"Pizza Blotting" by Marti Ronemus

Pizza, of all things, is rife with controversy. Some will never be resolved, like which is better, Chicago pizza or New York. The latest discussion is whether or not to blot pizza with a napkin or paper towel to soak up all the surface grease. Huh? Isn't that where all the yum is? Nutritional experts (read: spoil sports) say we can reduce the calorie per slice by 20-50 calories.

Not worth the effort, we say? Well, consider this. The average American eats 23 pounds of pizza a year. That means blotting could save 6611 calories which adds up to the equivalent of losing two pounds. Many view this "blotting" as a culinary crime, but hey, two pounds is two pounds.

Bidding provides even more controversy than pizza, as today's quiz proves. Remember, there's nothing in bridge that five people agree on, so talk these over with Pard. Maybe at least you can agree on the blotting issue if not the hands.

Question 1

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

Q: 1 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	2♠
?

A: Double: Yes, yes, it's better to have four Hearts to Double, but this is an exception. Tuck a diamond in with our Hearts and bid. We can't bid No-trump because of the lack of a Spade stopper, but this hand is just too darn big to pass with.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

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

Q: 2 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	2♠
?

A: Pass: Unlike last hand, this isn't worthy of a bid. Sadly we will just have to blot this one.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

Your Hand
♠ K 10 9 2
♥ 3 2
♦ A 10 6 5 4
♣ 3 2

Q: 3 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	1♣	Dbl	2♣
?

A: 2♠: Pard told us to bid with his double. We were off the hook because of the intervening bid, but we're gonna bid anyway, showing a minimum hand but a willingness to proceed. What about the Diamonds? What about 'em. Let's show our probable major suit fit and points with a minimum support for Pard's major.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

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

Q: 4 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	1♠	Dbl	p
?

A: 3♥: With distribution, we have 11 pts, and need to make a bid that show our invitational values. To just bid 2♥ could be made with 0 pts. Let's inviting.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ A J 4 3
♥ 7
♦ A 10 8 2
♣ K Q 3 2

Q: 5 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1♦
?

A: Pass: Boy, we hate to pass with the nicest hand at the table, but what are our choices? We could think about overcalling Spades, but the suit is ratty. We can't bid No-trump with a singleton Heart. Rats.

And moving right along, let's order a winning contract with extra pepperoni.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Play this Hand

Now that you've bid five hands, let's see how your play goes.

Play on ANY Device

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!!
41 - 50%	Buy your mentor a cuppa and ask for clarification on the ones you got wrong. No mentor? Make finding one a priority!
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
Over 80%	Wow! It's time for you to become a mentor. Find someone who needs help and share your knowledge!