"Nat'l Fresh Breath Day" by Marti Ronemus

Edith McMullin, developer of Easybridge! and one-time ACBL Intermediate/Novice coordinator liked to remind players that "There are only three Rules in bridge. One, each bid must be higher than the last. Two, the bidding is over when three people in a row pass. And finally, if your Pard offers you a breath mint, take it. All the rest is suggestions, not rules."

We love that! Especially the breath mint reminder. There are players who are so bound by the "rules" they lack creativity and a full overview of the game. There's just no rule that covers every hand. SO!! In honor of Fresh Breath Day, we promise to be creative and take every "rule" with a pinch of peppermint.

Question 1

Your Hand
♠ 9
♥ 8 4
♦ K Q J 10 7
♣ Q J 10 8 7

Q: 1 - South?

South	West	North	East
Pass	Pass	Pass	1♠
?

A: 1 No-trump: THINK, people, THINK. We passed initially. How can we show both minors with one bid. Since we already passed, we can use a 1 No-trump bid as Unusual No-trump. Everyone at the table should be aware that we can't possibly have 15-17 pts with a Spade stopper. Were we in the DIRECT seat, we'd need to bid 2 No-trump to show this hand.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

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

Q: 2 - South?

South	West	North	East
-	-	1♠	2♥
?

A: 2 No-trump: Same bid as last question, entirely different meaning. Here, we're showing 10-12 pts, and no real support for Pard's suit. Here, we're also promising stopper(s) in the opponent's suit.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

Your Hand
♠ K Q 10 4
♥ 9
♦ K Q 8 4
♣ Q 6 4 3

Q: 3 - South?:

South	West	North	East
-	1♣	2♥*	Pass
?

*Equivalent of a Weak Two opener

A: Pass: Not our favorite bid, BUT!! Even armed with breath mints, we don't have what it takes. Remember, Pard has 5-1/2 tricks. We don't have enough to add to that. Should we be thinking of saving our Pard? No. it's his problem.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

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

Q: 4 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	Pass	1♥	Pass
1♠	Pass	2♣	Pass
?

A: 3♥: It's time to show our Heart fit and 10-12 pts. Our 3♥ bid is perfect.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ K 10 9 8
♥ A J 2
♦ 9 8
♣ K 5 4 3

Q: 5 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	-	1♠	2♦
?

A: 3♦: The overcall changed our plan. Fortunately, the cuebid is a very nice alternative. It shows a trump fit and a limit raise OR BETTER, and asks Pard to show his point count on his next bid. Pard will bid 3♠ with a minimum opener, or go to game with more than a bare minimum.

And now, here's a peppermint. It's time for our hand.

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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