"Shop Till You Drop" by Marti Ronemus

This time of year separates the REAL bridge player from the dilettante. REAL players do all their shopping online because going to the mall would cut into play time which is their reason for living.

And the malls miss us. Some mall facts? The first indoor mall in America was built in Edina MN and had two levels with 75 shops.

Mall Santas, a common sight this time of year, can earn a five-figure salary for six weeks' work. Personally, I think they deserve double for having all those kids sitting on them.

And as we all know, malls (due to internet shopping) are closing by the hundreds. Interestingly, many are being creatively reinvented as apartment complexes, churches and indoor farms.

So, let's get to work, and reinvent our bidding so we can get shopping.

Question 1

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

Q: 1 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	2♦
?

A: 3♦: We like Michael's cuebid for this hand. Yes, we'll be shoving Pard to the three-level, but we've got fabulous distribution and two nice suits. We don't need much from Pard for this to be a success.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

Your Hand
♠ A 10 5 4 3
♥ 8 7 6
♦ K 9
♣ 6 4 3

Q: 2 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	1♣	1♥	Pass
?

A: 2♥: Pard is an overcall and can have as few as 7 points. We have a minimum response and a fit with Pard. When we have a minimum hand, we follow the Wonderbra Rule: With a minimum hand, support with support. Pard will know we have exactly three trump (with more, we'd raise to the level of trumps in our combined hands) and 6-9 points.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

Your Hand
♠ 9 6 4 3 2
♥ 9 7
♦ 8 6 5
♣ 8 7 6

Q: 3 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	1♦	Dbl	Redouble
?

A: 1♠: Ouch! Our side could be in trouble if we pass. This is NOT a "free bid." This is an attempt to find a safe landing place. Pard will NOT play us for points, but he WILL know we have a five-card suit. If we don't bid, we are telling Pard we don't have any suit at all, and can support all. If we pass, and Pard bids Hearts, won't THAT be awful!

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

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

Q: 4 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	1♣	Pass	1♥
Pass	1 No-trump	Pass	Pass
?

A: Pass: We'd like to balance, but our suit is just too wretched. Sadly, we're going to pass.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

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

Q: 5 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	1♣	Pass	1♥
Pass	1 No-trump	Pass	Pass
?

A: 2♠: This time, we are going to balance. Our suit is quality (well... certainly better than last hand), and we like the placement of our ♥K. Pard is marked with some points, also, so this is a good time to enter the auction.

Ready for a 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

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!
61 - 80%	What a good job! All that's left is some fine tuning
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