World Mutt Rescue Month by Marti Ronemus

As the proud owners of two rescued mutts, we were pleased to see that there is an entire month devoted to this joyful endeavor. And our hands today are all about the possible rescue of some questionable hands--should they be slams? Let's find out.
(By the way, tonight is "Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbors' Porch Night. Be sure to do your part.)

Question 1

Your Hand
♠ A 9
♥ K Q 9 3
♦ A Q 7 6 2
♣ 6 2

Q: 1 - Vul, as South, what should your next bid be?

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

A: 4♠: Write this down: You cannot ask for aces unless you have first- or second-round control of every suit in your hand. Why? This hand is a perfect example. If Pard only has one ace and it's Hearts, They can rip two quick Club tricks off the top. Now, with Pard having 19-21 pts., it's unlikely he doesn't have the ♣A or ♣K, but it's the principle. Instead we're going to make a control-showing bid of 4♠, showing our cheapest ace. Pard will know you aren't bidding that because you want to play Spades. Honestly! He'll bid his first-round control next. If he bids 5♣, you can easily adopt this Slam hand.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

Your Hand
♠ A Q 9 8 4 3
♥ 9 7 6
♦
♣ A Q 6 2

Q: 2 - All Vul, what should South bid this time?

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

A: 5♣: Again, partner has shown 19-21 pts and we've got at least a ten-card trumps fit. But! This might be a slam that needs rescuing, or it might be a vicious dog that will bite you. You've got first-round control of three suits. The Hearts are questionable, and it's tricky using Blackwood with a void. Instead, we're going to show a first-round Club control. If Pard shows a Diamond control, we can sign off in 5♠. If he bids 5♥, we've got our slam. Let's see what happens next.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

Your Hand
♠ K Q 10 5 3
♥ K 6
♦ K 6
♣ A 9 6 2

Q: 3 - South Vul against NV--your bid?

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

A: 4 No-trumps: You've got first- or second-round control of every suit and plenty of points. All you need to know is how many aces Pard has. Ask. Bring this puppy home!

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

Your Hand
♠ A J 10 6 4
♥ 6
♦ K J 6
♣ A 9 6 2

Q: 4 - E/W Vul. What should South bid?

South	West	North	East
1♠	pass	3♠	pass
?

A: 4♠: C'mon. Not every hand is a slam. We have to squeeze just to bid game on this one! Pard has 10-12 with the (probably) ninth trump. How does our hand plus his = slam? Chihuahua on board!

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ A K J 7 5 4 3
♥
♦ K Q 5
♣ A K Q

Q: 5 - No one vul: What should South bid?

South	West	North	East
2♣	pass	2♦	pass
2♠	pass	3♠*	pass
?

*3♠ shows slam interest and a Spade fit. 4♠ would show a fit, but no slam interest.

A: 4♣: You have first- or second-round control of every suit. Why wouldn't you just either bid it or ask for aces? Because you've got hopes for a Grand Slam. Using Blackwood isn't what we need. What if Pard has one ace and it's the ♥A? Also Blackwood with a void is a losing proposition. Best bet is to show first-round control of the Clubs and await further developments. We are now going to play this hand, and the rest of the bidding will be shown. Let's see if we can take this Big Dog for a walk!

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

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!