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!

On each of these problems you must decide whether to open one or four in your major suit. If you would bid anything else, please don’t admit it, as it would only prove you’re a raven lunatic.

Choose your opening bids then click “Score Me” to see how you did. If you finish plus IMPs after 10 boards, you’re a raven genius. At the end you can view the actual deals and see how two experts bid differently in each case.

1. IMPs Favorable vul

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

Opening bid in third seat? 1  4

2. IMPs Both vul

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

Opening bid as dealer? 1  4

3. IMPs Unfavorable vul

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

Opening bid in second seat? 1  4

4. IMPs Unfavorable vul

Q 10 A J 9 8 7 5 3 2 A 6 2 —

Opening bid as dealer? 1  4

5. IMPs None vul

9 K 10 8 7 5 3 2 — A Q 6 3 2

Opening bid as dealer? 1  4

Quit

Top Crow Low, Crow High

6. IMPs Both vul

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

Opening bid in third seat? 1  4

7. IMPs None vul

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

Opening bid as dealer? 1  4

8. IMPs Favorable vul

J 10 A K 10 7 5 3 J 9 6 4 3 —

Opening bid as dealer? 1  4

9. IMPs Favorable vul

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

Opening bid in third seat? 1  4

10. IMPs Favorable vul

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

Opening bid in third seat? 1  4

Quit

Actual Results

Top Crow Low, Crow High

1. Bermuda Bowl Qualifying 1997

West deals	Q 2		West	North	East	South
N-S vul	5 2		Martel	Rodwell	Stansby	Meckstroth
	K 7 6 5 2		Pass	Pass	1	Dbl
	K 4 3 2		Pass	2	2	3
J 5		A K 9 8 7 6 4	3	Pass	Pass	Pass
K 10 9 8		J 6
9 8		A 4 3
10 8 7 6 5		J
	10 3
	A Q 7 4 3
	Q J 10
	A Q 9

USA1 N-S	USA2 N-S	West	North	East	South
3 East	4 × East	Nickell	Rosenberg	Freeman	Zia
Lead: Q	Lead: Q	Pass	Pass	4	Dbl
Made 4 +170	Down 1 -100	Pass	Pass	Pass
USA2 +7 IMPs

Opening 1 +7 IMPs

2. Olympiad Qualifying 2004

West deals	10 9 5		West	North	East	South
Both vul	K 5 4		Winkler	Mesbur	Dumbovich	Fitzgibbon
	J 9 5		1	Pass	1 NT	Pass
	A 10 8 3		2	Pass	Pass	Dbl
K Q J 7 6 4 2		8 3	Pass	3	Pass	Pass
2		A Q J 8 6	Pass
A 4		10 6 2
J 7 4		Q 9 5
	A
	10 9 7 3
	K Q 8 7 3
	K 6 2

Ireland N-S	Hungary N-S	West	North	East	South
3 North	4 West	Hanlon	Macskasy	McGann	Szalay
Lead: 8	Lead: 4	4	Pass	Pass	Pass
Down 2 -200	Made 4 +620
Ireland +9 IMPs

Opening 4 +9 IMPs

3. Bermuda Bowl Qualifying 2005

West deals	A K J 9 8 6 2		West	North	East	South
N-S vul	3		Sadek	Versace	El Ahmady	Lauria
	9 3		Pass	1	2	Pass
	K 9 6		2	3	4	Pass
Q 10		5 3	Pass	Pass
Q 8 6		K 10 9 5 4 2
A J 6 5		K Q
Q 10 8 3		A 7 4
	7 4
	A J 7
	10 8 7 4 2
	J 5 2

Italy N-S	Egypt N-S	West	North	East	South
4 East	4 North	Nunes	Dagher	Fantoni	El Kourdy
Lead: 7	Lead: K	Pass	4	Pass	Pass
Made 4 +420	Down 2 -200	Pass
Egypt +6 IMPs

Opening 4 +6 IMPs

4. USBC Semifinal 2007

West deals	9 6 4 3		West	North	East	South
E-W vul	K		Kranyak	Nickell	Deutsch	Freeman
	K 7 4		1	Pass	1	3
	K Q 5 4 3		4	5	6	Pass
Q 10		A K 8 7	Pass	7	Pass	Pass
A J 9 8 7 5 3 2		Q 6 4	Dbl	Pass	Pass	Pass
A 6 2		Q 10 8 5 3
—		8
	J 5 2
	10
	J 9
	A J 10 9 7 6 2

Nickell N-S	Deutsch N-S	West	North	East	South
7 × South	6 × South	Rodwell	Cohler	Meckstroth	Baze
Lead: A	Lead: A	4	Pass	Pass	5
Down 5 -1100	Down 4 -800	Pass	Pass	5	Pass
Deutsch +7 IMPs		Pass	6	Dbl	Pass
		Pass	Pass

Opening 1 +7 IMPs

5. Bermuda Bowl Semifinal 2007

West deals	Q 10 6 5 4 3		West	North	East	South
None vul	J 9 6		Apteker	Zia	Gower	Rosenberg
	10 8 5		4	Pass	Pass	Pass
	10
9		K 7
K 10 8 7 5 3 2		—
—		A K J 9 7 6 3 2
A Q 6 3 2		K J 9
	A J 8 2
	A Q 4
	Q 4
	8 7 5 4

USA1 N-S	South Africa N-S	West	North	East	South
4 West	6 East	Weinstein	Holman	Garner	Cope
Lead: 10	Lead: A	1	2	3	3
Down 1 -50	Made 6 +920	4	Pass	6	Pass
USA1 +14 IMPs		Pass	Pass

Opening 1 +14 IMPs

Quiz 8B41 Main

Top Crow Low, Crow High

6. Vanderbilt Quarterfinal 2008

West deals	J 8 7		West	North	East	South
Both vul	J		Rubin	Katz	Ekeblad	Jacobs
	A K 8 6		Pass	Pass	1	Pass
	Q 10 7 5 4		1	Dbl	2	Pass
Q 10 9 5 2		3	Pass	Pass
Q 8		A K 9 7 5 4 3
Q J 9 3		10 5
8 6		A J 2
	A K 6 4
	10 6 2
	7 4 2
	K 9 3

Katz N-S	Rubin N-S	West	North	East	South
2 East	4 East	Weinstein	Verhees	Levin	Jansma
Lead: 2	Lead: A	Pass	Pass	4	Pass
Made 3 +140	Down 2 -200	Pass	Pass
Rubin +8 IMPs

Opening 1 +8 IMPs

7. USBC Semifinal 2008

West deals	Q 10 7 5		West	North	East	South
None vul	10 8		Rodwell	Weinstein	Meckstroth	Garner
	A 5		1	2	2	4
	K Q J 9 8		Pass	4	Pass	6
8 3		K 4 2	6	Dbl	Pass	Pass
A K Q J 9 7 6 3		5 4 2	Pass
9 3		Q J 6 2
5		6 3 2
	A J 9 6
	—
	K 10 8 7 4
	A 10 7 4

Welland N-S	Nickell N-S	West	North	East	South
6 × West	4 North	Welland	Freeman	Willenken	Nickell
Lead: K	Lead: 2	4	Pass	Pass	Dbl
Down 4 -800	Made 6 +480	Pass	4	Pass	Pass
Welland +8 IMPs		Pass

Opening 4 +8 IMPs

8. USBC Quarterfinal 2009

West deals	Q 9 4 3		West	North	East	South
N-S vul	Q		Robinson	Johnson	Boyd	Simson
	A Q 10 2		4	Pass	Pass	Pass
	K Q 8 6
J 10		7 6 2
A K 10 7 5 3		J 9 6
J 9 6 4 3		8 7
—		A J 10 3 2
	A K 8 5
	8 4 2
	K 5
	9 7 5 4

Rogoff N-S	Robinson N-S	West	North	East	South
4 West	5 × West	Rogoff	Woolsey	Parker	Stewart
Lead: K	Lead: 4	1	Dbl	2	2
Down 1 -50	Down 2 -300	4	4	Pass	Pass
Robinson +6 IMPs		5	Dbl	Pass	Pass
		Pass

Opening 4 +6 IMPs

9. Bermuda Bowl Semifinal 2009

West deals	9 6		West	North	East	South
N-S vul	J 10 7 2		Trendafilov	Nunes	Karaivanov	Fantoni
	A J 10		Pass	Pass	4	Pass
	K 10 4 3		Pass	Pass
Q 4		A J 10 8 5 3 2
6 5 4		K 3
9 8 6 4		K Q 3
Q J 9 2		7
	K 7
	A Q 9 8
	7 5 2
	A 8 6 5

Italy N-S	Bulgaria N-S	West	North	East	South
4 East	4 North	Lauria	Danailov	Versace	Karakolev
Lead: A	Lead: K	Pass	Pass	1	Dbl
Down 2 -100	Made 4 +620	Pass	3	3	4
Bulgaria +11 IMPs		Pass	Pass	Pass

Opening 4 +11 IMPs

10. Bermuda Bowl Qualifying 2009

West deals	Q 9 7 2		West	North	East	South
N-S vul	Q 6 5		Ware	Fantoni	Whibley	Nunes
	8		Pass	Pass	4	Pass
	J 6 4 3 2		Pass	Pass
J		A K 10 8 6 5 3
K 10 9 8 4		J 7 2
A 9 4 2		K 5
Q 9 8		5
	4
	A 3
	Q J 10 7 6 3
	A K 10 7

Italy N-S	New Zealand N-S	West	North	East	South
4 East	5 South	Duboin	Cornell	Sementa	Bach
Lead: A	Lead: J	Pass	Pass	1	2
Down 1 -50	Down 2 -200	2	Pass	2	3
Italy +6 IMPs		Pass	4	Pass	5
		Pass	Pass	Pass

Opening 1 +6 IMPs

Results are from actual play, so the winning bids are not necessarily correct in theory.

Well, are you a raven genius or a raven lunatic?

Quiz 8B41 Main

Top Crow Low, Crow High

© 2010 Richard Pavlicek
Credits to Edgar Allan Poe 1809-49 and The Raven