Section X North-South VanLearners Monday Eve Session June 3, 2024 Leaders after 7 rounds Average: 42.0 Place Pct Score Pair 1 63.10 53.00 X-6 Ian Wong - Alex Douglas 2 58.33 49.00 X-7 Vicki Torbett - Myrna Halpenny 3 52.98 44.50 X-8 Cindy Grauer - Zdenka Buric 4 49.40 41.50 X-1 Joan Christensen - Carol Ward 5 48.81 41.00 X-5 Marcia Smith - Doug MacDougall 6 45.83 38.50 X-3 Pam Tomlins - Tim Tomlins 7 44.05 37.00 X-2 Diane O'Connor - John Fraser 8 37.50 31.50 X-4 Brenda MacLean-Longpre - Cindy Chan Section X East-West VanLearners Monday Eve Session June 3, 2024 Leaders after 7 rounds Average: 42.0 Place Pct Score Pair 1 67.86 57.00 X-6 Annabel Mead - John Coates 2 66.67 56.00 X-4 Amanda Hill - David Hsu 3 53.57 45.00 X-7 Lesley MacKay - Jacquie Brown 4 53.57 45.00 X-8 Marion George - Peter George 5 48.81 41.00 X-1 Bob Matthews - Judy Day 6 41.07 34.50 X-2 Donna Bridgeman - David Stokes 7 35.71 30.00 X-3 Barbara Spitz - Marlee Sheinin 8 32.74 27.50 X-5 Linda Collins - Greg Harms
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 here at ACBL Live For Clubs, shortly after the main game ends.
The deals tonight are from May 13's 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
Board 1 | ||||||||||||||
NORTH | ||||||||||||||
Dealer: | ♠︎ | K | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
North | ♥︎ | AKQ7654 | None | |||||||||||
♦︎ | 73 | |||||||||||||
♣︎ | 543 | |||||||||||||
WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
♠︎ | Q9642 | ♠︎ | T73 | |||||||||||
♥︎ | 982 | ♥︎ | JT | |||||||||||
♦︎ | 65 | ♦︎ | J982 | |||||||||||
♣︎ | AT2 | ♣︎ | K987 | |||||||||||
SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
HCP: | ♠︎ | AJ85 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
12 | ♥︎ | 3 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
6 | 5 | ♦︎ | AKQT4 | NT | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
17 | ♣︎ | QJ6 | ♠︎ | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | |||||||
♥︎ | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
N-S have 29 combined points | ♦︎ | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
Suitable Level: Game | ♣︎ | 9 | 9 | 4 | 3 | |||||||||
Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
6Ns | 2♥︎ | = | 990 | |||||||||||
3Ns | 4♠︎ | +4 | 520 | |||||||||||
4♥︎n | 8♦︎ | +2 | 480 | |||||||||||
4♥︎n | J♥︎ | +2 | 480 | |||||||||||
Should North bid 1♥︎ or 3♥︎? If the K♠︎ was a small card, it would be an easy choice: 3♥︎. But the K♠︎, even singleton, may combine with partner's spade holding to produce extra tricks, so 1♥︎ is the best choice here. East passes and South bids 2♦︎, not 1♠︎; with a hand this strong it's OK to bypass a four-card major. West passes and North bids 2♥︎. East passes and South bids 2♠︎. North bids 4♥︎ and this will probably end the auction. Wherever North-South end up, the defenders get one chance to lead clubs or they allow declarer to pull trumps and pitch club losers on diamonds. | ||||||||||||||
Board 2 | ||||||||||||||
NORTH | ||||||||||||||
Dealer: | ♠︎ | A2 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
East | ♥︎ | AKT54 | North-South | |||||||||||
♦︎ | A94 | |||||||||||||
♣︎ | Q63 | |||||||||||||
WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
♠︎ | KQ8653 | ♠︎ | 74 | |||||||||||
♥︎ | 2 | ♥︎ | Q86 | |||||||||||
♦︎ | J3 | ♦︎ | 87652 | |||||||||||
♣︎ | T982 | ♣︎ | A75 | |||||||||||
SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
HCP: | ♠︎ | JT9 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
17 | ♥︎ | J973 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
6 | 6 | ♦︎ | KQT | NT | 10 | 10 | 3 | 3 | ||||||
11 | ♣︎ | KJ4 | ♠︎ | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | |||||||
♥︎ | 10 | 10 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||
N-S have 28 combined points | ♦︎ | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||
Suitable Level: Game | ♣︎ | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | |||||||||
Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
4♥︎n | 7♠︎ | = | 620 | |||||||||||
4♥︎n | 7♠︎ | = | 620 | |||||||||||
4♥︎n | T♠︎ | = | 620 | |||||||||||
2♠︎w* | A♥︎ | = | 470 | |||||||||||
East and South pass and West opens an ultralight third seat weak 2♠︎. North bids 3♥︎ and East passes; South raises to 4♥︎ and this ends the auction. South has a club and a heart to lose in 4♥︎ as well as the A♠︎. The one pair that doubled 2♠︎ must have defended very poorly indeed to allow West to make eight tricks with a combined 12 highcard points! | ||||||||||||||
Board 3 | ||||||||||||||
NORTH | ||||||||||||||
Dealer: | ♠︎ | 9876 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
South | ♥︎ | AK74 | East-West | |||||||||||
♦︎ | J98 | |||||||||||||
♣︎ | T2 | |||||||||||||
WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
♠︎ | AJ54 | ♠︎ | Q3 | |||||||||||
♥︎ | QJ6 | ♥︎ | 92 | |||||||||||
♦︎ | Q4 | ♦︎ | AKT7532 | |||||||||||
♣︎ | A543 | ♣︎ | Q7 | |||||||||||
SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
HCP: | ♠︎ | KT2 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
8 | ♥︎ | T853 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
14 | 11 | ♦︎ | 6 | NT | 3 | 3 | 10 | 10 | ||||||
7 | ♣︎ | KJ986 | ♠︎ | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | |||||||
♥︎ | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | ||||||||||
E-W have 25 combined points | ♦︎ | 3 | 3 | 10 | 10 | |||||||||
Suitable Level: Likely Game | ♣︎ | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | |||||||||
Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
3♦︎e | 8♥︎ | +2 | 150 | |||||||||||
3♦︎e | 8♥︎ | +2 | 150 | |||||||||||
3♦︎e | 6♣︎ | +2 | 150 | |||||||||||
3Nw | 4♥︎ | +2 | 660 | |||||||||||
South passes and West opens 1♣︎. North passes and East responds 1♦︎. North-South retire from the bidding as West rebids 1♠︎, East jumps to 3♦︎, and West chooses 3NT. Or, in a more modern style, West can rebid 1NT (even with a four-card spade suit), knowing that if East has four spades and a weak hand, 1♠︎ would have been the response; if East now bids 2♠︎, that shows four spades, longer diamonds, and a good hand of at least opening bid strength. The modern way sometimes "hides" majors like this and you get a favourable lead in 3NT, which everyone should reach, and make ten tricks. | ||||||||||||||
Board 4 | ||||||||||||||
NORTH | ||||||||||||||
Dealer: | ♠︎ | 875 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
West | ♥︎ | A9 | Both | |||||||||||
♦︎ | J84 | |||||||||||||
♣︎ | JT763 | |||||||||||||
WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
♠︎ | 93 | ♠︎ | AKQJ2 | |||||||||||
♥︎ | KT872 | ♥︎ | QJ63 | |||||||||||
♦︎ | KT732 | ♦︎ | 95 | |||||||||||
♣︎ | K | ♣︎ | Q2 | |||||||||||
SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
HCP: | ♠︎ | T64 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
6 | ♥︎ | 54 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
9 | 15 | ♦︎ | AQ6 | NT | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | ||||||
10 | ♣︎ | A9854 | ♠︎ | 3 | 3 | 10 | 10 | |||||||
♥︎ | 2 | 2 | 10 | 10 | ||||||||||
E-W have 24 combined points | ♦︎ | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | |||||||||
Suitable Level: Possible Game | ♣︎ | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | |||||||||
Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
2Nw | 6♣︎ | -1 | 100 | |||||||||||
3♥︎w | J♣︎ | +1 | 170 | |||||||||||
3♥︎w | J♣︎ | +2 | 200 | |||||||||||
2♥︎e | 6♠︎ | +3 | 200 | |||||||||||
East opens 1♠︎ after two passes and if South bids 2♣︎, West will double to show both red suits, North will raise clubs to some wild level, and East will probably bid hearts and make game. If South passes, West has to bid 1NT (not enough for a 2-over-1 response) and East will rebid 2♥︎ after North passes. West should bid 4♥︎ at this point, but many did not, perhaps concerned about the third seat opener which can be sometimes light. 4♥︎ is a cakewalk, with a loser in hearts, diamonds, and clubs, but no more. | ||||||||||||||
Board 5 | ||||||||||||||
NORTH | ||||||||||||||
Dealer: | ♠︎ | K832 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
North | ♥︎ | AJ | North-South | |||||||||||
♦︎ | Q | |||||||||||||
♣︎ | JT9643 | |||||||||||||
WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
♠︎ | J54 | ♠︎ | T97 | |||||||||||
♥︎ | Q5 | ♥︎ | K9872 | |||||||||||
♦︎ | AK83 | ♦︎ | T762 | |||||||||||
♣︎ | AKQ7 | ♣︎ | 2 | |||||||||||
SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
HCP: | ♠︎ | AQ6 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
11 | ♥︎ | T643 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
19 | 3 | ♦︎ | J954 | NT | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | ||||||
7 | ♣︎ | 85 | ♠︎ | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | |||||||
♥︎ | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | ||||||||||
E-W have 22 combined points | ♦︎ | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | |||||||||
Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | |||||||||
Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
1♠︎n | 2♣︎ | +1 | 110 | |||||||||||
2♣︎n | T♠︎ | = | 90 | |||||||||||
2♣︎n | T♠︎ | = | 90 | |||||||||||
1♠︎n | 2♣︎ | = | 80 | |||||||||||
Three passes to West, who opens 1♦︎. North passes and East does too. South also passes and it is up to West to scramble home with seven tricks. If North starts with the J♣︎ opening lead, West wins and cashes two more, pitching spade losers from the dummy and allowing South to ruff in on the third winner. Eventually West should emerge with seven or eight tricks and a plus score. If North finds a 2♣︎ overcall of 1♦︎, 2♣︎ might be the final contract and this too should struggle but come home for a North-South plus. | ||||||||||||||
Board 6 | ||||||||||||||
NORTH | ||||||||||||||
Dealer: | ♠︎ | J42 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
East | ♥︎ | KQ65 | East-West | |||||||||||
♦︎ | KJ | |||||||||||||
♣︎ | AQJ3 | |||||||||||||
WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
♠︎ | A875 | ♠︎ | KQT3 | |||||||||||
♥︎ | J2 | ♥︎ | AT8 | |||||||||||
♦︎ | AQT76 | ♦︎ | 9852 | |||||||||||
♣︎ | 84 | ♣︎ | K7 | |||||||||||
SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
HCP: | ♠︎ | 96 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
17 | ♥︎ | 9743 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
11 | 12 | ♦︎ | 43 | NT | 3 | 3 | 8 | 8 | ||||||
0 | ♣︎ | T9652 | ♠︎ | 3 | 3 | 10 | 10 | |||||||
♥︎ | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | ||||||||||
E-W have 23 combined points | ♦︎ | 3 | 3 | 10 | 10 | |||||||||
Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | |||||||||
Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
3♦︎w | A♣︎ | +1 | 130 | |||||||||||
2♠︎w | Q♥︎ | +2 | 170 | |||||||||||
3♠︎w | K♥︎ | +1 | 170 | |||||||||||
2♠︎w | 2♠︎ | +2 | 170 | |||||||||||
East opens 1♦︎ and West responds 1♠︎. North doubles for takeout and East raises to 2♠︎. South passes and West should bid 4♠︎: knowing where the opposition's high card points are will be worth a trick or so. 4♠︎ depends upons East playing the diamonds for only one loser to go with the A♣︎ and the KQ♥︎. Finesse once, but then on the second round, play for the drop rather than finessing into the hand that likely has the other honour. | ||||||||||||||
Board 7 | ||||||||||||||
NORTH | ||||||||||||||
Dealer: | ♠︎ | K95 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
South | ♥︎ | 98653 | Both | |||||||||||
♦︎ | KQ6 | |||||||||||||
♣︎ | 76 | |||||||||||||
WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
♠︎ | QJ4 | ♠︎ | AT6 | |||||||||||
♥︎ | JT4 | ♥︎ | A2 | |||||||||||
♦︎ | 54 | ♦︎ | AJ92 | |||||||||||
♣︎ | AKQT4 | ♣︎ | 9832 | |||||||||||
SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
HCP: | ♠︎ | 8732 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
8 | ♥︎ | KQ7 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
13 | 13 | ♦︎ | T873 | NT | 2 | 2 | 11 | 10 | ||||||
6 | ♣︎ | J5 | ♠︎ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | |||||||
♥︎ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 8 | ||||||||||
E-W have 26 combined points | ♦︎ | 3 | 3 | 10 | 10 | |||||||||
Suitable Level: Game | ♣︎ | 2 | 2 | 11 | 11 | |||||||||
Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
3Nw | 9♥︎ | +1 | 630 | |||||||||||
3Nw | 5♥︎ | +1 | 630 | |||||||||||
3Ne | K♥︎ | +2 | 660 | |||||||||||
3Nw | 5♥︎ | +2 | 660 | |||||||||||
East and West have this auction all to themselves, and West opens 1♣︎. East can bid 1♦︎ and await a rebid, which will be 1NT, and East raises to 3NT. Or, East could simply bid 3NT over 1♣︎, which promises no four-card major, about 13-15 points, and a balanced hand. With the K♠︎ onside, 3NT makes five: three spades, a heart, a diamond, and five clubs, with the eleventh trick coming from one of the red suits as the opponents come under pressure discarding on the clubs. | ||||||||||||||
Board 8 | ||||||||||||||
NORTH | ||||||||||||||
Dealer: | ♠︎ | AKQ43 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
West | ♥︎ | - | None | |||||||||||
♦︎ | T96 | |||||||||||||
♣︎ | J9752 | |||||||||||||
WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
♠︎ | T62 | ♠︎ | 85 | |||||||||||
♥︎ | AJT74 | ♥︎ | K98532 | |||||||||||
♦︎ | K2 | ♦︎ | J53 | |||||||||||
♣︎ | Q63 | ♣︎ | 84 | |||||||||||
SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
HCP: | ♠︎ | J97 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
10 | ♥︎ | Q6 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
10 | 4 | ♦︎ | AQ874 | NT | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | ||||||
16 | ♣︎ | AKT | ♠︎ | 11 | 11 | 2 | 2 | |||||||
♥︎ | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | ||||||||||
N-S have 26 combined points | ♦︎ | 12 | 12 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
Suitable Level: Game | ♣︎ | 11 | 11 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
4♠︎n | 2♥︎ | +1 | 450 | |||||||||||
4♠︎n | 5♥︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
4♠︎n | 5♥︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
5♠︎n | 8♠︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
West passes, NOrth opens 1♠︎, and East fires off a pre-emptive 3♥︎. South has a strong hand and should bid 4♦︎. West bids 4♥︎ and North and East pass, but South tries 4♠︎. If East-West persist in hearts, North-South will outbid them to 5♠︎. Eleven tricks in spades are easy: lose a club and finesse twice in diamonds, losing only to the K♦︎. Diamonds can in theory make twelve tricks on this layout but that's not the trump suit you want to go to war in a slam with. | ||||||||||||||
Board 9 | ||||||||||||||
NORTH | ||||||||||||||
Dealer: | ♠︎ | A2 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
North | ♥︎ | J8632 | East-West | |||||||||||
♦︎ | KT93 | |||||||||||||
♣︎ | A6 | |||||||||||||
WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
♠︎ | J85 | ♠︎ | KQ763 | |||||||||||
♥︎ | K94 | ♥︎ | Q5 | |||||||||||
♦︎ | AQ54 | ♦︎ | J | |||||||||||
♣︎ | K83 | ♣︎ | JT954 | |||||||||||
SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
HCP: | ♠︎ | T94 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
12 | ♥︎ | AT7 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
13 | 9 | ♦︎ | 8762 | NT | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | ||||||
6 | ♣︎ | Q72 | ♠︎ | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | |||||||
♥︎ | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | ||||||||||
E-W have 22 combined points | ♦︎ | 7 | 8 | 5 | 5 | |||||||||
Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | |||||||||
Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
2♠︎e | A♥︎ | +1 | 140 | |||||||||||
3♠︎w | A♣︎ | +1 | 170 | |||||||||||
2♠︎w | A♣︎ | +2 | 170 | |||||||||||
3♠︎w | 3♥︎ | +1 | 170 | |||||||||||
North opens 1HH, East overcalls 1♠︎, and South raises to 2♥︎. West should raise to 3♠︎ with opening bid values, or possibly even 4♠︎. Spades being the highest suit, East-West will end up in spades and discover that ten tricks are a bit tricky with three aces to lose and the K♦︎ offside. A prime example of why aces are worth a little more than four points in reality. | ||||||||||||||
Board 10 | ||||||||||||||
NORTH | ||||||||||||||
Dealer: | ♠︎ | AKQ9 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
East | ♥︎ | AJ74 | Both | |||||||||||
♦︎ | Q7 | |||||||||||||
♣︎ | J65 | |||||||||||||
WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
♠︎ | T72 | ♠︎ | J863 | |||||||||||
♥︎ | K52 | ♥︎ | 93 | |||||||||||
♦︎ | 8432 | ♦︎ | AJT6 | |||||||||||
♣︎ | QT4 | ♣︎ | A87 | |||||||||||
SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
HCP: | ♠︎ | 54 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
17 | ♥︎ | QT86 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
5 | 10 | ♦︎ | K95 | NT | 10 | 9 | 3 | 3 | ||||||
8 | ♣︎ | K932 | ♠︎ | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | |||||||
♥︎ | 10 | 10 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||
N-S have 25 combined points | ♦︎ | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | |||||||||
Suitable Level: Likely Game | ♣︎ | 10 | 10 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||
Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
4♥︎n | 8♠︎ | = | 620 | |||||||||||
3Nn | 6♦︎ | = | 600 | |||||||||||
3♥︎n | 3♠︎ | = | 140 | |||||||||||
4♥︎n | J♠︎ | -1 | 100 | |||||||||||
Three passes to North, who opens 1NT. East passes and South bids 2♣︎, asking for a four-card major. West passes and here is a Stayman tip: with both majors, 2♥︎ is the best call, since a spade fit can still be found. So North bids 2♥︎ and South raises to 3♥︎, and with 17 points North is accepting invites, so 4♥︎ it is. East leads a spade and North counts losers in diamonds (one, the A♦︎) and clubs (two most likely), and possibly the K♥︎. The K♥︎ is onside, the trumps break 3-2, and 4♥︎ makes for a good score. | ||||||||||||||
Board 11 | ||||||||||||||
NORTH | ||||||||||||||
Dealer: | ♠︎ | - | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
South | ♥︎ | Q8754 | None | |||||||||||
♦︎ | T72 | |||||||||||||
♣︎ | J8542 | |||||||||||||
WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
♠︎ | J | ♠︎ | AQT642 | |||||||||||
♥︎ | K2 | ♥︎ | T963 | |||||||||||
♦︎ | A93 | ♦︎ | Q6 | |||||||||||
♣︎ | AKQ9763 | ♣︎ | T | |||||||||||
SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
HCP: | ♠︎ | K98753 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
3 | ♥︎ | AJ | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
17 | 8 | ♦︎ | KJ854 | NT | 4 | 4 | 9 | 7 | ||||||
12 | ♣︎ | - | ♠︎ | 5 | 5 | 8 | 7 | |||||||
♥︎ | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | ||||||||||
E-W have 25 combined points | ♦︎ | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | |||||||||
Suitable Level: Likely Game | ♣︎ | 4 | 4 | 8 | 9 | |||||||||
Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
5♣︎w | T♦︎ | -3 | 150 | |||||||||||
5♣︎w | 7♦︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
3♣︎w | 7♦︎ | = | 110 | |||||||||||
3Ne | 7♠︎ | = | 400 | |||||||||||
Fasten your seatbelts! South opens 1♠︎, West doubles for takeout, intending to bid clubs next to show a strong hand with long clubs, and North passes. East may be tempted to pass 1♠︎ for penalties, but should instead bid 1♥︎. South continues to describe the hand with a 2♦︎ rebid and West now gets the 3♣︎ call in. North bids 3♦︎ to confirm a fit before South bids spades again and hits the void. East passes and South does as well, but West bids 4♣︎ and North doubles. North-South will get a trump trick, the A♥︎, an eventual diamond, and need one more to beat 4♣︎: a spade ruff perhaps? | ||||||||||||||
Board 12 | ||||||||||||||
NORTH | ||||||||||||||
Dealer: | ♠︎ | KJ52 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
West | ♥︎ | 3 | North-South | |||||||||||
♦︎ | KT982 | |||||||||||||
♣︎ | 972 | |||||||||||||
WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
♠︎ | A986 | ♠︎ | QT7 | |||||||||||
♥︎ | A765 | ♥︎ | KT9842 | |||||||||||
♦︎ | A74 | ♦︎ | Q6 | |||||||||||
♣︎ | QJ | ♣︎ | AK | |||||||||||
SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
HCP: | ♠︎ | 43 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
7 | ♥︎ | QJ | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
15 | 14 | ♦︎ | J53 | NT | 1 | 1 | 11 | 12 | ||||||
4 | ♣︎ | T86543 | ♠︎ | 2 | 1 | 10 | 11 | |||||||
♥︎ | 1 | 1 | 11 | 12 | ||||||||||
E-W have 29 combined points | ♦︎ | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | |||||||||
Suitable Level: Game | ♣︎ | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | |||||||||
Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
4♥︎e | 3♣︎ | +1 | 450 | |||||||||||
4♥︎w | 2♣︎ | +1 | 450 | |||||||||||
4♥︎e | 4♠︎ | +2 | 480 | |||||||||||
4♥︎e | 4♠︎ | +2 | 480 | |||||||||||
West opens 1NT hoping that the doubleton ♣︎QJ will pull three points worth of weight in whatever contract results. North passes and East bids 2♦︎, transferring to hearts. South passes and West bids 2♥︎ as requested. East now blasts into 4NT! West shows three aces with 5♠︎ and 6HH is the final contract. North leads a safe club and West has a lot of work to do. After pulling trumps ending in hand (and breathing a sigh of relief that they are 2-2), West leads a low spade toward dummy's ♠︎QT7. If North wins the K♠︎, West can next finesse the T♠︎ and eventually pitch a diamond on the fourth spade for the slam! | ||||||||||||||
Board 13 | ||||||||||||||
NORTH | ||||||||||||||
Dealer: | ♠︎ | KJ5 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
North | ♥︎ | Q8532 | Both | |||||||||||
♦︎ | 986 | |||||||||||||
♣︎ | T8 | |||||||||||||
WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
♠︎ | T8 | ♠︎ | AQ42 | |||||||||||
♥︎ | KJ | ♥︎ | 97 | |||||||||||
♦︎ | AQ42 | ♦︎ | J753 | |||||||||||
♣︎ | AK742 | ♣︎ | Q53 | |||||||||||
SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
HCP: | ♠︎ | 9763 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
6 | ♥︎ | AT64 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
17 | 9 | ♦︎ | KT | NT | 1 | 1 | 12 | 12 | ||||||
8 | ♣︎ | J96 | ♠︎ | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | |||||||
♥︎ | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | ||||||||||
E-W have 26 combined points | ♦︎ | 0 | 0 | 12 | 12 | |||||||||
Suitable Level: Game | ♣︎ | 1 | 1 | 12 | 12 | |||||||||
Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
1Nw | 3♥︎ | +2 | 150 | |||||||||||
3Ne | 6♥︎ | = | 600 | |||||||||||
3Nw | 3♥︎ | = | 600 | |||||||||||
3Nw | 3♥︎ | +3 | 690 | |||||||||||
Three passes to West, who opens 1NT. (1♣︎ followed by a diamond rebid is also OK, as long as you and partner are on the same wave length on these reverse bids, where a rebid in a higher suit shows about an ace more than a minimum opener.) East uses Stayman but finds no fit and settles for 3NT. The 4♥︎ lead from South would be a nightmare guess but luckily West opened 1NT and North is on lead. Even limited to one heart trick, West should win five clubs, a heart, and the A♦︎ and ASd, and the K♦︎ and K♠︎ are both onside for a ninth or even tenth trick. | ||||||||||||||
Board 14 | ||||||||||||||
NORTH | ||||||||||||||
Dealer: | ♠︎ | Q874 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
East | ♥︎ | 5 | None | |||||||||||
♦︎ | 872 | |||||||||||||
♣︎ | JT652 | |||||||||||||
WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
♠︎ | KT2 | ♠︎ | AJ53 | |||||||||||
♥︎ | KQ842 | ♥︎ | A963 | |||||||||||
♦︎ | KJ65 | ♦︎ | Q94 | |||||||||||
♣︎ | A | ♣︎ | 87 | |||||||||||
SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
HCP: | ♠︎ | 96 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
3 | ♥︎ | JT7 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
16 | 11 | ♦︎ | AT3 | NT | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9 | ||||||
10 | ♣︎ | KQ943 | ♠︎ | 2 | 2 | 11 | 11 | |||||||
♥︎ | 1 | 1 | 12 | 12 | ||||||||||
E-W have 27 combined points | ♦︎ | 1 | 1 | 11 | 11 | |||||||||
Suitable Level: Game | ♣︎ | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | |||||||||
Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
4♥︎w | 4♠︎ | +2 | 480 | |||||||||||
4♥︎w | J♣︎ | +2 | 480 | |||||||||||
4♥︎w | 5♥︎ | +2 | 480 | |||||||||||
4♥︎w | J♣︎ | +2 | 480 | |||||||||||
Two close-to-an-opener-but-not-quite-enough passes to West, who opens 1♥︎. North passes and East bids 4♥︎: no other bid is forcing since East is a passed hand. West should recognize that 4♥︎ shows a near opener and bid 4NT. East responds 5♥︎ and West might sign off missing an ace, or press on to six. With the A♦︎ a sure loser, the issue in hearts is to figure out where the Q♠︎ might be. The one clue comes when trumps are pulled revealing that South has three and North one. This leaves more space in North's hand for the Q♠︎ and the small percentage play works for twelve tricks! | ||||||||||||||
Board 15 | ||||||||||||||
NORTH | ||||||||||||||
Dealer: | ♠︎ | AT3 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
South | ♥︎ | T9432 | North-South | |||||||||||
♦︎ | JT76 | |||||||||||||
♣︎ | 8 | |||||||||||||
WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
♠︎ | 765 | ♠︎ | KQ982 | |||||||||||
♥︎ | AKQJ8 | ♥︎ | 7 | |||||||||||
♦︎ | 5 | ♦︎ | 83 | |||||||||||
♣︎ | K953 | ♣︎ | Q7642 | |||||||||||
SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
HCP: | ♠︎ | J4 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
5 | ♥︎ | 65 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
13 | 7 | ♦︎ | AKQ942 | NT | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | ||||||
15 | ♣︎ | AJT | ♠︎ | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | |||||||
♥︎ | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | ||||||||||
N-S and E-W each have 20 combined points | ♦︎ | 10 | 10 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||
Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | |||||||||
Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
4♦︎s | J♥︎ | = | 130 | |||||||||||
3♦︎s | J♥︎ | +1 | 130 | |||||||||||
4♠︎e | A♦︎ | -2 | 100 | |||||||||||
3♠︎e | A♦︎ | +1 | 170 | |||||||||||
1NT is barely legal as South but most will choose the more natural 1♦︎ opener. West makes a takeout double and North bids 2♦︎. East tries 2♠︎ and South rebids 3♦︎. One of the opponents will bid 3♠︎ over 3♦︎, forcing South to bid 4♦︎. 4♦︎ turns out to be a fine contract, losing only a spade and two hearts. If East-West persist and bid 4♠︎, South switches from diamonds at trick two and gets North a club ruff for down one: A♦︎, A♣︎, club ruff, A♠︎. | ||||||||||||||
Board 16 | ||||||||||||||
NORTH | ||||||||||||||
Dealer: | ♠︎ | Q9843 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
West | ♥︎ | 2 | East-West | |||||||||||
♦︎ | KT3 | |||||||||||||
♣︎ | KJ32 | |||||||||||||
WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
♠︎ | AT75 | ♠︎ | J6 | |||||||||||
♥︎ | 65 | ♥︎ | J98 | |||||||||||
♦︎ | Q9652 | ♦︎ | AJ74 | |||||||||||
♣︎ | T6 | ♣︎ | AQ84 | |||||||||||
SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
HCP: | ♠︎ | K2 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
9 | ♥︎ | AKQT743 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
6 | 13 | ♦︎ | 8 | NT | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | ||||||
12 | ♣︎ | 975 | ♠︎ | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | |||||||
♥︎ | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | ||||||||||
N-S have 21 combined points | ♦︎ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | |||||||||
Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | |||||||||
Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
3♥︎s | 2♦︎ | = | 140 | |||||||||||
3Nn | J♠︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
4♥︎s | A♠︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
3♥︎s | T♣︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
East opens 1♦︎ after two passes and South overcalls in hearts. South might try 2♥︎, 3♥︎, or even 4♥︎, or bid 1♥︎ for now and "walk" the hand, bidding hearts as many times as necessary until the opponents give up. On this layout, the limit is 2♥︎, but 3♥︎ is a reasonable sacrifice over 3♦︎ and might even make. | ||||||||||||||
Board 17 | ||||||||||||||
NORTH | ||||||||||||||
Dealer: | ♠︎ | KJ52 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
North | ♥︎ | K743 | None | |||||||||||
♦︎ | AQ42 | |||||||||||||
♣︎ | J | |||||||||||||
WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
♠︎ | A | ♠︎ | T976 | |||||||||||
♥︎ | T98 | ♥︎ | J2 | |||||||||||
♦︎ | JT76 | ♦︎ | K953 | |||||||||||
♣︎ | KQT64 | ♣︎ | 975 | |||||||||||
SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
HCP: | ♠︎ | Q843 | Tricks: | |||||||||||
14 | ♥︎ | AQ65 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
10 | 4 | ♦︎ | 8 | NT | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | ||||||
12 | ♣︎ | A832 | ♠︎ | 10 | 10 | 3 | 3 | |||||||
♥︎ | 11 | 11 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||
N-S have 26 combined points | ♦︎ | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | |||||||||
Suitable Level: Game | ♣︎ | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | |||||||||
Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
4♥︎s | A♠︎ | +1 | 450 | |||||||||||
4♥︎s | A♠︎ | +1 | 450 | |||||||||||
4♥︎s | A♠︎ | = | 420 | |||||||||||
4♥︎s | A♠︎ | = | 420 | |||||||||||
North opens 1♦︎ and East passes. South responds 1♥︎ and West gets in with a 2♣︎ call. These days, opener has a special convention after the fourth player overcalls partner's response in a major: the Support Double. A double of 2♣︎ shows exactly three hearts, and will help South work out what to do if South has five hearts. Actually bidding 2HH thus shows FOUR card support, and North-South should get to the easy 4♥︎ game and make eleven tricks. The Support Double applies when responder bids a major and the next player overcalls: a double shows three-card support, a bid of the suit shows four or more cards in support. | ||||||||||||||
Board 18 | ||||||||||||||
NORTH | ||||||||||||||
Dealer: | ♠︎ | 874 | Vulnerable: | |||||||||||
East | ♥︎ | T93 | North-South | |||||||||||
♦︎ | AQ972 | |||||||||||||
♣︎ | K5 | |||||||||||||
WEST | EAST | |||||||||||||
♠︎ | 9653 | ♠︎ | AKQ2 | |||||||||||
♥︎ | QJ542 | ♥︎ | A87 | |||||||||||
♦︎ | 5 | ♦︎ | J43 | |||||||||||
♣︎ | 864 | ♣︎ | J93 | |||||||||||
SOUTH | Available | |||||||||||||
HCP: | ♠︎ | JT | Tricks: | |||||||||||
9 | ♥︎ | K6 | N | S | E | W | ||||||||
3 | 15 | ♦︎ | KT86 | NT | 8 | 8 | 3 | 3 | ||||||
13 | ♣︎ | AQT72 | ♠︎ | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | |||||||
♥︎ | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | ||||||||||
N-S have 22 combined points | ♦︎ | 10 | 10 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
Suitable Level: Partscore | ♣︎ | 10 | 10 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
Contract | Lead | Result | N-S Score | E-W Score | ||||||||||
3♦︎s | Q♥︎ | +1 | 130 | |||||||||||
2♥︎e | J♠︎ | -1 | 50 | |||||||||||
2♥︎e | 6♣︎ | = | 110 | |||||||||||
1♠︎e | 6♦︎ | +1 | 110 | |||||||||||
East opens 1NT and South overcalls 2NT! This is the Unusual Notrump, showing both minors. Usually South should be 5-5, but not this time. West passes and North bids 3♦︎, which ends the auction and makes. If South passes instead, West will transfer to 2♥︎ and this has a good chance of making or going down only one, not as good for North-South as making ten tricks in diamonds. | ||||||||||||||