2022 FEBRUARY MSC

[yleexotee]

PROBLEM A: 2 Diamonds -  4S was calling to me because, really, where else are we going to land, then I thought p could have two aces, and I don't need much else to make slam.
PROBLEM B: 1 Notrump - but I thought of changing to 2c because Todd felt confident in this bid
PROBLEM C: 2 Diamonds - p isn't sitting for 2Cx, so forces them to bid 2nt, why not tell p more about my hand strength and then they can make better decision
PROBLEM D: 4 Hearts - I changed on this one, why doesn't p rebid diamonds if they are so great (because he has hearts I pray), lets try 10 tricks in hearts instead of 11 in diamonds, right answer is 4D, but I can't
PROBLEM E: 2 Notrump - this one is just terrible, nothing is right.x seems like hearts, 3s seems like good clubs, but 2nt is just as much a lie, so prob a zero
PROBLEM F: Double - unanimous
PROBLEM G: 3 Spades - leaving room to land in 3nt
PROBLEM H: Diamond Ace - unanimous

[wackojack]

February 2022 Contest

Problem A  4
Too many holes to think of slam.  No dilly-dallying with 2♦ or giving info to opps with 4♣.  I want to play in 4♠ and that is it.

Problem B  2 
 Every bid looks bad. 
Choices:
1NT:   I cannot stand the thought of partner’s stare when I lose 5 diamond tricks even before I start. 
Pass:  I cannot stand the thought of partner’s stare when I pass.
2♥:  No way Josay!  Reverse overbid by 4 points.
2♠: Would partner pretend to look delighted when he had this? ♠ Axxx, ♥xx, ♦ xxx, ♣ KJxx

Least of evils 2♣.

Problem C double
 Partner passed for penalties.  Double tells partner that my first double was a strong take-out double.  Hoping for +800

Problem D  5
 I am expecting partner to have 1 or at the most 2 spades.  Likely 1363 and  ♠x, ♥ Kxx ♦AKJxxx, ♣Axx would be about seem to be about minimum.  Here both 5♦ and 3N would be lucky to make and we would expect to get 5 tricks in defence only on a good day.  Nevertheless, partner could be better so I will be bold and go for 5♦

Problem E 2NT
 Statistically partner is most likely to have a weak 1 no trump and won’t protect if I pass and in fact legally cannot protect if I pass slowly.  So I have to hope that partner has something in spades and I will bid 2NT.

 Problem F  1
Wait to hear of developments.  Perhaps walk the dog.

Problem G 4
We have 27-29HCP and we need partner to have 3 aces for slam.  Optimistically ♠ xxx, ♥ AQx, ♦AQxxx, ♣Ax where we ruff 2♠ with ♦J9.  This looks just a bit too much to hope for so I will go for 4♥ to play 4-3 fit.

Problem H  A
I think I see 4 defensive tricks; so I will take a peek at dummy and hopefully see where partner might add a couple more.                                             
                                                                                   

[kenberg]

jack, and all,

On A, I am virtually certain that if I were "just playing a game" I would just bid 4S. But, thinking about it, I can see that maybe it could possibly make 6S, so there I am with my 2D call. It will be interesting to see if I regret it.

My general view of bridge is that I try to get the straightforward things right in the bidding and then I try to take care in the play. In most hands, in most venues, this takes care of most things.

Here is a hand that I played with the bots, and against the bots, that illustrates this philosophy:

https://tinyurl.com/y2q9tvmf

Do I have a legitimate X with my flat hand? Oh, I don't know. Was there a way for pard to show his minor suit 5-5 and let me choose> I don't know. Can they beat 4D? Yes, but E is holding KQJxx in hearts so he led a heart. And then it still takes a little care to keep them frm getting a ruff. And, anyway, they can take 9 tricks in hearts.

Of course sometimes this could go wrong, but this is bridge as I think it often goes. I could give a long inventory of hands where my choices went awry. Here it worked out. There were no conventional bids here, except for the take-out double.


Anyway, I am bidding 2D exploratory. A lot of exploratory missions do not end well. But once more, into the woods.

[Masse24]

I'm regretting pulling the trigger on "G" too quickly, but it's too late.

If I had the chance to choose again, it would be 4 . I think partner has a 3=3=5=2 or similar with spade weakness. If my Stayman was looking for a spade fit, I would now bid 3NT. So 4 should show four hearts and either 3 or 4 diamonds.

Hoping that 4 does not get hammered in the panel voting.

[yleexotee]

I'm regretting pulling the trigger on "G" too quickly, but it's too late.

If I had the chance to choose again, it would be 4 . I think partner has a 3=3=5=2 or similar with spade weakness. If my Stayman was looking for a spade fit, I would now bid 3NT. So 4 should show four hearts and either 3 or 4 diamonds.

Hoping that 4 does not get hammered in the panel voting.

 

In this Contest I usually regret not bidding the 4D, so I'm sure it will be the same here too.

[blubayou]

SOLUTIONS FOR: Jock  McQuade,3 Bag End, Hobbiton OR 97030,U.S.A.
PROBLEM A: 4 Clubs
PROBLEM B: 2 Clubs
PROBLEM C: 2 Spades
PROBLEM D: Pass
PROBLEM E: Pass
PROBLEM F: Double
PROBLEM G: 3 Notrump
PROBLEM H: Diamond Ace

[kenberg]

I'm regretting pulling the trigger on "G" too quickly, but it's too late.

If I had the chance to choose again, it would be 4 . I think partner has a 3=3=5=2 or similar with spade weakness. If my Stayman was looking for a spade fit, I would now bid 3NT. So 4 should show four hearts and either 3 or 4 diamonds.

Hoping that 4 does not get hammered in the panel voting.

 

In this Contest I usually regret not bidding the 4D, so I'm sure it will be the same here too.

je ne regretter rien.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3Kvu6Kgp88

Did Edith Piaf play bridge?

[wackojack]

SOLUTIONS FOR:
Wackojack

PROBLEM A: 4 Spades
PROBLEM B: 2 Clubs
PROBLEM C: Double
PROBLEM D: 5 Diamonds
PROBLEM E: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM F: 1 Diamond
PROBLEM G: 4 Hearts
PROBLEM H: Diamond Ace

[wackojack]

And happy Hogmanay

[kenberg]

Likewise

[blubayou]

Edith  Piaf  played O-Hell,  as well as eucre and similar continental games.    So I was told by her grand-niece in a bistro on the Place Pigalle  in my senior year.   

[kenberg]

Edith  Piaf  played O-Hell,  as well as eucre and similar continental games.    So I was told by her grand-niece in a bistro on the Place Pigalle  in my senior year.

Sounds like an interesting senior year. The best I can say in comparison is I went to The Ten O'clock Scholar in Minneapolis. This was in the late 50s and I understand that Bob Dylan played there briefly before heading off to New York but I missed it. I grew up in St. Paul and went to the Univ of Minn. Gophers and all that.
My first knowledge of Pigalle came from seeing the 1952 film Moulin Rouge. Very shocking to 13-year-old me. In it, a woman, modeled after a specific real character who lived with Toulouse-Lautrec, is explaining to him the nature of her life: "I was 13 before I learned that the whole world doesn't smell like it does where I grew up". Something like that. Right on the edge of what the film censors allowed at the time.
But I digress.
I did play Oh Hell as a child. And Piaf sings La Vie En Rose much better than Dean Martin did. And she wrote it.
Anyway, sounds like a good senior year.

How will my answers score? Oh yeah, gotta get back to reality.

[jcreech]

February Results

A tie this month with 700!  A couple of our elite and most persistent MSC-participating members, KenBerg and Masse24 won this month and made the honor roll. 

NAME	BW-SCORE	RANK	MPs
Masse24	700	1	30
KenBerg	700	1	30
CCR3	650	3	10
Also participating this month were:  BabsG, BluBayou, FlueretteD, Hoki, JCreech, MarilynLi, Peuco, VeeRee, WackoJack, YleeXotee. Congratulations to all!

[kenberg]

Usually when I play in a tournament, I have some idea of how I did before I look at the scores. In the BWS contest I rarely have any idea at all. On the lead problem, I thought a trump was clearly called for but I was indifferent to the 3 or 8. Maybe the 3 suggests diamonds, I don't know. On G I get 100 for 4H? I thought it to be right so I chose it, but I was still surprised to see it score well.
Well, it's my birthday today, maybe that's the explanation. I'll take it.

And yeah, my 2D on C was a bad choice. They are right.

[blubayou]

Last month when  the bidding on the "companion deal"  went :  "1NT, 2C; 2D, 3D;  THREE HEARTS", that call was based on doubleton AJ [with a spades stopper waiting in the wings].  Well--as it's your birthday and you have the jack yourself,  yo deserve a doubleton ace-QUEEN  this month -- and a writeup in the acbl bulletin when you bring home this sub-moysean  heart game!