[luis]

Ok, we did 55% in the first session (Quiz 1) and we did an unforgetable 73% in session 2, no quiz for session 2 since it was seeing opponents commit suicide one after the other at my table.
Now in this quiz you will be playing the last classificatory session, so relax and enjoy the quiz you are already in the final with a 40% session.

Problem 1: Nobody vul
QJTxxxx, JTxx, x, x
1NT - p - 3NT - ?
Do you pass or sacrifice to 4s?

Problem 2:
T762, 543, T64, K64
The opponents bid 1NT-3NT, your lead?

Problem 3:
K8,Q73,A98,AQ973
Playing weak NT you open 1c, pd bids 1NT 7-10 balanced. Do you invite?

Problem 4:
842, QJ7642, J62, 9
Pd opens 1c, you bid 1h, pd rebids 2NT (18-19) now you can
a) Bid 3c to signoff in 3h
Invite to 4h with 3h directly
c) Bid 3nt
d) Pass 2nt
e) Bid a game forcing 3d asking for heart support
What is your plan?

Problem 5: Not vul vrs Vul
T2, A9, 3, KJT98643
Your pd opens 2s, RHO doubles, you bid 4s LHO doubles and gets back to you, do you agree with 4s? Do you pass or auto-rescue yourself to 5c?


If you did well in this quiz you will be ready for the 1st session of the big final where the field will be really strong. Good luck!

[hrothgar]

Problem 1: Clear pass

Problem 2: Heart 5

Problem 3: I invite

Problem 4: (a) Bid 3C to signoff in 3H

Problem 5: I do not agree with 4S
I bid 5C

[inquiry]

1. I would like to bid 4S, but I ahve a sneaking suspesion they maybe laydown for 6 of one of the minors. In that case a clever 4S surely would push them there. All in all, I beleive I would pass.
2. A heart
3. At imps, yes I invite. At matchpoint, I pass
4. Invite with 3H's.
5. I do not bid 4S. I don't accept the auto-rescue clause, since I would not bid 4Ss, I would not have this decision.

[Antoine Fourrière]

1. Pass. They may have a slam, or partner may double them at the five-level.
2. Heart five.
3. First I invite him to play 3N, then I invite him to play 1N as 5-8 or 7-10.
4. I invite him to 4H by bidding 3H, so that he may propose 3N with AKx in hearts.
5. I would have bid 5C, but maybe 4S was a smart move, and I still bid it now. They don't have a slam, and I may lose more in 4S than in 5C after the DA lead and the trump switch if LHO has two spade tricks. (Did RHO double with 2=4=5=2 and lead the CA for a ruff which he got immediately from partner?)

[Codo]

1. 4 Spade okay I get the zero, but no bid no fun. The only reason to pass which was not mentioned yet: Maybe all will pass, do I really need a swing?

2. Heart 4

3. no he needs too much for a game

4. I had bid 2 Heart as a weak weak two and now no further problems, but okay: 3 Club now

5. unluckily my pds bid 5 Spade after my 5 club, because 5 Club was just lead directing for them...
So I don`t agree with 4 Spade at all, but laying your style, I will bid 5 Club now..

Kind Regards

Roland

[EricK]

1) I pass.
2)Close between a Heart and a Spade ...
...
...
OK. Spade 7
3) No. Game is likely to be close and I am worried about a spade lead through Kx
4) Sign off in 3H.
If I had passed on the first round would LHO have balanced? Then I might buy it in 2H.
5) I wouldn't have bid 4S. I would have bid 3C.
Now I bid 5C, I suppose. But I don't like it.

Eric

[luis]

DON'T READ THIS POST IF YOU HAVENT'T ANSWERED -MAJOR SPOILERS- :-)

SOLUTIONS:

Thanks for posting, we got quick answers this time.

1) If you passed you get a normal average minus score about 40%, if you bid 4s you are -300 for a shared top and a really good board. Besides a big smile from your pd and a really nasty look by opps. And yes they get nuts and you get a top in the next board too.
I don't think they can now bid a slam after 1n-3n unless they get really obfuscated. At my table I did bid 4s, and LHO produced the only double dummy lead for -500 fortunately he forgot about thatthe h8 was higer than the 2 later in the play and I escaped for -300 and my devilish top.

2) The h4 holds them to 10 tricks other leads give time for declarer to make 11 tricks in comfort. If you lead a heart you get a very good result. I did lead the h4 (2nd/4th) at the table. I think the lead is almost automatic but they field wasn't on the same wavelength maybe because it was a weakish field.

3) We should have invited to cope with the strong no-trumpers getting to game in this deal. Pd has a normal good 9 counter so most pairs were in 3nt that makes. I decided not to invite and then my LHO commited suicide by deciding the hand belonged to them when the smoke cleared I was writing +1100 in the traveler. Anyway I think that the right move is to invite because of field-strategy factors and I didn't do it.

4) If you invite pd flies to game with his good 19 HCP and you go down like a stone. At the table we showed unusual discipline I refrained from opening 2nt with my 19 counter and my pd just signed off in 3h, the result was the only score in the NS column everybody going down 1 or 2 or more in 4h or 3nt.

5) You can't fight against success, 4sp was a good move atracting the opponents to a "we have to double them" game, pd bid 5c and played there for down 3 and a super-top. They are cold for 5h and many pairs were -800 or -1100 in 4 spades doubled. Yes your pd did open 2s with just five spades remember he was "invulnerable". So if you did like 4s and now you bid 5c you get an excellent result if not you get a good result unless you bid 4s and stand the double that would have been a bottom. BTW: 5c can't be lead directing if you were to play 4sx why would you reopen with 5c to play 5s? If your pd bids 5s you have to talk with him seriously.

So how are we doing? 65% now that we don't need it (blerp!) and the finals are starting in just some days. We won't see opponents flaming themselves and normal bids or leads scoring tops so the next quiz can be more difficult and the results can be not so happy.
See you in the next quiz!

[lifemonster]

Seems I'm a bit late, but...

1.4S, but I suspect they will bid 4NT and make the same 10 tricks. I don't want pd to lead a minor.

2.Spade deuce, 4th best? A "field" lead? I don't see why so many people choose to lead the weakest suit in hand. I don't think it protects anything. You could have easily killed partner's two-way-finessable-Queen.

3.This is MP, so we don't have to stretch in games.
No I don't invite.

4.Signoff in 3H, same reason as above

5.Run to 5C. We agree to play undisciplined weak 2's with this color so that's almost certain 5-cd suit, and I don't have enough spade length to ruff out pd's diamond loser.