Friday Thoughts by Marti Ronemus

Once again, we've made it to Friday and are preparing for the weekend. Before you run off to the Italian Riviera, how about one final mental tune up? Run these by your partner for discussion. Remember there's nothing in bridge that three people agree on.

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Question 1

Your Hand
♠ A Q 10 4 2
♥ K 8
♦ 9 4
♣ 9 7 5 4

Q: 1 - You are South. What is your bid?

South	West	North	East
-	-	Pass	Pass
?

A: 2♠: Remember all those pre-empt classes? Don't you need six? Not in third seat. There are two concepts here. Firstly, you are in third seat where you want to "find a bid!" You are like the little Dutch boy with his thumb in the dike. Once you bid, others are going to enter the fray. Start as high as you can to keep Them out. Secondly, your partner is a passed hand. Passed hands are not supposed to advance a pre-empt. You are already bidding for two other people.

Your result so far:

Open Question

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Question 2

Your Hand
♠ K 7 6 5 3
♥ A 5 4 3 2
♦ 2
♣ 6 4

Q: 2 - You are South. What is your bid?

South	West	North	East
pass	pass	2♠	pass
?

A: 4♠: We know, we know. You're not supposed to advance a pre-empt if you're a passed hand. BUT! Just how much temptation can one person stand? You've got at least a ten card trump fit, you've got a singleton and a doubleton. Your hand is perfect for a "Weak Freak" jump to game. Are you going to make it? Well, your partner is the hand we just looked at. You're probably only going to lose one Diamond and two Clubs. Plus, They have at LEAST a game! Maybe a minor suit slam?

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

Your Hand
♠ Q 10
♥ A 10 4
♦ Q J 5 2
♣ 10 4 3 2

Q: 3 - As South, what should you bid?

South	West	North	East
-	1♦	1♠	pass
?

A: 1 No-trumps: This is a no-brainer, perfect for a Friday! Some might pass Pard's overcall but honestly, what are they thinking. You don't want to raise Spades with your doubleton as your first choice. You've got two honors in Their suit. When you've got a positive hand, you must tell Pard. Without the Diamond stoppers, you could raise partner, but a raise of Pard's suit in a competitive auction is the weakest bid you can make.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

Your Hand
♠ 10 7 4
♥ 10 7
♦ 8 5 2
♣ A Q J 5 4

Q: 4 - As South, what is your bid?

South	West	North	East
-	-	1♥	1♠
pass	pass	double	pass
?

A: 3♣: You might have had zero points for your first pass, but what you actually have is 7 pts and a Darn Good Suit that you couldn't bid at the two-level. So now you've got a second chance. Don't waste it with a lazy 2♣ bid. Jump to show partner you've got a good suit that couldn't be bid before and a nicer-than-expected hand.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ A 6 4
♥ A K 10 3 2
♦ K 10
♣ 7 6 4

Q: 5 - As South, what is your bid?

South	West	North	East
1♥	1♠	2♠	pass
?

A: 4♥: Nowadays (we're talking 21st Century) people play jump raises in competition as pre-emptive. Had North had bid 3♥, he would have been showing a minimum hand with nice trumps support. Instead, our Pard chose to cue-bid the opponent's suit. Pard is promising a limit raise or better with nice trumps support. On our next bid, we need to show our point count. We jump to 4♥ to show we can make game opposite a 10 pt hand. And now it's "Put Up or Shut Up" time. We're going to play this hand and see what happens.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Play this Hand

Now that you've bid five hands, let's see how your play goes.

Overall Results

Your results: out of Average:

What next? You may enjoy playing our prepared hands series.
More informations on our website: www.VuBridge.com

Rate yourself:

0 - 40%	We applaud your effort. Review the subject and try again. You'll be surprised how much better you'll do. We're here for you!!
41 - 50%	Buy your mentor a cuppa and ask for clarification on the ones you got wrong. No mentor? Make finding one a priority!
51 - 60%	Nice improvement! One more review and you'll have this down solid!
61 - 80%	What a good job! All that's left is some fine tuning
Over 80%	Wow! It's time for you to become a mentor. Find someone who needs help and share your knowledge!