Bridge: MSC 2025 Discussion

[procrastinator]

A. 3NT, not really close IMO.
B. 2NT, waffled with this and 2S.
C. 3NT, no major aces, 6C seems unlikely. At IMPs, might consider 4C.
D. 5 hearts. Found this one tough.
E. 4 hearts. Game try: bid game, try to make it.
F. 2 hearts. A bit tempted by 2NT to show the stopper and get values off our chest. Not sure after bidding 2 hearts what to do if pd bids 3C.
G. b1 (double, then 2NT). I am confused by b6, wouldn’t that be blackwood for spades? Or second choice natural invitation to 6NT?
H. Diamond jack, without too much conviction.

[SteveWhite]

A. 3NT. Definitely. By far the easiest in the set
B. 2NT, but 2S close
C. 3NT, given so much in majors but neither ace
D. 5H, but could understand double at matchpoints
E. 3H
F. 2H
G. A3: double, then 3H. Pass hoping that the auction would go differently, after which 3H and convert 4C to 4D looks best (or bid 3NT over 3S)
H. Club 2. The unbid suit. Spade awful IMO, Other 3 suits all reasonable, but my second choice would be heart.

ETA: WTF was I thinking with G? I prefer Dbl, then 2NT but will score myself based on original pick.

[SteveWhite]

From Sweet Tooth by e-mail

PROBLEM A: 3 Diamonds
PROBLEM B: 2 Spades
PROBLEM C: 5 Clubs
PROBLEM D: Double
PROBLEM E: Redouble
PROBLEM F: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM G: (b2)
PROBLEM H: Heart 2

There should be some debate on the meaning or need for 3D on A). On B) my style is exactly opposite, 1S would be only 1rf ambiguous. But still I somewhat regret bidding 2S gf instead of 3NT.
On C) 3H has as many defects as 5C, so either gamble 3NT or show/hide strong clubs with 5C/4C respectively, another zero for me.
D)I judge badly that I can take 4 tricks against spades snd not make 5H.
E)Enuf tickets to redbl. And pull anything undoubled back to 3H.
F) have to bid and I judge 2H less evil than 2NT or 3C
G)neg double to show both majors, then 3D over 2S.
H) BTSOOM. 4th best?

[SteveWhite]

                       A     B     C     D     E     F            G     H
procrastinator        3N    2N    3N    5H    4H    2H         Dbl; 2N    DJ
oirg                  3D    2S    4C   Dbl    3H    2H         Dbl; 4D    S6
SW                    3N    2N    3N    5H    3H    2H       Dbl; 2N *    C2
Klaymen                                                                 
ST                    3D    2S    5C   Db;  Rdbl    2H         Dbl, 3D    H2
BTDT                                                                    
NN                                                                      
veni vidi vici        3D    2S    3N    5H    2S    2N         Dbl; 2N    H2
4Sigma                                                                  
Abstract Actuary                                                        
Leading               3D    2S    3N    5H          2H         Dbl; 2N      

• to be scored based on original pick (Dbl; 3H)

[BTDT]

A) 3N
B) 2S
C) 5C
D) 5H
E) 4H
F) 2H
G) b1 (Dbl then 2N)
H) Heart Deuce

[Klaymen]

A 3D
B 2S
C 3N
D 5H
E 2S
F 2H
G b2
H h2

[SteveWhite]

                       A     B     C     D     E     F            G     H
procrastinator        3N    2N    3N    5H    4H    2H         Dbl; 2N    DJ
oirg                  3D    2S    4C   Dbl    3H    2H         Dbl; 4D    S6
SW                    3N    2N    3N    5H    3H    2H       Dbl; 2N *    C2
Klaymen               3D    2S    3N    5H    2S    2H         Dbl, 3D    H2
ST                    3D    2S    5C   Db;  Rdbl    2H         Dbl, 3D    H2
BTDT                  3N    2S    5C    5H    4H    2H         Dbl; 2N    H2
NN                    3N    2S    4C    5H  Rdbl    2N         Dbl; 3D    DJ
veni vidi vici        3D    2S    3N    5H    2S    2N         Dbl; 2N    H2
4Sigma                                                                  
Abstract Actuary                                                        
Leading               3N    2S    3N    5H          2H         Dbl; 2N    H2

• to be scored based on original pick (Dbl; 3H)

Now a 4-way tie on E.

[AbstractActuary]

FWIW I would jump straight to 4H on E. For me it’s strong enough to skip game try.

[SteveWhite]

From 4Sigma by e-mail, the only one he opined on:

Good problem.

I think this is close between Rdbl vs. 3H. I will give the edge to Rdbl today though I think I’m not really supposed to have a 6th heart for that.

[AbstractActuary]

His tiebreaker is certainly more credible than mine.

[SteveWhite]

Another tie-breaking vote from 4Sigma by e-mail

This hand has very good prospects for 6C. I think I want to bid 3D and then push past 3NT to show my interest in a club slam. 4S might be nice if it were clearly a splinter but I do not think it is and certainly would risk bidding it at the table if there were any risk of confusion.

I had only sent him the problem and the statement it was tied (and that only 3NT and 3D had votes. I had not sent either of these comments.

@procrastinator

A. 3NT, not really close IMO.

@SteveWhite

A. 3NT. Definitely. By far the easiest in the set

[SteveWhite]

                       A     B     C     D     E     F            G     H
procrastinator        3N    2N    3N    5H    4H    2H         Dbl; 2N    DJ
oirg                  3D    2S    4C   Dbl    3H    2H         Dbl; 4D    S6
SW                    3N    2N    3N    5H    3H    2H       Dbl; 2N *    C2
Klaymen               3D    2S    3N    5H    2S    2H         Dbl, 3D    H2
ST                    3D    2S    5C   Db;  Rdbl    2H         Dbl, 3D    H2
BTDT                  3N    2S    5C    5H    4H    2H         Dbl; 2N    H2
NN                    3N    2S    4C    5H  Rdbl    2N         Dbl; 3D    DJ
veni vidi vici        3D    2S    3N    5H    2S    2N         Dbl; 2N    H2
4Sigma                3D                    Rdbl                        
Abstract Actuary                              4H                        
Submitted             3D    2S    3N    5H  Rdbl    2H         Dbl; 2N    H2

• to be scored based on original pick (Dbl; 3H)

[SteveWhite]

                  A        B        C        D        E        F        G             H        Total
procrastinator    3N   0   2N   90  3N   70  5H   100 4H   40  2H   100 Dbl; 2N   100 DJ   40  540  
oirg              3D   100 2S   100 4C   100 Dbl  70  3H   70  2H   100 Dbl; 4D   0   S6   30  570  
SW                3N   0   2N   90  3N   70  5H   100 3H   70  2H   100 Dbl; 2N * 40  C2   60  530  
Klaymen           3D   100 2S   100 3N   70  5H   100 2S   80  2H   100 Dbl, 3D   80  H2   100 730  
ST                3D   100 2S   100 5C   50  Dbl  70  Rdbl 100 2H   100 Dbl, 3D   80  H2   100 700  
BTDT              3N   0   2S   100 5C   50  5H   100 4H   40  2H   100 Dbl; 2N   100 H2   100 590  
NN                3N   0   2S   100 4C   100 5H   100 Rdbl 100 2N   80  Dbl, 3D   80  DJ   40  600  
veni vidi vici    3D   100 2S   100 3N   70  5H   100 2S   80  2N   80  Dbl; 2N   100 H2   100 730  
4Sigma            3D   100                            Rdbl 100                                 N/A  
Abstract Actuary                                      4H   40                                  N/A  
Submitted         3D   100 2S   100 3N   70  5H   100 Rdbl 100 2H   100 Dbl; 2N   100 H2   100 770  


                                                                                    
                  3D   100 2S   100 4C   100 5H   100 Rdbl 100 2H   100 Dbl; 2N   100 H2   100   
                  3N   0   2N   90  3N   70  Dbl  70  2S   80  2N   80  Dbl, 3D   80  C2   60       
                                    5C   50           3H   70           Dbl; 2N * 40  DJ   40       
                                                      4H   40           Dbl; 4D   0   S6   30       
                                                                                                    

Dbl; 2N * scored 40 based on my original intended choice of P; 3H (even though some posts in the thread would indicate my original intended choice was Dbl; 3H, which would be worth only 30. I had clearly preferred Dbl; 2N before GoA voting was final.)

Thanks to 4Sigma’s tie-breaking, our 770 was tied for 6-9. Klaymen and VVV’s 730s would have been 26-28. ST’s 700 would have been 42-49. It too at least 680, which 59 solvers had.

No typo that 3NT, which was tied for our leading choice pre-4Sigma, got 0. It received 0 panelist votes. Score still seems too low in my opinion, since it was the second most popular solver choice (at 29%).

[SteveWhite]

In case you want to vote (Again?):

We are panelists (based on our full year 2023 finish) so we have already submitted votes that I cannot change. We may even get quoted (comments are also locked in). There is a thread here about those if you want to look at it. Bridge: 202507 MSC Discussion

If you post choices here, I will score them along with any original choices you made. [Note: all 8 people who voted on all problems this month did already vote on these.]

[BTDT]

I think that this will be much more interesting if we don’t look at our previous answers …

[SteveWhite]

Here are my current personal choices:
A. 3D (very close IMO between 3D and 3C)
B. P (with 2N as current second choice, but resisting at this vulnerability)
C, 1N
D. B1 (1S; 2H)
E. 3C (close between 3C and 4H IMO, think this leaves us better place if they bid 4S)
F. 4S (deciding this is the best route to deciding about a grand)
G. 1H
H. C10

I looked at my previous answers after choosing these. Three are different (or four, since originally I had bid 2D, Michaels, on B. But before we submitted I had realized - maybe VVV pointed it out? - that 2D was natural, so I had abandoned it.)

[Klaymen]

A. 3D
B) 1S (2NT also considered and pass, want to be ready to bid 4S over 4H if partner shows enough interest)
C) 2C but 1NT next best
D) B1 If partner has as little as Tx of spades and another heart stop we are 75% to game already.
E) 4H could be -1 but opponents might be pressured to phantom sac too.
F) 2S. I don’t like 4S because if partner has both aces that solves our club problem. I like whatever sequence can allow us to cue bid our controls and I don’t know if 2S accomplishes that but I’m giving it a go.
G) 1N
H) CT, the bots almost always lead singletons and they know stuff I don’t.

[BTDT]

(I expect to look foolish.)

A) 3D
B) Pass
C) 1N
D) a)
E) 4H
F) 4S
G) 1N
H) Spade King

[SteveWhite]

ST by e-mail

A) 3D seems descriptive enuf, why not.
B)Pass- seems hard to believe that panel would choose black overcall or
2NT at red Imps. If we were playing sandwich NT (which is not BWS) I
would vote for that.
C)1NT
This is my biggest complaint.! Firstly, I dislike 10-14 as range,
give up the flat 10s and use 11-15. Second, the entire field is too
scared to go out of range with 1NT on a terrible 15 that has way too
many poor features. The Solvers are afraid of a poor score for bucking
the tide and the Experts?? Of course you could bid 2C and miss
everything else. I’ll take my 60/70.
D) b1) sound opening bid
E) 4H- although 3S first might be better, or might get us too high
F) 4S- of course 3S is a strong option, but you do have a void, extras,
and lot’s of playing strength. If not now, when?
G) 1NT- with 1H overcall as tempting, definitely NOT double for me.
H) C10- as Garozzo? SK is second choice

[SteveWhite]

                  A           B        C        D        E        F        G        H        Total
procrastinator    3C      100 P    100 2C   60  B4 (160  4H   100 3D   70  1NT  100 HQ   60  650  
oirg              3D      90  P    100 1NT  100 A (2S40  4H   100 4S   100 1NT  100 C10  100 730  
SW                3C      100 P*   100 1NT  100 B1 (1100 4H   100 3D   70  1NT  100 C10  100 770  
Klaymen           3D      90  P    100 1NT  100 B1 (1100 4H   100 2S   0   1NT  100 SK   50  640  
ST                4H      50  P    100 2C   60  B1 (1100 4H   100 3S   80  1H   70  C10  100 660  
BTDT              3H      60  P    100 1NT  100 A (2S40  4H   100 4S   100 1NT  100 C10  100 700  
NN                4H      50  P    100 1NT  100 B1 (1100 4H   100 4S   100 1NT  100 HQ   60  710  
veni vidi vici    3H      60  2S   0   1NT  100 B1 (1100 4H   100 3D   70  1H   70  SK   50  550  
Submitted         3C      100 P    100 1NT  100 B1 (1100 4H   100 4S   100 1NT  100 C10  100 800  


                                                                                  
                  3C      100 P    100 1NT  100 B1 (1100 4H   100 4S   100 1NT  100 C10  100   
                  3D      90  2S   0   2C   60  B4 (160           3S   80  1H   70  HQ   60       
                  3H      60                    A (2S40           3D   70           SK   50       
                  4H      50                                      2S   0                          
                                                                                                  

Yes, our submitted entry was a perfect 800, tied for 1/2 on the honor roll. We got one big break in the scoring. On A, our 3C and 3D were tied among panelists at 7 each, and 3D had more panelist votes than 3C, but the relevant scoring rule is that if there is a choice which gets a majority of the panelist votes, that must get 100. Nothing did, so the moderator could chose what got 100.

Interestingly 4 of us submitted new votes (only 4 I think, but I could have missed some sent by e-mail.)

Here are the revised scoring of those

                  A        B        C        D        E        F        G             H        Total
SW                3D   90  P    100 1NT  100 B1 (1100 3C   40  4S   100 1H        70  C10  100 700  
Klaymen           3D   90  1S   50  2C   60  B1 (1100 4H   100 2S   0   1NT       100 C10  100 600  
ST                3D   90  P    100 1NT  100 B1 (1100 4H   100 4S   100 1NT       100 C10  100 790  
BTDT              3D   90  P    100 1NT  100 A (2S40  4H   100 4S   100 1NT       100 SK   50  680  
(Re)Submitted     3C   100 P    100 1NT  100 B1 (1100 4H   100 4S   100 1NT       100 C10  100 800  


                                                                                    
                  3C   100 P    100 1NT  100 B1 (1100 4H   100 4S   100 1NT       100 C10  100   
                  3D   90  1S   50  2C   60  B4 (160  3C   40  3S   80  1H        70  HQ   60       
                  3H   60                    A (2S40           3D   70                SK   50       
                  4H   50                                      2S   0                               
                                                                                                    

(No change to Submitted, since we couldn’t change that.)
Note that now no one favored 3C on A, though only I had chosen it originally. All four of us chose 3D now, which was a change for all except Klaymen.

Three of us have lower scores for our new picks, but ST would have risen to 790, which would have been alone at 3rd on the honor roll.