A 3N. Seems like the likeliest game. I think I am too strong to pass.
B 2D. Looks like a rare case for exclusion, but 4S right now would be a natural preempt. So I hope for a 2H rebid, especially since this is the “default” rebid in BWS, over which I can bid 4S, exclusion.
C 3C. If partner passes, we probably don’t have a game.
D. Dbl. Takeout. Planning to correct diamonds to hearts. This is a minimum. Any less and I would pass.
E 3C. For the lead.
F 3D. 3S is tempting, but I worry about ending up in clubs at too high a level, especially when diamonds are better.
G 5D. Some days we make it. Some days we make them guess. If I am +400 instead of +420, I don’t care at IMPs.
H S4. H3 looks normal, but it’s much harder for declarer to hold up in spades, where he is missing the ace, and partner doesn’t have a side entry. I think it’s close.
A. 4D, realizing that 3N or 4H might be better. As might P, but too good for that
B. 4H
C. 3C. Too good to pass
D. 3H. Would double if sure it was takeout
E. 3C for the lead
F. P
G. Double
H. S4
A) 3NT
B) 3S splinter
C) 4C
D) X
E) 3C agreed, for the lead, 3S later.
F) 3D
G) 3S splinter again
H) c2
You should be sure:
(I) I play fewer takeout doubles than most people, and doubling a preempt doesn’t strike me as anything but takeout
(II) (b) and unlimited applies in the below.
‘Doubles subject to no explicit agreement:
(a) when a pass would be forcing, a double discourages further offensive bidding;
(b) when a pass would be nonforcing, a double is penalty if the doubler is limited, cooperative-takeout if the doubler is unlimited.’
Just to be sure you understand, responder’s bid was a natural invitation. Dummy has long clubs.
Leading a club surrenders a tempo and likely compresses two stoppers to one. (So it probably surrenders two tempi and one trick.) I’m not sure I see an upside.
A. 5 diamonds. I think pd is 0544, possibly 0535. We might have slam, but don’t think 4 diamonds is forcing, so will just guess the contract.
B. 2 diamonds. I expect to be bidding 5 hearts over opponents 4 spades next.
C. 3 clubs. Guessing partner is balanced given our club length. If a minimum, 5 clubs seems like a stretch.
D. Double. Don’t know what partner’s double would have meant, nor what ours does, so could be convinced it is a bad idea…
E. 3 clubs. A bit scary, but seems unlikely they will let us play it here, and really would like a club lead.
F. 4 diamonds. Guessing partner is at least partially fitted. xx in spades is bad, but Qx AQxxx in the minors is enough for game
G. 3 diamonds.
H. Heart 3. Axx really feels bad to lead from. Diamond was close second.
A. 3N
B. 3S
C. 5C
D. 3H
E. 3S
F. 4D
G. 2S
H. spade 4
Oh right, put me down for s4. I did think 3C was a weird bid but it didn’t say invitational with long clubs and some people play puppet stayman so I thought maybe something else mysterious had been invented.
The footnotes csn be cryptic, but since a 3m response to 1N as a natural invitation is reasonably common, i feel certain the footnote would have said more if it was not a natural call.
A) 3N
B) 4H (at the table I might bid 6)
C) 4C
D) Dbl
E) 3C
F) 3D
G) 5D
H) Spade 4
A) 3NT. Partner should be 1=5=4=3. 3NT probably has play, while 5D isn’t as good given my soft values.
B) 2D. I must force to game with strong support, etc. 4H is slightly appealing, but I want to show diamonds on my way to 5H.
C) 4C. I know partner could have only three clubs, but this is a real player.
D) 3H. competitive.
E) 3C. Get my lead director in.
F) 3S. Asks stopper. Too good to pass at IMPS.
G) Dbl. I would not object to 2D or 4D.
H) H3. Total guess.
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator 5D 2D 3C Dbl 3C 4D 3D H3
oirg 3N 3S 5C 3H 3S 4D 2S S4
SW 4D 4H 3C 3H 3C P Dbl S4
Klaymen 3N 3S 4C X 3C 3D 3S S4
ST
BTDT 3N 4H 4C Dbl 3C 3D 5D S4
NN 3N 2D 4C 3H 3C 3S Dbl H3
veni vidi vici 3N 2D 3C Dbl 3C 3D 5D S4
Leading 3N 2D Dbl 3C 3D S4
I’ve changed D to double since VVV confirmed it’s takeout
From SweetTooth via e-mail
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator 5D 2D 3C Dbl 3C 4D 3D H3
oirg 3N 3S 5C 3H 3S 4D 2S S4
SW 4D 4H 3C Dbl 3C P Dbl S4
Klaymen 3N 3S 4C Dbl 3C 3D 3S S4
ST 3N 2D 4C 3H 3S 4D Dbl H3
BTDT 3N 4H 4C Dbl 3C 3D 5D S4
NN 3N 2D 4C 3H 3C 3S Dbl H3
veni vidi vici 3N 2D 3C Dbl 3C 3D 5D S4
Leading 3N 2D 4C Dbl 3C 4D Dbl S4
F is currently tied 3-3 between 3D and 4D among voters, with all regulars having voted. I was for pass, and between the two I prefer 4D, so I’m indicating it as leading.
NN was the other voter who chose neither 3D nor 4D, and he said
That’s probably close to 4D, but maybe not. Anyway, I’ll likely wait until Sunday to enter in case anyone wants to discuss further.
I thought 3S was closer to 3D since they both leave open the possibility of 3N
On F, 3D is a negative bid, and not at all forward going. This seems a serious underbid. 3S is seeking 3NT, which seems an obvious target with Kx of clubs and very good diamonds. 4D is bypassing 3NT, and a better hand. I simply don’t understand why others aren’t choosing 3S, which seems obvious to me. Picture partner with Kx, xx, xx, AQxxxxx, and 3NT is really good, while other game contracts can’t make.
You convinced me. I was afraid of ending in 4C rather than 3D opposite no stopper, but maybe game is likely enough to take the chance.
A B C D E F G H Total
procrastinator 5D 100 2D 100 3C 40 Dbl 100 3C 100 4D 60 3D 70 H3 100 670
oirg 3N 60 3S 70 5C 80 3H 80 3S 70 4D 60 2S 60 S4 20 500
SW 4D 80 4H 60 3C 40 Dbl 100 3C 100 P 70 Dbl 90 S4 20 560
Klaymen 3N 60 3S 70 4C 60 Dbl 100 3C 100 3D 70 3S 60 S4 20 540
ST 3N 60 2D 100 4C 60 3H 80 3S 70 4D 60 Dbl 90 H3 100 620
BTDT 3N 60 4H 60 4C 60 Dbl 100 3C 100 3D 70 5D 80 S4 20 550
NN 3N 60 2D 100 4C 60 3H 80 3C 100 3S 100 Dbl 90 H3 100 690
Submitted 3N 60 2D 100 4C 60 Dbl 100 3C 100 4D 60 Dbl 90 S4 20 590
5D 100 2D 100 4N 100 Dbl 100 3C 100 3S 100 4D 100 H3 100
4D 80 3S 70 2D 100 3H 80 3S 70 3D 70 Dbl 90 SA 80
3N 60 4H 60 5C 80 P 70 5D 80 S4 20
4C 60 4D 60 3D 70
3C 40 2S 60
3S 60 Congratulations to NN, whose 690 would have tied for 43rd to 50th on the honor roll, the lowest score to make it.
Of curiosity with no effect on us: bizarre partial credit on problem B. 24 different scores got 10 points, including P, 6S and 7NT. I can see some slight merit to the lurking Pass, but 7NT??? Almost all of the 24 had 0% of the solvers rounded to the nearest percent. With all those 10’s, still 2% of the solvers scored 0. It’s hard to imagine what calls were worse than 7NT and 6S. (If you checked the scoring on the website you could figure out what calls fell into “else” and got 0, but you probably could not figure out why 2% of the solvers chose them.)
