24 boards with Jeff tonight.  We lost the set on the last board when the opps bid a thin slam.  No really interesting hands (one ugly (brainfart/inattention) bid by me, but we lost less than an IMP on that one,) but quite a few interesting decisions (pretty much one decision on each hand decided the whole hand,) so here's a quiz: (answers over the fold)

1. What do you lead against 6N on the auction 1 Club (LHO) 3NT (RHO) 6NT (LHO)

T92 / 6 / 9752 / KT974

2. What do you bid in first seat unfavorable?

AT5 / A95432 / - / QT76

1 Heart - Pass - 1 Spade - 3 Diamonds -
?

3. What do you bid in third seat all white?

1 Diamond - 1 Heart - Double - 2 Hearts
Pass - 3 Hearts - ?

KJT5 / 8 / QT632 / KQ3

4. What do you bid in 2nd seat favorable?

Pass - Pass - Pass - 1 Heart
Pass - 1NT - Pass - 2 Hearts
Pass - ?

843 / K4 / A654 / AT94

5. What do you bid in 4th seat all white?

1 Spade - Pass - Pass - ?

K63 / KQJT73 / J / A62

6. What do you bid in 4th seat at unfavorable?

Pass - 1NT - 2 Hearts - ?

JT76 / Q4 / T8 / K8643

7. What do you bid in 3rd seat all red?

1 Diamond - Pass - 3 Spades (splinter) - Double -
3NT - Pass - ?

T / AK / QJ64 / K97654

8. What do you bid in 4th seat all white?

Pass - 1 Spade - 2 Diamonds - 3 Diamonds -
5 Diamonds - Pass - Pass - ?

AK6 / J75 / 73 / K9753

9. What do you bid in 3rd seat at unfavorable?

1 Heart - Pass - 1 Spade - 3 Diamonds
3 Spades - 5 Diamonds - ?

KQJ83 / JT7 / A6 / 943

10. What do you bid in 2nd seat favorable?

Pass - Pass - 1 Diamond - 2 Diamonds (Michaels) -
Double - ?

42 / A65 / A432 / Q985

1.  I don't think I'm ever finding the Club lead on this auction (though I did say to myself 'I bet a Club is right') but it was always cold (3-3 Spades and King of Hearts onside.)  This is the last hand I mentioned in the intro.

Q76 / A32 / AQ86 / J32

AK43 / QJT7 / KJ4 / A6

2.  I bid 3 Spades.  I think it's the right bid, but I'm open to other opinions.  We lost almost 8 IMPs on the board (our worst board where luck (50% slams, etc.) didn't play a decisive factor.)

3.  I bid 5 Diamonds.  It's a little pushy.  14 dummy points says you definitely want to be in game.  But no keycards opposite a potential minimum opener says 'not so fast.'  5 Diamonds loses 2.7 IMPs.  4 Diamonds wins 1.9 IMPs.  The big winners were in 3NT against poor defenders.

KJT5 / 8 / QT632 /  KQ3

AQ9 / AJ95 / J984 / J6

4.  I thought 4 Hearts was probably the 'right bid' (Aces and Kings.)  But I bid 2NT anyway.  Jeff raised to 3 and I got lucky.  LHO led the Jack of Diamonds from KJTxx and I was home when 4 Hearts can be beaten on a Spade lead when trumps break 4-1 offside.  Actually, this hand probably was interesting enough to be worth a post of its own.  Oh well.

AK9 / AJ9532 / Q / J82

843 / K4 / A654 / AT94

5.  I bid 2 Hearts after considerable thought.  As soon as the hand was over I asked Jeff if he thought I was worth 3 and he immediately said yes.  What's your opinion?

I made 4 Hearts, but Jeff wasn't going (and 4 can be beaten.)

JT98 / 6 / KT96 / K854

K63 / KQJT73 / J / A62

6.  This was a nice pickup (8.3 IMPs.)  I used to hate the idea of playing negative doubles over 1NT, but I've had some really good results with them.  I doubled, Jeff bid 3NT, and with a little luck in Clubs, quickly wrapped 9 tricks.

JT76 / Q4 / T8 / K8643

532 / AKJ / A74 / AJ52

7.  I came really close to making another try with this.  But I've described my hand pretty well already (I have a tiny bit extra, but only 4 trumps.)  I eventually passed.  Good decision.  Good defense holds you to 4 Diamonds.  The same 10 tricks are available in NT.

T / AK / QJ64 / K97654

AQJ8 / QT3 / T732 / A3

8.  Jeff whipped it.  On a bad day 5 Diamonds makes, but it seems awfully cowardly to sell here.  Good decision.  Even opposite a bare minimum (11 high) with a Diamond void, we managed to pound out +500.

754 / KT63 / J652 / T2

J8 / Q8 / AKQT984 / Q8  (Crazy Eights)

9.  This is the companion hand to problem 2 (if you figured that out, you get extra credit!)  Jeff bid 5 over 5 here.  I thought that was pretty gross.  To me, a 5-3-3-2 hand has no business bidding 5 over 5 opposite 4 card support.  You can construct a hand where it's right, but it's awfully anti-percentage.  He went down 3 when we had 3 top tricks against 5 Diamonds.  Luckily he wasn't doubled so it was 'only' -300 (instead of -800.)  Still lose a bunch.

AT5 / A95432 / - / QT76

KQJ83 / JT7 / A6 / 943

10.  This was the very next hand after problem 2./9.  Jeff again took a view I wasn't crazy about.  No big fit.  No reason not to believe the opponents (one of whom opened, the other doubling a Michaels cue, usually the beginning of a penalty sequence.)  No reason to believe the opponents can make anything at the 3 level (I see significant tappage possibilities and a 4-1 break in whichever minor they choose.)  No reason to think the Club Queen is worth anything on offense.  In short, no reason to break the LAW.  What's up with a 3 Heart bid?  I guess he's used to evaluating Michaels sequences opposite opening hands, but a) I don't play his style not vulnerable and he knows it and b) I had an opening hand (barely) and it was still wrong to bid so much.  Give him a 4th Heart and he has a HUGE hand, but I think he was guilty of playing me for the perfect hand (just good enough for game but not quite good enough to bid again over 2 Hearts) instead of the far more likely 10 count I held.

K9873 / QJ987 / 7 / A3

42 / A65 / A432 / Q985