"Is It a Crime?" by Marti Ronemus

So, a person finds himself wanting to collect his life insurance .. while still alive. Maybe he's evading arrest warrants, avoiding repaying loans. Maybe he just wants to start over, dumping problems galore. "Pseudocide," faking ones death, seems to be a viable strategy. BUT!! Is it illegal?

No! What a surprise! Faking one's death is not a crime. Where the plan breaks down, however, is all the attendant crimes... fraud trying to collect the insurance, creating a new identity. THAT's where the problem comes in. Find a way around that, and you're home free.

Do we think we can get through our quiz today without committing fraud? Let's find out.

Question 1

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

Q: 1 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	-	1♣	1♠
?

A: 3 No-trump: We are going to limit our hand. Our bid shows 13-15 pts (not too big a fraud when we add distribution points) and no interest in a major. We're also promising stopper(s) in Spades. Perfect bid? We'll find out because we're going to play this hand later.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

Your Hand
♠ K J 9 8 3
♥ A K
♦ A 4
♣ J 8 6 2

Q: 2 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	-	1♠	Pass
?

A: 2♣: We know we want to end up in Spades, and we well may have a slam. Any bid of Spades can be passed and it is a bit foolhardy to jump to 4 No-trump. Let's just make a forcing bid and find out more about Pard's hand. Then we can decide what to do.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

Your Hand
♠ 8 7 6
♥ Q 3 2
♦ K Q J 8
♣ A 10 8

Q: 3 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1♥
Pass	Pass	1♠	Pass
?

A: 2♥: Are you surprised we played dead at our first chance to bid? We didn't have an overcall, and couldn't double. No-trump would be a bit scary with that Heart holding. We know Pard will balance. We have a fit with his suit, and a deep interest in knowing more about his hand. A cuebid of the opponent's suit tells him we have a fit, 10-plus points, and asks him to limit his hand on his next bid. Perfect.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

Your Hand
♠ J 9 8
♥ A 9
♦ K J 4
♣ A Q 10 9 8

Q: 4 - South:

South	West	North	East
1 No-trump	Pass	5 No-trump**	Pass
?

**Grand slam request. We must bid at least 6 No-trump.

A: 7 No-trump: We could just bid 6 No-trump since we only have 15 pts., but the quality of the Clubs makes us willing to give it a try.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ A J 8
♥ A K J 7
♦ A Q 10 8 7
♣ 7

Q: 5 - South:

South	West	North	East
1♦	Pass	3♦	Pass
?

A: 6♦: We could ask for Aces, but why? We've got first- or second-round control of all four suits, and even if Pard only has 10 pts, we are very very close. The texture of our suits is wonderful.

Ready to play?

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!