"Speed!" Place the Contract by Marti Ronemus

We're all dazzled by SPEED! The faster the better. From the Olympics to NASCAR, we love it. Conventional Wisdom says the Cheetah, clocking in at 64 MPH, is the fastest animal on earth.

Hold on though. How about the peregrine falcon? One was released from a plane at 15,000 feet, and achieved a speed of 183 MPH. Or a sailfish? They can reach 68 MPH and cover 200 meters in 10 seconds. It would take Michael Phelps over a minute to do that. And what about a killer whale? They can propel that hefty bulk 34 MPH.

BUT!! We bridge players know the absolute fastest thing on earth rivaling the speed of light, and that's when the opponent slaps down the card that sets the contract.

Maybe if our bidding were just a little sharper. Let's work on placing the contract in the perfect place. First, Do The Math. Then visualize Pard's holding. Ready, set, GO!

Question 1

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

Q: 1 - South:

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

A: Pass: Pard has shown 12-14 points with a six-card Heart suit. We do have wonderful trump support for him, but we ain't goin' nowhere. Sllooww down.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

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

Q: 2 - South:

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

A: 3♥: After visualizing Pard's hand, we need to invite to game. If he only has 12 points, he'll pass. But we've promised 10-12. If he's at the top of his bid, he'll take it to game. Otherwise, he'll pass.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

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

Q: 3 - South:

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

A: 4♥: We've got only 12 high card points, but a lovely shape. This deserves a game bid. Full speed ahead.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

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

Q: 4 - South:

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

A: 4♠: We've got the points for game and choose Spades. Why? Pard has shown a minimum hand, very distributional. Transportation might be a problem. AND!! We want the lead to come into our hand. We've held Pard's hand and know where we belong. We place the contract with alacrity.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

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

Q: 5 - South:

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

A: 3 No-trump. Yes we've got an eight-card Heart fit, but here's something to think about. We have no ruffing value as dummy. Also we'd like the lead coming into our hand. And finally, more money for fewer tricks.

If you bid 4♥, you are not wrong, so give yourself credit.

And now, let's hold our Pard's hand and see if we can set a contract.

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

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What next? You may enjoy playing our prepared hands series.
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