A: 3NT: I suppose so. If partner has the AK of spades, the A of hearts and the AQ of clubs I guess 6S is a decent contract played from his side of the table. He can win the opening lead, cash the trump AK, and start the diamonds. It's asking a lot but it says "mild slam try' so maybe so.
B: I like 2NT. I just like it.
C: 1S
If the opponents have an 8 card fit we probably have an 8 card fit, and if the opponents have a 9 card fit we surely have an 8 card fit. The same arithmetic applies when we fit with an opponent. S (that's me or rather that's I) have a massive fit, at least a 10 card fit, with W (Lho). So N and E have a fit. Probably two fits, probably in
and
.
Passing might not be totally crazy.
I am thinking 1
, maybe that suit is distributed reasonably evenly.
I am not looking for game, I am looking for a contract that is not awful.
D: 3NT
It's not crazy, maybe not even overly optimistic, to think we have 9 tricks off the top. Pard could have Qxx in clubs and Qx in hearts.
Can they take the first five tricks in
. Maybe, maybe not.
I am not thinking 3N is something to bet my house on, but I don't think it is totally nuts either.
E: X
Partner might pass and if so then 3
X might be the winning contract. Of course partner might also bid 4
. Then I bid 4
. Yeah, we are a bit high in 4
but it might be fine.
F: 3D
It's true that this is a pretty weak hand as far as hcps are concerned. But I am not that worried about partner bidding 3NT over my 3
. I will be leaving it in. If partner has AKxx, not unlikely for a 3NT rebid, I see six
tricks. And even if his
holding is only Axxx we are in pretty good shape if he has the values for 3NT. If opponents can set up their five card suit on the opening lead, so be it. Often they can't of they don't.
G: 2
OK, I did not mean to pass. This looks like a good hand for pessimism. I have been optimistic on earlier hands, not here. There is no good reason to think we have an 8 card fit anywhere. Partner would open 1
on a 3=3=4=3 hand and a 12 count or at least he would on a 13 count. With that 2
overall I suppose it is more likely pard is 3=3=5=2. But that doesn't mean I want to be in 5
.
Someday I will learn how to use the online hand evaluator but my offline evaluation is that this is a crappy hand. It's flat and it's aceless.
If we miss game I accept responsibility. But I probably bid the same 2
next time.
H: I said DT, but now I think maybe a small
This one I am still struggling with. My thinking was: This is matchpoints, we aren't beating this, why hand them a trick with a
lead. But I am re-thinking this. Maybe the aggressive
lead is right. Lho has 6+
, but pard can easily have Jxxx.
I have a few hours to go before I must choose