123456789012345678901234567890

 
123456789012345678901234567890
123456789012345678901234567890
Board North None vul
North dealer
1 AQT7
AQ8
West QJ5 East
T97 J98432
JT764 95
AK76432 South 9
Q K65 J862
November 26, 2016 K32
T8
AK543
123456789012345678901234567890
A Sample Auction: What The Computers Did:
West North East South Result NS EW Freq. NS%
- 1NT Pass 3NT 4♦Xw-2 300 64 50
4♦ x end 4♦Xw-2 300 1 50

What a wild hand to start the game! North opens 1NT, experts in the East chair should know better than to come in on junk like this, and South bids 3NT confidently. West is expected to pass quietly 99 times out of 100, but this is that rare occasion where bidding seems a good bet. North doubles and South has no reason to pull: 430 might be a possibility but 500 is more likely. North leads a club and South's king drops West's queen. South switches to a spade, ruffed by West, who continues with a low heart. North wins and plays the T♣, dummy and South covering, and West ruffs again. A second heart is led and North plays low, allowing South to win the king. This is the type of situation that should turn the surface temperature of your chair up to 500 degrees. If you don't lead a trump at this point, West escapes for down only one!! West ruffs any black card in hand, ruffs his third heart in dummy, and ruffs another black card back to his hand, losing only a trump, a club, and two hearts. South should really lead the T♦ at trick two, based on the auction alone. 7-5-1-0 is about normal for intervening into a 1NT-3NT auction. Two good questions that will have been answered today: 1) how many mentees will be brave enough to bid 4♦? 2) How many mentors will sit there calmly when 4♦ comes out of partner's box, without grimacing or rolling their eyes? If North or South tries 4NT, a diamond lead beats it: West must duck the nine of diamonds, even if dummy covers, and North has no play for ten tricks: three spades, three hearts, and one diamond means three club tricks are required. The only play for three club tricks is to duck the first round: any other play requires three outside dummy entries and there are only two. But ducking the first club will not work if West wins and has six diamonds ready to cash!
RESULT: 4DXw-2, 300NS, 50%


Board #1  NorthSouth East  West 
Highcard Pts.:1513210
Freakness:02611
Tricks Available In:
Notrump:8162
Spades:11754
Hearts:1011212
Diamonds:811212
Clubs:11512

Six-Packs
(First 6 calls)

Opening
Leads

1NTn;3NTs;4♦w;Dbl-n;End x 64

T♣ x 40
Q♦ x 23
7♣ x 1

123456789012345678901234567890
Board North N-S vul
East dealer
2 J83
QT5
West 7 East
Q5 AJT872 T72
AJ976432 8
K5 South AQJ98
3 AK964 KQ65
November 26, 2016 K
T6432
94
123456789012345678901234567890
A Sample Auction: What The Computers Did:
West North East South Result NS EW Freq. NS%
- - 1♦ 1♠ 4♥w-2 100 51 60
3♥ Pass 3♠[stopper ask] 4♥w-2 100 1 60
Pass 4♥ end 4♥w-1 50 13 9

After East opens 1♦ and South overcalls 1♠, 2♥ is forcing but 3♥ is a better, more descriptive call, and the jump may keep North from muddling the auction further. East bids 3♠ to suggest notrump if West has a stopper, and West bids 4♥. The 7♦ lead seals West's fate, although to West it looks like the deal of the century. But when West wins the K♦ and leads another back, hoping to get rid of the club loser on the third round, the roof caves in and poor West has a trump, a ruff, two spades and a club to lose. Playing ace and another trump is no better when trumps turn up 3-1. North still gets to ruff a diamond and the defense gets the same tricks. Unlucky, but common, so no great loss in matchpoints.
RESULT: 4Hw-2, 100NS, 40%


Board #2  NorthSouth East  West 
Highcard Pts.:8101210
Freakness:5649
Tricks Available In:
Notrump:711212
Spades:1155
Hearts:81612
Diamonds:77125
Clubs:81612

Six-Packs
(First 6 calls)

Opening
Leads

1♦e;1♠s;2♥w;2♠n;4♥w;End x 44
1♦e;1♠s;2♥w;2♠n;Dbl-e;4♥w x 20

3♠ x 48
7♦ x 16

123456789012345678901234567890
Board North E-W vul
South dealer
3 AQ9
854
West KQ962 East
76 K432
AQ32 96
AT73 South J54
KJ943 JT8765 AQ82
November 26, 2016 KJT7
8
T5
123456789012345678901234567890
A Sample Auction: What The Computers Did:
West North East South Result NS EW Freq. NS%
- - - Pass 5♣w= 600 58 55
1♦ Pass 1♠ Pass 5♣w+1 620 6 5
2♣ Pass 3♣ Pass 6♣w= 370 1 0
3♥ Pass 5♦ Pass
6♣ end

What a deal! I am all set to open 1♣ in second seat when it hits me that I have no easy rebid if partner responds 1♠, which is the most likely response based on my distribution. 2♦ or 2♥ would be a reverse and promise about an ace more than a minimum opener. Do I have an opener if my A♥ or A♦ is a small heart or diamond? No, so not enough strength to reverse. I certainly cannot rebid 1NT with a spade void, and 2♣ as a rebid seems kind of weak with two other four-card suits. So I open 1♦ instead and rebid 2♣ over partner's expected 1♠ response. Surprise: partner raises clubs: now what? I decide on a 3♥ call, to suggest notrump if partner can bid it. Partner instead leaps to 5♦, which likely shows 5=1=3=4 or 4=2=3=4 distribution. (Read that sentence again after I tell you that distributions with equals signs indicate not general shapes but specific suits: 4=1=4=4 is specifically a singleton heart.) It doesn't often happen that opening the wrong minor to avoid a rebid problem leads to partner picking the wrong suit, but this is that case, and since 5♦ is unlikley to make I need to correct to 6♣. The opening lead is a heart and I set about crossruffing after crossing to dummy at trick two with a trump. I ruff a spade, cash a heart and ruff one, ruff a second spade, ruff my last heart (noting that North discards a diamond), then ruff a third spade with the K♣, dropping North's ace. North began with three hearts and three spades. I need clubs to break 2-2 to make this, so I lead my J♣ to dummy's queen, and clubs do break. North began with 2=3=3=5 and pitched a diamond on fourth heart, which means North's last four cards are diamonds, South starting with only one...and I'm home! I cash the king of spades and lead a diamond from dummy: if South plays an honour I will win and lead a diamond through North toward the jack. South plays low and I put in the ten. North wins and is endplayed into giving me the last two tricks, and all the matchpoints!
RESULT: 6Cw=, 1370EW, 100%


Board #3  NorthSouth East  West 
Highcard Pts.:1151014
Freakness:2616
Tricks Available In:
Notrump:111212
Spades:111212
Hearts:17412
Diamonds:9925
Clubs:81246

Six-Packs
(First 6 calls)

Opening
Leads

1♣w;1♦n;1♠e;2♣w;3♣e;3♥w x 61
1♣w;1♦n;1♠e;2♣w;3♣e;4♦w x 3

K♦ x 60
5♥ x 2
7♣ x 1
Q♦ x 1

123456789012345678901234567890
Board North Both vul
West dealer
4 K3
873
West K62 East
Q864 K5432 92
QJ62 KT4
AJ54 South QT87
8 AJT75 AJT6
November 26, 2016 A95
93
Q97
123456789012345678901234567890
A Sample Auction: What The Computers Did:
West North East South Result NS EW Freq. NS%
Pass Pass Pass 1♠ 1NTn= 90 22 56
Pass 1NT end 1NTn-1 100 17 25
1NTn+1 120 17 88
1NTn-2 200 8 5
1NTn= 90 1 56

Most players will be familiar with the Cassino count or Pearson points, which answers the question "when should I open in fourth seat as opposed to passing a hand out?" with the simple answer "count your points, add your spades; pass with 14 or less, otherwise make your normal opening." So I open 1♠ in fourth seat and partner bids 1NT, which I am happy to pass, since 1NT over 1♠ can be made on a hand with zero spades. (ALERT: When you play computer bridge, your computer partner usually goes for a snack and lets you declare, so I am placed in the North seat when the auction ends.) East leads a diamond and West takes the ace. A second diamond comes back and I duck again, uncertain whether this is right, since a switch to hearts will not be good for me. East wins the Q♦ and returns...the 9♠! This is a good development! I cover with the ten and capture West's Q♠ with dummy's king. Five tricks are assured, three spades, a heart and a diamond, and maybe a fourth spade will be available, so I try for a crucial seventh trick by attacking clubs, leading low from dummy towards my hand. My queen wins and I would like to lead the next spade from dummy and finesse the 7 in case East has led the 9 from 98x or 98xx. So I continue clubs and duck in dummy when I discover the bad break. East is in and continues diamonds, giving me an entry to dummy to take the finesse of the 7♠, which loses. West cashes a fourth diamond and for some reason is still afraid to break hearts, so a spade lead gives me seven winners, four spades, a heart, a club, and a diamond. Good score! Both East and West feared that the North hand had the hearts that turned out to be in their partner's hand. By the time West got in with the 8♠, North had shown the K♠ and the K♦ and had led a club towards dummy's queen, a play no declarer would make without the king or the ace in hand. So at that point North's hand was at its maximum and West should have switched to hearts. But by then it was too late, declarer had seven tricks!
RESULT: 1Nn=, 90NS, 56%


Board #4  NorthSouth East  West 
Highcard Pts.:9111010
Freakness:2213
Tricks Available In:
Notrump:711212
Spades:1166
Hearts:711212
Diamonds:81126
Clubs:81412

Six-Packs
(First 6 calls)

Opening
Leads

1♠s;1NTn;End x 64

7♦ x 49
J♣ x 15

123456789012345678901234567890
Board North N-S vul
North dealer
5 QJ975
Q32
West AQJ East
K42 KT 83
A87 KJ95
74 South 85
AJ763 AT6 98542
November 26, 2016 T64
KT9632
Q
123456789012345678901234567890
A Sample Auction: What The Computers Did:
West North East South Result NS EW Freq. NS%
- 1NT Pass 3NT 3NTn-1 100 24 60
end 3NTn-4 400 16 12
3NTn+2 660 10 93
3NTn-2 200 6 37
3NTn-3 300 5 28
3NTn= 600 2 81
3NTn+1 630 1 84
3NT= 600 1 81

JACK chooses the 9♥ as the opening lead, a strange choice and I fall for it, switching to the A♣ and another after winning my A♥. This defense pretty much telegraphs that I have the K♠ and clubs to cash, so declarer takes the six diamonds and two black aces and exits stage right for a decent score. Many pairs are trying the spade finesse, a 50% play for nine tricks but one which may leave you with very few tricks if the finesse loses. On a normal lead of small heart to the ace and a heart back, East gets three more tricks and then continues with a club. Finessing spades now leads to down four!
RESULT: 3Nn=, 100EW, 39%


Board #5  NorthSouth East  West 
Highcard Pts.:159412
Freakness:2532
Tricks Available In:
Notrump:88126
Spades:71512
Hearts:11125
Diamonds:1144
Clubs:991212

Six-Packs
(First 6 calls)

Opening
Leads

1NTn;3NTs;End x 64

5♥ x 27
8♣ x 23
8♠ x 10
J♥ x 3
8♦ x 1

123456789012345678901234567890
Board North E-W vul
East dealer
6 KT953
4
West A54 East
Q82 9653 J76
AKQT9 J653
J83 South KQ
J8 A4 AQ72
November 26, 2016 872
T9762
KT4
123456789012345678901234567890
A Sample Auction: What The Computers Did:
West North East South Result NS EW Freq. NS%
- - 1♣ Pass 4♥w-1 100 37 35
1♥ 1♠ 2♥ Pass 4♥w-2 200 21 84
4♥ end 4♥w-2 200 1 84
3NTw-1 100 3 35
3NTw= 600 2 2
4♥w= 620 1 0

Not much to the auction. Partner raises hearts and West has an opening strength hand, 4♥ is the obvious bid to make. The 6♣ is the opening lead and it is quickly seen that South has the king of clubs: the 6♣ cannot be fourth best from KT96, the correct lead from that holding is the ten. We have two spades and a diamond to lose, so losing to the K♣ at trick one puts us in danger, but maybe something good will happen.... Wrong! I should have cut my losses, won the ace and pulled trumps. The defenders switch to spades after winning the king of clubs and eventually get the four tricks I feared, plus a spade ruff. My bad.
RESULT: 4Hw-2, 200NS, 16%


Board #6  NorthSouth East  West 
Highcard Pts.:771313
Freakness:4212
Tricks Available In:
Notrump:171212
Spades:111212
Hearts:7756
Diamonds:18125
Clubs:81126

Six-Packs
(First 6 calls)

Opening
Leads

1♣e;1♥w;1♠n;2♥e;4♥w;End x 59
1♣e;1♥w;1♠n;2♥e;3NTw;End x 5

4♥ x 32
9♠ x 15
6♣ x 10
4♦ x 4
5♠ x 2
A♦ x 1

123456789012345678901234567890
Board North Both vul
South dealer
7 AT7
QT8
West A East
K9542 AT9654 Q83
73 J652
K942 South J76
82 J6 KQ7
November 26, 2016 AK94
QT853
J3
123456789012345678901234567890
A Sample Auction: What The Computers Did:
West North East South Result NS EW Freq. NS%
- - - 1♦ 3NTn+1 630 63 51
Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥ 3NTn+1 630 1 51
Pass 2♠[4th suit game 3NTn-2 200 1 0
forcing] Pass 3♦ Pass
3NT end

I have some sympathy if you passed in the South chair, it is a minimum opener. If you did you should still get to 3NT without interference, probably via 1♣ - 1♦, 2♣ - 2♥, 2NT - 3NT. Most will open 1♦ as dealer, and my auction is different from the computers, who do not want to introduce the heart suit after 1♦ - 2♣. But when partner responds 2♣ it does not rule out the possibility of four hearts and five or more clubs, and after a two-over-one response a reverse to 2♥ is not a big deal. Partner will not be pressured into preferring diamonds at the three level after showing enough strength to make a two-over-one response. 3NT on a spade lead is easy: two spades, three hearts, a club and a diamond on top leave two tricks to be developed and the natural suit to attack is clubs, so I take over the North chair (computers allow their human partners to switch seats when they become declarer) and capture West's K♠ with the ace, leaving J♠ singleton and T7♠ in hand as a stopper. I cross to dummy in hearts and run the J♣. East wins and leads a heart sround to the ten. Crossing again to dummy to take a second finesse could be dangerous if East has both club honours, so I simply play A♣ and another club. East wins, cashes the Q♠ and I have the rest for a routine result that should be matched at most tables.
RESULT: 3NTn+1, 630NS, 51%


Board #7  NorthSouth East  West 
Highcard Pts.:141196
Freakness:5303
Tricks Available In:
Notrump:7834
Spades:91063
Hearts:101125
Diamonds:111212
Clubs:111212

Six-Packs
(First 6 calls)

Opening
Leads

1♦s;2♣n;2♦s;3NTn;End x 64

2♥ x 52
3♠ x 12

123456789012345678901234567890
Board North None vul
West dealer
8 AQT942
KQ2
West A5 East
76 T5 J853
JT543 A8
K84 South QJT63
A72 K Q8
November 26, 2016 976
972
KJ9643
123456789012345678901234567890
A Sample Auction: What The Computers Did:
West North East South Result NS EW Freq. NS%
Pass 1♠ 2♦ Pass 3♦e-2 100 25 80
3♦ end 3♦e-2 100 1 80
3♦e-1 50 24 41
3♦e+1 130 5 3
3♦e= 110 5 11
3♠n-1 50 4 20
4♠n-2 100 1 16

Partner overcalls LHO's 1♠ opener with 2♦ and the question is whether to raise or pass with the West hand. If I pass and North competes with 2♠ I will bid on, and it seems unlikely to die at 2♦, so why not? 3♦, once partner leaves to let me switch seats and declare, is not easy. The K♠ wins the first trick and the 6♦ wins the second! (I leave it to the reader to work out the other cards that must have been played to trick two.) Hoping for spade ruffs in dummy, I lead a spade to trick three, won by North as South discards the 9♥. North continues with the A♦ and then the A♠, ruffed in dummy with the K♦. That's three spades to lose now that dummy is out of trumps, and a likely heart, and a diamond, already down one. I lead a small club toward the Q♣, hoping that North will duck, but South has it and I am down two for a poor score ... -100 beats only those few allowed to play and make 2♠.
RESULT: 3De-2, 100NS, 20%


Board #8  NorthSouth East  West 
Highcard Pts.:157108
Freakness:4532
Tricks Available In:
Notrump:811212
Spades:1154
Hearts:911212
Diamonds:81126
Clubs:11612

Six-Packs
(First 6 calls)

Opening
Leads

1♠n;2♦e;3♦w;End x 58
1♠n;2♦e;3♦w;3♠n;End x 4
1♠n;2♦e;3♦w;3♠n;4♠s;End x 1
1♠n;2♦e;2♠n;3♦w;End x 1

K♠ x 59
Q♦ x 5

123456789012345678901234567890
Board North E-W vul
North dealer
9 JT654
9
West AQJ East
A3 K874 K872
JT53 AK4
T8 South K972
AQJT3 Q9 96
November 26, 2016 Q8762
6543
52
123456789012345678901234567890
A Sample Auction: What The Computers Did:
West North East South Result NS EW Freq. NS%
- 1♠ Pass Pass 3NTe+2 660 36 27
2♣ Pass 2NT Pass 3NTe-1 100 15 89
3NT end 2NTe+3 210 4 71
3NTe= 600 4 65
3NTe+1 630 3 59
3NTe+1 630 1 59
2NTe+1 150 1 75
2NTe= 120 1 77

Tip: when an opponent opens the bidding, 24 or even 23 combined will be enough for 3NT, since you can place most of the missing high cards. This makes raising 2NT to 3NT easy, but I don't play it very well. With 15 points missing and North having opened, the K♣ and A♦ almost certainly must be in the North hand, so I win the low heart lead in dummy and play ace and another club, and when North wins the king I have two spades, three hearts and four clubs. North's J♦ return is won by my K♦ in dummy and I am happy with ten tricks, only to discover that most of the computers made eleven. That is almost as baffling as the computer claiming that 3NT can be defeated by best defense.
RESULT: 3NTe+1, 630EW, 44%


Board #9  NorthSouth East  West 
Highcard Pts.:1141312
Freakness:4313
Tricks Available In:
Notrump:111212
Spades:111212
Hearts:18512
Diamonds:8834
Clubs:91055

Six-Packs
(First 6 calls)

Opening
Leads

1♠n;2♣w;2NTe;3NTw;End x 58
1♠n;2♣w;2NTe;End x 6

6♥ x 40
Q♠ x 22
5♦ x 2

123456789012345678901234567890
Board North Both vul
East dealer
10 9
9843
West T432 East
J543 Q982 AKQT82
KJ7 52
K987 South AQJ
J4 76 AK
November 26, 2016 AQT6
65
T7653
123456789012345678901234567890
A Sample Auction: What The Computers Did:
West North East South Result NS EW Freq. NS%
- - 2♣ Pass 6♠e= 430 60 52
2♦ Pass 2♠ Pass 6NTw= 440 4 2
3♠ Pass 4♣[cuebid] Pass 4♠e+2 680 1 100
4♠ end

The slam here is at least 75%; the only way it can be beaten is if South leads a heart and North has both the ace and the queen. Any other lead allows East to win six spades, four diamonds, and two clubs. The question is, how did we not get there? The 2♦ response followed by a raise promised some values, and a jump to 4♠ would show less than 3♠. But when East cuebids clubs, West has no first round control and must go back to 4♠, and East cannot make a move with two quick heart losers. One way out is for West to bid 5♠ instead of 4♠. Another way which may not fit some systems is for West to respond 2NT, not 2♦. This call shows 8 or more points and no decent five-card major, but has been discarded by many in favour of the '2♥ negative' structure, which makes an immediate 2NT response a positive with hearts. As you can see from the six-packs, the computers all responded 2NT which led to our bottom board on this one.
RESULT: 4Se+2, 680EW, 0%


Board #10  NorthSouth East  West 
Highcard Pts.:26239
Freakness:3341
Tricks Available In:
Notrump:111212
Spades:111212
Hearts:112112
Diamonds:111266
Clubs:7721

Six-Packs
(First 6 calls)

Opening
Leads

2♣e;2NTw;3♠e;4NTw;5♠e;6♠w x 49
2♣e;2NTw;3♠e;4♠w;4NTe;5♣w x 14
2♣e;2NTw;3♠e;4NTw;5♠e;5NTw x 1

A♥ x 52
5♣ x 6
2♦ x 2
6♦ x 2
8♥ x 1
2♣ x 1

123456789012345678901234567890
Board North None vul
South dealer
11 AJ843
764
West AKQ6 East
6 8 75
9 AKJ8
97542 South JT3
AK9752 KQT92 JT43
November 26, 2016 QT532
8
Q6
123456789012345678901234567890
A Sample Auction: What The Computers Did:
West North East South Result NS EW Freq. NS%
- - - Pass 5♣Xw-3 500 31 77
Pass 1♠ Pass 4♠ 5♠n-1 50 23 29
end 5♠n-2 100 7 5
5♣Xw-1 100 2 49
4♠n= 420 1 52
4♠n-1 50 1 29

As you see from the six-packs, the N-S computers are playing Bergen raises, and begin with a 1♠ opener from North and a 3♦ response from South showing a limit raise. I think this is not the best call, and bid 4♠ immediately. The defense is lethal, East beginning with the ace and king of hearts, West playing the nine of hearts at trick one and the nine of clubs at trick two. Even if I let East hold the third trick, this vital signal makes it impossible for East to go wrong at trick four. Down one I go, but we salvage some matchpoints when some of the E-W pairs venture into a sacrifice in clubs.
RESULT: 4Sn-1, 50EW, 29%


Board #11  NorthSouth East  West 
Highcard Pts.:149107
Freakness:4618
Tricks Available In:
Notrump:91412
Spades:19412
Hearts:111212
Diamonds:71512
Clubs:18612

Six-Packs
(First 6 calls)

Opening
Leads

1♠n;3♦s;4♣w;4♠n;5♣e;Dbl-n x 36
1♠n;3♦s;4♣w;4♠n;5♣e;5♠s x 19
1♠n;3♦s;4♣w;4♠n;5♣e;5♠n x 7
1♠n;3♦s;4♠n;5♣w;Dbl-n;End x 1
1♠n;3♦s;4♠n;End x 1

A♦ x 31
A♥ x 25
J♣ x 6
6♥ x 2

123456789012345678901234567890
Board North N-S vul
West dealer
12 AT874
AQJT
West J7 East
QJ9 94 K53
76 98432
AT982 South K6
652 62 QJ8
November 26, 2016 K5
Q543
AKT73
123456789012345678901234567890
A Sample Auction: What The Computers Did:
West North East South Result NS EW Freq. NS%
Pass 1♠ Pass 2♣ 3NTs+2 660 40 69
Pass 2♥ Pass 2NT 3NTs+2 660 1 69
Pass 3♦ Pass 3NT 3NTs= 600 14 18
end 3NTs+1 630 5 33
3NTs-1 100 5 3

3♦, it seems, means 'It sounds like I shouldn't be passing 2NT but I've already shown 5-4 in my two suits, so instead of just bidding 3NT I thought I'd remind you that we might need a diamond stopper to consider that contract.' Exactly what I am supposed to do without one seems unclear. Luckily I have something in diamonds and can bid 3NT confidently. There's a little known bridge term called 'quack' which means 'queen or jack.' When the suit they lead finds dummy and declarer each with holdings headed by the QUACK, it is always right to DUCK, even from a hand with quack-doubleton. On this hand if you contribute the jack from dummy you will have some explaining to do to partner. So the king wins the first trick and a second diamond comes back, West allowing dummy's jack to win. The danger opponent is East, who may lead a diamond through your queen if allowed in (we do not at this point know that East is out of diamonds). If West gets in and leads diamonds your queen will win a trick. This makes the best way to tackle clubs apparent: finesse against East! East covers the 9♣ with the jack; we counter by winning in hand, leading the K♥ and overtaking with the ace in dummy to lead a second club, finessing the ten when East plays low for an easy eleven tricks when clubs break 3-3.
RESULT: 3NTs+2, 660NS, 68%


Board #12  NorthSouth East  West 
Highcard Pts.:121297
Freakness:3322
Tricks Available In:
Notrump:9853
Spades:10843
Hearts:101125
Diamonds:111212
Clubs:111212

Six-Packs
(First 6 calls)

Opening
Leads

1♠n;2♣s;2♥n;2NTs;3♦n;3NTs x 59
1♠n;2♣s;2♥n;2NTs;3NTn;End x 5

T♦ x 59
2♦ x 4
7♥ x 1

123456789012345678901234567890
Board North Both vul
North dealer
13 KT87
52
West JT62 East
Q54 AJ5 J6
T76 A83
Q53 South AK984
9762 A932 QT3
November 26, 2016 KQJ94
7
K84
123456789012345678901234567890
A Sample Auction: What The Computers Did:
West North East South Result NS EW Freq. NS%
- Pass 1♦ x 1NTn+1 120 36 32
Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠ 4♠s= 620 23 82
end 3NTn-1 100 3 2
1NTn+2 150 1 61
3NTn= 600 1 63
4♠n= 620 1 82

I disagree with the computers that the South hand is a 1♥ overcall of 1♦; it seems better to make a takeout double. Partner makes a good 2♠ call, showing 8 or more points, making this an easy game to bid: I have 13 points but this is worth at least 16 or 17 in support of spades. Plus, an opponent having opened the bidding makes cardplacing easier and so the normal target of 26 for a major suit game can be slightly discounted. East leads the ace of diamonds and it looks like I (once again the computer has gone for a silicon break and let me play the hand) have a bit of work to do to avoid a loser in each suit. The work is done for me at trick two, which is won by ... North's 5♣! A spade to the ace and a spade back towards dummy gives me the chance for a safety play when West plays low. If I win the king and East shows out, West has two trump winners. If I finesse and it loses, trumps are 3-2 and can be easily picked up. I lose the finesse to East and the ace of hearts is the only other loser.
RESULT: 4Sn=, 620NS, 82%


Board #13  NorthSouth East  West 
Highcard Pts.:913144
Freakness:1420
Tricks Available In:
Notrump:10745
Spades:7936
Hearts:71126
Diamonds:111212
Clubs:111212

Six-Packs
(First 6 calls)

Opening
Leads

1♦e;1♥s;1NTn;End x 37
1♦e;1♥s;1NTn;2♠s;4♠n;End x 23
1♦e;1♥s;1NTn;2NTs;3NTn;End x 2
1♦e;1♥s;1NTn;2♠s;3NTn;End x 2

8♦ x 22
A♦ x 19
3♦ x 14
7♣ x 7
Q♦ x 2

123456789012345678901234567890
Board North None vul
East dealer
14 QJT5
74
West AK6 East
63 8764 A972
KJ8532 A9
5 South QT974
KJT5 K84 A2
November 26, 2016 QT6
J832
Q93
123456789012345678901234567890
A Sample Auction: What The Computers Did:
West North East South Result NS EW Freq. NS%
- - 1♦ Pass 4♥w+1 450 33 31
1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass 4♥w= 420 27 78
2♥ end 4♥w+2 480 4 2
2♥w+1 140 1 100

Something tells me that few will evaluate the West hand as the computers did and jump rebid 3♥, which JACK claims is supposed to show about 11 points. On this deal, everything goes right for Wests that do so, both the Q♣ and the Q♥ are onside and droppable in three rounds, partner has excellent trump support despite bidding two other suits, no defensive ruffs are possible. It could so easily be so much worse. 3♥ could get you into a world of trouble. Make partner's A♥ the A♦: now what is the best spot? Computers deciding on a rebid with the West hand will deal thousands of hands from the remaining 39 cards and discount those that do not match the bidding, then look at the ones that are left and see what bid covers them best. Maybe there is something to learn here, but my experience tells me that the computer's decision here is optimistic.
RESULT: 2Hw+1, 200EW, 0%


Board #14  NorthSouth East  West 
Highcard Pts.:108148
Freakness:1036
Tricks Available In:
Notrump:111212
Spades:111212
Hearts:18212
Diamonds:81122
Clubs:111155

Six-Packs
(First 6 calls)

Opening
Leads

1♦e;1♥w;1♠e;3♥w;4♥e;End x 64

Q♠ x 29
7♣ x 18
A♦ x 17

123456789012345678901234567890
Board North N-S vul
South dealer
15 Q65
A9763
West QT64 East
9842 5 AJT3
4 QJ
K9852 South J
K87 K7 QT9632
November 26, 2016 KT852
A73
AJ4
123456789012345678901234567890
A Sample Auction: What The Computers Did:
West North East South Result NS EW Freq. NS%
- - - 1♥ 4♥s+1 650 61 48
Pass 3♦[Bergen Rdblaise, 10-12 4♥s+1 650 1 48
and four+ hearts] Pass 4♥s+2 680 3 98
4♥ end

Actually, all of the computers opened the South hand 1NT, which is a scary proposition with 5-2 in the majors. Partner might transfer you to spades and drop you in 2♠ on a 5-2 fit. While this might seem like his only option, it will not be a good score if you've missed a 5-3 fit in hearts. Try not to open 1NT when you have 5-2 in the majors. On this hand, you'll have to rebid 2♥ or 1NT after a 1♠ response, but neither is very bad. Now that we have settled that and told 64 computers they were wrong, my main point here is: Only a computer would make a Bergen Raise with this hand! No declarer wants to see a decent hand with five-card support after stopping in 3♥. Lucky I had extras. I would respond 4♥ with the North hand, as they have been doing since Warren G. Harding was President. And while I'm in a grumpy mood, I should congratulate the wise guys in the computer tournament who put up the Q♦ at trick one, dropping the jack and setting the scene to make twelve tricks when East grabs the ace of spades at trick two hoping for a club entry and a diamond ruff. Thanks to you visionaries I am below average on this board. Most of the time your play would get the king from East and you'd be happy with 620. Grrr!
RESULT: 4Hs+1, 650NS, 48%


Board #15  NorthSouth East  West 
Highcard Pts.:815116
Freakness:4264
Tricks Available In:
Notrump:1826
Spades:9111212
Hearts:17125
Diamonds:11512
Clubs:18126

Six-Packs
(First 6 calls)

Opening
Leads

1NTs;2♦n;3♥s;4♥n;End x 64

8♠ x 39
5♦ x 13
7♣ x 12

123456789012345678901234567890
Board North E-W vul
West dealer
16 AKT42
6
West 73 East
7 JT754 986
AQ72 KJT9543
K96 South JT2
AKQ96 QJ53
November 26, 2016 8
AQ854
832
123456789012345678901234567890
A Sample Auction: What The Computers Did:
West North East South Result NS EW Freq. NS%
1♣ 1♠ 4♥ 4♠ 5♥e= 650 62 52
5♥ end 5♥e+1 680 2 2
5♥e+1 680 1 2

East's leap to 4♥ in competition doesn't show much when a negative double and a 2♠ cuebid were available, but it seems obvious to push on after South bids 4♠. The play is over quickly after North overtakes South's opening lead of the Q♠ and switches to a club. When South follows, West should be able to claim the rest, saving a bunch of time. Can you see the twelve tricks you have been handed on this start? A♣ pitching a diamond, A♥ Q♥ (just in case trumps are 2-0), two more high clubs pitching diamonds, and cross ruff the rest. A look at dummy should have convinced North that it was diamond tricks that could disappear, not club tricks. North's overtake and switch works if East has no diamonds, but fails when East has no clubs. Oops.
RESULT: 5He+1, 680EW, 98%


Board #16  NorthSouth East  West 
Highcard Pts.:89518
Freakness:6484
Tricks Available In:
Notrump:811212
Spades:11612
Hearts:11612
Diamonds:1762
Clubs:1171212

Six-Packs
(First 6 calls)

Opening
Leads

1♣w;1♠n;4♥e;4♠s;5♥w;End x 64

Q♠ x 56
3♠ x 4
A♦ x 4

123456789012345678901234567890
Board North None vul
North dealer
17 AJ9
QJ54
West T85 East
642 K53 K83
96 A32
AK97 South 642
A962 QT75 QJT4
November 26, 2016 KT87
QJ3
87
123456789012345678901234567890
A Sample Auction: What The Computers Did:
West North East South Result NS EW Freq. NS%
- Pass Pass Pass Passed Out 64 50
Pass Passed Out 1 50

As noted earlier, points plus spades after three passes is known as Pierson Points or Cassino Count or the Rule of 15 (15 or more spades plus points is enough to open), depending on what side of the Atlantic you get your bridge information from. But American expert Larry Cohen has an interesting idea. He says forget about the points and spades: if your opponents are good players, pass it out: why fight good players for a score when almost certainly you will get something middlish for passing. But if your opponents are "Schlemiel and Schlemazel," open the bidding and let your advantage guide you. Interesting idea. Larry wants this immortalized as CRIFS (Cohen's Rule In Fourth Seat) since "My former bridge partner, Marty Bergen, has eleven conventions named after him and I want one.". I'm happy to take an average against the computers whenever I can get one...
RESULT: Passed Out, 0NS, 50%


Board #17  NorthSouth East  West 
Highcard Pts.:1181011
Freakness:0101
Tricks Available In:
Notrump:71512
Spades:18612
Hearts:11612
Diamonds:87512
Clubs:18512

Six-Packs
(First 6 calls)

Opening
Leads

Passed Out x 64

2♥h x 64

123456789012345678901234567890
Board North N-S vul
East dealer
18 K632
Q3
West T3 East
J875 KQJ75 QT4
K86 J952
J86 South AQ74
943 A9 86
November 26, 2016 AT74
K952
AT2
123456789012345678901234567890
A Sample Auction: What The Computers Did:
West North East South Result NS EW Freq. NS%
- - Pass 1NT 3NTs+1 630 56 55
Pass 2♣[Stayman] Pass 2♥ 3NTs+1 630 1 55
Pass 3NT end 3NTs= 600 7 5
3NTs+2 660 1 100

Time to visit the snacks table after a round with a passout and a routine ten tricks. A Stayman auction gets North-South to 3NT, and West is on lead. West decides to lead a minot suit, since declarer and dummy have indicated four-card majors. His partner might have doubled 2♣ for a lead, so he settles on a diamond, like the majority of the rest of the field...and promptly hands South a ninth trick. A tenth comes at trick three when he tries a heart and the queen wins. Most of the room should be making ten tricks without too much effort.
RESULT: 3NTs+1, 630NS, 55%


Board #18  NorthSouth East  West 
Highcard Pts.:111595
Freakness:3110
Tricks Available In:
Notrump:9943
Spades:10942
Hearts:111124
Diamonds:111212
Clubs:111212

Six-Packs
(First 6 calls)

Opening
Leads

1NTs;2♣n;2♥s;3NTn;End x 64

6♦ x 31
9♣ x 23
J♦ x 3
8♦ x 3
6♥ x 2
4♣ x 2

123456789012345678901234567890
Board North E-W vul
South dealer
19 84
J82
West QT73 East
AJT92 QJT8 KQ6
A4 765
A96 South J854
AK7 753 962
November 26, 2016 KQT93
K2
543
123456789012345678901234567890
A Sample Auction: What The Computers Did:
West North East South Result NS EW Freq. NS%
- - - Pass 3NTw= 600 45 64
1♠ Pass 2♠ Pass 3NTw+1 630 13 19
4♠ end 3NTw+2 660 6 4
4♠w-1 100 1 100

As we've seen, I'm OK with opening 1NT with 5-3 in the majors, but I dislike opening 1NT with 5-2 in the majors, because partner blindly insists on our 5-2 fit when we have a 5-3 fit in the other major. 2NT openers seem to suffer from the same problem: if I open the West hand 2NT and East transfer drops me in 3♥, holding five hearts and three spades, I'm going to wish I opened 1♠. So I open 1♠ and this time 4♠ is a disaster: nine top tricks and no chance at a tenth. I will lose to every computer that opens this hand 2NT and plays in 3NT unless I can make this. I win the club lead, cash a high spade in dummy, duck a heart, win the club return, cash the A♥, cross to dummy with a second trump, and ruff a heart in hand. Now I exit with a club to North, hoping that South has the extra trump and some sort of endplay is on. I've been careful to win the first two trump tricks in dummy, so that if North exits now with a diamond to South's king, I can win, pull the last trump, and lead a diamond towards the jack. But there is a flaw in this plan: North exits with the thirteenth club and dummy's 6♠ is not quite high enough. South overruffs with the 7♠ and I am down one for a bottom.
RESULT: 4Sw-1, 100NS, 0%


Board #19  NorthSouth East  West 
Highcard Pts.:68620
Freakness:1202
Tricks Available In:
Notrump:111212
Spades:111212
Hearts:110412
Diamonds:99512
Clubs:1843

Six-Packs
(First 6 calls)

Opening
Leads

2NTw;3NTe;End x 64

Q♣ x 64

123456789012345678901234567890
Board North Both vul
West dealer
20
Q72
West AKJ974 East
AQ8 J753 KJ964
AK865 J43
8 South QT
AQT6 T7532 942
November 26, 2016 T9
6532
K8
123456789012345678901234567890
A Sample Auction: What The Computers Did:
West North East South Result NS EW Freq. NS%
1♥ 2♦ 2♥ Pass 4♥w= 620 46 64
3♦ Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥w= 620 1 64
4♣ Pass 4♥ end 4♥w+1 650 18 13

Hoping for partner to help me out with a cuebid, I bid the opponents suit, but partner has nothing to say and we end up in 4♥. North leads the A♦ and switches to a club. Something seem fishy about this, so I win and play two rounds of trumps, then the A♠. North discards, spades are 5-0. It looks like the Q♥ is with North, but when I get to the last round of spades, South covers with the ten, I ruff, and LHO overruffs! A diamond forces me to ruff with my last trump and I have to give South a club at the end, as well as some respect for good defending.
RESULT: 4Hw=, 620EW, 36%


Board #20  NorthSouth East  West 
Highcard Pts.:113719
Freakness:7324
Tricks Available In:
Notrump:191212
Spades:111212
Hearts:1964
Diamonds:1743
Clubs:109124

Six-Packs
(First 6 calls)

Opening
Leads

1♥w;2♦n;2♥e;4♥w;End x 64

A♦ x 62
3♣ x 2

123456789012345678901234567890
Board North N-S vul
North dealer
21 K93
J754
West 3 East
AJ762 AKJ64 QT
A3 QT96
QT72 South A964
53 854 Q72
November 26, 2016 K82
KJ85
T98
123456789012345678901234567890
A Sample Auction: What The Computers Did:
West North East South Result NS EW Freq. NS%
- 1♣ Pass 1♦ 2♠w= 110 29 34
1♠ Pass 1NT end 1NTe= 90 20 77
1NTe= 90 1 77
2♠w+1 140 5 3
1NTe+1 120 3 9
2♠w-1 50 3 97
2♣n-1 100 2 59
2NTe-1 50 1 97
2♥e-1 50 1 97

It seems a normal 1♠ overcall and I take the minority view of leaving partner's 1NT in, a few more of the computers converting to 2♠ and hoping partner doesn't have a singleton trump, which sometimes happens. The T♣ is the opening lead, and North wins and leads a small club back. I guess correctly to play the queen (if East started with KTx or KTxx we might have seen a 2♣ call), and take the losing spade finesse. Three clubs follow but I have seven tricks and chances at an eighth, but when the K♦ is also offside I settle for seven. The lucky pairs who played 2♠ and enjoyed the 3-3 split leave me with a poor score.
RESULT: 1NTe=, 90EW, 23%


Board #21  NorthSouth East  West 
Highcard Pts.:1271011
Freakness:4013
Tricks Available In:
Notrump:111212
Spades:11126
Hearts:78612
Diamonds:97126
Clubs:7145

Six-Packs
(First 6 calls)

Opening
Leads

1♣n;1♦s;1♠w;1NTe;2♠w;End x 27
1♣n;1♦s;1♠w;1NTe;End x 23
1♣n;1♦s;1♠w;1NTe;2♣n;2♥e x 5
1♣n;1♦s;1♠w;1NTe;2♣n;2♠e x 4
1♣n;1♦s;1♠w;1NTe;2♣n;2♦w x 2
1♣n;1♦s;1♠w;1NTe;2♣n;End x 2
1♣n;1♦s;1♠w;1NTe;2♣n;2♠w x 1

3♦ x 26
T♣ x 25
A♣ x 11
Q♠ x 2

123456789012345678901234567890
Board North E-W vul
East dealer
22 KT52
K763
West East
86 JT632 Q9
JT42 AQ95
K7652 South T4
KQ AJ743 98754
November 26, 2016 8
AQJ983
A
123456789012345678901234567890
A Sample Auction: What The Computers Did:
West North East South Result NS EW Freq. NS%
- - Pass 1♦ 6♠s-3 150 26 20
Pass 1♥ Pass 2♠ 6♠s= 980 21 74
Pass 3♠ Pass 4♣[cuebid] 6♠s= 980 1 74
Pass 4♦[cuebid] Pass 4NT 6♠s-2 100 9 48
Pass 5♦[1 keycard] Pass 6♠s+1 1010 6 96
6♠ end 6♠s-1 50 1 56

An interesting slam hand to end the set. I hope there are no exclusive five-card-majors people out there: if you opened the South hand 1♠, you must instruct your partner to alert and say when asked that you may have as many as eight clubs or diamonds!! We still open our longest suit and clarify what we have with a good descriptive rebid. In this case 2♠ fits the bill, and partner's raise to 3♠ sets the ball rolling. The lead is the K♣ and the best play seems to be to crossruff until the Q♣ drops and then pull trumps, pitch a heart on a good club, and claim, giving up a diamond. It takes only three tricks for the Q♣ to appear, and trumps break 2-2, so all is well.
RESULT: 6Ss=, 980NS, 74%


Board #22  NorthSouth East  West 
Highcard Pts.:71689
Freakness:6833
Tricks Available In:
Notrump:121165
Spades:8716
Hearts:71124
Diamonds:111212
Clubs:111212

Six-Packs
(First 6 calls)

Opening
Leads

1♦s;1♥n;2♠s;3♠n;4♣s;4♦n x 63

K♣ x 62
2♥ x 1

123456789012345678901234567890

 
123456789012345678901234567890