Our website is www.pattayabridge.com Club News Sheet – No. 372

Our blogsite is www.pattayabridge.wordpress.com

My home phone is 038 422924 and my mobile number is 083 6066880 27^th Dec 2009

It is best to use my home number to contact me unless I am at the bridge club.

My e-mail is terry@pattayabridge.com or pattayabridge@yahoo.com

My MSN messenger ID is tj_quested@hotmail.com

Mon 21^st N-S 1^st Paul Q & Janne 64% 2^nd Alan K & Michael C 59%

E-W 1^st Gerard & Derek 62% 2^nd Kjell & Rolf = John B & Royd 57%

Wed 23^rd N-S 1^st Paul Q & Terry Q 63% 2^nd Alan K & Michael C 61%

E-W 1^st Gerry C & Howard N 65% 2^nd Gerard & Derek 61%

Sat 26^th Teams: 1^st Hans V, Janne, Jean & Lars B

2^nd Dave H, Per And, Gerry C & Martin V.

Many thanks to Paul Quodomine for organizing the Boxing day teams event which went very well, especially because of his (and mine) instance that late entries would not be accepted in order to ensure that we had an exact multiple of four without an odd pair left over. I am sure that most people know and understand what a deadline is; especially when the event (and the deadline for entries) had been well publicised for over three weeks in advance.

	to news-sheet main page
	to Pattaya Bridge home page
	to bridge book reviews	to bridge conventions	to No Trump bidding
	to bridge CD's and computer games and software

Bidding Quiz Standard American bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.

Hand A Hand B With Hand A partner opens 1♥ and RHO bids 3♦ (weak),

what do you bid?

♠ K2 ♠ K1098

♥ Q95 ♥ A7632

♦ 62 ♦ 5 With Hand B it’s favourable vulnerability. LHO opens 2♦ and

♣ AK8432 ♣ K93 RHO raises to 3♦, what do you do?

Hand C Hand D With Hand C it’s unfavourable vulnerability and partner opens 1♥. RHO bids 3♦ (weak), what do you bid?

♠ KQ853 ♠ 1083

♥ 109 ♥ K7

♦ K3 ♦ 103 With Hand D partner opens 1♣ and RHO overcalls 1♠, what

♣J95 ♣ AQJ1084 do you bid?

Dave’s Column Here is Dave’s first input on the play of the hand.

West East West North East South

♠ J74 ♠ AQ105 - - 1♣ pass

♥ K106 ♥ A2 1♦ pass 1♠ pass

♦ A9832 ♦ 7 2NT pass 3NT all pass

♣ K10 ♣ A98764

North leads the ♠8, plan the play at IMPs/rubber and at matchpoint teams.

Dave’s Column answer Board 26 from Wednesday 23^rd

Dealer: ♠ 82 Book bidding

East ♥ QJ9875 West North East South

Both vul ♦ Q54 - - 1♣ pass

♣ J3 1♦ pass 1♠ pass

2NT pass 3NT all pass

♠ J74 N ♠ AQ105

♥ K106 W E ♥ A2 North leads the ♠8, plan the play at:

♦ A9832 S ♦ 7 (a) rubber bridge or teams

♣ K10 ♣ A98764 (b) matchpoint pairs

♠ K963

♥ 43 Terry, Paul and Dave note: ♠8 lead? – isn’t the ♥Q obvious?

♦ KJ106 Ron Klinger says: With no likely late entry North chooses the

♣ Q52 ♠8 rather than a ♥. As West had not supported ♠’s North was hoping that South has ♠ values sitting over dummy.

Anyway, onto the problem with the ♠8 lead. If ♣’s are 3-2 or there is a singleton ♣ honour declarer does not need the ♠ finesse to bring home nine tricks. Five ♣’s, one ♠, two ♥’s and one ♦ will do. Declarer should reject the ♠ finesse. Play the ♠A on the opening lead and then play the ♣K, ♣A and a third ♣. When the ♣’s behave the contract is safe.

If you play a low ♠ from dummy at trick one then South wins and might switch to a ♦. Then declarer probably loses a ♠, three ♦’s and a ♣.

The recommended play is the same at teams/rubber and at pairs. The choice of a ♠ lead, dummy’s bid suit, and in particular the ♠8 lead are indications that the ♠K is with South.

And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? I suspect that most led the ♥Q, but here is what happened anyway: 3NT+2 twice, 3NT+1 twice, 3NT= twice, 2♦*(S)-2, 1NT+4, 2NT+1 and 1NT+1.

Dave’s 2^nd Column Here is Dave’s second problem, this time on bidding

Dealer: ♠ 1083

South ♥ K7 West North(D) East South

Love all ♦ 103 - - - 1♣

♣ AQJ1084 1♠ ?

What is your North hand worth - hand D in this week’s Quiz? If you pick up this hand you would say it has 10 points with a good ♣ suit and a tiny bit of distribution.

What you would recognize is that the worth of this hand will, like most hands, depend upon who has what. For instance, If East opened 1♥ you would not like your ♥K and would downgrade the hand.

With this sequence your partner opens 1♣ and RHO bids 1♠. What do you think about your hand now? And what do you bid with the hand (hand D in this week’s quiz?)

Dave’s 2^nd Column answer Board 27 from Wednesday 23^rd

Dealer: ♠ 1083 Book Bidding (Mike Lawrence)

South ♥ K7 West North(D) East South

Love all ♦ 103 - - - 1♣

♣ AQJ1084 1♠ 2♠ (1) pass 2NT (2)

pass 3NT all pass

♠ KQ975 N ♠ J2

♥ J102 W E ♥ Q9543 Our Bidding (Paul Q & Terry Q)

♦ A542 S ♦ K976 West North East South

♣ 2 ♣ 96 - - - 1♣

♠ A64 1♠ 3♠ (1) pass 3NT

♥ A86 all pass

♦ QJ8

♣ K753

Mike says: (1) What did you bid with this North hand D in this week’s quiz? Your hand has grown greatly. You do not know how much it has grown, but it has improved. You suspect that the ♣ suit is solid. Either your partner has the ♣K or if not, it is probably on-side in the overcaller’s hand. The same thing applies to the ♥A, your partner is likely to have it and if not it rates to be in overcaller’s hand. These are not firm facts but they are inferences. I suggest that North treat his hand as a game forcing hand. If you agree then one way to show it is to bid 2♠. The cue bid of the overcall shows (in my methods) a fit for partner and enough points for game. Some players use the cue bid as a limit raise or better. Not my choice.

(2) In any event South has a balanced hand with stoppers and bids 2NT which North obviously raises to 3NT.

Paul Q & (1) Paul Q and I play things slightly differently. Paul (North) bid 3♠ - a jump cue

Terry Q: bid – which simply asks partner, who opened a minor, to bid 3NT with a ♠ stop.

So this problem, for a change, is just about bidding – did you reach 3NT?

And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 3NT+1 twice, 3NT= three times, 3♣+1 twice, 3♣= twice and 3♥(E)-1.

Paul’s Column

A Vindication for previous claims Board 16 from Wednesday 16^th

Dealer: ♠ Q Table A

West ♥ J4 West North East South(B)

E-W vul ♦ 1087 2♦ pass 3♦ dbl

♣ AQJ10865 pass 5♣ all pass

♠ A532 N ♠ J764

♥ 5 W E ♥ KQ1098

♦ KJ9642 S ♦ AQ3

♣ 72 ♣ 4

♠ K1098

♥ A7632

♦ 5

♣ K93

In earlier ramblings I have advocated the “advance balance” when you are morally certain the opponents are about to pass out an auction at a low level and may be stealing from you, and also the advantages of making light, shaped take out doubles if you have the requirements of PERFECT shape, honor placement and being non-vulnerable.

On this board my partner, who is a National Champion in the U.S.A., demonstrated just how effective BOTH these concepts are. After an auction of 2♦, P, 3♦ what did you bid with this South hand B in this week’s quiz? Normally you would think getting in at the 3 level opposite a passed partner is dangerous with this, but the opponent’s auction tells you otherwise. They have settled in a comfortable 3 diamonds without even a sniff at a game try. Partner MUST have something but was handcuffed by the opening. Accordingly he doubled with support for all un-bid suits. Note that a 3♥ bid on such a ratty suit would be foolish. He was a bit abashed when LHO passed and partner produced a surprising FIVE CLUB call. All passed. His partner reasoned that opposite the KNOWN diamond shortness and likely §Kxx(x) all he needed was the major suit aces. Almost what was there, but there was another wrinkle to it. The diamond Ace was led followed by a shift to the heart K. MIRACLE! Hearts were 5-1 and the spade Ace with the opener!!

Five clubs could not be beaten on the lie of the cards but if it could be beaten the opponents would surely have scored +110 or +130 in diamonds. Without getting into the auction we would have certainly gone minus. Too bad we weren’t doubled in 5♣!!

As for the 2♦ opening with Axxx in spades it is a matter of style, and I am firmly in the camp that believes with xxxx in a side major and otherwise the requirements for a weak 2 opening, as Nike (and apparently Tiger Woods) says “JUST DO IT!” (Or do her, and her and …) With a top honor to four I would await developments. Simply too good to preempt my partner out of a possible game, and competitive bidding later may lead to a lucrative double or game/part-score our way.

Bidding with a King less than normal Board 9 from Wednesday 16^th

Dealer: ♠ AQ104 Table A

North ♥ AK873 West North East South(A)

E-W vul ♦ - - 1♥ 3♦ 4♥ (2)

♣ J1075 pass pass pass

♠ J98763 N ♠ 5

♥ J102 W E ♥ 64

♦ A94 S ♦ KQJ108753

♣ 6 ♣ Q9

♠ K2

♥ Q95

♦ 62

♣ AK8432

By now almost everyone knows that in balancing seat after an opening bid of a suit and two passes a bid of 1NT shows 11+ - 14 hcp and a stopper in the opened suit. A king less than an opening 1NT would show. Other actions in that position are also predicated on the “king less” assumption that partner must have undisclosed values.

Fewer know that bidding as responder when partner has opened and there has been an intervening preempt is also based on the “king less” principle. You want to differentiate between genuine but limited support and a simple retreat after partner’s re-opening double.

Some examples where partner opens 1♥ and there is a 3♦ preempt to your right:

With ♠KJx ♥Qxx ♦xxx ♣Qxxx you would have raised 1© to 2©. The preempt has really screwed that, but if you pass and convert partner’s re-opening double to 3♥ can he/she know that you have both the decent heart support and spade king as well as something in clubs? No, you will show something like ♠Jxx ♥xxx ♦Qxx ♣Qxxx or even less and hope he/she gets off lightly. Instead bid three hearts!

♠Kxx ♥QJxx ♦xx ♣KJxx You would have made a limit raise of 1♥ to 3♥ but you cannot bid 3♥ now as that would show the above example hand or something similar. Bid four hearts!

NEW SUIT FORCING TO GAME! This shows one of two hand types, either one with good support and a source of tricks or one with an independent suit.

The South hand in this deal from Wednesday is an excellent example of when to bid your own suit, game forcing, showing the good suit, support, and a game force. Bidding four hearts would show about a king LESS! The auction given is how went at my table, white vs red:

What did you bid with this South hand A in this week’s quiz? This South bid 4♥ and North DID pause a bit over 4 hearts but finally decided not to press on. South after all was under pressure. What would he bid with ♠Jxx, ♥Qxxx, ♦Axxx ♣Kx? Four hearts of course.

Now look at what would happen if South had bid 4 CLUBS! North would be off to the races and cue-bidding madly in diamonds and spades! The club slam missed at every table would be reached and perhaps even the Grand Slam which is far superior to 7♥ owing to the likelihood of a bad heart split with the preempt. Nobody even bid SIX clubs or hearts! 7 Clubs needs only a 2-1 split (or Qxx onside) which makes for pretty good odds!!

Is this an easy concept? Yes, if the opponents have crowded your bidding space just bid as though you had a king more … and HOPE your partner has read this!

< end of Paul’s column >

Borrow that King! Board 21 from Wednesday 23^rd

I (Terry) do take note of what Paul says in his column and had read the previous article the day before this hand occurred. Unlike some at the club – and some may include me! – Paul does know what he is talking about! I was South on this deal:

Dealer: ♠ A73 West North East South(C)

North ♥ AK432 - 1♥ 3♦ (1) 3♠ (2)

N-S vul ♦ 4 pass 6♠ (3) all pass

♣ AKQ6

(1) weak

♠ 1092 N ♠ J6 (2) what did you bid with this South hand C

♥ QJ765 W E ♥ 8 in this week’s quiz? I was South and had

♦ 962 S ♦ AQJ10875 I not read Paul’s previous article about

♣ 84 ♣ 1073 borrowing a king after a pre-empt overcall

♠ KQ853 I may well have decided that I had

♥ 109 insufficient values for a forcing 3♠ bid and

♦ K3 made a negative double.

♣J95 (3) Fully aware that partner may be a king light for his bid.

So, a cold 6♠ was reached – I wonder if it would have been reached has South made a negative double at (2)?

And what happened? 6♠= four times, 6♣=, 4♠+2 twice, 3NT= and 4♥=

12 red cards – and partner plays in clubs? Board 25 from Wednesday 23^rd

Dealer: ♠ A753 West North East South

North ♥ - - 1♣ pass 1♥

E-W vul ♦ Q3 pass 3NT (1) pass 6♦ (2)

♣ AKQ5432 pass 7♣ (3) pass pass (4)

♠ KQJ9 N ♠ 108642 (1) Usually showing a strong hand with a good

♥ 8765 W E ♥ K4 long minor.

♦ 86 S ♦ 10975 (2) Showing his strength and suits!

♣ J96 ♣ 87 (3) I guess 7♦ is an alternative?

♠ - (4) Trusting partner, and the ♠ void and ♣10 may

♥ AQJ10932 be useful

♦ AKJ43

♣ 10

And what happened? 7♥*= (West led a ♥!), 7♣=, 6NT+1, 6♥= three times, 5♣+2, 7NT-1 and 6NT-1. With 14 top tricks, please don’t ask me how people went down in 6NT and 7NT.

Bidding Quiz Answers – these are from Paul’s column

Hand A: 4♣ (forcing of course). 4♥ could be made on a much weaker hand.

Hand B: dbl, both opponents are limited and so it is safe to bid this hand at the three level.

Hand C: 3♠ (forcing of course). The hand would appear to have insufficient values for a forcing 3♠ (so negative double?) - but read Paul’s column about ‘borrowing’ a king in this situation.

Hand D: 2♠, that’s Mike Lawrence’s answer (game forcing in his methods). Paul Q bid 3♠ which asked partner to bid 3NT with a ♠ stop.

Current club championship standings

	Gold Cup = Best 30	Silver Plate = Best 10	Bronze Medal = Best 5
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10	1959.5 Janne Roos 1943.3 Hans Vikman 1926.0 Paul Quodomine 1817.2 Sally Watson 1770.2 Lars Broman 1748.3 Paul Scully 1746.5 Ivy Schlageter 1745.1 Gerard Hardy 1733.2 Bob Pelletier 1725.8 Bob Short	693.1 Janne Roos 689.2 Hans Vikman 673.0 Paul Quodomine 639.8 Sally Watson 639.6 Alan Kleist 634.5 Lars Broman 631.2 Per-Ake Roskvist 630.7 Guttorm Lonborg 625.4 Jeremy Watson 625.0 Per Andersson	355.2 Janne Roos 351.7 Hans Vikman 343.7 Paul Quodomine 341.7 Alan Kleist 332.6 Per-Ake Roskvist 329.8 Per Andersson 327.8 Sally Watson 327.6 Lars Broman 325.4 Jeremy Watson 325.3 Ivy Schlageter