Van Learners Bridge Results

September 2, 2024



Section X
VanLearners Monday Eve Session September 2, 2024
Leaders after  5 rounds  Average:   22.5
Place   Pct   Score  Pair
  1   61.11   27.50   X-6   Brenda MacLean-Longpre - Cindy Chan
  2   58.89   26.50   X-7   Barbara Spitz - Jacquie Brown
  3   54.44   24.50   X-4   Linda Collins - Faye Wightman
  4   48.89   22.00   X-5   Doug Stewart - Louise Forsythe
  5   47.78   21.50   X-2   Pam Tomlins - John Fraser
  6   44.44   20.00   X-3   Alan Atkins - Donna Bridgeman
  7   44.44   20.00   X-8   Joan Christensen - Carol Ward
  8   40.00   18.00   X-1   Peter George - Marion George

Congrats to the winners, who held their own at the tournament in Burnaby for a session that must have been educational!

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 August 19'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.

 
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Board 1
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎QJT Vulnerable:
North♥︎T7642 None
♦︎K2
♣︎KQ2
WEST EAST
♠︎AK64 ♠︎8
♥︎AQ ♥︎9853
♦︎974 ♦︎J83
♣︎9753 ♣︎JT864
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎97532 Tricks:
11 ♥︎KJ NSEW
13 2 ♦︎AQT65NT9944
14 ♣︎A♠︎91022
♥︎7755
N-S have 25 combined points♦︎8833
Suitable Level: Likely Game♣︎5577
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
4♠︎sA♥︎= 420
4♠︎s9♣︎= 420
3♠︎s9♦︎+1 170
 
North is close to an opener but not quite there, so after East passes South will open 1♠︎. With two five-card suits it is usually best to start with the higher. South's spades are not great but it will be difficult to impossible to convince partner there are five of them after a 1♦︎ opener. West passes and North can bid 2♥︎ in a standard system (in a 2/1 system North would need to bid a semiforcing 1NT). East passes and South rebids 2♦︎ to complete the picture. West passes and North invites with a jump to 3♠︎. South should accept, and while it looks like South must lose two spades and two hearts, with West on lead this cannot happen: South's first move will be to unblock the A♣︎, cross to the K♦︎, and play two more club winners pitching hearts. Problem solved!
 
 
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Board 2
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎74 Vulnerable:
East♥︎7432 North-South
♦︎K98
♣︎KT54
WEST EAST
♠︎KQJ865 ♠︎T92
♥︎AK ♥︎8
♦︎AT ♦︎QJ763
♣︎AQJ ♣︎7632
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎A3 Tricks:
6 ♥︎QJT965 NSEW
24 3 ♦︎542NT2299
7 ♣︎98♠︎221010
♥︎7755
E-W have 27 combined points♦︎2299
Suitable Level: Game♣︎4499
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
4♠︎w7♥︎= 420
4♠︎w7♥︎= 420
4♠︎w7♥︎= 420
 
West opens 2♣︎ after two passes, holding a rare 24-point hand. North passes and East bids 2♦︎. (Some in Vancouver play a 2♥︎ response for really bad hands, and use 2NT to show hearts and a average hand or better.) South's six-card heart suit is not enough to get into this auction at this vulnerability, so South passes and West rebids 2♠︎, showing a good hand with a spdea suit. East cannot pass 2♠︎ and should in fact bid 4♠︎: jumping to game shows a fit but discourages going on. West hopefully gets the message, because 10 tricks are the limit in spades, with a loser in spades, diamonds, and clubs. Unfortunate for those bidding on over 4♠︎, but in the auction presented above, West was warned!
 
 
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Board 3
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎Q63 Vulnerable:
South♥︎J8542 East-West
♦︎7
♣︎KQJ6
WEST EAST
♠︎JT2 ♠︎A4
♥︎Q97 ♥︎KT63
♦︎JT92 ♦︎A64
♣︎A73 ♣︎T952
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎K9875 Tricks:
9 ♥︎A NSEW
8 11 ♦︎KQ853NT7766
12 ♣︎84♠︎9944
♥︎6666
N-S have 21 combined points♦︎7765
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎7766
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
4♠︎sJ♠︎= 420
3♠︎s7♥︎+1 170
4♠︎s7♥︎-2 100
 
South opens 1♠︎ as dealer and West passes. North hasn't enough for a two-level response in hearts or clubs but with a known eight-card fit can respond 2♠︎. East passes and South invites with 3♠︎ but North isn't strong enough to accept this one. Good decision by North, since the layout of the spades is such that South must lose two trumps as well as the minor suit aces. Leading trumps first from dummy may eliminate a loser, but how do you get there to lead a trump from dummy?
 
 
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Board 4
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎T986 Vulnerable:
West♥︎KQ6 Both
♦︎7
♣︎J9732
WEST EAST
♠︎A7 ♠︎Q3
♥︎JT7 ♥︎98543
♦︎AQT862 ♦︎KJ
♣︎A6 ♣︎KQ84
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎KJ542 Tricks:
6 ♥︎A2 NSEW
15 11 ♦︎9543NT331010
8 ♣︎T5♠︎8844
♥︎4499
E-W have 26 combined points♦︎331010
Suitable Level: Game♣︎7766
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
5♦︎wT♠︎-2 200
4♥︎wT♠︎-1 100
3Ne4♠︎+3 690
 
West can open 1♦︎ or 1NT with this hand, and by now you know I like 1NT in most of these optional spots. North passes and East transfers with a 2♦︎ response. South passes and West bids 2♥︎. North passes and East continues with 3NT, forcing game and asking West to pass or convert to 4♥︎ if the West hand makes this seem better. Three hearts and three aces make it seem a lot better, but theory and practice sometimes turn out to be two very different things. North's spade lead sinks the contract, setting up a spade trick to go with three trumps. Open 1♦︎, you say? East will respond 1♥︎, West rebids 3♦︎, and East will have to choose between 3NT (hoping West has spades stopped) and 3♥︎, which would be my choice and would lead to the doomed and unlucky 4♥︎ contract.
 
 
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Board 5
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎AJ2 Vulnerable:
North♥︎964 North-South
♦︎AKJ42
♣︎75
WEST EAST
♠︎QT4 ♠︎K83
♥︎82 ♥︎AKQJ3
♦︎Q76 ♦︎T95
♣︎AKJ84 ♣︎Q6
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎9765 Tricks:
13 ♥︎T75 NSEW
12 15 ♦︎83NT33710
0 ♣︎T932♠︎5578
♥︎1199
E-W have 27 combined points♦︎5578
Suitable Level: Game♣︎1199
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
2Ne8♦︎-1 50
4♥︎e8♦︎-1 50
3NwA♦︎+2 460
 
North opens 1♦︎ and East overcalls 1♥︎. South passes and West bids 2♣︎. North rebids 2♦︎ and West takes a shot at 3NT, knowing that it is not likely that South will have an entry to lead diamonds through on this auction. This turns out to be an excellent diagnosis and North can only get a spade and two diamonds against 3NT before West is ready to claim. East-West pairs insisting on rebidding five-card suits might find themselves playing in a seven-card fit rather than the unbreakable 3NT. (Not so unbreakable from the East hand when South leads a diamond; West has to be the one bidding notrump first.)
 
 
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Board 6
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎A4 Vulnerable:
East♥︎87 East-West
♦︎KJT942
♣︎953
WEST EAST
♠︎873 ♠︎KQJ6
♥︎KQJT5 ♥︎932
♦︎53 ♦︎8
♣︎JT2 ♣︎AKQ74
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎T952 Tricks:
8 ♥︎A64 NSEW
7 15 ♦︎AQ76NT8855
10 ♣︎86♠︎5588
♥︎3399
E-W have 22 combined points♦︎9944
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎331010
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
3♥︎wA♠︎= 140
3♥︎wK♦︎+1 170
5♦︎n*A♣︎-2 300
 
East opens 1♣︎ and South makes a takeout double, a reasonable call despite the heart support being a bit shorter than North might expect. West responds 1♥︎ (over a takeout double opener's partner should usually make the bid they would make over a pass), and North jumps to 3♦︎. This call presents an interesting problem for East, who does not know that West has five hearts, but has a good hand. Pass, 3♥︎, 4♣︎, and even 3♠︎ are in consideration; I think 3♥︎ is probably the least worst call. This might buy the contract and it might induce South or North to carry on to 4♦︎, after which West might try 4♥︎. Ten tricks in hearts are available unless North finds the killing defense of A♠︎ and a second spade, eventually getting a spade, a ruff, the A♦︎ and the A♥︎.
 
 
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Board 7
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎KJT92 Vulnerable:
South♥︎32 Both
♦︎AQJT
♣︎J6
WEST EAST
♠︎- ♠︎A65
♥︎KQ9865 ♥︎AJ4
♦︎9863 ♦︎54
♣︎K75 ♣︎QT943
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎Q8743 Tricks:
12 ♥︎T7 NSEW
8 11 ♦︎K72NT5577
9 ♣︎A82♠︎9944
♥︎331010
N-S have 21 combined points♦︎7766
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎331010
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
4♠︎nA♥︎= 620
4♠︎nA♥︎= 620
4♠︎nA♥︎-1 100
 
South passes as dealer and West opens a weak 2♥︎. North overcalls 2♠︎ and East raises to 4♥︎. South has no trouble bidding 4♠︎ over 4♥︎ and this is a good illustration of how important eight-card or longer fits in major suits are: both sides have happily bid up to the four level with the points split 21-19 on the basis of fits in majors! 4♠︎ ends the auction and East leads the A♥︎. West signals with the 9♥︎ and East plays a second heart, the jack. West should see that overtaking to lead a third heart is futile even if North has three; South will overruff East in that case anyhow. North is already cooked: two hearts, the A♠︎, and an eventual club trick will have to be lost for down one. East-West can make 4♥︎ (but not 5♥︎), so down one is a good sacrifice!
 
 
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Board 8
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎654 Vulnerable:
West♥︎96543 None
♦︎AQ5
♣︎94
WEST EAST
♠︎Q9 ♠︎KJT873
♥︎K72 ♥︎8
♦︎JT9743 ♦︎K
♣︎J7 ♣︎AQ653
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎A2 Tricks:
6 ♥︎AQJT NSEW
7 13 ♦︎862NT6665
14 ♣︎KT82♠︎4499
♥︎9944
N-S and E-W each have 20 combined points♦︎6677
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎5588
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
3♠︎eA♠︎-1 50
4♠︎eA♠︎-1 50
4♠︎eA♥︎= 420
 
West and North pass and East opens 1♠︎. South doubles and West bids 1NT. North's six points is a decent hand opposite a takeout double, so North bids 2♥︎, and East rebids 3♣︎, showing a two-suited hand. South bids 3♥︎ and West bids 3♠︎ to show a preference for East first-bid suit. 3♠︎ is passed around to South who might try 4♥︎ here. Again, fits in both majors have induced both sides to bid their combined 20-counts all the way to game or nearabouts! Both 4♥︎ and 4♠︎ should go one down, but might make if the defenders slip up.
 
 
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Board 9
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎AK53 Vulnerable:
North♥︎J2 East-West
♦︎KJ76
♣︎Q85
WEST EAST
♠︎T76 ♠︎QJ84
♥︎KT653 ♥︎Q97
♦︎AQ85 ♦︎T
♣︎9 ♣︎AK432
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎92 Tricks:
14 ♥︎A84 NSEW
9 12 ♦︎9432NT5578
5 ♣︎JT76♠︎4488
♥︎4499
E-W have 21 combined points♦︎7766
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎5578
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
3♥︎wA♠︎-1 100
1♥︎wA♠︎+1 110
2♥︎wK♠︎+2 170
 
North opens 1♦︎ and East makes a takeout double. South passes and West jumps to 2♥︎. West's jump is based on points (eight or more) but could be made on a four-card suit, so after North passes, East does as well, and 2♥︎ is the contract. North begins smartly with the ace and king of spades and South plays the 9♠︎ before the 2♠︎ to indicate a doubleton, and ruffs the third spade. South should see the potential for a crossruff and continue with the A♥︎ and another heart to reduce the number of ruffs West can get. This will get the defenders another trick in clubs or diamonds in the long run, holding it to two for a decent score.
 
 
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Board 10
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎J42 Vulnerable:
East♥︎AJ9876 Both
♦︎T9
♣︎97
WEST EAST
♠︎KQ85 ♠︎T93
♥︎KQ ♥︎T
♦︎76542 ♦︎KQJ
♣︎AT ♣︎KQJ852
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎A76 Tricks:
6 ♥︎5432 NSEW
14 12 ♦︎A83NT3377
8 ♣︎643♠︎3499
♥︎7766
E-W have 26 combined points♦︎331010
Suitable Level: Game♣︎331010
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
4♠︎wA♥︎-1 100
3Nw9♥︎-1 100
3♣︎e5♥︎+1 130
 
Unlucky hand for East-West here, they have a combined 26 points which will propel them to some unmakeable game contract, the only question being which one it will be. North will get into the auction at some point with a heart preempt and if West decides to try 3NT, that will be a disaster, down two after West takes the A♥︎ and six club tricks. 5Cd, 5♦︎, and 4♠︎ do slightly better, down only one. Best is to let North play in hearts and collect the penalty! Who knew?
 
 
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Board 11
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎KT75 Vulnerable:
South♥︎T963 None
♦︎3
♣︎T965
WEST EAST
♠︎Q43 ♠︎J986
♥︎A742 ♥︎K8
♦︎AJ7 ♦︎K984
♣︎J87 ♣︎AK3
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎A2 Tricks:
3 ♥︎QJ5 NSEW
12 14 ♦︎QT652NT3399
11 ♣︎Q42♠︎4499
♥︎5588
E-W have 26 combined points♦︎4499
Suitable Level: Game♣︎5577
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
1Nw5♠︎= 90
3Nw3♥︎= 400
3Nw5♠︎+1 430
 
South is a little light for an opener so it is West who gets to open 1♦︎. North passes and East responds 1♠︎. South passes and West rebids 1NT, and after North passes, East has an easy raise to 3NT. West begins with the ace-king in hearts, diamonds and clubs for six top tricks and needs three more. The Q♦︎ onside gets the count up to seven, and two spade tricks will suffice. If North started with a spade lead, the two needed spades may already be set up. Otherwise, best play in spades is low to the queen and North's king, then low towards East's ♠︎J98, finessing the eight and hoping South does not have the J♠︎. This works for nine tricks and a good score.
 
 
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Board 12
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎Q3 Vulnerable:
West♥︎AK4 North-South
♦︎A6532
♣︎AKT
WEST EAST
♠︎A8762 ♠︎T94
♥︎Q752 ♥︎T983
♦︎QJ ♦︎T8
♣︎J8 ♣︎Q953
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎KJ5 Tricks:
20 ♥︎J6 NSEW
10 2 ♦︎K974NT111122
8 ♣︎7642♠︎8944
♥︎8944
N-S have 28 combined points♦︎121211
Suitable Level: Game♣︎101033
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
3NnT♥︎+3 690
3Ns6♠︎+1 630
3Ns6♠︎+1 630
 
West passes and North opens 2NT (20-21 balanced). 1♦︎ is an alternate choice, but the difficulty comes at your rebid when you have to show such a very strong hand. You will find no rebid quite fits the bill. In general, we should check first for possible 2♣︎, 2NT, and 1NT openers first, before considering a one-level suit bid. A common mistake I see is people considering opening bids from 1♣︎ up and choosing the first one that seems to fit. Even the open game had two results where it looks like North opened 1♦︎ and South responded 1NT and was raised to 3NT. Notrump contracts often make more tricks if the strong hand is the declarer, so get those notrump openers out there. Eleven tricks in notrump are routine and 6♦︎ makes only because trumps break 2-2.
 
 
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Board 13
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎9863 Vulnerable:
North♥︎J98 Both
♦︎Q6
♣︎K985
WEST EAST
♠︎AKT2 ♠︎Q7
♥︎T53 ♥︎KQ762
♦︎T4 ♦︎AK987
♣︎AT76 ♣︎J
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎J54 Tricks:
6 ♥︎A4 NSEW
11 15 ♦︎J532NT3399
8 ♣︎Q432♠︎4499
♥︎221111
E-W have 26 combined points♦︎331010
Suitable Level: Game♣︎5588
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
4♥︎e2♣︎+1 650
4♥︎e2♦︎+1 650
4♥︎e5♠︎+1 650
 
North passes and East opens 1♥︎. South passes and West responds 1♠︎. North passes and East rebids 2♦︎. South passes and West continues with ... what? The common trap is to bid 2NT or even 3NT and play in notrump. The second dummy hits you will see where you've erred: partner opened 1♥︎ and you neglected to let partner know you had three-card support. If North leads a normal club against 3NT they will take at least three more clubs when in with the A♥︎, while in hearts you have only the A♥︎ to lose and then it is smooth sailing. The solution is to remember when you make the 1♠︎ response that you want to get a heart bid in later if possible. Eight-card fits in a major are important; don't conceal them!
 
 
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Board 14
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎9643 Vulnerable:
East♥︎32 None
♦︎Q9
♣︎KT983
WEST EAST
♠︎AJ752 ♠︎K
♥︎AJ ♥︎KT876
♦︎A6 ♦︎KT754
♣︎J754 ♣︎62
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎QT8 Tricks:
5 ♥︎Q954 NSEW
15 9 ♦︎J832NT4488
11 ♣︎AQ♠︎4488
♥︎331010
E-W have 24 combined points♦︎3399
Suitable Level: Possible Game♣︎5588
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
1Ne4♥︎+1 120
2Nw8♣︎+1 150
2NwT♣︎+1 150
 
East and South pass and West opens 1♠︎. North passes and East bids 1NT. South passes and West does as well, and North leads a club, South taking the first two tricks and switching to a diamond. East figures that North began with five clubs for South to switch, and ducks the A♦︎ in dummy; North plays the Q♦︎ and East wins the K♦︎. North next leads a heart to the jack, realizing that if it loses, North can cash a high club but the J♣︎ will control the fourth round. The finesse wins and East has seven tricks: two diamonds, three hearts and two spades, but must cash them carefully: A♥︎, K♠︎, K♥︎, A♦︎, A♠︎. At this point, a third spade puts South in and an eighth trick may come out of it at the end.
 
 
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Board 15
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎KT Vulnerable:
South♥︎AJT962 North-South
♦︎63
♣︎KT5
WEST EAST
♠︎87532 ♠︎QJ964
♥︎Q4 ♥︎75
♦︎Q4 ♦︎AKJ
♣︎8762 ♣︎Q43
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎A Tricks:
11 ♥︎K83 NSEW
4 13 ♦︎T98752NT101022
12 ♣︎AJ9♠︎7766
♥︎111122
N-S have 23 combined points♦︎101033
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎9944
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
4♥︎nK♦︎+1 650
5♠︎e3♥︎-3 150
4♠︎eK♥︎-3 150
 
South opens 1♦︎ and West passes. North responds 1♥︎ and East throws in a 1♠︎ overcall. South makes a Support Double (a double of RHO's bid by opener when partner responds in a major shows three card support) and West takes advantage of the vulnerability to blast to 4♠︎! North's options are pass, 5♥︎, and double. North-South both know that 4♠︎ is pre-emptive, so unless they decide to bid 5♥︎, they cannot let 4♠︎ be played undoubled: therefore, passing 4♠︎ by North is forcing: South must bid or double. Allowing the opponents to play in a clear sacrifice bid undoubled is bad bridge. Sometimes you will make the wrong choice between doubling and bidding on, but doing neither is almost never right. North passes and lets South choose and South doubles. Good defense collects 800 and a top!
 
 
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Board 16
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎J984 Vulnerable:
West♥︎2 East-West
♦︎Q4
♣︎KQ8763
WEST EAST
♠︎QT6 ♠︎A532
♥︎QJ943 ♥︎K6
♦︎J92 ♦︎A8753
♣︎42 ♣︎T9
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎K7 Tricks:
8 ♥︎AT875 NSEW
6 11 ♦︎KT6NT9944
15 ♣︎AJ5♠︎7744
♥︎7766
N-S have 23 combined points♦︎6666
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎111122
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
2NsQ♥︎+2 180
2♣︎n9♣︎+2 130
1♥︎sJ♦︎= 80
 
West and North pass and East opens 1♦︎. South overcalls 1NT and West passes. North knows that all conventions that apply over a 1NT opener also apply over a 1NT overcall, so North bids 2♣︎ to try to uncover a spade fit. South bids 2♥︎ and North now bids 3♣︎. Stayman followed by a minor suit is normally a slam try in the minor, but here North passed originally, so South can place North with a long club suit and some values. With South's minimum pass is the best option: game in clubs would require perfect cards from North and possibly a finesse or two. 3♣︎ makes eleven tricks easily, but needed North's well-placed heart singleton as well as the A♠︎ onside. 3NT makes on this layout, but 23 points is seldom really enough to try it.
 
 
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Board 17
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎7 Vulnerable:
North♥︎Q653 None
♦︎J432
♣︎Q972
WEST EAST
♠︎6 ♠︎KT8543
♥︎KT ♥︎A9742
♦︎K986 ♦︎A5
♣︎AKJT43 ♣︎-
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎AQJ92 Tricks:
5 ♥︎J8 NSEW
14 11 ♦︎QT7NT4399
10 ♣︎865♠︎33109
♥︎32109
E-W have 25 combined points♦︎4499
Suitable Level: Likely Game♣︎4399
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
5Nw3♥︎-5 250
4♥︎e7♦︎-1 50
3Nw2♣︎= 400
 
North passes and East opens 1♠︎. South passes and West responds 2♣︎. North passes and East rebids 2♥︎. South passes and West bids 3♦︎, the fourth suit, played by most as a forcing call that may not include diamonds at all. North passes and East has a difficult choice: 3NT to confirm a diamond stopper, or 3♥︎ to confirm a 5-5 or 6-5 two-suiter? 3♥︎ would be my choice and after South passed, West would bid 3NT. Having shown 5-5 or 6-5 and still getting no help from West, East passes and North leads a small diamond against 3NT. West starts with six top tricks and the direct route to three more is to win the K♦︎ and play AKJCx. North wins the Q♣︎ and switches to a spade. South captures dummy's ten with the J♠︎ and continues diamonds, but West has nine tricks: five clubs and two red ace-kings.
 
 
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Board 18
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎73 Vulnerable:
East♥︎J9732 North-South
♦︎Q983
♣︎Q9
WEST EAST
♠︎J4 ♠︎AKT865
♥︎AKQT5 ♥︎864
♦︎AJT76 ♦︎K42
♣︎J ♣︎8
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎Q92 Tricks:
5 ♥︎- NSEW
16 10 ♦︎5NT5544
9 ♣︎AKT765432♠︎221110
♥︎221010
E-W have 26 combined points♦︎221010
Suitable Level: Game♣︎101033
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
4♣︎s*J♠︎= 710
5♥︎w*Q♣︎-2 300
5♣︎n*A♠︎-1 200
 
East has just enough to open 1♠︎ and South has several possible ways to proceed. The consensus choice will probably be a pre-emptive 5♣︎, and the minority options are pass (intending to get in later) and 2♣︎ (intending to bid more later). Even 5♣︎ may not be enough to silence West, whose best call may be .... 6♣︎! This basically says pick a slam (not this one, obviously), and promises a good hand with support for whatever East does. But on this hand, anything East chooses is disastrous. That's what makes the 5♣︎ bid the best choice. Pre-empts are like NFL blitzes: risky, but if you're going to blitz, it seldom works to send only one player after the quarterback, you need to go all out and send several. When you pre-empt, pick the highest level that is not outright crazy for maximum pressure!