Main Quiz 8B01 by Richard Pavlicek

Crow Low, Crow High

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered bidding theory,
Omens of the days of yore came tapping at my chamber door.
Quoth the raven: “One or four!”

As South on these 10 deals, decide whether you would open one or four in your major suit — or something else if you’re raven mad. Then compare your choice with two experts who faced the same situation in real life and chose differently. For fun, keep track of your IMPs won and lost. If you’re plus after 10 boards, you’re a raven genius.

Problem 1

IMPs

E-W Vul

Table
A K 9 8 7 6 4
J 6
A 4 3
J

West
North
Pass East
Pass South
?

As South, would you open 1 or 4 ?

In Real Life

1997 Bermuda Bowl Qualifying: USA1 vs USA2

E-W Vul
J 5
K 10 9 8
9 8
10 8 7 6 5
10 3
A Q 7 4 3
Q J 10
A Q 9 Table Q 2
5 2
K 7 6 5 2
K 4 3 2
A K 9 8 7 6 4
J 6
A 4 3
J

West
Meckstroth

Dbl
3 North
Martel
Pass
Pass
3 East
Rodwell
Pass
2
All Pass South
Stansby
1
2

Result: 3 by South ( Q lead) made 4 (+170)

Zia

Dbl Nickell
Pass
All Pass Rosenberg
Pass Freeman
4

Result: 4 × by South ( Q lead) down 1 (-100)

Good choice if you opened 1 , +7 IMPs.
Unfortunate if you opened 4 , -7 IMPs.

To keep score, accept the result of your choice (even if you disagree with the auction after) and keep a running IMP total. Goal is to finish plus.

Quit

Problem 2

IMPs

Both Vul

Table
K Q J 7 6 4 2
2
A 4
J 7 4

West
North
East
South
?

As South, would you open 1 or 4 ?

In Real Life

2004 Olympiad Qualifying: Hungary vs Ireland

Both Vul
8 3
A Q J 8 6
10 6 2
Q 9 5
10 9 5
K 5 4
J 9 5
A 10 8 3 Table A
10 9 7 3
K Q 8 7 3
K 6 2
K Q J 7 6 4 2
2
A 4
J 7 4

West
Macskasy

Pass North
McGann

Pass East
Szalay

Pass South
Hanlon
4

Result: 4 by South ( 4 lead) made 4 (+620)

Mesbur

Pass
Pass
3 Dumbovich

1 NT
Pass
All Pass Fitzgibbon

Pass
Dbl Winkler
1
2
Pass

Result: 3 by West ( 8 lead) down 2 (+200)

Good choice if you opened 4 , +9 IMPs.
Unfortunate if you opened 1 , -9 IMPs.

Quit

Problem 3

IMPs

N-S Vul

Table
A K J 9 8 6 2
3
9 3
K 9 6

West
North
East
Pass South
?

As South, would you open 1 or 4 ?

In Real Life

2005 Bermuda Bowl Qualifying: Italy vs Egypt

N-S Vul
7 4
A J 7
10 8 7 4 2
J 5 2
5 3
K 10 9 5 4 2
K Q
A 7 4 Table Q 10
Q 8 6
A J 6 5
Q 10 8 3
A K J 9 8 6 2
3
9 3
K 9 6

West
Fantoni

Pass North
El Kourdy

Pass East
Nunes
Pass
Pass South
Dagher
4

Result: 4 by South ( K lead) down 2 (-200)

El Ahmady

2
4 Lauria

Pass
All Pass Sadek
Pass
2 Versace
1
3

Result: 4 by West ( 7 lead) made 4 (-420)

Good choice if you opened 4 , +6 IMPs.
Unfortunate if you opened 1 , -6 IMPs.

Quit

Problem 4

IMPs

N-S Vul

Table
Q 10
A J 9 8 7 5 3 2
A 6 2
—

West
North
East
South
?

As South, would you open 1 or 4 ?

In Real Life

2007 USBC Semifinal: Deutsch vs Nickell

N-S Vul
A K 8 7
Q 6 4
Q 10 8 5 3
8
9 6 4 3
K
K 7 4
K Q 5 4 3 Table J 5 2
10
J 9
A J 10 9 7 6 2
Q 10
A J 9 8 7 5 3 2
A 6 2
—

West
Nickell

Pass
5
7
All Pass North
Deutsch

1
6
Pass East
Freeman

3
Pass
Pass South
Kranyak
1
4
Pass
Dbl

Result: 7 × by East ( A lead) down 5 (+1100)

Cohler

Pass
Pass
6 Meckstroth

Pass
5
Dbl Baze

5
Pass
All Pass Rodwell
4
Pass
Pass

Result: 6 × by East ( A lead) down 4 (+800)

Good choice if you opened 1 , +7 IMPs.
Unfortunate if you opened 4 , -7 IMPs.

Quit

Problem 5

IMPs

None Vul

Table
9
K 10 8 7 5 3 2
—
A Q 6 3 2

West
North
East
South
?

As South, would you open 1 or 4 ?

In Real Life

2007 Bermuda Bowl Semifinal: USA1 vs South Africa

None Vul
K 7
—
A K J 9 7 6 3 2
K J 9
Q 10 6 5 4 3
J 9 6
10 8 5
10 Table A J 8 2
A Q 4
Q 4
8 7 5 4
9
K 10 8 7 5 3 2
—
A Q 6 3 2

West
Holman

2
Pass North
Garner

3
6 East
Cope

3
All Pass South
Weinstein,H
1
4

Result: 6 by North ( A lead) made 6 (+920)

Zia

Pass Gower

Pass Rosenberg

Pass Apteker
4

Result: 4 by South ( 10 lead) down 1 (-50)

Good choice if you opened 1 , +14 IMPs.
Unfortunate if you opened 4 , -14 IMPs.

Quit

Problem 6

IMPs

Both Vul

Table
3
A K 9 7 5 4 3
10 5
A J 2

West
North
Pass East
Pass South
?

As South, would you open 1 or 4 ?

In Real Life

2008 Vanderbilt Quarterfinal: Rubin vs Katz

Both Vul
Q 10 9 5 2
Q 8
Q J 9 3
8 6
A K 6 4
10 6 2
7 4 2
K 9 3 Table J 8 7
J
A K 8 6
Q 10 7 5 4
3
A K 9 7 5 4 3
10 5
A J 2

West
Jacobs

Pass
All Pass North
Rubin
Pass
1 East
Katz
Pass
Dbl South
Ekeblad
1
2

Result: 2 by South ( 2 lead) made 3 (+140)

Jansma

All Pass Weinstein
Pass Verhees
Pass Levin
4

Result: 4 by South ( A lead) down 2 (-200)

Good choice if you opened 1 , +8 IMPs.
Unfortunate if you opened 4 , -8 IMPs.

Quit

Problem 7

IMPs

None Vul

Table
8 3
A K Q J 9 7 6 3
9 3
5

West
North
East
South
?

As South, would you open 1 or 4 ?

In Real Life

2008 USBC Semifinal: Nickell vs Welland

None Vul
K 4 2
5 4 2
Q J 6 2
6 3 2
Q 10 7 5
10 8
A 5
K Q J 9 8 Table A J 9 6
—
K 10 8 7 4
A 10 7 4
8 3
A K Q J 9 7 6 3
9 3
5

West
Freeman

Pass
4 North
Willenken

Pass
All Pass East
Nickell

Dbl South
Welland
4
Pass

Result: 4 by West ( 2 lead) made 6 (-480)

Weinstein,H

2
4
Dbl Meckstroth

2
Pass
All Pass Garner

4
6 Rodwell
1
Pass
6

Result: 6 × by South ( K lead) down 4 (-800)

Good choice if you opened 4 , +8 IMPs.
Unfortunate if you opened 1 , -8 IMPs.

Quit

Problem 8

IMPs

E-W Vul

Table
J 10
A K 10 7 5 3
J 9 6 4 3
—

West
North
East
South
?

As South, would you open 1 or 4 ?

In Real Life

2009 USBC Quarterfinal: Rogoff vs Robinson

E-W Vul
7 6 2
J 9 6
8 7
A J 10 3 2
Q 9 4 3
Q
A Q 10 2
K Q 8 6 Table A K 8 5
8 4 2
K 5
9 7 5 4
J 10
A K 10 7 5 3
J 9 6 4 3
—

West
Johnson

Pass North
Boyd

Pass East
Simson

Pass South
Robinson
4

Result: 4 by South ( K lead) down 1 (-50)

Woolsey

Dbl
4
Dbl Parker

2
Pass
All Pass Stewart

2
Pass Rogoff
1
4
5

Result: 5 × by South ( 4 lead) down 2 (-300)

Good choice if you opened 4 , +6 IMPs.
Unfortunate if you opened 1 , -6 IMPs.

Quit

Problem 9

IMPs

E-W Vul

Table
A J 10 8 5 3 2
K 3
K Q 3
7

West
North
Pass East
Pass South
?

As South, would you open 1 or 4 ?

In Real Life

2009 Bermuda Bowl Semifinal: Italy vs Bulgaria

E-W Vul
Q 4
6 5 4
9 8 6 4
Q J 9 2
K 7
A Q 9 8
7 5 2
A 8 6 5 Table 9 6
J 10 7 2
A J 10
K 10 4 3
A J 10 8 5 3 2
K 3
K Q 3
7

West
Fantoni

All Pass North
Trendafilov
Pass East
Nunes
Pass South
Karaivanov
4

Result: 4 by South ( A lead) down 2 (-100)

Karakolev

Dbl
4 Lauria
Pass
Pass
All Pass Danailov
Pass
3 Versace
1
3

Result: 4 by East ( K lead) made 4 (-620)

Good choice if you opened 4 , +11 IMPs.
Unfortunate if you opened 1 , -11 IMPs.

Quit

Problem 10

IMPs

E-W Vul

Table
A K 10 8 6 5 3
J 7 2
K 5
5

West
North
Pass East
Pass South
?

As South, would you open 1 or 4 ?

In Real Life

2009 Bermuda Bowl Qualifying: Italy vs New Zealand

E-W Vul
J
K 10 9 8 4
A 9 4 2
Q 9 8
4
A 3
Q J 10 7 6 3
A K 10 7 Table Q 9 7 2
Q 6 5
8
J 6 4 3 2
A K 10 8 6 5 3
J 7 2
K 5
5

West
Bach

2
3
5 North
Duboin
Pass
2
Pass
All Pass East
Cornell
Pass
Pass
4 South
Sementa
1
2
Pass

Result: 5 by West ( J lead) down 2 (+200)

Nunes

All Pass Ware
Pass Fantoni
Pass Whibley
4

Result: 4 by South ( A lead) down 1 (-50)

Good choice if you opened 1 , +6 IMPs.
Unfortunate if you opened 4 , -6 IMPs.

Winning actions are determined from the actual deal and what happened in real life, so they may not be correct in theory or the long run.

Top Main

E-W Vul	J 5 K 10 9 8 9 8 10 8 7 6 5
10 3 A Q 7 4 3 Q J 10 A Q 9		Q 2 5 2 K 7 6 5 2 K 4 3 2
	A K 9 8 7 6 4 J 6 A 4 3 J

Both Vul	8 3 A Q J 8 6 10 6 2 Q 9 5
10 9 5 K 5 4 J 9 5 A 10 8 3		A 10 9 7 3 K Q 8 7 3 K 6 2
	K Q J 7 6 4 2 2 A 4 J 7 4

N-S Vul	7 4 A J 7 10 8 7 4 2 J 5 2
5 3 K 10 9 5 4 2 K Q A 7 4		Q 10 Q 8 6 A J 6 5 Q 10 8 3
	A K J 9 8 6 2 3 9 3 K 9 6

N-S Vul	A K 8 7 Q 6 4 Q 10 8 5 3 8
9 6 4 3 K K 7 4 K Q 5 4 3		J 5 2 10 J 9 A J 10 9 7 6 2
	Q 10 A J 9 8 7 5 3 2 A 6 2 —

None Vul	K 7 — A K J 9 7 6 3 2 K J 9
Q 10 6 5 4 3 J 9 6 10 8 5 10		A J 8 2 A Q 4 Q 4 8 7 5 4
	9 K 10 8 7 5 3 2 — A Q 6 3 2

Both Vul	Q 10 9 5 2 Q 8 Q J 9 3 8 6
A K 6 4 10 6 2 7 4 2 K 9 3		J 8 7 J A K 8 6 Q 10 7 5 4
	3 A K 9 7 5 4 3 10 5 A J 2

None Vul	K 4 2 5 4 2 Q J 6 2 6 3 2
Q 10 7 5 10 8 A 5 K Q J 9 8		A J 9 6 — K 10 8 7 4 A 10 7 4
	8 3 A K Q J 9 7 6 3 9 3 5

E-W Vul	7 6 2 J 9 6 8 7 A J 10 3 2
Q 9 4 3 Q A Q 10 2 K Q 8 6		A K 8 5 8 4 2 K 5 9 7 5 4
	J 10 A K 10 7 5 3 J 9 6 4 3 —

E-W Vul	Q 4 6 5 4 9 8 6 4 Q J 9 2
K 7 A Q 9 8 7 5 2 A 8 6 5		9 6 J 10 7 2 A J 10 K 10 4 3
	A J 10 8 5 3 2 K 3 K Q 3 7

E-W Vul	J K 10 9 8 4 A 9 4 2 Q 9 8
4 A 3 Q J 10 7 6 3 A K 10 7		Q 9 7 2 Q 6 5 8 J 6 4 3 2
	A K 10 8 6 5 3 J 7 2 K 5 5

Crow Low, Crow High

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered bidding theory,Omens of the days of yore came tapping at my chamber door.Quoth the raven: “One or four!”

Problem 1

In Real Life

Problem 2

In Real Life

Problem 3

In Real Life

Problem 4

In Real Life

Problem 5

In Real Life

Problem 6

In Real Life

Problem 7

In Real Life

Problem 8

In Real Life

Problem 9

In Real Life

Problem 10

In Real Life

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered bidding theory,
Omens of the days of yore came tapping at my chamber door.
Quoth the raven: “One or four!”