Right-click here for hands. Another nice turnout, ten tables.
Board 1: East opens 1C, South overcalls 1S, West bids 1NT, North might raise but I think I'd pass the flat 5 count despite four card support for spades. East has 8 tricks in hand and excellent controls; 3NT would be good if the clubs run but 5C has chances even if they don't. East has guesses in both minors. I don't see an obvious way to make 12 tricks.
Board 5: North opens 1S, which should silence East -- don't feel you must bid something just because you would have opened the bidding, pass in tempo when they bid your long suit. South can respond 2C or a strong jump to 3C, but it is difficult to find a bidding sequence that will reveal anything useful about opener's hand. With nine tricks opposite a partner who opened, 6C is a reasonable gamble. South wins the opening heart lead with North's Ace, pitches his other heart on the Ace of spades, and must play the diamond suit for one loser. With no re-entry to dummy, declarer can play West for the King (low to the Ace, low back toward the Queen) or East for the Jack (low toward the ten, covering either the Jack or King if East plays one of those.) At our table East doubled 1S, which made the King with West unlikely.
Board 17: East can open 1C, planning to rebid spades twice, or open 1S and bid clubs according to how the auction proceeds. With this sort of hand I expect the opponents to have a big fit in one of the red suits and ask myself if I open 1C, will I be comfortable showing the spades for the first time at the four level? If the clubs were stronger I think I would, but here I believe I'd open 1S.
South's hand is light for a two-level overcall, and a bit iffy for a leap to 3D, so pass seems best. West has a monster; there is little point in bidding the hearts (partner can hardly have any help in the suit, and you can't improve on a 5-5 major fit) so a direct 4NT is simplest. East shows 2 key cards and West bids 6S. South cashes his Ace after which delcarer has tricks to burn, with the Jack of hearts dropping or the clubs setting up with the help of one ruff.
Board 18: East's spades look good enough for a non-vulnerable 2S to me, but some will pass and other open 1S despite the stiff Queen and lack of quick tricks. At our table East passed, I opened the normal 2NT, and North's Ace plus two four card majors justified a 3C Stayman response. The combined points are 24 or 25 and it is better than 50% South has a four (or five) card major. The normal-looking 4H dies a quick death with E/W each having a singleton opposite partner's Ace.
If East opens 2S, South should hope for five points or more from partner (a bit less than 1/4 of the high cards not in South's hand) and bid a practical 3NT. The contract looks shaky but North's spade spots brng home the game. A possible line would be opening spade lead won by the Ace (East can tell partner will not be able to lead them again, so no point in ducking), diamond Queen ducked, low spade won in hand, three top clubs dropping the Jack, fourth club pitching a diamond, Ace, King and a third heart; East must concede two spade tricks to dummy.
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