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 "National Salad Month" by Marti Ronemus

Remember when Green Goddess salad dressing was considered the height of sophistication? When you knew it was a salad because it had lettuce (usually iceberg unless you were wildly outré and used Romaine) and was cold? When salads were a side-dish afterthought? And now most of us have a bottle of infused olive oil somewhere in the pantry, and the definition of "salad" covers the strangest things you ever ate. Cheffies everywhere rejoice in this outlet of creativity. Yum.

Let's tackle some interesting bidding situations and see how creative WE can be. Cheffies of the bridge table, get ready to chop!

Question 1

  Your Hand
 A 6 2
 J 9
 9 4 3
 8 7 5 4 3
 
Q: 1 - South:
SouthWestNorthEast
---2
PassPass3Pass
?


 Your choice:
A: Pass: We vote for Pass on this one, and as members of the Clint Eastwood School of Bidding, it hurts to do so. Here's why. We figure Pard for a nice opener with up to about 16-17 HCP max. He would have doubled first if he had more. Even though we have the A, and an honor and honor-ette in Pard's six-plus card suit, we just don't have the lettuce to take this to game. Let's live to fight another day.

Your result so far:
Open Question

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Question 2

  Your Hand
 10 9 8 7 3
 Q 5
 A J 8 7
 K 4
 
Q: 2 - South gets a second chance:
SouthWestNorthEast
-Pass
Pass112
?


 Your choice:
A: 3: This bid is no bottle of bright orange French dressing! As we've said over and over, in a competitive auction, raising your Pard's suit is the weakest response you can give, and shows the number of trumps you hold. When like in this example you hold a more-than-minimum hand (one more point and maybe you would have opened using "Rule of 20") your best option is to cuebid the opponents' suit. It guaranteed a trump fit and a limit raise or better hand. Pard will know you've got exactly 10 or 11 pts or you would have opened. It's up to him now.

Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 3

  Your Hand
 K 10 8 7 5 3 2
 9 8
 3 2
 K Q
 
Q: 3 - South:
SouthWestNorthEast
-11 No-trumpPass
?


 Your choice:
A: 4: This question will cause a lot of confusion unless you have a solid agreement with Pard. Are "systems on" with a No-trump overcall? Would bidding 2 be a transfer to Spades? Are "systems off" and 4 be natural? Up to you, folks, and if your agreement is "systems on" give yourself credit if you bid 2. As long as you've got your agreement on that, you know with your hand you belong in a Spade game. Some might try to weasel out by just inviting, but not us.

Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 4

  Your Hand
 J 10 9 6 5
 A 10 5
 K 7 6
 A 7
 
Q: 4 - How does South solve this without getting chopped?
SouthWestNorthEast
--11 No-trump
?


 Your choice:
A: 4: Normally, a jump to game would show a huge trump fit (check) and a BAD hand... our friend the Weak Freak. BUT!! Not this time. Pard opened the bidding and East showed 15-17 HCP We've got 12. That means West has nothing. It also means we have no more than game. We know where we belong so we make the bid.

Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 5

  Your Hand
 10 7
 A K Q
 J 9
 Q J 10 8 6 2
 
Q: 5 - Pard forces us into a decision: South
SouthWestNorthEast
1Pass1Pass
1 No-trumpPass2 No-trumpPass
?


 Your choice:
A: 3 No-trump: Pard's got 10-12 HCP and no real shape. We like our chances for game, and without a singleton or a note from our mother, it's gotta be in No-trump, not a minor.

So far, our ingredient choices have been excellent. Let's put it all together in 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.

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

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