2012 MSC Problems

[jeremiahsjohnson]

I put down the 8 because it seemed like the lead the panel would select. Also: partner isn't going to be fooled by spade distribution (is he?), and it seems likely we've got nearly all of the defensive points on the hand.

[Steve White]

              A   B   C   D    E    F    G    H
LM            Dbl 2NT 1NT 2D   P    6;4S 4D   HJ
oirg          Dbl 2NT P   P    P    6;4S Dbl  S4
SW            3NT 2NT 2H  P    3NT  6;4S 4D   S4
Falco         Dbl 2H  P   1S   3C   6;4S 4D   S4
ST            Dbl 2NT 2C  2D   3NT  6;4S 4D   S4
BTDT          Dbl 3NT P   1D   P    6;6H 5D   S8
NN
JJ            Dbl 2NT P   2D   3NT  6;4S 4D   S8
kmbrunskill   Dbl 3NT P   1S   3NT  6;4S Dbl  S8
Submitted     Dbl 2NT P   2D   3NT  6;4S 4D   S8

For better or worse, I chose the spade 8.

[Sweet Tooth]

In retrospect, I'm pretty sure the spade 8 is correct. Without the spade 7, it's a different problem.

Originally Posted by Steve White

              A   B   C   D    E    F    G    H
LM            Dbl 2NT 1NT 2D   P    6;4S 4D   HJ
oirg          Dbl 2NT P   P    P    6;4S Dbl  S4
SW            3NT 2NT 2H  P    3NT  6;4S 4D   S4
Falco         Dbl 2H  P   1S   3C   6;4S 4D   S4
ST            Dbl 2NT 2C  2D   3NT  6;4S 4D   S4
BTDT          Dbl 3NT P   1D   P    6;6H 5D   S8
NN
JJ            Dbl 2NT P   2D   3NT  6;4S 4D   S8
kmbrunskill   Dbl 3NT P   1S   3NT  6;4S Dbl  S8
Submitted     Dbl 2NT P   2D   3NT  6;4S 4D   S8

For better or worse, I chose the spade 8.

[Sweet Tooth]

Great calls by Steve White on C (2H=100) and the well analyzed lead. Most of us got killed on problem G (4C=30). My prelim calcs say that SW, JJ and kmbrunskill (and group submission) all scored 660. Congrats.

Horror of horrors, they actually gave a score (60) to the lead of the diamond ace---a card that would not leave my hand at T1, even after death, unless amputated!

Originally Posted by Steve White

              A   B   C   D    E    F    G    H
LM            Dbl 2NT 1NT 2D   P    6;4S 4D   HJ
oirg          Dbl 2NT P   P    P    6;4S Dbl  S4
SW            3NT 2NT 2H  P    3NT  6;4S 4D   S4
Falco         Dbl 2H  P   1S   3C   6;4S 4D   S4
ST            Dbl 2NT 2C  2D   3NT  6;4S 4D   S4
BTDT          Dbl 3NT P   1D   P    6;6H 5D   S8
NN
JJ            Dbl 2NT P   2D   3NT  6;4S 4D   S8
kmbrunskill   Dbl 3NT P   1S   3NT  6;4S Dbl  S8
Submitted     Dbl 2NT P   2D   3NT  6;4S 4D   S8

For better or worse, I chose the spade 8.

[Steve White]

Final scores only 650 for JJ, kmbrunskill and selected, and only 630 for me since my personal lead choice was the S4, even though I later realized the S8 was better.

                A         B        C         D          E               F               G               H               Total
LM                Dbl  100 2NT   90  1NT   30   2D   100       P      60    6;4S      80      4D      30      HJ      80     570
oirg              Dbl  100 2NT   90    P   50    P    70       P      60    6;4S      80     Dbl     100      S4      80     630
SW                3NT   80 2NT   90   2H  100    P    70     3NT     100    6;4S      80      4D      30      S4      80     630
Falco             Dbl  100  2H   60    P   50   1S    70      3C      40    6;4S      80      4D      30      S4      80     510
ST                Dbl  100 2NT   90   2C   60   2D   100     3NT     100    6;4S      80      4D      30      S4      80     640
BTDT              Dbl  100 3NT   50    P   50   1D    90       P      60    6;6H     100      5D      50      S8     100     600
NN
JJ                Dbl  100 2NT   90    P   50   2D   100     3NT     100    6;4S      80      4D      30      S8     100     650
kmbrunskill       Dbl  100 3NT   50    P   50   1S    70     3NT     100    6;4S      80     Dbl     100      S8     100     650
Selected          Dbl  100 2NT   90    P   50   2D   100     3NT     100    6;4S      80      4D      30      S8     100     650

[Steve White]

October, 2012. Our deadline is Sept 10.

[Len Myers]

Spoiler:

A. 3 If partner had a useful spade holding, he'd have doubled. Originally thought 3, but I don't think that 3 is much of a stretch, or dangerous.

B: Double just beats out 2, imo.

C. 4

D. 2 routine MSC cue.

E. Dbl. 3NT would be advanced, and one wonders if 3 is forward-going.

F. 6. Perhaps 5 is better...

G. 3NT. I've been thoroughly spanked on Culbertson's rule, so I'll invoke my partner's aphorism, "A stopper is neither weak nor strong, but thinking makes it so." And a trio of queens (and a jack) might well make 3NT invulnerable.

H. 7. Whatever.

[jeremiahsjohnson]

I'm a bit angry about Diamond Ace getting 60 points when I got stuck with a 0 last month for the Diamond Jack (even after building a reasonable construction in which it was the only card to beat the slam). Oh well; it's at least as fair as Olympic Gymanstics.

[kmbrunskill]

I got a great score for the spade 8, and I sorta just picked it cause it felt right.

At least the other decisions I made with rationale.

[kmbrunskill]

Spoiler:

a-3h
b-2s
c-dbl
d-pass
e-This is the kind of hand you need a convention for. Id dbl at mps. Pass here. I can see good votes for 3h and a decent vote for 3nt.
f-6s
g-2d. If my void wasn't clubs I might bid 3d.
h-club 2