From SweetTooth, by e-mail
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator 3D 4S Dbl Dbl 3H 2N 2N DJ
oirg
SW 3D 4S 3N 2S 2H 2N 3S S10
ST 3D 3N Dbl 2S 2C 3D 3S S10
BTDT 3D P Dbl 2S 2H 3D 2S S10
NN
veni vidi vici
Leading 3D Dbl 2S S10
Leaders on half of them. Only the rest of today and tomorrow left.
A) 3D. Shows extra values as well as real diamonds, so perfect. I acknowledge that we may get 110 instead of 140.
B) Pass. Equal vul looks like the time to go for +500.
C) 3NT. This doesn’t really look like a 17-count, but it’s clearly too strong to pass.
D) Oh, yuck. I’ll double, but I understand both 2H & 2C, and maybe even 2S.
E) 2H. wtp?
F) 3H. Oh wow - three terrible choices. This has the best chance to get to 3NT if pard has a club stopper. Maybe if I think really long before bidding, partner will get the message. (kidding!)
G) 3D. They have this sort of problem regularly, where we have to jump shift into a 3-card suit.
H) S10. Give nothing away at trick 1.
G)
Oops. On B), I thought that was a 3S opener. Since it was 3C, I’m going to cuebid 4C.
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator 3D 4S Dbl Dbl 3H 2N 2N DJ
oirg
SW 3D 4S 3N 2S 2H 2N 3S S10
ST 3D 3N Dbl 2S 2C 3D 3S S10
BTDT 3D P Dbl 2S 2H 3D 2S S10
NN 3D 4C 3N Dbl 2H 3H 3D S10
veni vidi vici
Leading 3D Dbl 2S 2H S10
Let’s hope we get votes from oirg or VVV or both. If I have to make the choice on B, I’m sure 2S can’t be a disaster even if it doesn’t win, Similarly for 3S on G. But F? Since I 2N and 3D are the most reasonable choices which little strong argument between them, I hope neither would be a disaster, but am not confident. Procrastinator’s “kind of want to pass” has my sympathy and might win at the table, but no way would I consider it in the MSC, or at the table.
A. 3D. Too good to pass, but very close between 2N and 3D. That CK is not going to protect itself, but 3D is a better description of the hand.
B 4S Lots of small clubs to ruff in partner’s hand. With Q109x, a 4-3 might be OK. Cue-bidding and then bidding the most expensive suit may sound like extras, so 4S it is.
C Pass. Partner is a passed hand, and RHO may be playing around. My hand suggests that it’s likely no one is making anything at this point.
D 2S. 2C buries the hearts. Double buries the nice clubs.
E 2C. BWS explicitly says this neither shows nor denies support. I’ll raise a spade rebid and bid on over 2H (maybe with 3C). Partner is too likely to pass 2H with six spades and heart shortness and too likely to raise 3H to 4 when we should be in spades.
F 3H. This suit could play in a 4-3 fit. With the same shape and strength, but weaker hearts, and still no stopper, I’d bid 3C.
G 3D. Spade rebids overemphasize the spades. 2NT is a little gross with singleton. This is (barely) worth a game force. Normally I tell the cheaper lie, but here I want to tell the one that won’t be raised…and partner will strain not to raise a minor with jack-high or worse.
H S10. Tough one. If dummy has a spade, I think the S10 is best, as it destroys communication, but does dummy have a spade? because picking off partner’s Kx would be bad. Probably S10 is OK, but could be costly if not. If this were IMPs I’d seriously consider the HQ, which also hurts communications and almost never costs the contract (see “triple squeeze” if partner has no heart honor) but may often cost the overtrick. A diamond is “safe” but puts on no pressure and will surely leave me gasping for discards. If I had 3=4=3=3 with the same high cards, I would just cash the CA to hold in the overtrick, but with surprises in hand I don’t want to give up so fast.
Looks like I only make things more confused on F and G… On F I’m not even sure 3D and 2N make my top three, since 3H is best, 3C is reasonable, and 3S is only a little awful.
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator 3D 4S Dbl Dbl 3H 2N 2N DJ
oirg
SW 3D 4S 3N 2S 2H 2N 3S S10
ST 3D 3N Dbl 2S 2C 3D 3S S10
BTDT 3D P Dbl 2S 2H 3D 2S S10
NN 3D 4C 3N Dbl 2H 3H 3D S10
veni vidi vici 3D 4S P 2S 2C 3H 3D S10
Leading 3D 4S Dbl 2S 2H S10
I won’t mind submitting 3H on F if no one else votes. I’m not convinced it will beat either 3D or 2N, but it’s fairly sure not to be a disaster even if it loses to both of those. 3S could succeed, but also could be disaster-area. 3C is scoring disaster-likely, IMO.
PROBLEM A: 3 Diamonds
PROBLEM B: 4 Spades
PROBLEM C: Double
PROBLEM D: 2 Spades
PROBLEM E: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM F: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM G: 3 Spades
PROBLEM H: Spade 10
I hope you submitted. They weren’t kidding about the deadline this time!
Yes, my previous post was from their confirmation.
ETA: And it’s double confirmed. We are on the honor roll, in a 15-way tie for the last spot at 700. I’ll check scores by question later.
A B C D E F G H Total
procrastinator 3D 100 4S 100 Dbl 100 Dbl 70 3H 20 2N 80 2N 60 DJ 80 610
oirg
SW 3D 100 4S 100 3N 80 2S 80 2H 50 2N 80 3S 100 S10 100 690
ST 3D 100 3N 70 Dbl 100 2S 80 2C 100 3D 50 3S 100 S10 100 700
BTDT 3D 100 P 70 Dbl 100 2S 80 2H 50 3D 50 2H 0 S10 100 550
NN 3D 100 4C 70 3N 80 Dbl 70 2H 50 3H 70 3D 50 S10 100 590
veni vidi vici 3D 100 4S 100 P 50 2S 80 2C 100 3H 70 3D 50 S10 100 650
Leading 3D 100 4S 100 Dbl 100 2S 80 2H 50 3H 70 3S 100 S10 100 700
3D 100 4S 100 Dbl 100 2C 100 2C 100 3C 100 3S 100 S10 100
P 70 3N 80 2S 80 2H 50 2N 80 2N 60 DJ 80
3N 70 P 50 Dbl 70 3H 20 3H 70 3D 50
4C 70 3D 50 2H 0
Sweet Tooth and Consensus have the high scores of 700, which as noted before was the low score to make the honor roll.
I had 680…Pass on C was worth 80, not 50
Nov guesses:
A 3N. Time to show the stopper
B 2N. Only half a stopper but top end of range and this suit will be guaranteed difficult for them to untangle (RHO will not know whether to overtake).
C 3D. Yuck. Pass, 3H, and 3N each have something going for them also. Pass probably my close second choice. Very like October problem C.
D 3S. What else? This 3343 with QJx in their suit is not worth a cue.
E 4S. This is a very good 6 loser hand on this auction. I may well make this. And if they bid on thinking this is an advance sac, I probably get a juicy penalty.
F 2H. What else? 1N with Kx is silly when I have this heart suit, and I’m clearly not good enough to double first.
G 3D. Or I could pass, and that might work out. But it might not.
H D4. Maybe we can get the tap going.
A) 3S. Hoping partner will pass. Since partner could be strong VVV’s 3N may be better.
B) 2N. Good chance we have a stopper (LHO has a stiff honor, or partner has an honor. Second choice pass.
C) 3D. Second choice pass, since no opportunity to hold up in clubs.
D) Pass. Second choice 3S, but we’re not vul, shape awful and hearts may be worthless.
E) 3C. Got to at least invite game, and if partner doesn’t bid game maybe we won’t make one.
F) 2H. Again, with no ability to hold up in spades let’s start with the suit.
G) 2S. too many aceless values in diamonds to start with 3D.
H) Spade 8. At imps VVV’s diamond could be right, but just having a stiff heart is not enough incentive for me to expect a forcing defense to succeed. Maybe a passive one will.
From Sweet Tooth via e-mail
A) 3S
B) 2NT
C) 3NT
D) Pass
E) 3C
F) 2H
G) 2S
H) Spade 8
A) 3S. I like using a 2nd round jump to 3C as showing this hand. Alas, not part of BWS, evidently.
B) 2NT. Maybe diamonds will block. No other bid comes close to showing this hand.
C) 3D. Yuck.
D) 3S. 2NT considered, but too unilateral. Too soft for a 3H cuebid.
E) 3C. Looks invitational to me!
F) 1NT. Double is 2nd choice, 2H third.
G) 2S. Not quite a limit raise, but close
H) H5. I decided years ago that I always lead a trump versus this auction.
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator
oirg
SW 3S 2N 3D P 3C 2H 2S S8
ST 3N 2N 3N 3S 3D Dbl 3D S8
BTDT 3S 2N 3N P 3C 2H 2S S8
NN 3S 2N 3D 3S 3C 1N 2S H5
veni vidi vici 3N 2N 3D 3S 4S 2H 3D D4
Leading 3S 2N 3D 3S 3C 2H 2S S8
We have a current leader on all, and all the choices look OK. Could be changed if we get more votes. The only unanimous pick, also the only with at most one dissenter, is a 2N overcall with no stopper in opener’s suit.