A B C D E F G H
procrastinator 2S P 3H 1N 6C 4S 3S S2
oirg P 2S 4H 1N 6C 4S 4H DQ
SW 2S 2S 2S 2N 5C 4S 3H S2
ST P 3D 3H 1N 6C 4S 3S DA
BTDT
NN
veni vidi vici 2S 3D 3H P 5C 4S 3S DQ
Leading 2S 3H 1N 6C 4S 3S
A) Pass. Go for +200
B) Pass. My diamonds make me optimistic, so I’m not a minimum.
C) 3H. I need four hearts to splinter, but I think I have a good hand.
D) 1NT. Surely looks more notrumpy than takeout.
E) 5C. Keep bidding my pattern. 6C is the only other bid I consider.
F) 5C. I want to cuebid. If I start with 5C now, I can cuebid again over partner’s expected 5H.
G) 3C. I don’t know how to investigate slam, but 3C seems like the most natural start.
H) S2. Looking at other’s responses, the DQ looks interesting.
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator 2S P 3H 1N 6C 4S 3S S2
oirg P 2S 4H 1N 6C 4S 4H DQ
SW 2S 2S 2S 2N 5C 4S 3H S2
ST P 3D 3H 1N 6C 4S 3S DA
BTDT
NN P P 3H 1N 5C 5C 3C S2
veni vidi vici 2S 3D 3H P 5C 4S 3S DQ
Leading 3H 1N 4S 3S S2
NN gives us a very narrow leader on one of the previously unresolved ones, but creates ties on two others. On the bright side, if BTDT matches anyone on any of the three open ones, it will create a leader there.
As a practical matter, if he matches anyone on H, H will become clearer. (If he matches the spade 2, that then has 4 votes. If he votes for either diamond A or diamond Q, then “diamond honor” has 4 compared to only 3 for spade 2. 3 for diamond Q + 1 for diamond A would be pretty good evidence for diamond Q. 2 for each, would need more thought.
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator 2S P 3H 1N 6C 4S 3S S2
oirg P 2S 4H 1N 6C 4S 4H DQ
SW 2S 2S 2S 2N 5C 4S 3H S2
ST P 3D 3H 1N 6C 4S 3S DA
BTDT P P 3H 1N 6C 6H 4H S2
NN P P 3H 1N 5C 5C 3C S2
veni vidi vici 2S 3D 3H P 5C 4S 3S DQ
Leading P P 3H 1N 6C 4S 3S S2
I’ll post these some time Monday unless someone makes a good case otherwise.
Yes, that’s correct, I did. Fortunately the consensus is already 1NT, or I would be changing.
I changed my vote on A to Pass–I had underevaluated the hand for defense.
On D I changed my vote to 1N. I’d probably still pass at matchpoints, but partner might have a decent hand with diamonds and no bid, so not keeping the auction open risks missing a red game at IMPs (and reopening with anything other than 1N risks wrong-siding a red game).
A B C D E F G H Total
procrastinator 2S 70 P 80 3H 100 1N 100 6C 100 4S 100 3S 70 S2 60 680
oirg P 100 2S 60 4H 0 1N 100 6C 100 4S 100 4H 60 DQ 90 610
SW 2S 70 2S 60 2S 90 2N 0 5C 70 4S 100 3H 0 S2 60 450
ST P 100 3D 100 3H 100 1N 100 6C 100 4S 100 3S 70 DA 100 770
BTDT P 100 P 80 3H 100 1N 100 6C 100 6H 50 4H 60 S2 60 650
NN P 100 P 80 3H 100 1N 100 5C 70 5C 90 3C 90 S2 60 690
veni vidi vici P 100 3D 100 3H 100 1N 100 5C 70 4S 100 3S 70 DQ 90 730
Submitted P 100 P 80 3H 100 1N 100 6C 100 4S 100 3S 70 S2 60 710
P 100 3D 100 3H 100 1N 100 6C 100 4S 100 2D 100 DA 100
2S 70 P 80 2S 90 2N 0 5C 70 5C 90 3C 90 DQ 90
2S 60 4H 0 6H 50 3S 70 S2 60
4H 60
3H 0
For the second straight year, ST has a very strong March (his March 2022 score, only 740, would have tied for second then). This year he’s up to 770, but it ties for (only) 7-10. With his late corrections, VVV’s 730 would tie for 36-43. Our Submitted’s 710 just missed the 720 cut.
A. 3D - would try 3NT at imps, not watchpoints
B. 3D. A 3C game try is certainly possible
C. 1N
D. 2S. Seems automatic, even though I’m alone so far.
E. 2C
F. 1S
G. 3N. Certainly think 3H would be taken as a doubleton, likely doubleton honor.
H. D4. Certainly not a heart; way too likely declarer has Ax or Kx. I’m avoiding a spade since spades is also more likely than the minors to be a critical suit, and partner may have Jxxx. Now I realize I might be wrong; declarer might think my 10 is from J10. Still I think that the S10 is far more likely to be double dummy wrong than that either minor is double dummy wrong.
A. 3 diamonds. Am tempted by 3NT with the spade queen likely creating a double stopper, but decided to take the plus at matchpoints
B. 5 diamonds. No idea what any bids mean, so will just go agricultural. What I would bid at the table, guessing it won’t score well in MSC.
C. Double.
D. 2 spades. First instinct was double, but partner always lets me down and bids clubs.
E. 3 clubs.
F: 2 clubs. Not afraid of all pass it I open 1S, but how will ever convey this strength?
G (omitted before the edit): 3 spades.
H. Spade ten. Not creative enough to come up with another choice.
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator 3D 5D Dbl 2S 3C 2C 3S S10
oirg 3D 3C 1N 2H 3C 1S 3H S10
SW 3D 3D 1N 2S 2C 1S 3N D4
Klaymen 3D 5D 1S 2S 3C 2C 3H S10
ST 3N 3C 1N Dbl 2C 1C 3H S10
BTDT
NN 3D 3C 1N P 2C 1S 3H D4
veni vidi vici
Leading 3D 3C 1N 2S 1S 3H S10
We have a tentative leader on 7 of 8, with just under 48 hours to go. I hope not to wait until the very last minute.
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator 3D 5D Dbl 2S 3C 2C 3S S10
oirg 3D 3C 1N 2H 3C 1S 3H S10
SW 3D 3D 1N 2S 2C 1S 3N D4
Klaymen 3D 5D Dbl 2S 3C 2C 3H S10
ST 3N 3C 1N Dbl 2C 1C 3H S10
BTDT 3D P Dbl 2S 2C 1S 3H D8
NN 3D 3C 1N P 2C 1S 3H D4
veni vidi vici
Leading 3D 3C 1N 2S 2C 1S 3H S10
With VVV the only regular who hasn’t voted, we have a leader on everything. I won’t vote until some time tomorrow, but may not wait beyond noon.
VVV could create ties on several, including IMO on H, where if he leads any diamond spot I would consider it tied 4-4. Since the spade 10 (from declarer’s viewpoint) could potentially be a false card, I would break that tie with for the spade 10, but if the doubleton spade were 9x and there were a tie, I would break it in favor of the diamond.
Other potential ties? Who knows, but I would decide which way I was leaning and give people until 8PM eastern time tomorrow to talk me out of it.
