETA: I saw BTDT’s response before submitting, and that gives 3 votes for 4D on D, so maybe we will miss a vul game.
Submitted 4S 1N Dbl 4D Dbl 3N 4C S3
I ended up changing my vote on a number of these. (Toughest set I can remember.)
A 4S. I want to do something else, but it’s not 100% clear partner will field 2H, and I don’t like splintering with a singleton A. Again, if it were clear 3S were forcing, I’d bid that, but this hand is borderline for slam in the best case, so why risk a disastrous misunderstanding?
B 2C. Unchanged. I still think 1N with xx in their suit is demented. It’s not as though 2C promises a six-bagger.
C Dbl. Unchanged.
D 4D. It’s a wimpy hand, so I’ll make the wimpy bid. Besides I should support partner’s suit at some point.
E 2N. While I won’t call xx a stopper, J9x is at least close. And doubling at this level without four hearts is seriously asking to play in a 3-3 fit.
F 1D. Still. “What do you call an eight-card suit?” “Trump”
G 4D. I developed optimism about this hand. Partner’s 3H bid is encouraging. Now I think we may belong in 6C if partner has the right stuff, so I’ll bid my D values. Partner will infer heart values I hope since I am obviously looking for slam. Hopefully he can infer that lack of face cards in spades will be a good thing.
H S3. I admit to having been demented to really consider anything else.
| [code] | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | |||||||||
| procrastinator | 4C | 80 | 1N | 100 | P | 70 | 4D | 100 | Dbl | 100 | 5D | 30 | 4C | 70 | S3 | 100 |
| oirg | 4C | 80 | 2C | 40 | Dbl | 100 | P | 40 | Dbl | 100 | 3N | 70 | 3N | 90 | H2 | 20 |
| SW | 2H | 80 | 1N | 100 | P | 70 | 4D | 100 | 2N | 20 | 3N | 70 | 4C | 70 | S3 | 100 |
| Klaymen | ||||||||||||||||
| ST | 4S | 80 | 1N | 100 | Dbl | 100 | 3N | 40 | 2N* | 20 | 1D | 100 | 4H | 100 | S3 | 100 |
| BTDT | 4S | 80 | 2S | 30 | 2D | 0 | 4D | 100 | 3S | 10 | 5D | 30 | 3N | 90 | DK | 0 |
| NN | 4S | 80 | 1N | 100 | Dbl | 100 | 4H | 80 | P | 100 | 3N | 70 | 4S | 70 | S3 | 100 |
| jeremiahsjohnson | ||||||||||||||||
| veni vidi vici | 2H | 80 | 2C | 40 | Dbl | 100 | P | 40 | Dbl | 100 | 1D | 100 | 5C | 0 | CK | 50 |
| Phileas Fogg | ||||||||||||||||
| Abstract Actuary | ||||||||||||||||
| bill18 | ||||||||||||||||
| Submitted | 4S | 80 | 1N | 100 | Dbl | 100 | 4D | 100 | Dbl | 100 | 3N | 70 | 4C | 70 | S3 | 100 |
| 640 | 610 | 640 | 600 | 550 | 540 | 560 | 570 | |||||||||
| 2D | 100 | 1N | 100 | Dbl | 100 | 4D | 100 | Dbl | 100 | 1D | 100 | 4H | 100 | S3 | 100 | |
| 2N | 90 | 2C | 40 | P | 70 | 4H | 80 | P | 100 | 3N | 70 | 3N | 90 | CK | 50 | |
| 4S | 80 | 2S | 30 | 2D | 0 | 3N | 40 | 2N | 20 | 5D | 30 | 4C | 70 | H2 | 20 | |
| 2H | 80 | P | 40 | 3S | 10 | 4S | 70 | DK | 0 | |||||||
| 4C | 80 | 5C | 0 | |||||||||||||
| [/code] |
In a relatively low-scoring month, our Submitted picks were worth 720, good for 8-11 on the monthly honor roll. NN’s 700 would be good for 17-24. As noted, the table has 640 for ST, based on scoring him for 2N on E based on “e) hate doubling with only 3H, perhaps a nf 2NT is better, yes that’s best, but I’ve submitted already.” If I didn’t allow that change on E, ST would also have 720. I didn’t update my spreadsheet for VVV’s changes after I submitted, but those would have given him 590 instead of 510, I believe.
:swear: at the scoring for A. 4S was the plurality, but not a majority, so director used his power to give it only 80, with 100 to 2D. 4S had 6 (or 24, so FAR from majority support) but it had 49% of the solvers (our group). The top scoring 2D had 6 panelists (second high) but only 8% of solvers. Somehow 2N, with 4 panelists (3rd high) and only 2% of solvers, got 90. When I get the issue I’ll find out WTF 2N is supposed to mean.
March guesses:
A. 4C
B. 3N
C. 4H
D. 3C
E. 3N
F. double
G. 4H
H. diamond 10
With the issue, it’s still completely unclear to me what 2NT is supposed to mean. Apparently just waiting, hoping to get useful info from partner, such as a good diamond suit (if partner bids 3D) or diamond shortness (if partner bids 4D). Not at all clear that 2N is asking partner to splinter, but it is clearly forcing, and partner might choose to splinter or bid a good suit in response. Plus it has the advantage of not suggesting to partner that we have any particular side values. The moderator (Jeff Rubens) did comment on the scoring of A. Basically everything except 2S (chosen by 0 panelists and less than 0.5% of solvers, if any solvers) and 4S would forcing, motivated by hoping to get more info from partner to consider slam, and a majority of panelists (16/24) chose to at least keep slam in the hunt.
What a rough set! My guesses.
A. 4D. Was going to say 4C, but that’s too wimpy. I’ll try 4D, hoping he has a 5-card major, but even if only a 4 carder I’ve got a doubleton diamond.
B. 3N. Can’t see 4H over a balancing double, and it’s awfully good for only 3H.
C. 4H. Finally at least one I’m not choosing a worst of evils, though 3H might be enough
D. 3C. Another worst of evils. I almost passed, which I think would be unanimous at imps.
E. 3N. Don’t like it, but the club queen is too valuable to card to pass when holding an ace as well.
F. 3C. Automatic (even though, when I started typing my choices, I was planning to bid 4C on A and pass on D,E and F. So at this point I’ve changed more than half. Sticking with my first choice on G and H anyway).
G. 4H. Another one that seems very clear, with some chance that 4D will get the panel’s vote.
H. Diamond 10. Because (unwisely?) I looked at my hand. Auction almost demands a trump lead, but someone (Edgar Kaplan?) said “there’s a special place in hell for partners who lead a singleton trump”. When I have no spade winners, and a stiff trump, and promising clubs, I’ll go passive.
From Sweet Tooth, by e-mail
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator
oirg 4C 3N 4H 3C 3N Dbl 4H D10
SW 4D 3N 4H 3C 3N 3C 4H D10
ST 4C 3N 4D 3C 3N 3C 4H CA
Leading 3N 3C 3N 4H
Only 3 voters so far, but agreement on 4. The others have agreement by 2 of 3.
A) 4C
B) 3H
C) 2D
D) Pass
E) Pass
F) 3C
G) 4H
H) Heart 2
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator
oirg 4C 3N 4H 3C 3N Dbl 4H D10
SW 4D 3N 4H 3C 3N 3C 4H D10
ST 4C 3N 4D 3C 3N 3C 4H CA
BTDT 4C 3H 2D P P 3C 4H H2
NN
veni vidi vici
Abstract Actuary
Leading 4C 3N 3C 3N 3C 4H We now have something leading on 6 of 8. If we get only one additional voter, he couldn’t reverse any of the leaders.
The current leading choice matches Sweet Tooth on all 6, usually a good sign. But if that’s a good sign, we should be worried that no one matches Sweet Tooth on the other two.
A 4D. We need to be at the 4-level anyway, and majors score better, and partner may well have a 5-bagger or a strong 4-bagger. Ironically the bid I really don’t want to hear from partner is 5C, because it will mean the hands are mirrored, but maybe he will have the extras to make up for it. After all, it doesn’t take much extras when I am looking at 2-1/2 honor tricks.
B Pass. I’d bid 3N if it were down 1 when it fails, but it’s often down 4 when it fails. +100 vs -400 is win 11. +300 vs -600 is only lose 7.
C 4H. Splinter in one of their suits tells a lie about the other. 4C doesn’t mean what we want it to mean and is too revealing in an auction like this. I’d rather let the opponents worry that I have 18-19 balanced and they are just bidding on shape.
D 3C. Interesting footnote. Yes, a double by me would be penalty, but (unfootnoted but in the BWS2017 notes), partner’s double was also penalty. Opener’s likely shapes are 4=5=2=2, 3=5=2=3, or 3=5=3=2, though 4=5=3=1 and 4=5=1=3 are possible. I am discounting 4 card heart suits with opener since partner and opener can’t both have strong heart suits. Responder’s redouble should be rescue, so there’s a good chance he has 6 diamonds, so 3=1=5=4 is possible but 3=1=6=3 is more likely, and he might have 7 diamonds. At other colors I might double, but at neither at matchpoints +110 beats +100 and -50 beats -90 (not to mention -180), so I reluctantly bid 3C. Hoping for 4=4=2=3 in dummy, but I’ll settle for 3=4=3=3. I’ll double 3D if opener (not responder) bids it, but I very much doubt that will happen.
E Pass. Call me a wimp, but partner didn’t rebid 2N (which I think would have been the panel choice with a hand like xx Ax Axx AKJxxx), so there’s a good chance a suit is wide open, or that we have only eight fast tricks after they knock out a stopper. This is an example of why I prefer Kaplan-Sheinwold, where opener rebids 2H with a hand like QJx KQx x AKJxxx. But in standard you need GF values to make a fake reverse like that. Also, note that 3N would play much better from partner’s side, but we can’t get there. And it’s not only because this hand has no lead value, but also because by LHO isn’t the one who couldn’t act over 1C, so he’s presumably the opponent most likely to know the correct suit to lead.
F 3C. It’s close. Since 2N is natural here in BWS2017, there’s a strong case for that as well. However, with a heart void, bidding NT so soon is unappealing. And while there is no bad 2N available, I could always have passed, so I am not ridiculous heavy for 3C, especially as the SQ may not be pulling any weight on offense, and same goes for partner’s heart values.
G 4H. But I don’t feel great about it. Only because it’s vul at IMPs at all those honor tricks means I may have time to set up a long spade. Obviously 4H is a favorite, but the question is its chances on hands where partner would be passing 3H. It’s not a favorite then, but I’ll give it at least 35% or so considering there’s a good chance of a helpful lead.
H D10. I’d go with ST’s CA if this were matchpoints. But at matchpoints we aren’t trying to set the contract, just make sure they don’t make oodles of overtricks, since they sniffed at slam. But here we are actually trying to take four tricks, assuming things lie badly for them, and it feels likely we need to set up a diamond trick to do that, and we might need to not set up RHO’s CK. (It must be hard to construct hands where we set this but RHO doesn’t have a wasted card like the CK.) A trump lead may gain if partner’s trumps are all small. But do we think that ever sets the contract, as opposed to compressing 11 tricks to 10? This auction, and our very unfortunate spade holding, call for a more active lead.
Looking at the vote totals, it looks like you will have leaders on everything now.
I was confused by the problem for a different reason. The only reasonable choices seem to be 3H and 4H. In particular I can’t imagine 4D, wrong-siding the contract 90% of the time when the strong hand is overflowing with lead value. I suppose 3S could be a choice if you are trying to keep slam in the conversation. Or 4C if you somehow have the (ridiculous IMO, and surely not BWS) agreement that this shows a doubleton. Anyway, since I think this hand is only worth 4H because they might misjudge the lead, I am surely not going to make a revealing bid that will help them with that task.
A: 4 diamonds. Really tough problem, I considered pass, 4C, 5C, as well. Briefly also thought of 3H and 3NT before deciding they were too far out there.
B: 3 hearts. A was so hard, and this one seems so clear to me.
C: 4 hearts.
D: 2 hearts. Hope this shows hearts and some values.
E: 3 diamonds. Another tough one. Can’t explain why I am bidding my weaker red suit, but feels right. Also considered pass, 3H, 3NT, 4C.
F: 3 clubs. I never get into too much trouble bidding my suits.
G: 3 hearts. Seems super obvious. Am I supposed to consider super accepting?
H: Ace of clubs. It is IMPs and they made a slam try and stopped in game, and it seems all the side suits are sitting well for them. Hoping to attack their trump suit and that partner has good hearts spots. Not holding out too much hope.