Van Learners Bridge Results

April 22, 2024



Section X  North-South
VanLearners Monday Eve Session April 22, 2024
Leaders after  7 rounds  Average:   42.0
Place   Pct   Score  Pair
  1   64.88   54.50   X-3   Pam Tomlins - Tim Tomlins
  2   63.10   53.00   X-4   Barbara Spitz - Jill Price
  3   55.36   46.50   X-2   Diane O'Connor - John Fraser
  4   54.17   45.50   X-7   Zdenka Buric - Marcia Smith
  5   48.21   40.50   X-8   Alexa Allen - Lesley MacKay
  6   44.64   37.50   X-6   Howard Raphael - Jill Raphael
  7   36.90   31.00   X-1   Joan Christensen - Andrew Mason
  8   32.74   27.50   X-5   Ruth Castellino - Doug MacDougall

Section X  East-West
VanLearners Monday Eve Session April 22, 2024
Leaders after  7 rounds  Average:   42.0
Place   Pct   Score  Pair
  1   59.52   50.00   X-7   Alex Douglas - Vicki Torbett
  2   57.14   48.00   X-5   Linda Collins - Kelly Anderson
  3   56.55   47.50   X-8   Curtis Ballard - Elizabeth Ballard
  4   51.19   43.00   X-3   Brenda MacLean-Longpre - Cindy Chan
  5   50.00   42.00   X-6   Diane Hardouin - Myrna Halpenny
  6   48.81   41.00   X-1   Niamh Kelly - Jacquie Brown
  7   45.24   38.00   X-2   Bob Matthews - Judy Day
  8   31.55   26.50   X-4   Donna Bridgeman - Ian Humphreys

Congrats to the winners!

Didn't do as well as you hoped? Don't worry; there is a large luck factor in short sessions, so there are increased chances of scores outside the normal range of about 35-65%. Things tend to even out over time, but less time means less even-ing out! The important thing is to have fun and let the learning happen by gaining experience as declarer, defender, and even as dummy, and perhaps by reading a little about the hands below!

Our game results are posted online at ACBL Live For Clubs, shortly after the main game ends.

The deals tonight are from the April 1 open game.

Below is a full-colour screen version of the comments for each hand. This works best if you have kept score and brought your scorecard home with you so you can check your results against the hand records and see where there is room for improvement. You will find that the simple act of writing down the score on each hand (good or bad) serves as a sort of marker inside your memory that helps you recall later what the issues you thought about while playing that hand were. It's much easier to remember if you have taken the few seconds to write in the contract and the score than to rely on getting your results off the internet. Something happens in those few seconds inside our brains and you'll be surprised at how much you can remember later with the help of a well-filled scoresheet. More on this here

 
Jump to Board # ...  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  
 
Board 1
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎QJ6 Vulnerable:
North♥︎6 None
♦︎T976
♣︎JT542
WEST EAST
♠︎K82 ♠︎AT954
♥︎Q98 ♥︎J432
♦︎AJ432 ♦︎KQ5
♣︎87 ♣︎9
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎73 Tricks:
4 ♥︎AKT75 NSEW
10 10 ♦︎8NT6666
16 ♣︎AKQ63♠︎3388
♥︎6655
N-S and E-W each have 20 combined points♦︎5588
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎101022
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
4♣︎sK♠︎= 130
3♣︎s2♠︎= 110
2♦︎w6♥︎+1 110
 
North and East pass and South opens 1♥︎. West passes and North does as well; East balances with a 1♠︎ call. South continues with a 2♣︎ call and West supports spades at the 2-level, but North bids 3♣︎ and there it ends. 3♣︎ makes ten tricks easily, with only two spades and a diamond to lose. Things might be different if East manages to open 1♠︎ or West finds a 2♦︎ overcall of South's 1♥︎ opener, but most will not and North-South will prevail in their ten-card club fit.
 
 
Jump to Board # ...  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  
 
Board 2
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎- Vulnerable:
East♥︎KQ3 North-South
♦︎K532
♣︎AKQT63
WEST EAST
♠︎A43 ♠︎KT97
♥︎J852 ♥︎A6
♦︎J87 ♦︎AT96
♣︎942 ♣︎J85
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎QJ8652 Tricks:
17 ♥︎T974 NSEW
6 12 ♦︎Q4NT7744
5 ♣︎7♠︎8855
♥︎8844
N-S have 22 combined points♦︎7756
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎9944
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
3♣︎nA♥︎+1 130
3♣︎nA♥︎+1 130
3♠︎sJ♦︎-1 100
 
East opens 1♦︎ and as South I would consider, but eventually not make, a pre-emptive 2♠︎ call. Why not? It is a bit weak at unfavourable vulnerability, and it runs the risk of finding partner with hearts but not spades. Best to pass and let partner decide whether to get into this auction or not. South might get a second chance to bid spades later. West responds 1♥︎ and North gets into the auction with a 2♣︎ overcall. East passes and so does South. West might think about bidding on, but nothing is very safe: 2♦︎ might catch partner with only three or four, so passing is best. It turns out that East-West cannot make much of anything and the East-West objective is to hold clubs to nine tricks by getting red suit tricks in the final stages of the play.
 
 
Jump to Board # ...  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  
 
Board 3
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎AJT9642 Vulnerable:
South♥︎AQ East-West
♦︎J3
♣︎Q6
WEST EAST
♠︎KQ7 ♠︎5
♥︎JT87 ♥︎K9
♦︎Q972 ♦︎A864
♣︎K4 ♣︎AJ9532
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎83 Tricks:
14 ♥︎65432 NSEW
11 12 ♦︎KT5NT33810
3 ♣︎T87♠︎8855
♥︎4488
E-W have 23 combined points♦︎331010
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎321010
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
5♣︎e8♠︎-1 100
3♠︎n6♦︎-1 50
3NwA♠︎+2 660
 
South and West pass and North opens 1♠︎. East overcalls 2♣︎ and South passes. West has a nice hand and tries 2NT. North tosses in a 3♠︎ call, realizing that vulnerability is favourable. East should pass, South will too, and it will be up to West. Eleven points and two stoppers is just enough to try 3NT, especially when partner should have about 12 or more and one opponent should have most of the missing high cards. In 3NT with 17 missing highcard points, West should win the J♠︎ opening lead and play the clubs the only way possible for six tricks: K♣︎ first, then low towards dummy. The Q♣︎ appears in the North hand and six tricks are in, and with a spade trick at trick one, only two more are needed: A♦︎ and K♥︎ (hoping North has the A♥︎). Easy!
 
 
Jump to Board # ...  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  
 
Board 4
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎T652 Vulnerable:
West♥︎65 Both
♦︎A953
♣︎AK9
WEST EAST
♠︎Q94 ♠︎A873
♥︎943 ♥︎QJT
♦︎74 ♦︎KQT6
♣︎Q6432 ♣︎J7
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎KJ Tricks:
11 ♥︎AK872 NSEW
4 13 ♦︎J82NT8855
12 ♣︎T85♠︎8755
♥︎9844
N-S have 23 combined points♦︎9844
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎8855
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
1♥︎s7♦︎+1 110
1♠︎nJ♣︎= 80
3♣︎nK♦︎-2 200
 
West passes and North opens 1♦︎. East was ready to open 1♦︎ and now has no convenient call and must pass. South responds 1♥︎ and West passes again. North rebids 1♠︎ (with such a weak four-card suit it would be OK to rebid 1NT), and East has to pass again. South bids 2♣︎, the fourth suit, to create a forcing situation. South has 12 points opposite an opener and wants to be in game. After the 4SF (fourth suit forcing) call, North's priorities are 1) bid NT with a stopper in the fourth suit, 2) show three-card support for responder's first suit, 3) bid something that makes sense! #1 works here, and North happily bids 2NT. South raises to 3NT and it just might make: duck a heart and take the next four, plus AK♣︎, A♦︎, K♠︎, and maybe a second diamond?
 
 
Jump to Board # ...  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  
 
Board 5
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎K8 Vulnerable:
North♥︎J987 North-South
♦︎AQ95
♣︎K96
WEST EAST
♠︎J2 ♠︎AQ974
♥︎AQ ♥︎T54
♦︎KT762 ♦︎84
♣︎J832 ♣︎AQ5
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎T653 Tricks:
13 ♥︎K632 NSEW
11 12 ♦︎J3NT4488
4 ♣︎T74♠︎4499
♥︎6767
E-W have 23 combined points♦︎4499
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎4499
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
2♠︎eJ♦︎= 110
1Nw9♥︎+1 120
1NwA♦︎+2 150
 
North opens 1♦︎ and East overcalls 1♠︎. South passes (not enough for a negative double showing four hearts), and West bids 1NT. This is passed out and West has to play 1NT (or, if West is a better player, West GETS to play 1NT....). North leads a heart to South's king and West's ace, and the J♠︎ lead fetches the K♠︎ from North and the ace from dummy. Declarer continues spades and forces out South's ten. South can set up North's J♥︎ with a heart lead or lead a diamond through West's K♦︎, but with only the one entry, cannot do both, and with the K♣︎ onside, 1NT is a cakewalk, making probably eight tricks or more.
 
 
Jump to Board # ...  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  
 
Board 6
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎AKJ9 Vulnerable:
East♥︎KQ6 East-West
♦︎KT9
♣︎765
WEST EAST
♠︎Q74 ♠︎62
♥︎J9854 ♥︎A3
♦︎A7652 ♦︎QJ843
♣︎- ♣︎KJ94
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎T853 Tricks:
16 ♥︎T72 NSEW
7 11 ♦︎-NT111122
6 ♣︎AQT832♠︎101123
♥︎7855
N-S have 22 combined points♦︎4499
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎111122
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
3♣︎nA♥︎+1 130
4♠︎n4♦︎-1 50
3♣︎nQ♦︎-1 50
 
East scrapes up a just-there 1♦︎ opener and South may be tempted to overcall 3♣︎ in order to keep E-W from ... well, from what exactly? 3♣︎, if South makes the call, will probably end the auction, might make, might go down: but wouldn't you rather be in game and/or find a major suit fit? South passes, West responds 1♥︎, North tries a double. East passes, South bids 2♣︎, West supports with 2♦︎, and North bids 2NT, showing a pretty good hand. With a good six-card suit where South's 2♣︎ response to the takeout double could have been on nothing, South should raise to 3NT for the big score. North gets nine tricks in the black suits before E-W can establish their diamonds.
 
 
Jump to Board # ...  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  
 
Board 7
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎KT752 Vulnerable:
South♥︎A Both
♦︎AQ732
♣︎T3
WEST EAST
♠︎986 ♠︎AQ
♥︎KQ7 ♥︎T652
♦︎J86 ♦︎5
♣︎Q942 ♣︎AKJ875
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎J43 Tricks:
13 ♥︎J9843 NSEW
8 14 ♦︎KT94NT5577
5 ♣︎6♠︎10933
♥︎4488
E-W have 22 combined points♦︎10933
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎221010
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
4♦︎s2♣︎+1 150
4♣︎eK♦︎-1 100
4♣︎eA♦︎= 130
 
South and West pass and North opens 1♠︎. East overcalls 2♣︎ and South raises to 2♠︎. West bumps it up to 3♣︎ and North bids 3♦︎: not to suggest diamonds as an alternate trump suit, but to further describe the North hand, to perhaps help South later on. East adds to the pressure and bids 4♣︎. South's help in North's second suit is valuable, as is the singleton in the opponent's suit, and the length in hearts suggests that North may not have many losers there. 4♠︎ seems like a crazy bid with only 5 points, but it makes sense! North is in game on 18 combined points but loses only two spades and a club. Amazing!
 
 
Jump to Board # ...  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  
 
Board 8
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎Q953 Vulnerable:
West♥︎A765 None
♦︎Q2
♣︎Q94
WEST EAST
♠︎J742 ♠︎K8
♥︎J3 ♥︎KQ842
♦︎J86 ♦︎K74
♣︎T653 ♣︎J82
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎AT6 Tricks:
10 ♥︎T9 NSEW
3 12 ♦︎AT953NT101033
15 ♣︎AK7♠︎101033
♥︎8855
N-S have 25 combined points♦︎101033
Suitable Level: Likely Game♣︎9944
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
2♦︎sJ♥︎+2 130
2♦︎sJ♥︎-1 50
2NnK♥︎-1 50
 
West and North pass and East opens 1♥︎. South overcalls 2♦︎ and West passes. North bids 2NT and South surely has enough to raise to 3NT. East leads a small heart to West's jack and North ducks, winning the second heart. (Since East must have five for the opener, West can have at most two hearts, so ducking the first means that West cannot get in later and lead a third round.) Now North leads the Q♦︎. If East covers the K♦︎, North wins in dummy, and fearing that East may have the J♦︎, must cross to the Q♣︎ and next attack spades by leading low to dummy's ten. West gets in but cannot lead a heart. Eventually, North wins the A♥︎, four diamonds, three clubs, and one or two spades and is able to keep East off lead throughout.
 
 
Jump to Board # ...  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  
 
Board 9
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎J95 Vulnerable:
North♥︎AKQJ9 East-West
♦︎J4
♣︎874
WEST EAST
♠︎83 ♠︎QT64
♥︎T84 ♥︎32
♦︎AKQT3 ♦︎9876
♣︎963 ♣︎AQ2
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎AK72 Tricks:
12 ♥︎765 NSEW
9 8 ♦︎52NT7755
11 ♣︎KJT5♠︎8844
♥︎101033
N-S have 23 combined points♦︎6677
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎9943
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
4♥︎n4♠︎= 420
2♥︎n9♦︎+1 140
3NsA♦︎-2 100
 
North pens 1♥︎, East is a little too light for a takeout double and passes instead, and South has a limit raise but only three-card support. 1♠︎ is the right call here, planning to jump in hearts next to show an invitational hand with three hearts. West bids 2♦︎ and if this is passed around to South, 3♥︎ would be appropriate. More likely North will rebid 2♥︎ and East will bid 3♦︎. Now South need not jump, since a free 3♥︎ call in a situation where most weaker hands would pass shows this hand exactly. North has a close decision about whether to go on, and probably should stay in 3♥︎. Ten tricks are available, but only because the honours in both black suits are all onside.
 
 
Jump to Board # ...  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  
 
Board 10
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎74 Vulnerable:
East♥︎T32 Both
♦︎AJ4
♣︎AQT76
WEST EAST
♠︎KT2 ♠︎AQ5
♥︎KJ8 ♥︎AQ954
♦︎76 ♦︎KT83
♣︎KJ984 ♣︎3
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎J9863 Tricks:
11 ♥︎76 NSEW
11 15 ♦︎Q952NT4499
3 ♣︎52♠︎5588
♥︎221111
E-W have 26 combined points♦︎4489
Suitable Level: Game♣︎5588
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
4♥︎e5♣︎-1 100
4♥︎e5♣︎= 620
4♥︎e5♣︎+1 650
 
East-West should get to 4♥︎ easily here; the test is how you get there. 1♥︎ - 3♥︎ - 4♥︎ gets you there, but it's best to save limit raises for hands with four-card support. This means that responder must make some other bid before supporting hearts, since 1♥︎ - 2♥︎ might be passed out. 1♥︎ - 2♣︎ - 2♦︎ - 3♥︎ - 4♥︎ is one such route. In the modern systems where two-over-one bids promise an opening bid or better, West must make use of the Forcing Notrump: 1♥︎ - 1NT (forcing for one round in 2/1 systems) - 2♦︎ (perhaps after a 2♣︎ overcall from North) - 3♥︎ (limit raise with three trumps) - 4♥︎ (happy to accept). Eleven tricks in 4♥︎ should be there as long as East focusses on ruffing as many diamonds as possible.
 
 
Jump to Board # ...  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  
 
Board 11
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎A62 Vulnerable:
South♥︎K3 None
♦︎K984
♣︎J543
WEST EAST
♠︎Q875 ♠︎J94
♥︎8765 ♥︎AT4
♦︎2 ♦︎AQJ73
♣︎AQ76 ♣︎98
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎KT3 Tricks:
11 ♥︎QJ92 NSEW
8 12 ♦︎T65NT6677
9 ♣︎KT2♠︎4488
♥︎5588
N-S and E-W each have 20 combined points♦︎6677
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎6677
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
2♣︎nA♥︎= 90
2♣︎n9♣︎-1 50
2♠︎w3♣︎+1 140
 
South and West pass, and if North doesn't open 1♦︎, East will! If North does open 1♦︎, East is stuck and has to pass. South will respond 1♥︎, West will pass, North will rebid 1NT, and now East can bid 2♦︎ and hope it does more good than harm. West should take 2♦︎ as natural and pass, hoping to survive, rather than gambling on support on one of West's suits. If North passes as dealer and East opens 1♦︎, South has no good bid and West will respond 1♥︎ (four card suits up the line). North passes and East rebids 1NT and makes it. If East has to play 2♦︎, it is probably down one. A good hand to illustrate why it is often a good idea to open light in third seat!
 
 
Jump to Board # ...  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  
 
Board 12
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎AJ2 Vulnerable:
West♥︎T93 North-South
♦︎QT8
♣︎9752
WEST EAST
♠︎T764 ♠︎K953
♥︎K64 ♥︎Q5
♦︎A76 ♦︎K954
♣︎J43 ♣︎KQT
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎Q8 Tricks:
7 ♥︎AJ872 NSEW
8 13 ♦︎J32NT6666
12 ♣︎A86♠︎5588
♥︎7755
E-W have 21 combined points♦︎5577
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎6666
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
2♠︎eA♥︎= 110
2♠︎eA♥︎= 110
1♠︎e2♦︎+1 110
 
In the fifties this hand would be bid as follows: West and North would pass, East would open 1♦︎, South would overcall 1♥︎, and West would probably bid 1NT. Thirteen tricks of struggle in notrump would folow and probably end in down one, and West would note that 2♠︎ would have been a better spot. Then Al Roth invented the Negative Double, turning the double of an overcall from a seldom-used one-level penalty double to a more common takeout double oriented towards unbid major suits. 1♦︎ (1♥︎ overcall) Double, shows a hand of aboutn 8+ points with four spades and some support for clubs (three or more) in case partner has to retreat there. The Negative Double makes it easier to find the spade fit and everyone uses it today!
 
 
Jump to Board # ...  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  
 
Board 13
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎KT Vulnerable:
North♥︎QT986543 Both
♦︎A8
♣︎4
WEST EAST
♠︎J87652 ♠︎Q943
♥︎K ♥︎J7
♦︎T3 ♦︎KQ975
♣︎KQT6 ♣︎A3
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎A Tricks:
9 ♥︎A2 NSEW
9 12 ♦︎J642NT9922
10 ♣︎J98752♠︎4499
♥︎111122
E-W have 21 combined points♦︎6677
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎7766
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
5♥︎n3♠︎= 650
4♥︎nK♦︎+1 650
4♥︎nA♣︎+1 650
 
North should open in hearts: the question is how many? 1♥︎? Not strong enough. 2♥︎? With an eight-card suit? 3♥︎? Too much defense for a straight pre-empt. The best shot, I think, is 4♥︎. This may be the only bid of the auction, or the opponents may get in and bid 4♠︎, perhaps after a takeout double. South should take the plunge and bid 5♥︎: the A♠︎ singleton and the A♥︎ are huge assets, and the ten cards in the minors look like losers but partner will be trumping most of them. Eleven tricks are available in hearts without much trouble for 650, and if E-W bid 4♠︎, doubling nets N-S only 200. Maybe a very good E-W pair will bid 5♠︎ over 5♥︎ and go for 500 and a good score.
 
 
Jump to Board # ...  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  
 
Board 14
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎AQ3 Vulnerable:
East♥︎KQ63 None
♦︎KJT4
♣︎53
WEST EAST
♠︎T98 ♠︎K75
♥︎J95 ♥︎8742
♦︎Q765 ♦︎98
♣︎864 ♣︎AQ92
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎J642 Tricks:
15 ♥︎AT NSEW
3 9 ♦︎A32NT111122
13 ♣︎KJT7♠︎111122
♥︎111022
N-S have 28 combined points♦︎111122
Suitable Level: Game♣︎111022
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
3NsT♠︎+2 460
3Nn9♦︎+2 460
2♦︎n8♥︎+1 110
 
East passes, South opens 1♣︎, West passes, and North bids 1♥︎. When you have a hand as responder that may be better than opener's hand, there is no need to do anything more than to simply ensure you are making forcing bids until you get high enough. East passes and South rebids 1♠︎. West passes and North chooses 3NT. Almost every missing honour is onside except the K♠︎ and North should have no trouble making eleven tricks.
 
 
Jump to Board # ...  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  
 
Board 15
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎QJT873 Vulnerable:
South♥︎K8 North-South
♦︎K76
♣︎K2
WEST EAST
♠︎K65 ♠︎2
♥︎J952 ♥︎AQ74
♦︎52 ♦︎QJT94
♣︎A653 ♣︎Q94
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎A94 Tricks:
12 ♥︎T63 NSEW
8 11 ♦︎A83NT6666
9 ♣︎JT87♠︎8845
♥︎4499
N-S have 21 combined points♦︎4488
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎5577
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
3♠︎nQ♦︎-1 100
3♠︎nQ♦︎-1 100
3♠︎nQ♦︎-2 200
 
South and West pass and North should open 1♠︎. 2♠︎ is also an option, based on the aceless nature of the hand, but it looks like an opener to me, especially in third seat where 1-bids can be a bit light. East doubles whether North chooses 1♠︎ or 2♠︎ and South raises (1♠︎ to 2♠︎, 2♠︎ to 3♠︎). This puts extra pressure on West and West will probably pass. Eight tricks appear to be the limit against good defense. East starts with the Q♦︎ and when West wins the A♣︎, a switch to hearts gets the defenders two hearts, the A♣︎, the K♠︎, and an eventual diamond.
 
 
Jump to Board # ...  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  
 
Board 16
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎AK2 Vulnerable:
West♥︎AT92 East-West
♦︎KQJ943
♣︎-
WEST EAST
♠︎Q75 ♠︎T98
♥︎J84 ♥︎KQ63
♦︎A76 ♦︎85
♣︎9853 ♣︎AKJ4
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎J643 Tricks:
17 ♥︎75 NSEW
7 13 ♦︎T2NT8755
3 ♣︎QT762♠︎8844
♥︎7766
N-S and E-W each have 20 combined points♦︎8855
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎7766
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
1NwK♦︎-2 200
1♦︎nK♣︎+2 110
3♦︎nA♣︎= 110
 
West passes and North opens 1♦︎. East makes a takeout double and South passes. West has a tough call and the choices appear to be 2♣︎ with four to the nine and 1NT with only 7 points. Probably 1NT is best even though that usually promises 8. North will bid 2♦︎ over West's 2♣︎ and probably play it there for +90 or maybe +110, but if West chooses 1NT North may pass hoping to beat it by leading diamonds. A penalty double would likely send East looking for a safer spot, but passing and defending 1NT may be lucrative: the K♦︎ lead sets up five diamond tricks to go with three more winners in the majors, which is already two down without even considering whether South can provide any help.
 
 
Jump to Board # ...  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  
 
Board 17
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎T8 Vulnerable:
North♥︎KJT32 None
♦︎A87
♣︎T97
WEST EAST
♠︎AK973 ♠︎QJ
♥︎Q4 ♥︎876
♦︎J92 ♦︎K65
♣︎Q64 ♣︎AJ853
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎6542 Tricks:
8 ♥︎A95 NSEW
12 11 ♦︎QT43NT6666
9 ♣︎K2♠︎4488
♥︎9944
E-W have 23 combined points♦︎7755
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎4488
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
2♥︎nQ♠︎+1 140
3♠︎wA♦︎-2 100
2♠︎wT♣︎= 110
 
Three passes to West, who opens 1♠︎ in fourth chair. North passes and East bids 2♣︎. South passes and West tries 2NT. North passes and East has no real extras to justify going further. 2NT, however, is down before poor West even gets in, with five heart tricks and the A♦︎. At this point West has five spades, the K♦︎, and the A♣︎ for the rest. 50 to North-South may not be too bad since they can make nine tricks in hearts. Not sure how North or Soutn get into the auction though...
 
 
Jump to Board # ...  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  
 
Board 18
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎QT3 Vulnerable:
East♥︎Q3 North-South
♦︎QJ93
♣︎KQ52
WEST EAST
♠︎9862 ♠︎J54
♥︎65 ♥︎AJT84
♦︎A875 ♦︎K42
♣︎T74 ♣︎A6
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎AK7 Tricks:
12 ♥︎K972 NSEW
4 13 ♦︎T6NT8855
11 ♣︎J983♠︎7755
♥︎7766
N-S have 23 combined points♦︎7755
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎9944
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
1Ns6♥︎+1 120
1Ns6♥︎+1 120
1♥︎eK♠︎-1 50
 
East opens 1♥︎ and South is stymied and must pass. West dredges up a 1♠︎ response and North makes a takeout double. East passes and South bids 2♣︎, or maybe even 1NT or 2NT. Whatever South bids will likely be the final bid of the auction. Eight tricks are possible in notrump, nine in clubs, while East-West can't make much of anything.