Club News Sheet – No. 227    www.pattayabridge.com        11th March 2007

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Mon 5th     1st N-S     Alain & Gastone                 59%         2nd    Bob & Mike                     57%

                  1st E-W    Jan & Royd                        63%         2nd    Kenneth & Phyllis             57%

Wed 7th      1st N-S     Phil & Tomas                     59%         2nd    Claudia & Tony                56%

                  1st E-W    Jan & Gastone                    61%         2nd    Alan & Hans                    58%

Fri  9th        1st N-S     Per-Ake & Palil                  57%         2nd    Ivy & Wolfgang                54%

                  1st E-W    Paul K & R Watson           57%         2nd    Johann & Kjartan             51%

 

Bidding Quiz                           Standard American is assumed unless otherwise stated.

 

Hand A           Hand B           With Hand A partner opens 1♣ and RHO overcalls 1♠, what

do you do?

♠ 83                 ♠ KQ9

♥ KQ9865       ♥ J1087           With Hand B LHO opens 1♦ and partner overcalls 1♠. RHO

♦ K32              ♦ J6                  either doubles (negative) or passes (it makes no difference).  

♣ 108              ♣ KJ53            What do you bid?

 

Hand C           Hand D           With Hand C partner opens 2♠, what do you do?

 

♠ A                  ♠ J109                          

♥ AK10932     ♥ KQJ974       With Hand D partner opens 1♣ and RHO overcalls 1♠, what

♦ K4                ♦ 7                   do you bid?           

♣ Q742           ♣ J87

 

Hand E            Hand F            With Hand E partner opens 2♠, what do you do?

 

♠ AQ10           ♠ AK4            

♥ A932            ♥ 962               With Hand F RHO opens 1♥, what do you bid?

♦ K4                ♦ Q2               

♣ Q1042          ♣ AJ962

                             

Hand G           Hand H           With Hand G LHO opens 1♥ and RHO bids 1♠, what do you do?

 

♠ 9                   ♠ A9                                       

♥ A965            ♥ AJ764          With Hand H RHO opens 1♣, what do you bid?

♦ AQ876         ♦ -

♣ AK5             ♣ AQ8643

                                                                             

Bidding Sequences Quiz        All of these sequences occurred this week

 

J      1♣     1♠      2♥                How many points for the 2♥ bid?

K     1♥      pass   1NT   dbl     What does the dbl mean?

L      1♣     pass   1♦                What does the 1♦ bid mean?

 

 

 

Leading Quiz

        West                    West          North         East            South

♠ 1064                 -                 -                 -                 1♣

        ♥ K763                pass           1♦              pass (1)      1♥

♦ Q4                    all pass      

♣ A852               

You are West, on lead against 1♥. (a) What do you lead?

(b)  What would you lead if partner, at (1), had asked ‘what does the 1♦ bid mean’.

 

 

 

An Unassuming cue bid                                       Board 28 from Wednesday 7th

What did you bid with Hand B in this week’s quiz? The Unassuming cue bid keeps you low.

 

Dealer:             ♠ KQ9                                           Table A

West                ♥ J1087                                         West          North(B)    East          South

N-S vul            ♦ J6                                                pass           pass           1♦            1♠   

                        ♣ KJ53                                          dbl     (1)    3♠    (2)      all pass

 

♠ 1064                  N             ♠ 52                         Table B

♥ Q953              W    E          ♥ AK6                     West          North(B)    East          South

♦ AQ3                   S              ♦ K10974               pass           pass           1♦            1♠

♣ 1097                                  ♣ Q62                     pass  (1)     2♦    (2)      pass         2♠    (3)

                        ♠ AJ873                                         all pass

♥ 42                                              

♦ 852                                      

♣ A84                                           

 

Table A:     (1)  A negative double, showing 4+ ♥’s.

(2)   What did you bid with this North hand B in this week’s quiz? 3♠ is fine if partner has a 12+ point overcall but is too high with a weakish overcall.

Table B:     (1)  This West chose to pass, but it makes no difference to North’s bid.

(2)   This is the answer to question B – the Unassuming cue bid. It shows a sound raise to 3♠ but enables N-S to stay low (2♠) if partner has just 7-11 points.

(3)   And with a bare 9 points South stays low.

 

And what happened? Two N-S’s bid too high and three stopped in 2♠. I don’t know how many actually used the Unassuming cue bid.

The bottom lines:

-         Unlike an opening, an overcall at the one level may be as few as 7 points, so with 11-12 points in support of partner’s overcall, cue bid.

 

 

A new-suit 2-level response is 10+ points          Board 29 from Wednesday 7th

 

Dealer:             ♠ Q1065                                        Table A

North               ♥ AJ                                              West          North         East          South(A)

both vul            ♦ 976                                             -                 1♣             1♠            2♥    (1) 

                        ♣ KQ54                                        pass           2NT (2)      pass         3♥

pass           3NT (3)      all pass

♠ K2                     N             ♠ AJ974                  

♥ 1074               W    E          ♥ 32                         Table B

♦ AJ84                   S              ♦ Q105                   West          North         East          South(A)

♣ J963                                   ♣ A72                      -                 1♣             1♠            dbl   (1) 

                        ♠ 83                                               pass           1NT (4)      pass         2♥    (5)

♥ KQ9865                                     all pass

♦ K32                                     

♣ 108                                           

 

Table A:     (1)  What did you bid with this South hand A in this week’s quiz? This 2♥ bid is forcing and promises 10+ points.

(2)   12-14 with a ♠ stop.

(3)   With useful ♥’s, North expected 3NT to have a good shot at making.

Table B:     (1)  A negative double, showing 4+ ♥’s, this is the answer to question A.

(4)   And here we see the advantage of South making a negative double – it’s one level lower.

(5)   And South now shows his weakish hand with 5+ ♥’s, perfect.

 

And what happened? 3NT was a disaster when E-W found near perfect defence, collecting the first 8 tricks for 300 and a joint top. Just one table stopped in 2♥ for a near top to N-S.

The bottom lines:

-         You need 10+ points to respond with a new suit at the two level.

-         If RHO has bid and it makes it awkward – then that’s exactly why negative doubles were invented

 

Worth an effort?                                                  Board 22 from Wednesday 7th

Many of you probably know that Hans and myself have totally opposite bidding ‘styles’ and have rarely agreed on anything over the past ten years. After dozens of articles I now make a point of never kibitzing his table when I am not playing, and not commenting upon his bidding. I do, however, respond when he comments upon a bid of mine: -

 

Dealer:             ♠ A                                               

East                  ♥ AK10932                                   West          North(C)    East          South

E-W vul           ♦ K4                                              -                 -                 pass         2♠   

                        ♣ Q742                                         pass           pass (1)      pass

                       

♠ Q7                     N             ♠ J1054                  

♥ Q754              W    E          ♥ J86                      

♦ A1032                S              ♦ Q95                    

♣ A85                                    ♣ 1096                   

                        ♠ K98632                                     

♥ -                                          

♦ J876                                     

♣ KJ3                                           

 

(1)   What did you bid with this North hand A in this week’s quiz? I was North and don’t think that a 16 count with a singleton ace in partner’s suit is worth an effort. Hans (West), with whom I virtually never agree, offered the unsolicited advice that he thought it worth a try.

So, who’s right? Obviously I am biased here but this is my case for passing: -

(a)    A singleton in partner’s 6 card suit is not good, even if an ace.

(b)   There is no way of finding out if there is a better fit (and/or game) in ♥’s.

(c)    A 3♥ bid at (1) is forcing and if opener simply responds 3♠ (as he would in this case) then North is no better off and one level higher.

(d)   2NT (Ogust) would establish that South is maximum and presumably propel N-S into some sort of poor game.

(e)    Of course you can construct hands where 4♠ or 4♥ will make, but there are many more hands where 3♠ will go down opposite a minimum or game go down (as here) opposite a decent 2♠ opener.

(f)     East may balance (with a dbl) and you can clobber them (this would probably have happened if the E-W hands were reversed).

(g)    At pairs scoring it is best not to go for pushy games – take the + score. But I don’t consider this even worth a try at a push.

(h)    My partner is not renowned for his prowess as a declarer (having just failed to notice a 4333 split on a previous deal and ruffing the good 13th card from dummy instead of discarding a loser). The defenders, however, (Hans and Alan) are two of the best in the club; but this did not affect by decision either as I don’t even think it’s close.

Doubtless Hans has an equally impressive list of reasons why (and how) North should make an effort. I will, of course, be happy to publish any opinion from him.

And what happened? Two pairs did bid 4♠ and went one or two down. Had the ♦A been offside it would have been a lot worse. 2♠ made +1 for an average score.

The bottom lines:

-         You need a good 16+ to make a move opposite a weak two, and a singleton in partner’s suit is not good!

Hand E                   But change the North hand slightly to this Hand E and it’s a different

story. This hand is actually a ‘point’ less but this one is well worth a

♠ AQ10                 try for game. The difference is that it has three (good) card trump support.

♥ A932                  An excellent fit and good shape are all important.

♦ K4                      Put this opposite the South from the previous page and you’ll make 10

♣ Q1042               or 11 tricks, depending upon the location of the ♦A.

 

The bottom lines:

-         You need a good 16+ to make a move opposite a weak two. This Hand E, with AQx in trumps, two tens and excellent shape is worth a really good 16+.

-         Understand hand evaluation – if you don’t see that Hand E should make an effort but Hand C (with one ‘point’ more) should pass then read up on it. I have a couple of books in the library and there is a section on the web.

-         Bridge bidding is not simply a matter of “with a combined 25 points – bid game”. Fits and shape are just as important as points; points (excuse the pun) that it appears that many members do not fully understand.

 

Don’t ask unethical questions                                 Board 20 from Monday 9th

If RHO bids a suit in which you have length and strength, then it’s usually best to quietly pass. What you most certainly cannot do is ask ‘what does that bid mean?’.

 

Dealer:             ♠ 1064                                          

West                ♥ K763                                          West          North         East          South

Both vul            ♦ Q4                                              1♣             pass           1♦            pass (1)

                        ♣ A852                                          1♥              all pass

 

♠ J975                  N             ♠ A82                     

♥ AQJ5             W    E          ♥ 1098               (1)  At this point, South asked West what the   

♦ 2                         S              ♦ 108753                1♦ bid meant.

♣ KQ64                                ♣ 109                     

                        ♠ KQ3                                          

♥ 42                                        

♦ AKJ96                                 

♣ J73                                            

 

And what happened? North led the