[mike777]

2/1 100% game forcing

QUIZ ONE:

HERE's a good puzzle for you:

Play 3NT on these cards, both sides vul:

A3....8754...JT92....K95
82....AKJ....AQ8.....AQ643

2NT....P.....3NT....all pass

The opening lead is the 4 of spades (4th best). Oh do you want the conditions of contest? Might that matter? Take it as a two parter.

1. Easy part: IMPS
2. Interesting part: MATCHPOINTS

Plan the play in both cases.



QUIZ TWO:

KJT543.....J5.....K62.....J4

Matchpoints....both vul

2C.....2D
2NT...3H.................2NT = 22-23
3S....4NT
5D....5H..................5D= 1/4 keys...............5H = queen ask
6s.....??....................6S= queen, no kings

Ya I think 4nt should have been quant also. Pard could have bid texas and then 4nt to rkc.



QUIZ THREE:

J3.....K87....A83....AQJT2

Matchpoints

....1H....2C
....2S....3H
....4S....4NT..........4S is kickback for hearts.....4NT = 0/3
....5D....??

5C here would have been Queen ask.
5S instead of 5D would have been specific K ask/grandslam try.



QUIZ FOUR:

AJT.....QTxxx....x....AKxx

IMPS

....1S....2H
....2S....??



QUIZ FIVE:

97....Q87542....AK....AQ5

....1S....2H
....4C....??

Also explain what you will do over common rebids on the next round of bidding.



QUIZ SIX, Yet another 7-5 hand!!!

AJ762....AKJT862.....3....void

....P....1D.....5C....??

Matchpoint, Vul versus not vul.....

Also explain what you will do over common rebids by partner on the next round of bidding.




QUIZ SEVEN:

AQxxx.....xx....KJTxx....x

IMPS....vul versus not vul....

...1S...P....2D....3C
...??

[pclayton]

3 hands max per thread please.

1A. IMPs. Easy enough; cash clubs ending in dummy. If they don't break, fall back on the diamond.
1B. MP's - Tougher. How much of a pig do you want to be? Theoretically you should be the big pig and keep your entries in tact. A♠, A♣, ♣ to King, ♦hook (saying prayer). Repeat diamond, cash clubs, take the AK♥ for 11 tricks.

2. (4N should be quant Mike). So pard is: AQ(?), Ax?, Ax?, Ax?? with 2 of the 3 off suit Queens. 6N looks like a good shot to me, and I don't see any reason for spades to offer an extra chance for the 13 trick. If pard has 5 diamonds, oh well.

3. Don't know - want to think about this one.

4. 3♠. Splinter in ♦'s is awkward and leads to an ethical problem for pard after his slow 4♠ on: KQxxxx, x, AQxx, xx.

5. Explain what our agreement is over 4♣. Please don't say I have to guess; I cover this with all my pards - even pickup.

6. 6♥.

7. 4♦ feels right. 3♦, 4♣ and 5♣ don't.

[1eyedjack]

pclayton, on Jun 13 2006, 03:32 AM, said:

1A. IMPs. Easy enough; cash clubs ending in dummy. If they don't break, fall back on the diamond.

Why not try cash H:AK first in case Q drops?

[pclayton]

1eyedjack, on Jun 12 2006, 09:43 PM, said:

pclayton, on Jun 13 2006, 03:32 AM, said:

1A. IMPs. Easy enough; cash clubs ending in dummy. If they don't break, fall back on the diamond.

Why not try cash H:AK first in case Q drops?

2 extra undertricks vul if the Q♥ doesnt drop? For an extra 3% chance? No thanks.

[1eyedjack]

pclayton, on Jun 13 2006, 07:15 AM, said:

1eyedjack, on Jun 12 2006, 09:43 PM, said:

pclayton, on Jun 13 2006, 03:32 AM, said:

1A. IMPs. Easy enough; cash clubs ending in dummy. If they don't break, fall back on the diamond.

Why not try cash H:AK first in case Q drops?

2 extra undertricks vul if the Q♥ doesnt drop? For an extra 3% chance? No thanks.

Well if it did give an extra 3% I would take it, but I was wrong anyway - miscounted - only gets 8th trick even if Q does drop

[inquiry]

Too many...

1) Agree with phil, other than to say I am a pig and will hook diamonds straight away at matchpoints.

2) Why did I take control? If partner has AQJxx of diamonds we are laydown for grand. If his 20 points are the four ACES, and the two black queens we might not make slam. Surely I will do nothing over 6♠ other than correct to 6NT and hope for 12 tricks.

3) 5♦ has got to be grand slam try looking for 3rd round control of ♦, I don't have it. Partner was not interested in clubs, but my clubs will be source of tricks at notrump. I want to bid 6NT to play... however your system allows me to do that. Partner has a stiff club, and is 4-5-3-1

4) 3♠, I am too good for splinter. Let's take it slow. 3♠ gives me another chance for slam try below 4♠, where as 4♦ does not.

5) 4NT, if partner has three keycards, I will ask about the king of spades, then the diamond queen if he is missing the king. If partner has 2 keycards I will bid 6♥, if partner has one key card, I will play a level too high in 5♥.

6) 6♥ or perhaps 6♣. If 6♣, I pull 6♦ to 6♥. I am not fooling around with 5NT here.

7) 3♦, forcing.

[whereagles]

mike777, on Jun 12 2006, 11:55 PM, said:

QUIZ ONE:

A3....8754...JT92....K95
82....AKJ....AQ8.....AQ643

3NT.... opening lead is the 4 of spades

---------

QUIZ TWO:

Matchpoints

KJT543.....J5.....K62.....J4

2C.....2D
2NT...3H.................2NT = 22-23
3S....4NT
5D....5H..................5D= 1/4 keys...............5H = queen ask
6s.....??....................6S= queen, no kings

------------

QUIZ THREE:

Matchpoints

J3.....K87....A83....AQJT2

....1H....2C
....2S....3H
....4S....4NT..........4S is kickback for hearts.....4NT = 0/3
....5D....??

5C here would have been Queen ask.
5S instead of 5D would have been specific K ask/grandslam try.

--------------------

QUIZ FOUR:

AJT.....QTxxx....x....AKxx

IMPS

....1S....2H
....2S....??

---------------

QUIZ FIVE:

97....Q87542....AK....AQ5

....1S....2H
....4C....??

Also explain what you will do over common rebids on the next round of bidding.

---------------------

QUIZ SIX, Yet another 7-5 hand!!!

AJ762....AKJT862.....3....void

....P....1D.....5C....??

Matchpoint, Vul versus not vul.....

Also explain what you will do over common rebids by partner on the next round of bidding.

---------------

QUIZ SEVEN:

AQxxx.....xx....KJTxx....x

IMPS....vul versus not vul....

...1S...P....2D....3C
...??

1. Imps: trivial. Matchpoints: cash clubs and watch their faces/discards.

2. Pass. Incidently, this wouldn't have been a problem if you had left keycard asking for pard... (not sure if you had a gadget for that, but if you did, then you bid wrong )

3. Hum.. situation is undiscussed, and I don't have a clue what pard is looking for. I'll just bid what I have then: 6♣.

4. 3♣ followed by 3/4♠.

5. I take it 4♣ was some splinter. 4NT, followed by a specific king ask if all the keys are there.

6. 6♣, wtp? If pard rebids 6♦, I'll pull it out to 6♥, which should show better hearts than spades.

7. 3♦. Will go all the way up to 5♦ if necessary.

[inquiry]

whereagles, on Jun 13 2006, 10:48 AM, said:

1. Imps: trivial. Matchpoints: cash clubs and watch their faces/discards.

With ZERO entries to dummy, after you cash your clubs and carefully watched their faces, you will have to lead from your AKJ or AQ8. I suspect you take your trivial tricks and that is it (assuming 3-2 clubs). If you cashed your clubs in the wrong order, you may not even have gotten your trivial tricks as you lead from hand with only 3CLUBS in the bag.

[whereagles]

oh really..? thanks for pointing out the obvious.

[FrancesHinden]

It's a pity we don't actually know if we're playing SAYC or 2/1, because that affects some of the answers, but here goes:

1. I would take pretty much the same line at matchpoints as at imps. At imps, the line everyone else takes. At matchpoints, once clubs come in I cash them all. I might get some spades discarded, you never know, and will then take one top heart, exit in spades and look to the heavens for inspiration. There's always someone who screws up in the auction, and if everyone else is taking the diamond finesse (into what's probably the _longer_ diamond hand) I've got a slightly over 50% chance of a top!

2. What's the obsession with Blackwood? I'd rather have asked partner's opinion about the best contract. As it is, we've managed to get to the 6S level with no idea what the right contract is. I shall shrug my shoulders and bid 6NT.

3. Abstain. If I've managed to agree something as complicated as 4S being kickback for hearts, then I've also discussed the continuations. If I haven't discussed continuations I refused to play it. Was 2C FG and 2S not extra values, or was 2C SA and 2S extra values? I struggle to construct a hand where partner found out nothing except we had clubs and heart support (and whatever range we've shown in the system), thought he then had a suitable hand for Blackwood, and then didn't know what to do next.

It's the same point as the previous hand: why use Blackwood if you don't know what the right contract is after the response?

4. if 2H was game forcing, 3S. If 2H was not game forcing, 4D.

5. Same questions: how far was 2H forcing? If 2H was not game forcing, I don't mind RKCB for once. If 2H was game forcing, 4D and see if partner is interested.

6. If I'm confident that partner will interpret it as a 2-suiter, 5NT followed by 6H. I'm confident that 6C agrees diamonds, so I won't do that. If I'm not confident about 5NT, 6H now.

7. (broken record time). How far was 2D forcing? Actually 4D in either case. Sounds like lots of spades and diamonds.

[mike777]

Thanks for all the responses, I always learn something from all of them, here are the hands with a few bits of commentary:


HAND 1.....the play quiz....

Play 3NT on these cards, both sides vul:

A3....8754...JT92....K95
82....AKJ....AQ8.....AQ643

2NT....P.....3NT....all pass

small spade lead.

K of D offside
.5MP

Quite a debate on the best MP line here...



HAND 2:

AQ...........Axx....AJ.......AQTxxx
KJT543.....J5.....K62.....J4
Matchpoints....both vul
2C.....2D
2NT...4H.................2NT = 22-23
4S....4NT
5D....5H..................5D= 1/4 keys...............5H = queen ask
6s.....??....................6S= queen, no kings


I corrected the auction...of course responder bid 4H (not 3H) on the second round as a couple of you pointed out. And everybody bids 6NT as X did on the final call. scored 7.5 out of 8 matchpoints....The only downside of bidding 6NT is you go down extra tricks if they find the heart lead and the club hook is off...but this day they led a diamond and the king was onside doubleton....

Quiz 3:

J3.....K87.......A83....AQJT2
Axxx..AQJTx....K........Kxx

....1H....2C
....2S....3H
....4S....4NT..........4S is kickback for hearts.....4NT = 0/3
....5D....??



... bidding 5C over 4NT would be the queen ask. so 5D is the cheapest cue-bid available, so pard cued it now, with the intention of cueing the club king next....Of course, he might do that anyway over 6H....He might reason that since you don't have the King of spades, there is a chance that you have AQxxx of clubs....then again, he might keep it at the 6 level, playing you for: QJx Kxx Ax Axxxx

Anyway, I judged to call 7C over X6D, and we were the ONLY pair to reach 7NT in the field!!!......

Mike: 5H also works....because after all, if 5D is a grand slam try, then certainly 5H is available as well as a waiting bid, to let partner complete his picture. Thanks, guys!


Quiz 4: Bid 4D (splinter). I will bid 5C over a 4S signoff.

AJT.........QTxxx....x.......AKxx
KQxxxx...xx.........AKJ...Jx

IMPS
....1S....2H
....2S....??

unfortunately, the rest of us didn't find the splinter, we raised 2S to 3S....Splintering really slows partner down as most of his values are in diamonds.....over 3S, partner will cue 4D, and you can recover by cueing 5C again...pard should bid 5D and you'll sign off again...and pard should give up realizing that if you had a heart control, you would likely have bid Blackwood rather than 5C.

Mike:I think after 3s, 3nt as a slam try and then cuebidding works best here.


Quiz 5:

97........Q87542....AK....AQ5
KJTxx..AKxx.......xxx....x

....1S....2H
....4C....??




Mike: 4D, followed by 4s rkc, not 5clubs or pass though both of those are close...you did bid 4clubs


X: okay, you guys all reach six...and make the 50% slam with both spade honors on side........I chose to cue 4D over the splinter, and having no spade control, I elected to pass over 4 hearts.....If those spade honors are offside, I win the coin flip instead.

This hand came on the heels of Quiz 4, which might explain my conservatism a little bit. I pictured my partner with the likes of
QJ9xx AKxx Qxx x...........X suggested that I cue 5 clubs rather than passing...after all, 5 hearts hardly seems to be in danger and I do agree with him. Who knows what would happen next?....With XXX in diamonds, and with a very minimum hand overall even by our standards, Hugh might just sign-off at the 5 level....which is Fine...the slam is less than 50% anyway...as there could be a spade ruff out there....

At another table Nagy Kamil, like Alex, blasted into Blackwood. I guess they believe it's not as much of a sin to bid Blackwood without a control in partner's suit, as it is in your own suit (or in an unbid suit).


Quiz 6:

KQ94......53............AQ96... KT9
AJ762....AKJT862...3.......... void


....P....1D.....5C....??

okay, everybody is a 6H bidder here.....

W: I just bid a simple 6H. 6 should have play (but may not). I don't see how I can intelligently do anything else (to get us to a better 6S or a grand). Preempts work.

Xl: Yeah...they sure do....you actually can get beat on a spade ruff, righty is 0-1-4-8 distro.....But even if he makes a lead directing double....his partner is 4-3-4-2 and might lead a diamond. While 7 spades is cold, just bidding (and making) 6 hearts is a pretty good score. This was held by an opponent who only bid 5H (making 6) and they got a 7 out of 12!!!

Some might suggest that you can bid 6C, and then over 6D, bid 6H to show this, but who really knows??




Quiz 7:
KJx.......AQxx...Qxxx.......Qx
AQxxx..xx......KJTxx....x

IMPS....vul versus not vul....

...1S...P....2D....3C
...4c...5c....5S....p
....6d..all pass

W: I bid 4C (I think this is shortness with diamonds). I have a huge hand for diamonds. I will try to get us to slam.
Mike: 4C [no explanation]
Y: 4C. What does 4c mean here, Jack?

X:Boo.....I say it's still a lousy 10 (ok, a halfway decent) count and you shouldn't get partner too excited....the next guy bid 5C.....and I, holding the poorish 14 count could have passed I suppose, and then settled for playing 5D.....but I foolishly wanted to show my spade support, and we got too high..(5S goes down on a diamond ruff).......At the time I really didn't think we were getting too high...after all partner cue bid 4C....I'm thinking he easily could be void....that, or hold a fist full of values....Things would have been clearer to me had he just raised diamonds....perhaps with a jump...

Anyhow....Now, I do understand...and really should have passed over 5C.....but the urge to show spade support was too great....And while I probably should have figured 4C showed a splinter for diamonds...it isn't exactly crystal clear, as all of your responses indicate....give a fool a chance to be one, and he probably won't disappoint.

If opponents could just stay out of our constructive auctions, life would be so much easier....

[inquiry]

mike777, on Jun 14 2006, 10:38 AM, said:

Thanks for all the responses, I always learn something from all of them,
Quiz 3:

J3.....K87.......A83....AQJT2
Axxx..AQJTx....K........Kxx

....1H....2C
....2S....3H
....4S....4NT..........4S is kickback for hearts.....4NT = 0/3
....5D....??



... bidding 5C over 4NT would be the queen ask. so 5D is the cheapest cue-bid available, so pard cued it now, with the intention of cueing the club king next....Of course, he might do that anyway over 6H....He might reason that since you don't have the King of spades, there is a chance that you have AQxxx of clubs....then again, he might keep it at the 6 level, playing you for: QJx Kxx Ax Axxxx

Anyway, I judged to call 7C over X6D, and we were the ONLY pair to reach 7NT in the field!!!......

Mike: 5H also works....because after all, if 5D is a grand slam try, then certainly 5H is available as well as a waiting bid, to let partner complete his picture. Thanks, guys!

Well, I guess I will leave it up to others to comment on the wacky bidding on most of the hands, but I just got to say something about this one. The concept that 5♣ is asking for queen (ok, true) so that 5♦ is a cue-bid is just wacky. Who ever heard of someone taking control, asking for aces, and then start cue-bidding?

The correct thing to do is CUE-BID the club KING BEFORE you ask for ACEs. The auction is routine then....A variety of easy auction come to mind....

1H...2C
2S...3H
3S...3N
4C...4N
5H...5N
6D...7N

3S = cue
3N = serious 3NT
4C = cue (don't cue singleton in partners suit)
4N = RKCB
5H = two plus queen
5N = king ask, gst (opener iwht 6H bids grand too)
6D = diamond king
7N = 5H, 5C, 2D, 1S

or

1H...2C
2S...3H
4C...4D
4N...5C (I assume 0/3)
5S/N...7N if matchpoint after either grand slam try.

or the simplier,

1H...2C
3C...3H (two suit agreement)
3S...4NT
5C...5D
6D...7N

where
3S = cue
4N = RKCB (six keycards)
5C = three or zero
5D = queen ask
6D = queen of hearts plus king of diamonds
7N = same 13 tricks.