Club News Sheet – No. 203    www.pattayabridge.com        23rd Sept2006

 

 

 

 

 

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Mon 18th 1st N-S Bill & Mike                 61%         2nd Bob Short & Frode                          56%

                1st E-W Trond & Sims             57%         2nd Lis & Finn = Henrik & Johannes       56%

Wed 20th  1st N-S Bill & Mike                 59%         2nd Henrik & Johannes                           56%

                1st E-W Richard M & Gene      54%         2nd Alan & Jan                                       53%

Fri    22nd 1st N-S Bob P & Ken              57%         2nd  Jim Aitken & Dave                           53%

1st E-W Bob S & Emil              56%         2nd Lis & Finn                                        55%

 

Bidding Quiz                           Standard American is assumed unless otherwise stated.

 

Hand A           Hand B           What do you open with Hand A?

 

♠ K74              ♠ KJ64            With Hand B, (a) partner opens 1♦ and you bid 1♠. Partner then

♥ A85              ♥ QJ10            rebids 1NT, what do you do?

♦ AJ76             ♦ A85              (b) Suppose partner passed and you are in 4th seat. Do you open?

♣ QJ3              ♣ 742

 

Hand C           Hand D           With Hand C partner opens 3♥; what do you do?

 

♠ A104            ♠ 106               With Hand D (a) partner opens a weak 2♠, what do you bid?

♥ 2                   ♥ AQJ7           (b) If you play the multi 2♦, partner opens 2♦; what do you bid?

♦ KQJ32          ♦ AQ97        

♣ KJ63            ♣ Q42

 

Hand E            Hand F            With Hand E you open 1♠ and partner responds 1NT. What now?

 

♠ AK987         ♠ A8                With Hand F you decide to open 2♣ and the uninterrupted

♥ J                   ♥ AKJ1097     sequence goes 2♣ - 2♦ - 2♥ - 2♠ - 3♥ - 3♠ - ?

♦ 8762             ♦ KQ3             What do you bid at your 4th turn?

♣ A85              ♣ A8

 

Editorial – It’s simply basic manners

 

On Wednesday one pair arrived 5 minutes late. As it happened we were a player short and so Dave kindly decided to not play himself and let the late arrivals have a game. On Friday the same pair arrived over 5 minutes late again!!! This time we were well into the first board with a “perfect” movement of exactly 6 tables with no sit-out. Despite protestations from Henrik that I should change the movement, I absolutely refused to do so. Now Henrik may or may not be “international” standard, it matters not at this club. Behavior and manners are No. 1.

I will take this opportunity to make club policy very clear. We start at 13.00 prompt. If a pair (or individual) turn(s) up 5 minutes late then they will be allowed to play only if we have a sit-out (or if it is convenient). Dave or I will most certainly not change the movement to accommodate late arrivals unless they have a legitimate excuse. As far as we are concerned, Henrik (and a few other habitual late arrivals – another one of whom happens also to be Norwegian) will never have a good enough excuse for us. Henrik should feel lucky that he has been allowed back into the club; but he should be aware that any problems then he’s out for good (ask Chuck). Bad manners (continually arriving late is just one example) simply will not be tolerated.

 

 

It’s that 4333 type shape again – part 1             Board 3 from Monday 18th

 

 Over ½ of the E-W pairs got too high on this deal. Who, if anybody, was at fault?

 

Dealer:             ♠ J63                                            

South               ♥ 63                                               West(A)     North         East          South

E-W vul           ♦ K1094                                        -                 -                 -               pass

                        ♣ A1082                                        1NT (1)      pass           2♥            dbl  

2♠              pass           3NT (2)    pass

♠ K74                   N             ♠ A10982                4♠              all pass

♥ A85                W    E          ♥ K42                     

♦ AJ76                   S              ♦ Q5                       

♣ QJ3                                    ♣ 974                     

                        ♠ Q5                                             

♥ QJ1097                                     

                        ♦ 832                                            

                        ♣ K65            

 

(1)   What did you open this West hand A in this week’s quiz? A balanced 15 points, so 1NT?

I know I keep saying the same thing week after week, but that’s simply because it seems not to sink in – the 4333 type shape is terrible – knock off a point. This hand should open 1♦ and rebid 1NT(12-14) over a major suit response.

(2)   With 9 good points and superb ♠’s East easily has values to bid game opposite a sound strong 1NT opener.

 

And what happened? 4♠ generally went anything from 1 to 3 down at the various tables (4 out of 7) where it was bid. Those who stopped short in 3♠ or 2NT did well.

The bottom lines: -

-         This really is a good example of the dreaded 4333 shape. East has a sound raise to game and there are no bad breaks yet declarer went two down. Why?

-         Because the totally flat 4333 type shape is terrible. It has no ruffing potential and no trick taking potential.

It’s that 4333 type shape again – part 2             Board 23 from Monday 18th

 

 Virtually everybody E-W got too high on this deal: -

 

Dealer:             ♠ 87                                               Table A

South               ♥ K963                                          West          North         East(B)     South

Both vul            ♦ 102                                             -                 -                 -               pass

                        ♣ AJ965                                        1♦    (1)      pass           1♠            pass

1NT           pass           2NT (2)    all pass

♠ 1095                  N             ♠ KJ64                   

♥ A87                W    E          ♥ QJ10                    Table B

♦ K9643                S              ♦ A85                      West          North         East(B)     South

♣ KQ                                    ♣ 742                      -                 -                 -               pass

                        ♠ AQ32                                         pass   (1)    pass           pass (3)

♥ 542                                            

                        ♦ QJ7                                            

                        ♣ 1083           

 

Table A:     (1)  Would you open this West hand? It’s 12 points with good intermediates and decent shape. But that doubleton ♣KQ is very bad and it’s a marginal opener. I expect most opened and I would not argue either way.

(2)  And I also suspect that most raised to 2NT with this hand. What did you bid with this East hand B(a) in this week’s quiz? This 2NT bid shows 11-12 but I would knock off a point for the shape and pass.

Table B:     (1)  My partner decided to pass as he did not like the poor ♣ honours and I have no problem with that decision.

(3)   But did you open with this East hand B(b) in this week’s quiz? In 4th seat the rule of 15 (Pearson points) applies. Add the number of ♠’s to the HCP’s and if it’s 15 or more then open. This hand is 11 points + 4 ♠’s = 15 so an opener? No! Don’t forget to knock off a point for the dreaded 4333 shape. So it’s only 14 and I passed.

 

And what happened? Pass-out scored a virtual top for E-W as all but one got too high with the E-W cards (Deep Finesse says that anything above 1♠ is too high).

The bottom lines: -

-         Devalue a hand with KQ doubleton.

-         Knock off a point for the dreaded totally flat 4333 type shape

-         The rule of 15 applies in 4th seat

-         It’s time for a Brian Senior quite: “It’s difficult to overemphasise how bad the totally flat 4333 type shape is.”

 

Worth a limit raise or game?                               Board 13 from Monday 18th

 

 N-S missed an easy game here, whose fault?

 

Dealer:             ♠ K42                                            Table A

North               ♥ AQJ432                                     West          North         East          South

Both vul            ♦ J107                                            -                 1♥              pass         3♥    (1)

                        ♣ J                                                 pass           pass (2)      pass

 

♠ 95                      N             ♠ Q8763                  Table B

♥ K                    W    E          ♥ 986                       West          North         East          South

♦ Q964                  S              ♦ 3                           -                 1♥              pass         2♦    (1)

♣ A98742                              ♣ KQ53                  pass           2♥    (3)      pass         3♥    (4)

                        ♠ AJ10                                           pass           4♥    (5)      all pass

♥ 1075                                          

                        ♦ AK852                                       ‘Expert Table’

                        ♣ 106                                            West          North         East          South

-                 1♥              pass         1NT (1)

pass           2♥    (6)      pass         4♥    (7)

 

Table A:     (1)  Is this South hand worth game? 12 is normally just an invitation, especially with just 3 trumps. I think it’s very close (between game and an invite) and I would not argue with 3♥ here if that is the way you play limit raises. I would bid it as Table B if not playing 2/1 (Expert Table).

(2)  And what about this pass? With just 12 points one would normally decline – but this is not “just 12 points”. That 6 card ♥ suit is huge and I would bid game even if partner’s bid only promised 3 trumps.

Table B:     (1)  This South again thought the hand worth just an invitation, and the way to show an invitational hand with just 3 card support is to bid a minor first.

(3)   This does not guarantee 6 cards in Standard American.

(4)   South goes through with his invitation.

(5)   And this North correctly accepts.

‘Expert’      (1)  Playing 2/1 the way to invite showing just 3 card support is via the Forcing NT.

 Table         (6)  But this is just one of the big advantages of playing 2/1. This 3♥ bid guarantees a six card suit when playing 2/1.

(7)   And knowing that there is a six card suit opposite, South can take the pressure off of North by bidding game.

 

And what happened? All the other tables bid game and everybody made 11 (or more!) tricks.

The bottom lines: -

-         Upgrade a hand with AQJxxx in a major when partner supports.

-         You can differentiate between 3 and 4 card support for partner’s opening 1♥/♠ by raising directly to 3 with 4 card support and going via a minor with just 3 cards.

-         This is done even more efficiently in 2/1 by using the Forcing NoTrump.

Don’t bid again having pre-empted                     Board 27 from Monday 18th

 

 South allowed E-W to bid an easy game on this board which they otherwise may well have missed.

 

Dealer:             ♠ 753                            

South               ♥ J82                                             West          North         East          South

Love all            ♦ AQ953                                       -                 -                 -               2♥   

                        ♣ A7                                              pass           pass (1)      2♠    (2)    3♥    (3)

pass (4)      pass           4♣   (5)    pass

♠ Q62                   N             ♠ AK984                 4♠    (6)      dbl   (7)      pass         pass

♥ 1076               W    E          ♥ A                          5♣   (8)      dbl             all pass

♦ KJ4                     S              ♦ 2                          

♣ J1086                                 ♣ Q95432              

                        ♠ J10                                            

♥ KQ9543                                    

                        ♦ 10876                                        

                        ♣ K

                                               

(1)   I would bid 3♥, but then I always raise partner’s pre-empt with 3 card support.

(2)   A bit pathetic. This hand is enormous and either double or 3♥ or 3♠ may be better.

(3)   Let’s just repeat the scriptures one more time – do not bid again having pre-empted. Exactly what South imagined this 3♥ bid would do (apart from allowing East to make up for his previous pathetic effort) baffles me.

(4)   Looks like a raise to 3♠ to me. Whether he would have bid 3♠ had South passed we will never know.

(5)   East was very happy at being allowed another bite at the cherry and showed his enormous two-suiter.

(6)   West finally realise that he had great support for partner.

(7)   I have no idea why North thought that he could defeat 4♠.

(8)   I like to keep the language tame, so I shan’t say what I really think of this bid.

 

And what happened? 5♣ doubled went one down for a total top to N-S. 4♠ doubled making (comfortably) would have been a total top to E-W.

The bottom lines: -

-     Every single player at this table made at least one poor bid. They all deserved a zero but the rules don’t allow for that. Perhaps a new local rule? …          

-     Do not bid again having pre-empted; South certainly deserved a total bottom on this board which he most certainly would have got had West realised that he had a pass card in his box.

-         I can’t remember who it was, but one famous bridge personality stated “there are only 3 game contracts in Bridge – 3NT, 4♥ and 4♠.”

-         Simply put, it is much easier to make 9 or 10 tricks that 11.

-         To remove a known 5(+)-3 fit 4♠ contract into a possible 4-4 fit 5♣ contract is suicidal.

-         Especially when partner has bid strongly and you have Qxx of his 5+ card major.

-         If there happen to be 4 losers in 4♠ then you will probably have exactly the same losers in 5♣. As is the case here, except that there are only 3 losers!

What to do, opposite a weak two?                      Board 5 from Wednesday 20th

 

 I’m a poet, and I didn’t even know it!

 

Dealer:             ♠ 82                                               Table A

North               ♥ K83                                            West(D)     North         East          South

N-S vul            ♦ 8643                                           -                 pass           2♠            pass

                        ♣ A1076                                        2NT (1)      pass           3♦    (2)    pass

3♠    (3)      all pass

♠ 106                    N             ♠ AQ7543              

♥ AQJ7             W    E          ♥ 1062                     Table B

♦ AQ97                 S              ♦ J5                          West(D)     North         East          South

♣ Q42                                   ♣ 83                        -                 pass           2♠            pass

                        ♠ KJ9                                            pass (1)      pass

♥ 954                                            

                        ♦ K102                                         

                        ♣ KJ95

                                               

Table A:     (1)  What did you bid with this West hand D(a) in this week’s quiz? I was West at table B. This West (and I assume every other West in the club) thought that this hand was worth an effort/game opposite a weak two. 2NT here at this table was Ogust, asking partner to describe his (weak two) hand further.

(2)   Minimal points but good ♠’s

(3)   Minimal is not enough;

Table B:     (1)  I was West here. In my opinion a mis-fitting 15 points is not enough to try for game opposite a 5-9 six card suit. At the table, pass was my answer to question D(a).

 

And what happened? 2♠ made exactly. This was the only + score in the E-W column. Every other E-W bid to 3♠ (one down) or game (3NT one down or 4♠ two down)

The bottom lines: -

-         15 points with a doubleton in partner’s suit is not worth an effort over a weak two opening.

-         You are much more likely to go down at the 3 or 4-level than make a thin game.

-         Maybe I am a poet after all: -

 

Pattaya Bridge Club’s director is Quest

Who some people love to detest

But when put to the test

He plays with such zest

That some call him, “simply the best”.

 

What to do, opposite a weak three?                   Board 24 from Friday 22nd  

 

 It’s rarely correct to bid 3NT opposite partner’s 3♥/♠ opener.

 

Dealer:             ♠ 3                                                 Table A

West                ♥ AJ109764                                  West          North         East          South(C)

Love all            ♦ A5                                              pass           3♥    (1)      pass         pass (2)

                        ♣ 1084                                          pass

 

♠ K9765               N             ♠ QJ82                    Table B

♥ Q5                  W    E          ♥ K83                      West          North         East          South(C)

♦ 1094                   S              ♦ 876                       pass           3♥              pass         3NT (2)

♣ A92                                    ♣ Q75                     all pass

                        ♠ A104                                         

♥ 2                                                

                        ♦ KQJ32                                       

                        ♣ KJ63

                                               

Table A:     (1)  A somewhat top-of-the-range pre-empt. I would not argue with 1♥ but with a ♠ singleton I feel that 3♥ is fine.

(2)  What did you bid with this South hand C in this week’s quiz? This hand is in fact somewhat similar to the previous West hand and it’s debatable if it’s worth game opposite a weak 3♥ opening.

Table B:     (2)  But when partner opens at the three level he generally has a seven card suit so I would not argue if you chose to bid game. But not 3NT! If you bid, then bid 4♥ - you will have entry problems to partner’s long ♥’s if you play in 3NT and there may well be just one ♠ stop.

 

And what happened? 3NT went two down (too many ♠ losers) for a total bottom. Most were in 3♥ making 11 tricks and one pair bid the 4♥ game. 4♥ makes easily because of the ♦’s. Give North the ♠J in place of the ♦A and 4♥ would stand little hope and pass would have been the best choice for South.

The bottom lines: -

-         It is rarely correct to bid 3NT when partner has opened a weak 3♥/♠.

-         With a good hand and a singleton in his suit, raise him to 4♥/♠ rather than bid 3NT.

-         This actual South hand is very marginal and pass would normally work out best; there are numerous 3♥ openers that you can construct where there is a loser in each suit.

 

Bid both suits when 5-4                                        Board 7 from Friday 22nd

 

 If you have 5 cards in a high ranking suit and 4 cards in a lower ranking, then it’s usually best to bid them both when partner responds 1NT.

 

Dealer:             ♠ AK987                                       Table A

West                ♥ J                                                 West          North(E)    East          South

Love all            ♦ 8762                                           -                 -                 -               pass

                        ♣ A85                                            pass           1♠              pass         1NT

pass           pass (1)      pass

♠ J106                  N             ♠ Q532                   

♥ Q986              W    E          ♥ A742                    Table B

♦ Q54                    S              ♦ AJ                         West          North(E)    East          South

♣ 963                                    ♣ K104                   -                 -                 -               pass

                        ♠ 4                                                 pass           1♠              pass         1NT

♥ K1053                                        pass           2♦    (1)      pass (2)    pass (3)

                        ♦ K1093                                        pass

                        ♣ QJ72

                                               

Table A:     (1)  What did you bid with this North hand E in this week’s quiz? Passing 1NT may sometimes work…

Table B:     (1)  … but the odds favour bidding the 2nd suit. You may find a fit there or otherwise a 5-2 ♠ fit usually plays well.

(2)   Double is worth considering as both opponents have limited their hands.

(3)   South is delighted that the 4-4 ♦ fit has been located. It would be a big mistake for South to bid 2♥ here as North cannot have 4 ♥’s.

 

And what happened? A mixed bag of results; one pair stopped in 1NT just making but 2♦ made +1 for a complete top.

The bottom lines: -

-     With 5-4 shape (the 5-carder higher ranking) then bid both suits if partner responds 1NT.

 

Don’t bid you hand 3 times.                                 Board 9 from Friday 22nd 

 

♥AKJ1097 is a self-sufficient suit, but it still does no harm to listen to partner.

 

Dealer:             ♠ A8                                              Table A

North               ♥ AKJ1097                                   West          North(F)    East          South

E-W vul           ♦ KQ3                                           -                 2♣             pass         2♦

                        ♣ A8                                              pass           2♥              pass         2♠

pass           3♥              pass         3♠

♠ 974                    N             ♠ K3                        pass           4♥  (1)        all pass

♥ Q63                W    E          ♥ 854                      

♦ J52                      S              ♦ A8764                  Table B

♣ KJ63                                  ♣ 1074                    West          North(F)    East          South    

                        ♠ QJ10653                                    -                 2♣             pass         2♦

♥ 2                                                 pass           2♥              pass         2♠

                        ♦ 109                                             pass           3♥              pass         3♠

                        ♣ Q952                                         pass           3NT (1)      all pass

                                               

Table A:     (1)  What did you bid with this North hand F in this week’s quiz? I don’t like this 4♥ bid.

Table B:     (1)  I was North here and chose 3NT (I have already made it very clear that I have good ♥’s). This bid is better than 4♥, but I feel that 4♠ would have been a much better bid.

 

And what happened? 3NT made exactly for a clear top as nobody bid the superior 4♠.

The bottom lines: -

-         ♠A8 is great support when partner has a six-carder.

 

Bidding Quiz Answers

 

Hand A:     1♦. This hand is not worth 1NT because of the totally flat 4333 type shape. So open 1♦ with a view to rebidding 1NT (12-14) opposite a 1♥/♠ response.

Hand B:      (a)  Pass. 2NT here is 11-12 but this miserable 4333 hand is only worth 10.

(b)   Pass. In 4th seat the “rule of 15” applies (points + ♠ length) but knock off a point for the totally flat 4333 type shape and it’s a pass. I would only open this heap in 3rd seat.

Hand C:     Pass or 4♥. Everything is a lottery after a pre-empt and you may have game if partner is top of the range. One thing is sure, however; do not bid 3NT. If you decide to bid game then bid 4♥ as otherwise you will have entry problems and/or the opponents may have a load of ♠ tricks.

Hand D:     (a)  Pass. This hand is not worth an effort over a weak 2♠.

                  (b) 2♠. Showing a hand worth 3♥ or more opposite a weak two in ♥’s but only prepared to play in 2♠ opposite a weak 2♠ opener.

Hand E:      2♦. With 5-4 it usually turns out best to bid both suits.

Hand F:      4♠. Partner presumably has a 6 card ♠ suit and there will probably be no communication with dummy if you bid 4♥. 3NT is a poor 2nd choice but better than 4♥ in my opinion.