Moscito in a recent tournament (with quizzes!)

[luis]

Hi, I just finished playing the Argentinian Mixed-Pairs national tournament and finished 2nd playing moscito.

 

Some highlights about the system in the tournament:

 

1) Our "beloved" 2NT bid 8-11 at least 5-4 in the minors failed for the 1st time and 2nd time!

 

a) We played 3d with x, Tx, A972, AQ8742 opposite QJ87, A872, JT3, 65

(2nt opening, 3d bid all pass)

The result -150 was a complete zero, there's a double dummy play for down 2 but I didn't play it (duck a club, and then drop the doubleton K!)

 

B) We played 2NT with

AQ32, AJ76, JT, J92 opposite J4, 3, 8765, AKT643

(2NT opening all pass -is 3c better?-)

They lead a spade ducked to the J and now how would you play at MPs? I decided that a 3-1 club break would be devastating so I played cA and a low club... Of course clubs were 2-2 and +120 was a zero against an "absolute" +130 from the field.

 

2) Prepared openings for 3 suiters are fine

 

a) Axxx, x, QJT9, KT82 opposite Kxx, xxx, xx, A9765

Our bids: 2d (Three suited with 4+ clubs) - 3c all pass

Making 3 on the cQ lead (would you have played the leader for QJ or stiff Q?) A top since everybody was playing 3h making

 

3) Relays are fun

 

a) AT932, A93, AK2, 54 opposite 64, 7, JT8763, AKJ2

Our bids:

1c (15+) - 1N (4+d no 4M 9+)

2c ® - 2N (d+c d>c short hearts)

3c ® - 3h (2-1-6-4)

3s ® - (Dbl) - Rdbl (3 controls)

all pass

 

Result: 3sxx making 4 for +960 (pretty isn't it?)

As a side note we win 6d with extreme careful play (can you discover the best line for 6d -or 5d+1 for a top-) The field was playing diammond partscores so a 5d game would have been a top for Moscito anyway

 

4) Wild wild west

 

a) Your pd opens 1NT meaning: 10-14 with 4/5 spades and a balanced hand. You hold:

 

KQ2, AJ6, A876, AQ4 (20 HCP 3-3-4-3)

I can use a dozen of relays to reveal my pd hand and ask for controls, but I don't have a range-asking bid (is this a dark spot in our system?) maybe not since I jumped to 6N because I didn't want to be asked how I played a game holding 20 opposite an opnening hand :-)

My pd hand:

 

AT42, T973, KJ, K86

 

ah.. yes.. she opened with 11 do we hate the system? No!

 

Now play 6NT on a club lead....

We make it for +1440 and a huge top (quiz: find the line)

 

:) AQ652, Q72, Q4, AKJ opposite - , AKT64, AKT64, Q42

Our sequence

 

1c (15+) - 1s (4+h GF denies 4s)

1N ® - 2c (h+d)

2d ® - 2s (h=d)

2n ® - 3c (short clubs!!)

3d ® - 3s (3-5-5-0 exactly)

4c ® - 5c (6 controls)

7N (!!)

 

Lead: sJ into the AQ, hearts were 3-2 so +1520 for a top. The leader protested the hand (pd misbid but he was correctly informed what the system said) the director ruled 7nt -1 (in an amazing ruling since he played the hand for me deciding I was playing on diammonds 3-3 instead of taking the winning d finesse against the guy with 2h).

We appealed the hand and the AC ruled 0 for them and average for us....

 

Note: The leader had JT32, J2, Jxxx, xxx after 3 clubs and 5 rounds of hearts he Must discard 3 spades now diammond to the Q cash the sA and since the SK does not drop the diammond finesse is marked so I was always making 7....

The field played 6h making or 7h (half making it and half down 1) you have to cash exactly 1 trump and ruff a diammond (is that the best line?)

 

5) What would you lead:

 

AJ, 62, T987432, 42

 

Your pd opens 1h (10-14 4+h) I quickly passed (2d is constructive and 3d is a mini-splinter in our system). LHO reopened with 1s and RHO jumped to 3N, your lead.

 

6) How?

 

Can any system avoid this?

 

95432, A43, A82, Q2 opposite Q, KQ, QJ2, AJT9873

Bidding:

 

1c(15+) - 1h (4+s GF 9+HCP)

1s ® - 2d (spades only)

2h ® - 2s (some 6322 or any hand with short clubs)

2N ® - 3d (5-3-3-2 exactly)

3N all pass

 

Lead: small diammond (low = interest) ducked to the Q. I overtook the hK in summy and played the cQ LHO took the cK and played.... the sJ!

His pd held exactly AK98 of spades for down 1..... Would you have reached 5c at MPs ?

 

7) Danger, danger!

 

xxx, A43, AJ5, AT42 opposite Q2, KJ92, QT32, K73

 

How would you have bid (the 3-3-3-4 hand is dealer?)

 

Our bids:

 

1d (10-14 no 4M) (1s) pass (inv+)

1N (10-11 bal!!!) all pass

 

Result down 1: I just got inspired and bid 1N with 13

The dK was offside the leader had 6 spades to the AKJ the hK was offside....