Posted 8:17 PM by Floyd

Read it and weep, homies: The Caroline Club conquers again. Here are two interesting hands from the semifinal match, which we won by 5 imps after trailing by 2 at halftime.

1. Vulnerable v. not, you deal hold: AQxxxx Kxxx — KQx. You open 1 and LHO preempts with 4. Partner bids 5. What do you do when RHO passes?

2. All vulnerable, you hold in fourth chair: Txx — AT98xxx Axx. LHO opens 1, partner overcalls 1, and RHO bids 3, which is a preemptive raise. What now?

Let's suppose you bid 4. LHO bids 5 and partner and RHO pass. What now?

The first hand was held by my left-hand opponent and by my teammate Eric. At our table, my partner Scott preeempted 4D. Opener decided to bid his void, 6. His partner held Kxxxx Ax AT AJxx. He didn't like the diamond void opposite his ace and decided not to risk the grand.

Eric risked 5. He was cue-bidding a king but had very powerful offense. This led to a slower cue-bidding sequence (6 - 6) and Brian was able to bid the grand. This gained us 13 imps.

The second hand was my bidding problem. I chose to bid 4 to set up a force. When partner passed I decided that with a void and good offense, I should bid 5. RHO also thought I should bid, as he had Qxxxx of trumps!

He led a heart and Scott, with AKJ9x xxx K Kxxx, ruffed. Diamond to the queen and king, heart ruff. Club to the king, heart ruff. Now the diamond ace dropped the jack! Scott shed two more clubs on diamonds. RHO got two trumps and we were +850 -- for a push!