Fireworks - Best of Marti Ronemus

Happy 4th of July! We've got a fireworks slam for you to get your holiday started, but not until you tackle these five bidding questions. And it's okay to disagree since there's nothing in bridge we all agree on. Let's light the rockets and get started!

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Question 1

Your Hand
♠ J 9 5 4
♥ 7 5 4
♦ Q J 9 6
♣ J 7

Q: 1 - As South, what should you bid?

South	West	North	East
-	-	1♠	2♣
?

A: 3♠: The intervening bid changes everything. Normally you'd have to work hard to squeeze out a 2♠ bid but you'd do it (c'mon... 5 is the new 6, especially with a nine-card trump fit!), but with an intervening bid, you should follow The Law of Total Tricks, and raise to the level of trumps in your combined hands. Remember, raising your partner's suit to ANY level is the weakest response you can give. If you had a NICE hand of 10 pts, you'd cuebid the opponent's suit to show it. Pard won't think you've got anything other than a minimum with four trumps. It's preemptive and descriptive. Who can ask for more?

Your result so far:

Open Question

Independence Day!

4th of July

Dear Quiz Expert Subscribers! Today as you know is the 4th of July. It is my favorite holiday because there is no responsibility to make a turkey or shop for gifts. It is a hugely emotional holiday when we all, regardless of beliefs, share thanks that we are free to express our opinions without fear. Except from our bridge partners!!

I can’t tell you how excited and honored I am to be joining you every Monday and Friday morning for a few moments together to get our days started. What better way to tune up our brains than a quick quiz and a challenging hand. Bridge is one of the nicest parts of my life and I hope it is for you, too. Frequently I’m sure you will disagree with the quiz answers, and that’s a GOOD thing! This would be a boring game if there weren’t room for many different opinions. I often say that there’s nothing in bridge that three people agree on.

Please enjoy our time together twice a week, and stay in touch. Marti Ronemus

Question 2

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

Q: 2 - As South, what should your bid be?

South	West	North	East
1♠	pass	2♣	pass
?

A: 3♣: You've got a plethora of choices and (almost) all of them can be defended. You could rebid an innocuous 2 No-trumps, but that would suggest some red stoppers. You could rebid your Spades, but you don't have six of them, and you know what they say about people who rebid unsupported five-card suits. You aren't that desperate. Bidding 3♣ doesn't promise four of them, and it strongly implies no red stoppers and no other suit to bid.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

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

Q: 3 - What should you bid as South?

South	West	North	East
-	-	1♠	pass
2♣	pass	2♥	pass
3♦	pass	3♥	pass
?

A: 3 No-trumps: Honestly, you'd think with all that bidding, you could find a fit somewhere, BUT! Pard has clearly shown (with his Heart rebid) five-five in the majors and you're sitting there with eight cold tricks in the minors. You've got three entries to Pard's hand, which should certainly result in the ninth trick. 3 NT is the only bid that makes sense.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

Your Hand
♠ Q 10 5
♥ A J 3 2
♦ 3 2
♣ A 8 3 2

Q: 4 - You are South. What is your next bid?

South	West	North	East
-	-	1♦	pass
1♥	pass	4♥	pass
?

A: 5♣: Pard has shown 19-21 pts. You've got 12 pts in favor of Hearts. You can't ask for aces though as you don't have first- or second-round control of every suit in your hot little hand. BUT! You can't let this go. A bid of 5♣ is perfect. It is obviously showing a first-round control of Clubs, and denies a first round control of Spades. Pard will either show a control of his own, or with all the other bases covered, bid the slam. Good things happen to people who do things good.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ A 8 7 6
♥ A Q 9
♦ K Q J 2
♣ A 2

Q: 5 - You're South again. What should you bid?

South	West	North	East
-	-	2♦*	pass
2 no-trumps*	pass	3♣	pass
?

2♦: Weak with 6 cards.
2 No-trumps: asking for feature

A: 6♦: What are you waiting for? Pard simply MUST have the ♦A to pre-empt the suit without the honors you're holding. When you asked for a feature with your 2 No-trumps bid, his ♣K covers that loser. Live a little! It's the 4th of July and good things happen. Plus your partner has to play it, right? Wrong! You got into this mess. You're going to play the hand, right now. Let's see if you can pull it off.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Play this Hand

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

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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

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