"Weasels--Unexpected Heroes" Overcalls by Marti Ronemus

Thanks to the New York Times science section, I've had my consciousness raised about weasels. Folks, it's NOT an insult to be called a weasel. No! They are astounding animals. Born the size and weight of a paperclip, they have a long, hard road to maturity, but luckily they are great parents. Their hearts beat 400 times a minute, and they move like brown bolts of lightening.

Like coyotes and other formerly seldom-seen animals, they are beginning to show up everywhere, thanks to loss of habitat. They have huge brains for their size, are creative, get out of and into anywhere and anything, and are adorable. Unless they see you as prey... then NO ONE is safe, not even porcupines.

So let's mimic weasels, and show our creativity and will to win, despite the opponents opening the bid.

Question 1

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

Q: 1 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1♣
?

A: Pass: We can't double, because it would be for takeout, not penalty. We can't bid No-trump with two naked suits. We can't bid 2♣, as that would be Michaels Cuebid. We are going to Pass, with the knowledge that Pard will NOT let this auction die. If he reopens with a double, we will convert it to penalty. Just don't get overly-excited and enter the auction at this turn.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

Your Hand
♠ A K J 10
♥ K
♦ K Q 10
♣ 8 7 5 4 3

Q: 2 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1♣
?

A: 1♠: Like the weasel, we're hungry for victory. When we've got three of the top four honors in a suit, experts tell us that we can treat that suit as if it were one card longer. Plus we're still at the one-level.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

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

Q: 3 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1♠
?

A: Double: I know, I know. We aren't happy about holding only three Hearts, but the hand is perfect otherwise. Most players would double with this and worry about it later. If you can't bring yourself to do this, then your other choice is to bid 1 No-trump. We're only one point short and with an understanding partner, either action will work.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

Your Hand
♠ A Q
♥ K 9 8
♦ K J 4 3
♣ Q J 9 8

Q: 4 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1♠
?

A: 1 No-trump: This time, we don't have a problem in the world overcalling 1 No-trump. We've got it all-- Spade stoppers, balanced hand, lots of points.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ 3 2
♥ K 9 8 7
♦ A Q 10
♣ K J 9 8

Q: 5 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1♠
?

A: Double: Too easy! This is classic: shortness in "their" suit, opening hand, four of the unbid major.

The most important point of this quiz is this: When the opponents open, our job becomes much harder. Keep that in mind when you're in the opening seat and aren't sure whether to kick off the auction or not. Look for a reason to bid, not pass.

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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