Our website is www.pattayabridge.com Club News Sheet – No. 377

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My home phone is 038 422924 and my mobile number is 083 6066880 31^st Jan 2010

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Mon 25^th N-S 1^st Ole Sk & Torbjorn 66% 2^nd Janne & Paul Q 57%

E-W 1^st Holger & Olaf 63% 2^nd Hans V & Paul S 62%

Wed 27^th N-S 1^st Paul Q & Terry Q 63% 2^nd Lars F & Sally 62%

E-W 1^st Macha & Christian 65% 2^nd Hans V & Janne 62%

Fri 29^th N-S 1^st Janne & Lars B 60% 2^nd Holger & Terry Q 59%

E-W 1^st Dave & Tomas 63% 2^nd Jan v K & Ron 57%

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Bidding Quiz Standard American bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.

Hand A Hand B With Hand A you pass as dealer at favourable vulnerability.

Partner opens 1♦ and RHO bids 2♣, what do you do?

♠ KQ9 ♠ 73

♥ 9872 ♥ AKQJ109642

♦ 10 ♦ K With Hand B partner opens 1♦ and you bid 1♥. LHO

♣ AJ872 ♣ Q doubles and partner bids 1♠, what do you bid?

Hand C Hand D

With Hand C it’s unfavourable vulnerability. You open 1♥,

♠ KJ105 ♠ J1097 LHO overcalls 3♣ and partner doubles (negative). RHO bids 5♣,

♥ QJ872 ♥ AK10 what do you do?

♦ KQ6 ♦ K9752

♣ 10 ♣ 3 With Hand D you open 1♦ in 3^rd seat at favourable vulnerability and LHO bids 2♣. This is passed to you, what do you do?

Bidding Sequence Quiz

E 1♦ pass 1♥ dbl

1♠ pass 3♥ Is 3♥ forcing?

Current club championship standings

	Gold Cup = Best 30	Silver Plate = Best 10	Bronze Medal = Best 5
1 2 3 4 5 6 7		621.9 Hans Vikman 603.2 Janne Roos	321.7 Hans Vikman 317.3 Janne Roos 307.5 Paul Quodomine 300.4 Jean Wissing 295.0 Gerry Cohen 292.1 Lars Broman 285.7 Tomas Wikman

No Results or News-sheet – on the internet. Sorry all for the delay, but my telephone/internet went down at 10.30 a.m. on Friday 29th and I went straight to the TOT. They were TOTally uninterested, would do nothing, gave me a telephone number to ring, and said that a technician may look into it on Monday. So no telephone or internet for 3+ days. TOT – TIT.

Is it forcing? Board 20 from Wednesday 27^th

Dealer: ♠ Q42 Table A

West ♥ 7 West North East(B) South

Both vul ♦ 86532 1♦ (1) pass 1♥ dbl

♣ 9543 1♠ pass 3♥ (1) pass

pass (1) pass

♠ J1096 N ♠ 73

♥ 8 W E ♥ AKQJ109642 Table B

♦ AQJ1097 S ♦ K West North East(B) South

♣ 106 ♣ Q 1♦ (1) pass 1♥ dbl

♠ AK85 1♠ pass 4♥ (1) all pass

♥ 53

♦ 4

♣ AKJ872

Table A: (1) A rather light opener.

(2) What did you bid with this East hand B in this week’s quiz? This East considered the bid forcing (maybe it is in Norway?) but it is not in Pattaya or in Standard American.

Table B: (2) This is the obvious bid – with 2♣ (4^th suit forcing – to game as I play it) as a (poor) alternative if you think that there may be slam after South has shown values.

And what happened? Results were all over the place. 4♥ made easily (often doubled); and N-S actually bid and made 4♠ and 5♣ on two tables.

The bottom line:

- When responder bids at the one level and then jumps to the three level in the same suit then it is INVITATIONAL. This is especially true if 4^th suit forcing is available.

- In this particular example the above is especially true as South has shown a good hand and so 3♥ may be partially to keep him quiet?

Double or forcing pass? Board 25 from Friday 29^th

Dealer: ♠ 92 Table A

North ♥ 106 West North East(C) South

E-W vul ♦ 987543 - pass 1♥ 3♣ (1)

♣ QJ4 dbl (2) 5♣ (3) dbl (4) pass

pass (5) all pass

♠ AQ63 N ♠ KJ105

♥ K94 W E ♥ QJ872 Table B

♦ AJ10 S ♦ KQ6 West North East(C) South

♣ 953 ♣ 10 - pass 1♥ 2♣ (1)

♠ 874 dbl (6) pass 2♠ pass

♥ A53 4♠ all pass

♦ 2

♣ AK8762

Table A: (1) Opposite a passed partner I guess that this is reasonable – it worked out well anyway!

(2) Negative – promising 4 ♠’s, at least that’s the way I play it.

(3) If partner had a genuine pre-emptive overcall then the opponents have game and probably slam – so with no defense whatsoever and favourable vulnerability, this North raised to the limit. A good bid putting the pressure on East.

(4) What did you bid with this East hand C in this weeks quiz? With no aces and a minimum this East decided to double to discourage partner from bidding on. I totally disagree, and with a ♠ fit and useful singleton I would either pass (forcing and probably best) or bid 5♠ (which some may construe as a stronger hand). I certainly would not double with a singleton trump.

(5) West has no good reason to remove partner’s double.

Table B: (1) This South chose the more normal 2♣.

(6) Negative, I prefer this to raising ♥’s as a 4-4 ♠ fit will often play better than a 5-3 ♥ fit.

And what happened? 5♣* went -3 for just 500 away and a top to N-S. Just the one E-W pair found the ♠ fit and 4♠ made +1. Everybody else was in the slightly inferior 4♥ contract but all managed to make 11 tricks despite Deep Finesse saying that there are 11 tricks in ♠’s and just 10 in ♥’s (South needs to defend expertly/luckily to hold 4♥ to 10 tricks).

The bottom line:

- I personally do not like to make a penalty double with a singleton trump.

Balance with a double? Board 21 from Wednesday 27^th

Dealer: ♠ KQ9 Table A

North ♥ 9872 West North(A) East South

N-S vul ♦ 10 - pass pass 1♦ (1)

♣ AJ872 2♣ 1NT (2) all pass

♠ A542 N ♠ 63 Table B

♥ 3 W E ♥ QJ654 West North(A) East South(D)

♦ AQ3 S ♦ J864 - pass pass 1♦ (1)

♣ Q10964 ♣ K5 2♣ pass (2) pass dbl (3)

♠ J1097 pass pass (4) pass

♥ AK10

♦ K9752

♣ 3

Table A: (1) An obvious ‘light’ 3^rd seat opening. But with two working tens I consider it sound anyway.

(2) What did you bid with this North hand A in this week’s quiz? This North has good ♣ stops and so considered 1NT a reasonable response. OK I guess?

Table B: (2) This North (my regular Wednesday partner) knew my (South) style pretty well and chose what I, and he, considerer to be the best bid – pass and hope that partner re-opens with a double.

(3) Even disregarding the possibility that partner may have a penalty pass, this is surely the best bid with decent holdings in both unbid suits.

(4) Thank you partner, even at this vulnerability I think that this is best; maybe I will play with you again.

And what happened? Results were of course all over the place, with 2♣*-3 (500) netting a joint top for N-S, only equaled when one E-W pair bid to3♣* and also went-3!

The bottom line:

- In this sort of situation for South, consider a re-opening double.

- Don’t bid NT (North) with a stack over RHO if your partner understands negative doubles and the re-opening double.

- The principle of the ‘trap’ pass and re-opening double applies even if partner of the opener is a passed hand.

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

North South

♠ 86 ♠ KJ109732

♥ 1073 ♥ KQ4 You are South and arrive in 4♠ after an uncontested

♦ A874 ♦ K auction. West leads a ♥ to East’s ♥A and the ♥6 is returned

♣ AKJ2 ♣ 73 won by your ♥K. How should South continue?

Dave’s Column answer Board 25 from Wednesday 27^th

Dealer: ♠ 86 Book bidding

North ♥ 1073 West North East South

E-W vul ♦ A874 - pass (1) pass 1♠

♣ AKJ2 pass 2♣ pass 2♠

pass 2NT pass 4♠

♠ AQ N ♠ 45 all pass

♥ J9852 W E ♥ A6

♦ 1093 S ♦ QJ652 West leads a ♥ to East’s ♥A and the ♥6 is returned

♣ 984 ♣ Q1065 won by the ♥K. How should South continue?

♠ KJ109732

♥ KQ4

♦ K (1) Apparently because he knew his partner was a poor player

♣ 73 and did not want to get too high.

When the board was first played, declarer led a ♣ to the table at trick three and lost a trump finesse. East ruffed the next ♥ and the contract was one down.

South should, of course, make 4♠ even with a ♥ lead. After he wins the 2^nd ♥ he cashes the ♦K, leads a ♣ to dummy and throws his ♥Q on the ♦A. He then leads a trump and can lose no more than two trumps and the ♥A.

And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 3NT+1, 4♠= six times, 3♠+1 and 4♠-1 five times. So 10 tricks were often made, but not every West led a ♥.

Dave’s 2^nd Column Here is Dave’s second problem on the play of the hand.

N ♠ AK72 West North East South

W E ♥ AQ - - 1♦ pass

S ♦ 97654 2NT pass 3NT all pass

♣ J7

♠ 1098

♥ J9732

♦ AJ3

♣ K2

You are South, defending 3NT. Partner leads the ♣10 upon which dummy plays the ♣7. What is your plan for the defence?

Dave’s 2^nd Column answer Board 26 from Wednesday 27^th

Dealer: ♠ Q6 Book Bidding

East ♥ 865 West North East South

Both vul ♦ 102 - - 1♦ pass

♣ A109854 2NT pass 3NT all pass

♠ J543 N ♠ AK72

♥ K104 W E ♥ AQ You are South, defending 3NT. Partner leads the

♦ KQ8 S ♦ 97654 ♣10 upon which dummy plays the ♣7. What is

♣ Q63 ♣ J7 your plan for the defence?

♠ 1098

♥ J9732

♦ AJ3

♣ K2

Did you play the ♣2 in tempo? If you did then declarer will win with the ♣Q and the contract will go down when you later hop up with the ♦A and return the ♣K which partner will over-take.

This is a true story from a World championship match.

And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? Not surprisingly, many players chose to play in the 4-4 ♠ fit and results were all over the place with just three players in 4♠= for a good score.

Bidding Quiz Answers

Hand A: Pass. Even at this vulnerability it’s best to go for the penalty – providing that partner understands negative doubles and the ‘automatic’ re-opening double. 1NT is the bid if you do not trust partner or do not understand negative doubles.

Hand B: 4♥ - you do not need ♥ support from partner. 3♥ is no good as it is not forcing. The only other remotely sensible bid is 2♣ - 4^th suit forcing – but it gives the opposition room to find a ♣ or ♠ sacrifice (or maybe even making) and slam your way is remote.

Hand C: Pass (forcing). I do not like dbl with a singleton trump. 5♠ is possible if partner’s negative double promises 4 ♠’s but he may assume a stronger hand and you can always pass and then convert his 5♥ into 5♠ if he guarantees 4 ♠’s.

Hand D: Double – ‘automatic’ when playing negative doubles.

Bidding Sequence Quiz Answer

E 1♦ pass 1♥ dbl 3♥ is invitational. If you wish to effectively make a forcing 3♥

1♠ pass 3♥ bid then bid 2♣ (4^th suit) followed by 3♥.