Bridge: MSC 2025 Discussion

[SteveWhite]

Here are my votes. I first put the problems in the 2024 thread. I will move or copy them here.

A. 2D. While it is conceivable that it is a misfit where we have no game, that’s way too conservative a position to take. At matchpoints, with a decent 6 card spade suit, 4C now would be poor. Second choice 3S, even though non forcing. I don’t expect it to finish worse than second in the scoring, but probably not first.
B. 3C. I hate all those honors in the major suits, but at least they can’t lead through the heart K on opening lead.
C. 2H. That’s plenty when partner is unlikely to have 3 hearts or spades. Not close IMO.
D. 3N since it’s matchpoints. Yes, maybe that’s bananas Second choice 4D.
E. 2S. Yuck. Let’s hope partner’s spades include the king. If they start with 3 rounds of hearts, likely I’ll pitch a diamond. Unfortunate that we could belong in game, but I don’t see a good way to be more aggressive.
F. P. Can’t see doing more with only a K in the minors.
G. 2N. Only possible alternative is 2S.
H. Heart 8. A diamond is terrible, IMO. Second choice a spade.

[SteveWhite]

[Klaymen]

A) 3C. First inclination was 3S which probably is better.
B) Pass. Can’t believe my partner can double, leading a diamond to score a ruff.
C) 3H. Actually it is close as you only have 5 losers.
D) 5D. Pushy but I might make game opposite Kd Ac
E) 3C
F) Pass
G) 2NT
H) h8

[BTDT]

A) 2D
B) 3C
C) 2S
D) 4C
E) 3C
F) 2N
G) 3H
H) Spade Deuce

[SteveWhite]

From NN by e-mail

A) 3S
B) 3NT
C) 2H
D) 4D
E) 3C
F) p
G) 2S
H) H8

[SteveWhite]

                              A     B     C     D     E     F     G     H
procrastinator                                                          
oirg                                                                    
SW                            2D    3C    2H    3N    2S     P    2N    H8
Klaymen                       3C     P    3H    5D    3C     P    2N    H8
ST                                                                      
BTDT                          2D    3C    2S    4C    3C    2N    3H    S2
NN                            3S    3N    2H    4D    3C     P    2S    H8
veni vidi vici                                                          
4Sigma                                                                  
Abstract Actuary                                                        
Leading                                             3C     P          H8

[procrastinator]

A) 2 diamonds. I know you are supposed to treasure positive scores at matchpoints and all, but I still can’t imagine not forcing to game with this hand once we find a fit.
B) Pass. Rather confused, may change my mind after I read what others think is going on.
C) 2H. OK, this time I will try to protect the plus.
D) Yuck, this is what I like a style where 1H promises an unbalanced hand. Could partner be 3433 for this sequence? Ok, enough stalling, I will bid 4D.
E) 3 clubs. Tough problem.
F) Pass. Old fashioned I know, but vul opposite a passed hand, and honors in spades and not diamonds, does not seem wise to come in.
G) 2NT, seems normal to me.
H) Heart 8. At IMPs when they are in 4NT after inviting slam, seems like we need to hit the jackpot to set it. With my doubleton heart, hoping the jackpot is partner’s surprisingly strong heart holding.

[oirg]

A. 3S
B. 3C
C. 3H
D. 3N
E. 3C
F. 2N
G. Pass
H. Heart 8. Should be unanimous.

[SteveWhite]

@procrastinator

D) Yuck, this is what I like a style where 1H promises an unbalanced hand. Could partner be 3433 for this sequence? Ok, enough stalling, I will bid 4D.

No. 1H did not promise an unbalanced hand. Could be 4=4=2=3 [probably could not be, see b and c below] or 3=4=2=4 (neither of which would have bid 3D, presumably) or 2=4=3=4 or unbalanced. Could not be 3=4=3=3 [see a below]

@from BWS 2017

Opener’s Rebids:
In rebidding, after having opened in a minor suit:
(a) with 4=3=3=3 or 3=4=3=3, rebid in notrump over a one-over-one response that does not hit a four-card fit;
(b) with 4-4-3-2 too weak to open one notrump and lacking four-card support, rebid in a four-card suit at the one-level when possible, except with 4=4=2=3 (bid one notrump);
(c) with 4-4-3-2 too strong to open one notrump and lacking four-card support: (1) with 4=4=2=3 after a one-diamond response, rebid two notrump;

Opener has shown 4+ clubs. With 4=4=2=3, he opens 1NT or rebids in NT over 1D.

[SteveWhite]

                              A     B     C     D     E     F     G     H
procrastinator                2D     P    2H    4D    3C     P    2N    H8
oirg                          3S    3C    3H    3N    3C    2N     P    H8
SW                            2D    3C    2H    3N    2S     P    2N    H8
Klaymen                       3C     P    3H    5D    3C     P    2N    H8
ST                                                                      
BTDT                          2D    3C    2S    4C    3C    2N    3H    S2
NN                            3S    3N    2H    4D    3C     P    2S    H8
veni vidi vici                                                          
4Sigma                                                                  
Abstract Actuary                                                        
Leading                       2D    3C    2H          3C     P    2N    H8

Now with leaders on 7 or 8. I will not be disappointed if a new vote for 3S creates a tie on A, which I would break in favor of 3S (mentioned by both Klaymen and me as a strong second choice), but I will stick with my 2D except to break a tie.

[SteveWhite]

VVV, by e-mail

A 2D. This should be unanimous. A six-loser responding hand with a fit, three first-round controls, and no idea what the strain is doesn’t worry about stopping short of game, especially as BWS isn’t a light-opening system. The only alternative is 4C, but that overemphasizes the clubs and bypasses 3N. If 3C were a one-round force, like it is in KSU, I’d bid 3C, but it’s not.
B 3N. Partner can’t be acting here without some serious points. There’s no way to sort out diamond stoppers, but LHO probably doesn’t know which suit to lead. Second choice, pass, but 3N has a lot less risk. There’s no reason RHO can’t have QJ109xxx of spades. Indeed, it’s more likely than usual, since he responded on air for some reason.
C 3H. It’s close, but I don’t like to rebid 2H if I would have opened 1C playing Precision. And this hand probably opens 1C in Precision. I don’t see how a 2S rebid helps, (though it would be my second choice), and a 2D rebid is positively misleading.
D 3N. BWS has this backward. The jump to 2S should be natural (and forcing), and the 1S rebid should be artificial, leaving room to sort things out. But here we are. Since my minor suits aren’t wonderful and I’m short on first-round controls, I shouldn’t commit this to a minor-suit game. Partner can pull 3N, because if I really liked 3N, I would not have bid 2S on the way.
E 3D. I have a maximum pass, so I show my stopper. 3C is a little bit chicken. Partner isn’t suppose to open balanced dreck in 4th chair, so I’m hoping one of 3S, 3N, or 4C will have play.
F 3C. I can’t pass both at IMPs with this offensively oriented hand that has a void in an unbid major. And I can’t bid unusual NT and get a disastrous diamond lead against 4H.
G 2N. My hand is strong enough to redouble, but I won’t do that with such good hearts. By the same token, 2N at least suggests heart tolerance. I could also bid 2S, but I fear never untangling the stoppers. Again, responder is likely very broke.
H H8. A club might work if dummy is 4=4=2=3, but then dummy has at least 18 points, in which case it’s nothing matters, since it’s IMPs. That really just leaves the heart lead.

Then follow-up e-mail

Actually, on E I think I can infer a heart stopper with partner, so put me down for 2N rather than 3D.

[SteveWhite]

                              A     B     C     D     E     F     G     H
procrastinator                2D     P    2H    4D    3C     P    2N    H8
oirg                          3S    3C    3H    3N    3C    2N     P    H8
SW                            2D    3C    2H    3N    2S     P    2N    H8
Klaymen                       3C     P    3H    5D    3C     P    2N    H8
ST                                                                      
BTDT                          2D    3C    2S    4C    3C    2N    3H    S2
NN                            3S    3N    2H    4D    3C     P    2S    H8
veni vidi vici                2D    3N    3H    3N    2N    3C    2N    H8
4Sigma                                                                  
Abstract Actuary                                                        
Leading                       2D    3C   3H?    3N    3C     P    2N    H8

Still hoping for more votes. C is tied 3-3, but if nothing more comes in, I would break the tie with 3H, since BTDT’s 2S is a stronger action than 2H.

[SteveWhite]

From ST by e-mail

PROBLEM A: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM B: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM C: 2 Spades
PROBLEM D: 4 Clubs
PROBLEM E: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM F: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM G: Redouble
PROBLEM H: Club 2

[SteveWhite]

                              A     B     C     D     E     F     G     H
procrastinator                2D     P    2H    4D    3C     P    2N    H8
oirg                          3S    3C    3H    3N    3C    2N     P    H8
SW                            2D    3C    2H    3N    2S     P    2N    H8
Klaymen                       3C     P    3H    5D    3C     P    2N    H8
ST                            2N    3C    2S    4C    3C    2N  Rdbl    C2
BTDT                          2D    3C    2S    4C    3C    2N    3H    S2
NN                            3S    3N    2H    4D    3C     P    2S    H8
veni vidi vici                2D    3N    3H    3N    2N    3C    2N    H8
4Sigma                                                                  
Abstract Actuary                                                        
Leading                       2D    3C    3H    3N    3C     P    2N    H8

With another strong 2S call on C, 3H is definitely leading, even though 2H and 3H each have 3 votes. Not sure, put probably would still decide that 3H is more the consensus even if we got another 2H vote. And deadline for me to enter is tonight.

[SteveWhite]

More from Sweet Tooth by e-mail (without him having seen the posts here, I believe)

about A, where I told him that 2H and 3H were tied.

I chose 2S. Hand good enough for 3H usually ok for 2S.

So he’s clearly in agreement that I should break tie in favor of 3H.

OUCH, ouch, ouch!
I just noticed that my intended answer on A (of 2D) accidentally was posted as 2NT.
Don’t know how expect for fat fingers and inattentiveness. Guess it’s too late to change, right?

I think he means changing a submission submitted to the Bridge World, and they allow no changes after initial submission. Since I haven’t submitted yet, I still could change. No need to, since we had 2D anyway. But when I post our own individual scores, I will treat his vote as 2D.

[SteveWhite]

                  A        B        C        D        E        F        G        H        Total
procrastinator    2D   100 P    100 2H   70  4D   80  3C   80  P    70  2N   20  H8   100 620  
oirg              3S   40  3C   60  3H   80  3N   60  3C   80  2N   60  P    10  H8   100 490  
SW                2D   100 3C   60  2H   70  3N   60  2S   100 P    70  2N   20  H8   100 580  
Klaymen           3C   40  P    100 3H   80  5D   0   3C   80  P    70  2N   20  H8   100 490  
ST                2D   100 3C   60  2S   100 4C   100 3C   80  2N   60  Rdbl 90  C2   40  630  
BTDT              2D   100 3C   60  2S   100 4C   100 3C   80  2N   60  3H   80  S2   60  640  
NN                3S   40  3N   80  2H   70  4D   80  3C   80  P    70  2S   100 H8   100 620  
veni vidi vici    2D   100 3N   80  3H   80  3N   60  2N   50  3C   0   2N   20  H8   100 490  
4Sigma                                                                                         
Abstract Actuary                                                                               
Submitted         2D   100 3C   60  3H   80  3N   60  3C   80  P    70  2N   20  H8   100 570  


                                                                               
                  2D   100 P    100 2S   100 4C   100 2S   100 2C   100 2S   100 H8   100   
                  4C   50  3N   80  3H   80  4D   80  3C   80  P    70  Rdbl 90  S2   60       
                  3S   40  3C   60  2H   70  3N   60  2N   50  2N   60  3H   80  C2   40       
                  3C   40                    5D   0            3C   0   2N   20                
                                                                        P    10                

Congratulations to BTDT for our high score of 680. The monthly honor roll is not available yet.

ETA: Now available. It took 700 to make the honor roll. 63 people did.

[SteveWhite]