Bridge: 2024 MSC discussion

A) Dbl, then 3NT
B) 3N
C) 2N
D) Dbl
E) 4H (I hate splintering with a void, and 4NT doesn’t get me the info I need)
F) Pass
G) 4C
H) Spade Jack

                              A     B     C     D     E     F     G     H
procrastinator                                                          
oirg                                                                    
SW                    Dbl, then 3N    3N    2N    5C    4H     P    4S    SJ
Klaymen                                                                 
ST                                                                      
BTDT                  Dbl, then 3N    3N    2N   Dbl    4H     P    4C    SJ
NN                                                                      
veni vidi vici        Dbl, then 3N   Dbl    2N   Dbl    4H    3H    4S    SJ
4Sigma                                                                  
Abstract Actuary      Dbl, then 3N    3H    2N   Dbl    3H     ?    4S   D10
Leading               Dbl, then 3N          2N   Dbl    4H          4S    SJ

November guesses:

A. Double, 3N. Partner’s 2N is Lebensohl.
B. 3H
C. 2N
D. Double
E. 3H
F. 3N
G. 4S
H. Spade jack

                              A     B     C     D     E     F     G     H
procrastinator                                                          
oirg                  Dbl, then 3N    3H    2N   Dbl    3H    3N    4S    SJ
SW                    Dbl, then 3N    3N    2N    5C    4H     P    4S    SJ
Klaymen                                                                 
ST                                                                      
BTDT                  Dbl, then 3N    3N    2N   Dbl    4H     P    4C    SJ
NN                                                                      
veni vidi vici        Dbl, then 3N   Dbl    2N   Dbl    4H    3H    4S    SJ
4Sigma                                                                  
Abstract Actuary      Dbl, then 3N    3H    2N   Dbl    3H     ?    4S   D10
Leading               Dbl, then 3N          2N   Dbl    4H          4S    SJ

A. b4 (double then 3NT)
B. Double. The raise hearts, otherwise bid 3NT.
C. 2NT. Hope this is natural.
D. 5 Clubs, with no conviction
E. 3D. I plan to take control eventually, but want to leave a bit more room.
F. 2NT. I may amend after I learn what Bart applying means :slight_smile:
G. 4 spades. Seems obvious, I may be missing something.
H. Spade jack. At IMPs I might try a heart, but here, will play it safer.

                              A     B     C     D     E     F     G     H
procrastinator        Dbl, then 3N   Dbl    2N    5C    3D    2N    4S    SJ
oirg                  Dbl, then 3N    3H    2N   Dbl    3H    3N    4S    SJ
SW                    Dbl, then 3N    3N    2N    5C    4H     P    4S    SJ
Klaymen                                                                 
ST                                                                      
BTDT                  Dbl, then 3N    3N    2N   Dbl    4H     P    4C    SJ
NN                                                                      
veni vidi vici        Dbl, then 3N   Dbl    2N   Dbl    4H    3H    4S    SJ
4Sigma                                                                  
Abstract Actuary      Dbl, then 3N    3H    2N   Dbl    3H     ?    4S   D10
Leading               Dbl, then 3N          2N   Dbl    4H          4S    SJ

I had already posted(see above in the thread) what the system notes say about Bart.

Here is a longer explanation from Canada; Bart: bridge convention

And one from Larry Cohen:

A) b4 (X => 3N)
B) 3H
C) 2N
D) 5C
E) 3H
F) 3H
G) 4S
H) SJ

                              A     B     C     D     E     F     G     H
procrastinator        Dbl, then 3N   Dbl    2N    5C    3D    2N    4S    SJ
oirg                  Dbl, then 3N    3H    2N   Dbl    3H    3N    4S    SJ
SW                    Dbl, then 3N    3N    2N    5C    4H     P    4S    SJ
Klaymen               Dbl, then 3N    3H    2N    5C    3H    3H    4S    SJ
ST                                                                      
BTDT                  Dbl, then 3N    3N    2N   Dbl    4H     P    4C    SJ
NN                                                                      
veni vidi vici        Dbl, then 3N   Dbl    2N   Dbl    4H    3H    4S    SJ
4Sigma                                                                  
Abstract Actuary      Dbl, then 3N    3H    2N   Dbl    3H     ?    4S   D10
Leading               Dbl, then 3N    3H    2N   Dbl    4H          4S    SJ

At the moment, there’s only one without a leader, but if the leader is only up 1, another voter could create a tie.

I’ll say 3N on F.

                              A     B     C     D     E     F     G     H
procrastinator        Dbl, then 3N   Dbl    2N    5C    3D    2N    4S    SJ
oirg                  Dbl, then 3N    3H    2N   Dbl    3H    3N    4S    SJ
SW                    Dbl, then 3N    3N    2N    5C    4H     P    4S    SJ
Klaymen               Dbl, then 3N    3H    2N    5C    3H    3H    4S    SJ
ST                                                                      
BTDT                  Dbl, then 3N    3N    2N   Dbl    4H     P    4C    SJ
NN                                                                      
veni vidi vici        Dbl, then 3N   Dbl    2N   Dbl    4H    3H    4S    SJ
4Sigma                                                                  
Abstract Actuary      Dbl, then 3N    3H    2N   Dbl    3H    3N    4S   D10
Submitted             Dbl, then 3N    3H    2N   Dbl    4H    3H    4S    SJ

TIL that, even though 2024 is divisible by 4 and not 100 (the normal leap year test), there were only 30 days in September. Fortunately I was still able to enter answers, and got a confirmation, though that may not be sufficient to have them considered in the scoring.

With very little additional thought, given the need to get answers in quickly, I choose 3H for F. There were 3 votes for bidding NT and only 2 for bidding H, but the 2 passers were content to play in hearts.

I also noticed, not until after entering, that I had thought 4H was leading on E even though it was only tied. Hopefully that will prove to have been the better choice.

                  A                   B        C        D        E        F        G        H        Total
procrastinator    Dbl, then 3N    100 Dbl  80  2N   100 5C   100 3D   60  2N   70  4S   80  SJ   100 690  
oirg              Dbl, then 3N    100 3H   100 2N   100 Dbl  80  3H   90  3N   0   4S   80  SJ   100 650  
SW                Dbl, then 3N    100 3N   90  2N   100 5C   100 4H   100 P    70  4S   80  SJ   100 740  
Klaymen           Dbl, then 3N    100 3H   100 2N   100 5C   100 3H   90  3H   100 4S   80  SJ   100 770  
BTDT              Dbl, then 3N    100 3N   90  2N   100 Dbl  80  4H   100 P    70  4C   100 SJ   100 740  
veni vidi vici    Dbl, then 3N    100 Dbl  80  2N   100 Dbl  80  4H   100 3H   100 4S   80  SJ   100 740  
Abstract Actuary  Dbl, then 3N    100 3H   100 2N   100 Dbl  80  3H   90  3N   0   4S   80  D10  20  570  
Submitted         Dbl, then 3N    100 3H   100 2N   100 Dbl  80  4H   100 3H   100 4S   80  SJ   100 760  


                                                                                          
                  Dbl, then 3N    100 3H   100 2N   100 5C   100 4H   100 3H   100 4C   100 SJ   100   
                                      3N   90           Dbl  80  3H   90  3D   80  4S   80  D10  20       
                                      Dbl  80                    3D   60  P    70                         
                                                                          2N   70                         
                                                                          3N   0                          

Klaymen had our top score of 770, which would have tied for 1/2 on the monthly honor roll. Our consensus 760 did tie for 3/5. BTDT, VVV and I would have tied for 8-17 with 740. It took 700 to make the honor roll.

A: 2D. Seems straight forward to me. You may want to show your 3 spades, but I don’t think you can yet. You may want to show your 6th heart, but not sure it’s the right time for that. And you may want to show your club void, but again, I don’t see an easy way to do this now.

B: 3S. We are already forcing to game, so I think this takes a chance to show at least a 5th spade while giving us the most room to explore.

C: Pass. We had a weak opener in the first place. We could correct back to spades, but there is a chance partner has equal distribution and we are no better off. I think partner is showing better than minimum response bid, but this still may be our best likely chance.

D: 5D. I’d really like to know what 2NT means here and what my responses could mean. Is 2NT an unusual trump overall? I don’t think so. So assume it is natural and showing strength. Does it show a stopper in spades? If so 3NT is better. And clearly we may want to explore slam here. Maybe 4S would be the most natural bid that shows slam interest.

E: 3NT. I considered double, but feel there is too high a risk we would end up in a bad 4S game. I assume 2NT is not an unusual no trump overcall. And likely implies more spades and/or spade stopper.

F 3D. We are weak here for the situation. We have 3 clubs but no club stopper, so I think 3D gets that message across best. No 5th spade, no secondary heart support, no club stopper.

G: 3D. Very similar. We are on the very weak side of our range. No spades to report. No club stopper to report. No heart support. A 5th diamond.

H: 6C. Leading a spade could give up a trick. Diamonds is opponents suit. It’s likely partner has 4 more more hearts, so we could create a trick there, but I don’t love leading the Ace or leading away from the Ace. Maybe the plan is to lead the Ace of hearts and then follow with the 6 if the read is favorable.

By the way. I post my description, not in an attempt to convince anyone, but more to show my thinking. I know that many on here are far more experienced, so if anything, would love feedback on where my thinking is misguided or limited.

A. 3H. Seems very normal
B. 4S. Not at all confident about this. I don’t think this should be a fast-arrival signify, but if it is not forcing it is too little. If 4H is a splinter, and it probably should be, that would be a good choice. Since I can’t find anything in the notes to confirm it is a splinter, I’m not choosing it. The clearly forcing 3S may well be the winner.
C. 4H. Or maybe that is crazy. At first I thought the only conceivable choices were 3S and 3NT, and that between those two 3S was better. And, yes, between those two I still think 3S is better. But partner could have doubled 3D, surely not penalties when opponents apparently have at least 9 (5 for the overcall, 4 for the mixed raise). Hoping 3H rather than double shows 5, I’ll raise hearts.
D. 6N. Lots of playing strength
E. 2N. Hoping partner doesn’t insist on spades. Too good for 3D, which would be my second choice.
F. 2N. Least of evils (or is 2D the least of evils?)
G. 3D. Another least of evils.
H. S4. No, I don’t like it, but It’s marginally better than a least of evils.

A) 2H. Steve thought 3H was “very normal” and Abstract Actuary thought 2D was “straightforward”. If partner has another bid I’ll show my spades of course. It is a nice 5-loser hand and I am chomping at the bit to get to game, but no guarantee partner has working cards yet.
B) 4N Don’t need too much to make slam.
C) 4H Hope partner has 5 otherwise I may wish for 4S.
D) 4N Quantitative?
E) 3N Too good for 2NT, seems like the perfect bid. If partner has great spades there is a risk of 4S over X.
F) 2D Don’t think I’ve ever made this bid
G) 3D
H) s4

From VVV by e-mail (on Sept 6, hence while I was on vacation)

and then, the same day

                              A     B     C     D     E     F     G     H
procrastinator                                                          
oirg                                                                    
SW                            3H    4S    4H    6N    2N    2N    3D    S4
Klaymen                       2H    4N    4H    4N    3N    2D    3D    S4
ST                                                                      
BTDT                                                                    
NN                                                                      
veni vidi vici                2H    3D    4D    4D    3N    2H    3D    D8
4Sigma                                                                  
Abstract Actuary              2D    3S     P    5D    3N    3D    3D    C6
Leading                                             3N          3D      

December guesses:
A. 2D
B. 4C
C. 3S
D. 4N
E. double
F. 3C
G. 3D
H. spade 4