Our website is www.pattayabridge.com                           Club News Sheet – No. 389

Our blogsite is www.pattayabridge.wordpress.com                                 

My mobile phone number is 083 6066880                                                          24th April 2010

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

My MSN messenger ID is tj_quested@hotmail.com

Wed 21st           1st  Alan K & Paul Q            58%      2nd    Bengt & Kristen                 55%

Fri 23rd               1st  Johan & Tom                 63%      2nd =  Alan K & Paul Q             59%          

2nd = Dave C & Tomas              59%

  

       
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Bidding Quiz                    Standard American bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.

 

 

Hand A           Hand B                 With Hand A it is favourable vulnerability. LHO opens 1

and RHO bids 1, what do you do?

AKJ76          AJ2                    

105               AKQ87              With Hand B everyone is vulnerable. RHO opens 1, what

A982            K5                     do you bid?

83                963

 

Hand C           Hand D                 With Hand C RHO opens 1, what do you do?

 

53                 10943                                        

AKQ754      Q82                    With Hand D it’s favourable vulnerability. RHO opens  

KQ7             KQ5                  1, you pass, LHO bids 1 and partner bids 1. RHO     

Q4               J65                     raises to 2, what do you do?    

  

     
Ron Klinger web site
     
 

                                                         

                                                     

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

1819.6 Janne Roos
1796.4 Paul Quodomine
1777.3 Hans Vikman

649.0 Janne Roos

641.2 Hans Vikman

638.2 Paul Quodomine

623.4 Tomas Wikman

619.8 Lars Broman

612.8 Jean Wissing

609.5 Duplessy & Coutlet

594.9 Bengt Malgren

583.2 Johan Bratsburg

581.7 Tom Grovslien

 

330.4 Janne Roos

329.6 Tomas Wikman

327.9 Hans Vikman

323.3 Paul Quodomine

322.9 Lars Broman

320.3 Jean Wissing

319.6 Sally Watson

319.5 Duplessy & Coutlet

308.2 Bob Short

305.7 Bengt Malmgren

 

                                                           

 

 

 


A Fun Michaels Auction                                      Board 9 from Wednesday 21st April

 

I like to play that a Michaels Cue bid is either weak or very strong. Of course the stong type rarely comes up, but it did on Wednesday.

 

Dealer:             J                                                 West          North         East          South

North               KQ542                                       -                 1              2  (1)      pass

E-W vul           KQ                                            3    (2)      pass           3  (3)      dbl  

                        108762                                      4    (4)      pass           5  (5)      all pass

                 

76                       N               A9832         

J987               W    E            A                       

AJ109875           S                4                        

-                                           AKQ954           

KQ1054                                            

1063                                          

632                                           

J3        

 

(1)   Of course you can double with this hand, but if you play that a Michaels cue bid is either weak or very strong, then I prefer that. So 2 here showed ’s and a minor.

(2)   Assuming that partner has a weak hand (as he usually has) with ’s and ’s, West is not interested and wants to play in ’s.

(3)   Showing the strong hand type.

(4)   West still prefers to play in ’s.

(5)   Hoping that partner had good ’s, East, with every other suit controlled, decided to raise to game with his singleton! A more conservative pass is probably a better bid, especially as partner has shown nothing except long ’s and both opponents have shown values.

                             

And what happened? The favourable situation meant that 5 made OK. Other results were 4=, 2+3, 1+1, 6-3 and 4NT-3.

The bottom line:

-         Most players play the Michaels cue bid to show a two-suited hand. Some play it weak and some play it any strength; but I prefer to play that it is either weak or very strong.

-         Trust partner – the player in 6-3 got exactly what he deserved. I agree that 5 was lucky to make, but it’s much better than insisting on ’s.

 


Doing a Chuck!                                                    Board 21 from Wednesday 21st April

 

Boy, has it been a long time since we heard that name! And the phrase‚ "doing a Chuck"  –which means imediately blaming partner for your mistake. Now Chuuck was the master at this, but I believe he has now been surpassed by today’s East at table A who criticizes partner and anybody else on just about every board. Bob Short is so sure that he is right on this deal that he insisted I write it up with his name and reasoning:

 

Dealer:             2                                                 Table A

North               AJ97                                          West(A)     North         East(D)    South

N-S vul            J103                                            -                 1             pass         1

                        AQ742                                       1    (1)      2              pass (2)    all pass

 

AKJ76                N               10943                 Table B

105                 W    E            Q82                    West(A)     North         East(D)    South

A982                  S                KQ5                   -                 1             pass         1

83                                        J65                     1    (1)      2              2    (2)    all pass

Q85                                           

K643                                         

764                                           

K109                                  

 

Table A:     (1)  What did you bid with this West hand A in this week’s quiz? Bidding in the

                        Sandwich seat’ can be dangerous, but this hand is clearly good enough for 1.

                  (2)  What did you bid with this East hand D in this week’s quiz? This pass is ridiculous and East should bid either 2 or 3 depending upon partnership style/agreements.

Table B:     (2)  This is the obvious bid and the answer to question D and that chosen by most.

 

And what happened? At Table A North made 2 quite comfortably for a near top as most E-W’s were playing in ’s making 110 or 140 or else N-S were pushed too high and went down. At the end of the hand Bob Short (East) criticized his partner, saying that he should have doubled instead of bidding 1. The mild-mannered West said nothing and so I defended his bid and said that 1 was quite correct and that the West hand is nowhere near worth a double followed by a bid.

Bob totally disagreed, and here is what he wants me to put in the news sheet: ‘The West hand has a good suit AND the A and should double to show opening values. The reason I (Bob) did not raise ’s is that I thought that the opponents may make 4’.

My (Terry) opinion: This is TOTAL TWADDLE. Bob was 100% to blame for the poor score for not raising ’s with four(!) ’s, and a double followed by a new suit shows a MUCH better hand than West had. And as for N-S making 4, I am sure that their bidding prowess is good enough to reach it if it was there (but I am biased here).

The bottom lines:

-     The concept of doubling to show opening values went out in the stone age.

-         It is impolite to continually criticize people, and when you are 100% wrong then it is pretty silly as well. And inviting me to write it up, well...?

-         Bob Short might also like to have a look at this week’s Dave’s column 2, where an auction given by Bobby Wolf has a simple 1 overcall of 1 holding AJ2 AKQ87 K5 963.

-         There is no doubt in my mind that Bob Short is a fine player of the cards; but his bidding, to put it politely, is somewhat antiquated.


Double and bid again.                                          Board 22 from Wednesday 21st April

 

Now as it happened, the very next board against Bob Short and his partner had a decent example of a hand that was good enough to double and then bid again. I was partnering Ivy who was South and DOES know how to bid (and is polite enough not to criticize others).

 

Dealer:             KQ62                                         West          North         East          South(C)

East                  3                                                 -                 -                1            dbl   (1)

E-W vul           1084                                           pass           1NT           pass         2    (2)

                        J10985                                       all pass

                 

94                       N               AJ1087         (1)  What did you bid with this South hand C

J982               W    E            106                     in this week’s quiz? I think its good enough

J963                    S                A52                   to double and then bid ’s, but only just.

K32                                     A76                    I would not argue with a 2 overcall but the

53                                               hand probably is a bit too good.

AKQ754                              (2)  So showing a good hand with ’s.       

KQ7                                         

Q4                                      

 

And what happened? 2 was the correct spot and it earned a joint top. Three N-S pairs overbid and went down in 3 or 4’s.

The bottom line:

-     Double followed by a new suit shows a good hand and a good suit.

-     So Bob, if you want to know how to bid correctly, maybe you should stop telling others how to bid and ask Ivy?

 

 

 

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

 

North               South                           West          North         East            South

QJ106          98753                       -                 1              pass           1

A103            KQ                           pass           2              3             4

AQ107         KJ984                      all pass

85                6                                              

                                     

You are South, declarer in 4 and West leads the 2 (looks like a singleton). There seem to be only three losers: two ’s and one ♣. What nasty surprise is around the corner and how might you avoid an accident?


Dave’s Column answer                      Board 21 from Wednesday 21st      

     

Dealer:             QJ106                                        Book Bidding

North               A103                                          West          North         East            South

E-W vul           AQ107                                       -                1             pass           1

                        85                                              2             2              3             4

all pass

AK2                   N             4                          

J76                 W    E          98542                   West leads the 2.

2                         S              653                      

AQ10732                           KJ94             

                        98753                                       

KQ                             There seem to be only three losers: two ’s and one ♣.

KJ984                        What nasty surprise is around the corner?

6                                How might you avoid an accident?       

                                           

The 2 lead has all the aura of a singleton and the nasty ‘surprise’ is a ruff. If you play a trump, there is the risk that West will take the trick, put his partner on lead with a , and gain a ruff with a low trump. If so, you will lose two ’s, one and a ruff.

Is there a way to avoid this denouement?

Perhaps. After winning the first trick, lead a to your K and play the Q, overtaking with dummy’s ace. Then play the 10. If East covers with the J you will ruff and hope for the best. But here East plays low do not ruff – instead discard the 6. This stops East from gaining the lead and you can draw trumps at your leisure.

That is a classic Scissors Coup.

 

And what happened at the Pattaya Bridge Club? 4=, 5*(W)-1, 3+2, 3+1 and 2+2 twice. I don’t believe that anybody found the scissors coup, but that all of the West’s were unprepared to under-lead the A.

 

 

 

 

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

 

West                East                              West          North         East            South

Q963            K875                        -                    -              1             1     

J104             6                               pass           pass           dbl             redbl

962               AQ7                        1              2              2              pass

K82             AQJ105                   3              pass           4              all pass           

 

 You are West, declarer in 4. North leads a to South’s Q and South continued with the A which you ruff in dummy. How should you continue?

 

                                                                     
Dave’s 2nd Column answer              Board 26 from Wednesday 21st     

 

Dealer:             104                                             Book Bidding

East                  9532                                           West          North         East            South(B)

both vul            J10843                                       -                 -                 1             1      (1)

                        72                                              pass (2)      pass           dbl             redbl

1              2              2              pass

Q963                  N             K875                    3              pass           4              all pass

J104               W    E          6              

962                     S              AQ7               (1)  What did you bid with this South hand B in

K82                                   AQJ105               this week’s quiz? Bob Short will doubtless

AJ2                                             double, but this is an article by Bobby Wolff

AKQ87                                     and 1 is a much better and descriptive bid.

K5                                        (2)  West might have tried a negative double to

963                                            show four ’s but with such a flat hand

(that terrible 4333 type shape) and so many losers, pass is reasonable.

 

North led a to South’s Q and South continued with the A, ruffed in dummy. How should declarer continue?

Declarer led a trump to his Q and a trump back to dummy’s 8, hoping to drop an original A doubleton from South. Curtains! South took the J and cashed the A, removing dummy’s last trump. With dummy unable to ruff, South cashed a high , giving defenders two tricks in each major for one down.

West does not need to find South with Ax, all he had to do was ensure two ruffs in dummy.

After ruffing South’s continuation in dummy at trick two, declarer leads a trump to his Q and ruffs his last . Having ruffed his last he can now safely lead dummy’s K to South’s A and it does not matter who has the J, it will be the last trick for the defense.

What if North has the Jxx? It does not matter, Declarer accepts the force in ’s and runs the ’s until North ruffs. Either way, all the defenders can win are two trump tricks and one .

 

And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 4=, 3+2, 3+1 twice, 2+1 and 3(S)=.

 

 

Bidding Quiz Answers

 

Hand A:    1, obviously. One distinguished club member says to double, which is ridiculous of course.

Hand B:    1, if it’s what Bobby Wolff says in his column then that’s certainly OK by me. An overcall is generally accepted to be around 8-17 points and there is no need to double with this hand.

Hand C:    2 or double? I would not argue with either but I think that this hand is good enough to double and then bid ’s. If the hand had just 5 ’s then I would simply overcall.

Hand D:    2 or 3, depending upon your partnership agreements. Pass is ridiculous when your partnership is known to have at least nine ’s.

       
       

 Ron Klinger web site