"Caffeine Addiction Recovery Day" by Marti Ronemus

Yeah, it's "Caffeine Addiction Recovery Day." So what? What if we don't WANT to recover? What if we NEED that kick in the morning? What if we LOVE the zip galloping through our bloodstream? Sheesh. Next thing you know, there will be a "Bridge Addiction Recovery Day" on the calendar.

So get a cup of java, and get ready to feed your other addiction. We've got five bidding questions, and a hand to be solved.

Question 1

Your Hand
♠ Q 8 7
♥ A K 5 4
♦ A 4 3 2
♣ 7 3

Q: 1 - As South, what's your rebid?

South	West	North	East
1♦	pass	1♠	pass
?

A: 2♠: This is tough. We have a minimum opener, but with three Quick Tricks, a sound one. Normally we would rebid 1 No-trump, but because of the worthless doubleton in Clubs, that isn't very attractive. We know partner might be in a seven-card fit, but we are showing a minimum hand with nothing else to say, plus we've got a little ruffing value. Can you be faulted if you chose 1 No-trumps? No, you can still be my partner.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

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

Q: 2 - South's rebid?

South	West	North	East
1♦	pass	1♠	pass
?

A: 1 No-trump: Unlike hand #1, we have no side suit shortness, and while the Clubs are nothing to write home about, we have a balanced hand with no ruffing value. 1 No-trump is also a great red flag to partner, and limits our hand.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

Your Hand
♠ 8 4 3 2
♥ K J 5
♦ A 7 5 2
♣ Q 7

Q: 3 - This time you, as South, are responder.

South	West	North	East
-	-	1♥	2♣
?

A: 2♥: This is all about re-evaluating your hand. When Pard opened, you were going to show your 10-plus point hand by bidding 2♦, planning to bid Hearts next, thusly showing three-card support. But! That interfering 2♣ bid changes your hand dramatically. You now only have an 8 pt hand, as your ♣Q is worthless. A simple raise is the most you can squeeze out.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

Your Hand
♠ A K 7 5
♥ 4
♦ Q 10 9 2
♣ J 8 7 6

Q: 4 - As responder, it's time for your second bid. And South says:

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

A: Pass: Before you make your own bid, take your time and visualize your partner's hand. He's got five Hearts and four Diamonds, with a minimum hand. While 2 No-trumps is tempting, that singleton in Pard's first-bid suit is bad real estate. This hand may have 10 pts., but it doesn't seem worth going much further opposite a minimum opener. We like Diamonds better than Hearts, so Pass is spot-on.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ 8 7 5 3
♥ A K 9 4
♦ A K J
♣ A 6

Q: 5 - Since we're talking about re-evaluation, what's your rebid on this one?

South	West	North	East
1♦	pass	1♠	pass
?

A: 4♠: Another one that's not so easy! A jump to 2 No-trumps would show our balanced hand and exactly 18-19 pts, but not so fast. A reverse to 2♥ would show our point count accurately, but we need a more shapely hand, like 5-4-2-2. We aren't excited about our Spades, but we belong in game, and we've got an 8-card fit and a great partner who always has the cards we need. Let's go for it!

In just a second, we will be playing this hand; you'll be able to see if you made a good decision. And not to worry--no contract is too high when Pard is stuck with it. Right?

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!!
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51 - 60%	Nice improvement! One more review and you'll have this down solid!
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