Vil Gravis's blog

This one is an exercise in lateral thinking. It comes from many years ago and may not be replicated
these days, because bidding methods may well be different. Nevertheless it provides many points of
interest.
1.You are playing teams. You are SOUTH, EW vulnerable, dealer West.

The Bidding has been:

South	West	North	East
-	1	Pass	1
Pass	2	Pass	2NT
Pass	3	Pass	3
Pass	3NT	Pass	Pass
Pass

You ask about the bidding, as you should, and are told that the bidding is natural, 2S shows 5+
diamonds and 4 spades, and is game forcing. 2NT shows ‘not much’, and nothing has been ‘discussed’
as far as further bidding goes.

Your hand is:

853

KQJ92

32

974

What would your opening lead be?

Second, and final, thoughts:
Board 20 . Dealer W All Vul

	9 A74 7542 AKT74
8762 KQT63 AJ Q3		AKT53 KQT83 J52
	QJ4 J9852 96 986

The bidding was just as you might expect. West opened 1H, North overcalled 2C, East bid 2S and West 4S. I had to make the opening lead. That is where I came unstuck because I did not lead partner’s suit!

This deal comes from Tuesday 25/11/25 at X-Clubs and presents us with a number of questions as well as a double dummy answer that I expect none of us would find at the table

Board 6 . Dealer E EW Vul

	AT93 AQT3 3 K853
52 J95 QJ75 J962		864 876 AKT62 AQ
	KQJ7 K42 984 T74

Bidding Q&A 03
This unbelievable deal comes from X-Clubs on 10/11/25. It was also unbelievable from the point of view of the results across all of the clubs so is definitely worth investigating and reporting. I presented the South hand to a number of players across different levels and asked how they would deal with it. The answers were quite an eye opener! Here is the South hand only, and some questions and answers that South might ask, and answer, before bidding after recovering from the shock of seeing the hand and thinking the human dealer had been playing funny buggers with the dealing machine!

Board 3 . Dealer S EW Vul

AKQ842

AKQJ865

You are South and pick up this hand. What are your thoughts?

We start this series with a deal that poses many questions, and also answers that the reader may or may not agree with. The deal comes from X-Clubs on 14/11/25

Board 18 . Dealer E NS Vul

	QJ63 A T7642 653
7 KJ986 85 AK974		82 7532 QJ93 QJ2
	AKT954 QT4 AK T8

You sit West: South opens 1S
Q1. Would you bid 2S (Michaels) or 2H?