A. Double. Nothing else seems good. Second choice 3NT
B. Three hearts. Second choice 3D but even vol at imps that’s a bid much
C. Reluctantly 3S. Strongly tempted to pass.
D. Pass. Seems obvious. Only reason, IMO, to double is hoping that double would lead to 4H and 4H go down. At this vulnerability, East is hoping to make 3NT. Maybe not expecting to make it, but expecting to have a chance.
E, 2NT. Definitely not a game force, even though NT by us risks wrong-siding the contract. 1NT too much of an underbid. Will any experts risk 1H?
F. 3H, since it’s matchpoints. 2D is a close second choice
G. 4H. Assume double is showing cards.
H. Spade Q. Second choice a diamond, the four as second-best? But a heart also has some appeal.
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator Dbl 3H 3D 4N 2N 3H 4H D5
oirg
SW Dbl 3H 3S P 2N 3H 4H SQ
Klaymen
ST
BTDT
NN
veni vidi vici Dbl 3H 3N P 2N 3H 4D H10
Abstract Actuary 3S? 3H 3N 4C 1N 3H P H10
Leading Dbl 3H 2N 3H
2 unanimous selections, containing 8 votes for 3H.
June guesses:
A. Double
B. Pass
C. 3D
D. Double
E. 2N
F. 3H
G. Pass
H. Heart 10
A) 3N
B) 3H
C) Pass
D) Pass
E) 2NT
F) 2D
G) 4D
H) Diamond 5
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator Dbl 3H 3D 4N 2N 3H 4H D5
oirg Dbl P 3D Dbl 2N 3H P H10
SW Dbl 3H 3S P 2N 3H 4H SQ
Klaymen
ST
BTDT 3N 3H P P 2N 2D 4D D5
NN
veni vidi vici Dbl 3H 3N P 2N 3H 4D H10
Abstract Actuary 3S? 3H 3N 4C 1N 3H P H10
Leading Dbl 3H 3N (???) P 2N 3H 4D (??) H10
Need to answer today, so I’ve indicated my current thinking on the two where nothing has 3 votes. On C, my first choice is neither of the leaders. and my second choice is for the other call that has only 1 vote. Reluctantly, I’m leaning toward 3N, since I think 3D would be asking for a diamond shop, and I think that’s a bad idea, especially if partner’s 3M would only show a stopper.
On G, while I still prefer 4H, I’m one of the 2 votes it has, and 4D is also attractive, so I’m leaning toward breaking the tie that way.
Would love to get more thoughts or votes before I need to submit (by midnight eastern time tonite)
On C, I think of 3D as more a punt. Agreed though that partner’s 3M may not be a 4 card suit, so it may not have been my most well thought out plan. Would bid 3NT before passing.
On G, I think 4D is also reasonable, though I do not agree with vvv’s thought that we may get to 6D. Partner is a passed hand, expect to hear either 4H or 5D, either of which I would pass. Passing the double of 4C is not on my radar.
From NN by e-mail
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator Dbl 3H 3D 4N 2N 3H 4H D5
oirg Dbl P 3D Dbl 2N 3H P H10
SW Dbl 3H 3S P 2N 3H 4H SQ
Klaymen
ST
BTDT 3N 3H P P 2N 2D 4D D5
NN Dbl 3H 3S 4N 2N 3H 4S SQ
veni vidi vici Dbl 3H 3N P 2N 3H 4D H10
Abstract Actuary 3S? 3H 3N 4C 1N 3H P H10
Leading Dbl 3H 3N (???) P 2N 3H 4D (??) H10
NN did not really help on either where we were tied. In fact, he created a third tied choice on C.
Even though I personally prefer my (and now NN’s) 3S choice on C, I can’t say I like it, just that I like it better than the alternatives. On G, his choice is unique. Perhaps he thinks the double of 4C is responsive. I suspect he’s alone in that, since good chance someone else who thought responsive would go with 4S. I’ll leave 4D as currently leading, since if double is responsive 4D is better than 4H.
You still have about 6 hours to post comments. (Votes due in 8 hours, but I may not wait that long.)
Followup from NN via e-mail.
I’ll wait a little longer to submit in case anyone else chimes in, but the “Leading” row now looks pretty solid.
I’ve been convinced to change my vote on H to D5, which I think also changes the consensus.
[quote=“procrastinator, post:106, topic:8552, full:true”]
On G, I think 4D is also reasonable, though I do not agree with vvv’s thought that we may get to 6D. Partner is a passed hand, expect to hear either 4H or 5D, either of which I would pass. [/quote]
Suppose partner has AJxx x KQxxx xxx? Or Axxx Q KQxxx xxx or the like? Shouldn’t he bid 5C over 4D? And shouldn’t overcaller accept the invite?
PROBLEM A: Double
PROBLEM B: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM C: 3 Notrump
PROBLEM D: Pass
PROBLEM E: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM F: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM G: 4 Diamonds
PROBLEM H: Diamond 5
I was supposed to get a confirmation e-mail, but didn’t. Maybe I entered the e-mail address wrong. Should be OK, since I have a screen print of the answers (not a screen print pre-submission, a screen shot of the “Answers Received”.
I’m certainly fine with leading the D5 on H. Certainly what I would lead at the table, preserving partnership harmony whatever lead works best.
A B C D E F G H Total
procrastinator Dbl 100 3H 100 3D 100 4N 100 2N 90 3H 80 4H 100 D5 100 770
oirg Dbl 100 P 20 3D 100 Dbl 50 2N 90 3H 80 P 30 H10 40 510
SW Dbl 100 3H 100 3S 30 P 40 2N 90 3H 80 4H 100 SQ 80 620
Klaymen
ST
BTDT 3N 30 3H 100 P 50 P 40 2N 90 2D 100 4D 70 D5 100 580
NN Dbl 100 3H 100 3S 30 4N 100 2N 90 3H 80 4S 0 SQ 80 580
veni vidi vici Dbl 100 3H 100 3N 70 P 40 2N 90 3H 80 4D 70 D5 100 650
4Sigma
Submitted Dbl 100 3H 100 3N 70 P 40 2N 90 3H 80 4D 70 D5 100 650
Dbl 100 3H 100 3D 100 4C 100 2C 100 2D 100 4H 100 D5 100
3S 40 3D 70 3N 70 4N 100 2N 90 3H 80 4D 70 SQ 80
3N 30 P 20 P 50 Dbl 50 1N 60 P 30 H10 40
3S 30 P 40 4S 0 Procrastinator should have sent in an entry. His 770 would have topped the honor roll. Highest submitted answers scored 750. Our 650 just missed the honor roll; 660 was needed.
On A: is 3C a cue bid? 4C? A splinter may imply lack of first round control, and have us land in the wrong place. I want to explore for slam. So if I can’t cue bid, and I think 3H may be misleading, I’m leaning toward just bidding 4NT. But there must be better ways to get there. Hoping I can cue bid clubs and give him a chance to show me the Spade Ace, and maybe even the club King.
A: 3C (or some cue bid).
B: 4NT. Again tempted to explore a slam. A problem is that if I ask for key cards, the Ace of clubs is much less valuable to me than the Ace and King of spades. But I don’t think I have an effective way to find out otherwise. If I bid 5C, which may be a cue bid for clubs or otherwise indicating slam intentions, his response will almost surely be 5S. What else could he say? And then what? Passing also seems like an option to just take the spade game.
C: 3H. I feel a little lost here. We have support for his major, but a rather weak hand. 2NT feels too weak in hearts. Anything higher than 3H feels too strong.
D: Pass. I probably just meekly pass here. With only 7 HCP, it feels less than 50/50 to make a game, so I’ll sit in the suit where we are definitely strongest. 2S or 2NT could be a difference maker in matchpoints, but I have to imagine will make an extra trick or more in clubs than those contracts.
E: 1NT. Pass also tempting, but with a stopper in opp’s suit and no good fit, feels like we can make 1NT.
F: 3C. Can’t pass. There must be a better fit than hearts. No spade stopper, so think we have to start with 3C.
G: 3S. Seems obvious. Spade support in the 6-10 point range. Maybe a bit stronger than that because of the void, but doesn’t seem like enough to warrant a show of more strength given the current level of the bidding. Is double a support double? Maybe that would be better, if so. Showing slightly more strength.
H: H2. Interesting hand. D6 and CK both also seem viable. But with a potential weak trump fit 4-4-4-1, I think I like starting to drive down their trump holdings, in the hopes we can pick off a couple of tricks between my clubs, any strength from partner or an eventual diamond ruff.
Yes, I did. Went to spam. That had happened before, but when I selected the message in Spam and identified it as “not spam”, subsequent ones did not go to spam. Until this month.
A) 4NT
B) Pass
C) 3D
D) 2D
E) Pass
F) 3C
G) 4S
H) Heart 2
A. 2S. This is my last chance to tell partner which suit it is where quacks matter. If partner bids 2N or 3H, I will have a decision to make. Otherwise I will cue both aces. Second choice, 3H. (Actually, I like 3H quite a lot, and may switch to it. 2S is the in-the-moment call I would make at the table.)
B Pass. Preempts work. There is no five-level safety here.
C 3H. I’d bid 2N at IMPs (safer). I go for 3H at matchpoints because it’s higher scoring.
D 3C. Considering this is limited by failure to Bart, it seems silly to pass when we have a 9-card-fit. We can be a little bit obstructive.
E. Pass. Only because it’s both at matchpoints, where the scoring table says to defend. And it’s easy to imagine some tasty starts to the defense.
F 3C. Downgrading for the misfit, this is a non-forcing hand. But game is still in play if partner has extras. and, even if not, we probably improve the contract. Not diamonds both because clubs are a better suit and because clubs leaves room for partner to bid diamonds.
G. 4S. I considered 4H, but I’m not so sure I want a heart lead, and giving them that extra step in the auction can be very costly if they are good bidders. It’s likely neither of them yet knows the extent of their best fit (or even which minor it is). Jamming the auction isn’t likely to make them choose strain wrongly, but they will have no room to figure out level.
H CK. H2 is also tempting (and the SJ doesn’t look bad), but I am concerned to knock out the CA to break up a potential squeeze. D is least tempting. Partner having the DA and a D ruff on the go being the only way to set seems pretty unlikely. Meanwhile, partner may have DQ…
A. 3NT. Matchpoints
B. P. Yes, we might have a slam, and we have only 4 spades
C. 3H. Yes, we have 3 hearts, and the diamond K is quite good and the spade J10 could be helpful. But the QJ of clubs are wasted unless we want to try NT, and I don’t.
D. 3C. Main concern is that we could belong in spades.
E. 2C. Most likely plus
F. 3D. Yuck. But changes of a vul game are too good to pass, or even to pass 3H if partner rebids it over 2 of a minor by us. So prepare to bid both minors. Shame my bid is non forcing, but still better to start with a suit now.
G. 4 spades. I must be missing something. Seems too easy.
H. Spade J. Seems automatic.