Vil Gravis's blog

Power Bidding

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Fri, 30/08/2019 - 11:48

How do you handle opening bids by opponents? East has a perfectly good opening bid of 1H. I am a great advocate of major oriented doubles, and hence a double of 1H should guarantee a four card spade suit.

Board 13 from Thursday 29/08/2019
Dealer N All Vul

KJ765
JT76
J
J82
43
432
T98753
Q4
Q82
AKQ95
2
T973
AT9
8
AKQ64
AK65

Double is the Key

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Thu, 29/08/2019 - 10:16

It should be easy to bid the EW hands to the correct contract of 3NT, but only IF EW know what a proper takeout double is and how it works.

Board 3 from Wednesday 28/08/2019
Dealer S EW Vul

AKT63
A8
92
T976
QJ2
QT
AK865
AQ4
9854
K942
JT
KJ5
7
J7653
Q743
832

A Delicate Rock Crusher

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Sat, 24/08/2019 - 08:56

How would you value the East hand? If you like to count losers, how many losers? Would you open the East hand 1S or a game forcing 2C? Would you be happy to play in 1S if partner cannot respond, or would you be prepared to be in game in either major irrespective of what partner has? And if partner can make a positive response to a 2C opening bid, will you definitely bid a slam?

Board 22 from Thursday 22/08/2019
Dealer E EW Vul

96
KT4
KQ963
854
54
865
AJ84
KQ93
AKQJ82
AQ932
T
2
T73
J7
752
AJT76

That's Unusual

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Thu, 22/08/2019 - 17:01

It should be much easier to bid the EW hands to game than to actually make the game, which of course should be 3NT. The bidding should be simple: 1H from East, 1S from West, and 3NT from East. It may be complicated if NS are playing the "Unusual No Trump”, and that is worth a mention.

Board 13 from Wednesday 21/08/2019
Dealer E All Vul

KJ972
J9543
86
T
AT84
72
K42
8742
Q65
KQT8
AJT
AK6
3
A6
Q9753
QJ953

Take some time to explore

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Fri, 16/08/2019 - 13:22

What is the best way for EW to get to the best contract after North opens a weak 2S?

Board 17 from Thursday 15/08/2019
Dealer N Nil Vul

KJT754
Q87
3
JT6
A9
AKT63
K762
K3
62
952
AJ9
A9875
Q83
J4
QT854
Q42

Life on the Edge

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Thu, 15/08/2019 - 16:43

The auction by NS might start slowly but it escalates after South's 2S opening is passed round to East who bids 3C.

Board 11 from Wednesday 14/08/2019
Dealer S Nil Vul

K94
864
AQJT72
Q
T32
T753
43
J863
8
AKJ
K985
AKT95
AQJ765
Q92
6
742

Bread and Butter, Anyone?

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Sun, 11/08/2019 - 07:27

What is this West hand worth when East opens 1C, West responds 1H, and East rebids 1NT (15-17)?

Board 18 from Thursday 8/08/2019
Dealer E NS Vul

64
A4
AT543
J542
AQ85
JT8763
97
T
KT2
KQ
QJ62
A763
J973
952
K8
KQ98

The Value of a Trump Suit

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Fri, 09/08/2019 - 16:59

The bidding by NS on this hand should be so simple that I am quite shocked to see that only FOUR of TWELVE pairs at my Hutt club ended up in 4H, the others playing the hand in either 3NT or 2NT.

Board 16 from Wednesday 7/08/2019
Dealer W EW Vul

T5
KQT9653
9
943
K32
J87
T875
Q82
Q976
42
KQ4
AT75
AJ84
A
AJ632
KJ6

Transfers are The Go

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Fri, 02/08/2019 - 17:02

Do you play transfers, and if so, how do you play them? This deal provided a number of different results in our Swiss Pairs event, though the results may be different in a match point session.

Board 19 from Thursday 1/08/2019
Dealer S EW Vul

AT7
QJ842
A9
T98
J863
AT
KJ743
75
KQ92
973
T62
QJ2
54
K65
Q85
AK643

Responder's Reverse a Powerful Hint

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Thu, 01/08/2019 - 20:16

The EW hands in this deal should always be bid to 4H, and that should happen even if East’s king of spades is a small spot card.

Board 2 from 31/07/2019
Dealer E NS Vul

8753
92
742
QT43
J62
7
KJT9
AK962
K
AKJT853
83
J85
AQT94
Q64
AQ65
7

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