Set 18 Results
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Board 1, West deals, Nobody Vulnerable
A J 8 5 4
A Q 3
A K 10
K 4
|
|
Q 7 6 3
J 2
Q 7 5
A 10 7 2
|
Scores for Board 1:
6
:10
4
:7
5
:6
6NT: 5
4NT: 4
5NT: 3
6
is good since it makes if either major comes in. 6NT is not as good, because if spades produce only 4 tricks, it will be quite unlikely to get 8 more from the other suits. Is West's hand too good for 2NT? I count 21 prime HCP and a 5-card suit, so I think 2
planning to rebid 2NT is a better valuation. After either start, East will use Stayman to locate the spade fit. Over 20-21, East might not try for slam (unless he has used Puppet Stayman to learn of a 5-4 fit). Over the 2
-then-2NT start, East is more likely to head towards 6
. In either case, the partnership must have agreements as to what East's actions mean after West's 3
.
Board 2, West deals, Nobody Vulnerable
Q 10 5 4
5 2
A 10 3
A 9 8 7
|
|
A K 8 7 6
A K Q 10 7
7 6
2
|
Scores for Board 2:
7
:10
6
:7
6NT:4
5
:3
5NT: 1
If either major behaves, 13 tricks in spades are there (West's diamonds eventually go on East's hearts, and East's diamond loser is ruffed in West's hand). If East starts with 2
and rebids 2
, West will love his hand. Alternatively, East can start with 1
and West will use Drury (maybe 2-way to show 4 trumps). East would like to hear a control-bid of 4
from West at some point, after which it is easy to reach 6, but not 7.
Board 3, West deals, Nobody Vulnerable
A J 5 4 2
K 4 3
4
K 10 9 2
|
|
K 8 7
A 6 2
A K 3 2
A 7 3
|
Scores for Board 3:
4
:10
5
: 8
4NT: 6
6
: 4
6NT: 2
Because there is a likely trick to lose outside of spades, slam is sub-par. It requires not only finding the
Q onside (50-50), but a 3-2 spade break. How to stay out of slam? West opens 1
(doesn't he?) and East will probably respond 2
. West's rebid now depends on system, but East will raise spades next. Will East drag West into slam kicking and screaming?
Board 4, West deals, Nobody Vulnerable
A Q
K 4 2
Q J 9
J 7 6 5 4
|
|
K 2
A 10 3
K 5 4
A K Q 3 2
|
Scores:
5NT : 10
5
: 7
Slams: 4
This is nasty (mirrored distribution), but don't blame me; this deal comes from the Becker archives. If only we could change one little card to be in a different suit, there would be 12 likely tricks. How to avoid this slam? Once West opens the bidding, I can't see stopping short of 6
. That's why slam, although "no play" does get 4 out of 10 points--you will have lots of company for -50. Only a pair of relayers, who can discover the exact duplication of values, might have a chance to stop in game.
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