"Rev. Refuses to Wed Painted Ladies" by Marti Ronemus

On this day in 1925, the Rev. Arthur Wells announced he would not perform marriages for any women wearing "paint." He questioned their sincerity, and suggested "they are not good candidates for the seriousness of marriage and are unlikely to faithfully perform their wifely duties."

Really? I'll bet this guy didn't play any conventions either. Let's put our paint on and play with insouciance.

Question 1

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

Q: 1 - South:

South	West	North	East
1♥	p	1♠	p
2♥	p	2 No-trump	p
?

A: 3♥: We limited our hand when we bid 2♥. Pard knows we have a minimum hand, and with his 2 No-trump, shows he has 10-12 pts. Can we pass? Yes. Should we? Not with this distribution. We will likely be a Crummy Dummy. Let's correct to Hearts.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

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

Q: 2 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1♦
?

A: Double: The Rev. Wells would not be pleased with this answer, because you can bet your last dollar he's a POINT counter. This hand has eight tricks in it, for heaven's sake!

Let's continue this bidding and see where it goes.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

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

Q: 3 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1♦
Dbl	Pass	1♥	2♣
?

A: 3♠: Pard's Heart bid makes our hand even nicer, don't you think? True, he hasn't shown much in the way of points, but... we've still got eight tricks in our hand! We paid to play. If you only bid 3♥, give yourself some credit. And know the Rev. would be happy with you!

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

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

Q: 4 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	1♦	p	p
?

A: Pass: This is tough. We're tempted, but let's think it through. Pard is probably short in Diamonds, but he didn't double. Normally the person who's short in the opponent's suit has the ability to bid SOMETHING. He didn't overcall. We suspect he's very weak. That suggests West has one of those huge hands, and is just dying to bid again. We'd rather let him play at the one level.

Compare this to our next hand.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ Q 9 8
♥ A 9 7 5
♦ 3 2
♣ K J 6 5

Q: 5 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	1♦	p	p
?

A: Double. Huh uh. We aren't gonna pass this time. Our shortness in Diamonds suggests that Pard has some length and is maybe waiting for us to reopen with a Double so he can Trap-Pass. Since East didn't bid, we know he's weak, and we think this is a great time to hear what Pard has to say. We've got the right shape and points for a double.

And now, for our hand. Slap on some paint and let's go.

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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