"Nat'l Buy a Tie Month" by Marti Ronemus

Ah yes, the humble tie. Symbol of "I don't know what to get him," heaven only knows how many ties are bought for holiday gifts. Really? You can't do any better than that? Where is the creativity, the kookie-ness, the panache, the craziness you bring to your bidding?

All those unusual bids, all those strange, strange rationalizations. Let's awaken our imaginations for gift-giving to the same levels as our bidding. No more ties.

Question 1

Your Hand
♠
♥ K 9
♦ A 10 9 8 6 2
♣ J 10 9 7 5

Q: 1 - South:

South	West	North	East
Pass	Pass	Pass	1♥
?

A: 1 No-trump: This can only be the Unusual No-trump. You already passed, so unless you are prone to finding hidden Aces in your hand, Pard will know you can't possibly have opening points.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

Your Hand
♠ 8 7
♥ J 10
♦ A K 9 3 2
♣ K 9 8 6

Q: 2 - South:

South	West	North	East
?	-	-

A: Pass: Technically, this meets the requirements for a Rule of 20 hand. We've got 11 High Card Points, nine cards in two suits and (for perfectionists) two quick tricks. BUT!! We dislike that ♥J and think it disqualifies us from opening this hand. Now, if the Diamonds were Spades instead, we might consider "cheating" a little because of the pre-emptive value.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

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

Q: 3 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1♠
?

A: Pass: This is one of those sad hands where you have to settle for a tie. Sometimes the nicest hand at the table must pass. You can't double with a Heart doubleton. A double of a Spade promises four Hearts. You can't bid No-trump because you don't have the cash. When the bid gets around to your Pard, he'll Do The Math and realize that you've got something, but didn't have the right shape to bid.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

Your Hand
♠ 5 4 3
♥ Q J 10 7
♦ 6
♣ K J 8 5 4

Q: 4 - South:

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	Pass
Pass	2♠	Dbl	3♠
Pass	Pass	4♦	Pass
?

A: 4♥: This is a mess, isn't it. Pard, in order to double and then name a suit at the four-level, has a very big hand. We are hoping he also has four Hearts. If not, he can correct to whatever he wants. Is his bid forcing? Talk it over with Pard.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

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

Q: 5 - South:

South	West	North	East
1♣	1♠	Dbl	Pass
?

A: 1 No-trump: Don't look a gift tie in the mouth. Pard has just promised holding Diamonds and Hearts. You've got the Spade stopper. What will happen next? You'll find out in a minute. We're going to play this hand... as defenders. Can we set them?

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!