^ Bridge Quiz Answers
(Continued from page 27)
1. There are 40 High Card Points (HCP) in a deck of cards.
2. A bid of three hearts means you must make nine tricks to make your bid.
3. If you sit North, your partner sits South.
4. The person who lays down his/her hand after the opening lead is the
dummy.
5. You must win two games to score a rubber.
6. If you win two games in a row and opponents win none, your partnership
receives 700 bonus points.
7. If you win two games in a row but opponents won the first game, your
partnership receives 500 bonus points.
8. Knowing the score (and how to score) affects the bidding. It makes you
aware of who is vulnerable and how much you need to bid to get to game.
It also makes you aware of whether you should make a defensive bid to
keep opponents from making a rubber.
9. 15-17 High Card Points are required to open INT.
10. A 24 bid asks for a transfer to hearts after your partner has bid INT. You
may transfer with zero points, but you must hold five of the major to
which you transfer.
11. A 24 bid asks for a transfer to clubs after your partner has bid INT. You
must hold six of a minor to transfer, and you may transfer with zero
points.
12. If your partner opens INT and you hold one (or two) four-card major(s),
your bid is 24», which is known as the Stayman Convention. You must
have eight points with two four-card majors and nine points when holding
one four-card major.
13. If you answer 2* (Stayman Convention) to your partners INT opening
bid, your partner responds 2f if he/she has no four-card major. You then
respond 2NT.
14. To open 14 or lY, you must have five cards in the suit you bid.
15. If you have opening count and no biddable suit (and not enough points for
a NT opening bid), your bid is 1* or 14 (if you hold four diamonds). This
is called the convenient minor opening and you are asking for a four-card
major response from your partner. If responder has both hearts and spades
with four in each, he/she bids up the line—bidding hearts first. If your
suit (as the opener) was the four-card spade suit, you can still say 14 and
responder either goes to 24 or passes with 6 points and the spade support.
16. If you win a NT contract and the dummy’s hand holds four aces, your
partnership gets 150 honors points.
17. You must make at least 100 points for a game in bridge.
18. If you have 60 points below the line (called a “60 leg”) and your opponents
make a game, they “cut off your leg” and those 60 points no longer count
toward a game for you. Those points only count toward the total score.
19. Discuss conventions with your partner when you sit down to play. You
must not ask during bidding.
20. If an opponent doesn t know what a bid by you means, he/she may ask
what a bid means, but must ask your partner. The person who made the
bid cannot answer.
21. An overcall is any bid after an opening bid.
22. You may overcall with as few as 8 points with a good five-card suit.
23. In order to overcall at the two level, you must have opening count and at
least a five-card suit.
24. In order to overcall with INT, you must have the same point count you
would need to open INT—15-17 points.
25. In order to bid a weak two, you must have six cards in the suit, with less
than 11 points and a suit of quality (two of the top three cards or three of
the top five cards).
26. For an opening three bid, you must have seven cards in the suit, with less
Harry S. Truman: The Presidenq^ (continued from page 27)
The end of WWII brought a number of domestic issues into the spotlight. With
Democratic majorities in both Houses of Congress, President Truman sent Con
gress a series of programs, including measures to expand Social Security, a Fair Em
ployment Practices Act, a plan to increase public housing and a program to clear
inner city slums. Passage of the Employment Act of 1946 included a new Council of
Economic Advisors which Truman utilized as a presidential advisory group.
The 1946 mid-term elections resulted in the Democrats’ losing control of the
House and Senate, thus reducing the effectiveness of Truman’s plans on the do
mestic front. His efforts to prevent tax cuts failed, as did his hope of retaining price
controls that were in place during the war.
A national railroad strike in 1946 shut down both freight and passenger service
for over a month and loomed as a major threat to the struggling post-WWII econ
omy When the railroad workers rejected a proposed settlement, Truman countered
with a scheme calling for seizure of the railroads by the federal government and
drafting the rail workers into the armed services to perform their regular duties.
He took this plan to Congress and, while addressing the body, received word
that the strike had been settled. He immediately informed the members of Con
gress that the railroad strike had ended and was warmly received by Congress.
than 11 points and a suit of quality (two of the top three cards or three of
the top five cards).
27. For an opening four bid, you must have eight cards in the suit, with less
than 11 points and a suit of quality (two of the top three cards or three of
the top five cards). If you count distribution and have opening, you open at
the one level.
28. If you have points close to what is required to open, you must not “fudge”
just so you can bid.
29. In order to open 2NT, you must have 20-21 HCP and this bid is not
forcing. The NT bidder has very specific parameters. Be aware of his/her
point count and the limit of only one doubleton. Responses to that NT bid
are similar to responding to other opening NT bids. When opener bids
2NT, responder only needs 4 total points to make a game. Bid 3NT directly
with a balanced hand; bid 4V (or 44) directly with a six-card major.
Transfers and Stayman are in effect if either applies.
30. In order to open 3NT, you must have 26-27 HCP. This bid is not forcing,
but if you wish to invite slam, look at total points in partnership and your
distribution. You know what partner has; you must become the captain.
Only you know what you hold.
31. “Forcing” means that partner must bid.
32. In order to make a Grand Slam, you must win 13 tricks.
33. The Blackwood Convention is used to find out how many aces and then
how many kings (if all aces are held in the partnership) the partner has.
34. If you are the second person to play on a trick, you should play low. You
will save the winning card to capture declarer’s card in another trick and
partner should know to lead it back through him/her.
35. When playing a suit contract, you should count your losers.
36. When playing a NT contract, you should count your winners.
37. You should announce that you have honors as soon as the hand is
completed.
38. Honors in a NT contract are all four aces.
39. Anyone at the table who has honors in the bid contract may earn bonus
points—whether he/she is in the partnership playing the contract or not.
40. If you have a no-spade hand (KQJ3r J109441098743*) and your partner
opened 14, your point count is 9 points and you would bid INT. If your
partner opened IV, you must reevaluate your hand. You now have 14
points. You count five points for the void in spades. You can see how
important reevaluation is. Bid 34. This is a jump.
Please send comments or questions to me at katcoast@embarqmail.com.
28
The Shoreline: I July 2014