Our website is www.pattayabridge.com                           Club News Sheet – No. 417

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Mon 1st    N-S   1st   Jeremy & Sean               64%       2nd    Bob P & Robbie                    57%

E-W   1st   Gerard & Derek             60%       2nd    Alan K & Jan                         58%

Wed 3rd    N-S   1st   Ivy & Robbie                   =                    Johan & Tobjorn                   56%

E-W   1st   Hans V & Janne             60%       2nd    Gerard & Derek                     56%

Fri 5th       N-S   1st   Hans V & Jean W          58%       2nd    Bengt & Eddie                        57%

E-W   1st   Gerard & Derek             55%       2nd    Alan K & Jan                         54%

       
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Bidding Quiz                    Standard American bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.

 

Hand A           Hand B           With Hand A LHO opens 1 and partner dbls. What do you bid?

 

J86               J94               With Hand B you are in 1st seat at both vulnerable

843               KJ6              (a)  What do you open?

10652           Q86              (b)  What do you open if you are playing a weak NT?

632              AJ63         

                       

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

 

QJ4              AK753         With Hand D RHO opens 1. (a) What do you bid?               

QJ6              Q107            (b)  Suppose you double and partner bids 2, what do you bid?

AKQ53        K87              (c)  Suppose you double and partner bids 1, what do you bid?

84                AK

                                                             

Hand E            Hand F            What do you open with Hand E?

 

AK62           104                       (a) What do you open with Hand F?  

KQJ104       AKQJ10952        (b) What do you open with Hand F if you play Benji twos?

82                 9                                          

A2                Q6

 

Bidding Sequence Quiz

 

G     2      2NT                           What is 2NT, UNT for the minors or natural?

H     1     pass   1      pass

        2                                        How many ’s does the 2 bid promise?

J      1     pass   1      pass

        2NT   pass   3                   What is 3, to play or forcing?

K     1     pass   1      pass

        2NT   pass   4                   What is 4, support looking for slam, or something else?

L      1     pass   1      pass

        2NT   pass   4     pass       Assuming 4 is Gerber, how many aces is 4?

4         

     
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Overcall with AKQxx or overcall 1NT?
            
Board 15 from Wednesday 3rd Nov

 

Dealer:             K983                                          Table A

South               K9753                                        West          North         East(C)      South

N-S vul            8                                                -                 -                 -                 pass

                        AJ2                                            pass           1              2    (1)     dbl   (2)

pass (3)      2              pass            pass

65                       N             QJ4                      3              all pass

1082               W    E          QJ6                     

J64                     S               AKQ53               Table B

KQ1053                            84                        West          North         East(C)      South

                        A1072                                        -                 -                 -                 pass

A4                                              pass           1              1NT (1)      pass (4)

10972                                        pass           pass

976                                           

 

Table A:     (1)  What did you bid with this East hand C in this week’s quiz? This is reasonable, but I much prefer the bid at table B.

(2)   negative, showing four ’s.

(3)   3 now is an alternative.

Table B:     (1)  I much prefer this answer to question C. It is more important to show the 15-17 points and a stop that it is to show a suit.

(4)  It’s not so easy for South to show his suit now, and dbl could be dangerous opposite a 3rd seat opener.

 

And what happened? 3 was bid three times and went -2. 1NT was bid three times and went just -1 twice for a good score and actually made (doubled) once for a top.

The bottom lines:

-         With a good stop and a source of tricks, consider a 1NT overcall rather than a suit overcall if you have 15-18 points.

-         This example shows just how powerful the negative double (not usually used over a 1NT overcall) is.

 

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

1915.1 Janne Roos

1896.2 Hans Vikman
1862.9 Paul Quodomine
1775.2 Tomas Wikman
1755.3 Guttorm Longberg
1739.6 Jan Chris v Koss
1734.7 Johan Bratsburg

670.4 Janne Roos

662.4 Hans Vikman

642.6 Tomas Wikman

640.1 Paul Quodomine

632.7 Sally Watson

629.1 Alan Kleist

628.9 Derek & Gerard

625.6 Jean Wissing

623.7 Jeremy Watson

623.3 Jan v Koss

 

344.6 Janne Roos

338.9 Hans Vikman

332.3 Tomas Wikman

327.5 Derek & Gerard

325.6 Sally Watson

325.1 Jan v Koss

325.3 Jeremy Watson

325.0 Alan Kleist

323.8 Tonni Kjaer

323.4 Paul Quodomine

 


Leads against NT

 

You are on lead against 3NT and choose to lead this suit which nobody has bid or implied, which card do you lead?

 

Example A       Example B                                Answers on back page.

KQ62           KQ102                                

 

Responding to a take-out double                        Board 30 from Monday 1st Nov

 

Dealer:             J86                                             Table A

East                  843                                            West          North(A)    East            South(D)

Love all            10652                                        -                 -                 1              dbl   (1)

                        632                                            pass           1    (2)      pass           3    (3)

all pass              

Q92                    N             104                      

2                     W    E          AKJ965               Table B

QJ3                    S              A94                     West          North(A)    East            South(D)

J109754                             Q8                       -                 -                 1              dbl   (1)

                        AK753                                       pass           2    (2)      pass           2    (4)

Q107                               

K87                                       

AK                                            

Table A:     (1)  What did you bid with this South hand D(a) in this week’s quiz? This hand is really too good for a simple 1 overcall, and dbl, with the intention of bidding 2 next go (to show a hand too good for a 1 overcall) is fine.

(2)   What did you bid with this North hand A in this week’s quiz? This 1 bid is incorrect, with a minimal hand bid your cheapest 4-card suit in preference to a 3-card suit.

(3)   What did you bid with this South hand D(c) in this week’s quiz? This 3 bid may be a bit optimistic, but with presumably 4 ’s opposite South considered that game would be possible opposite a non-minimum.

Table B:     (2)  This is the correct answer to question A.

(4)  What did you bid with this South hand D(b) in this week’s quiz? This show a hand too good for a simple 1 overcall and is quite sufficient when partner has denied four ’s.

And what happened? 3 went down and 2 generally made exactly.

The bottom lines:

-         When partner makes a take-out double, any non-sump suit response shows about 0-8, so with a weak hand bid your longest cheapest suit.

 

Dave’s  Column                             Here is Dave’s 1st problem this week.

 

West                East                                      West          North         East            South

AJ                 Q72                                  1             pass           1              2

QJ65            AK10942                         2              pass           3              pass

Q1072          6                                       4              all pass

K96             843

You are East, declarer in 4. South leads the 4, how should you play the hand?


Dave’s Column Answer                  Board 24 from Wednesday 3rd November

     

Dealer:             K953                                          Book Bidding

West                73                                               West          North         East            South

Love all            KJ8543                                      1             pass           1              2

                        7                                                2              pass           3              pass

4              all pass

AJ                       N             Q72                     

QJ65              W    E          AK10942            

Q1072                S              6                          

K96                                   843               

                        10864                                       

8                                

A9                              South leads the 4, how should East play the hand?

AQJ1052

 

Should declarer finesse at trick one? One might be tempted to do so because of South’s overcall. Since North has not bid, South may be more likely to have the K than North.

However, before deciding, East should consider this: If the finesse wins, East draws trumps and ruffs his third , but he cannot avoid losing two ’s and a .

If the finesse loses, East opens the door to other possibilities. In this layout North wins the K and returns his singleton to South’s A. South returns the 10 (suit preference) to trap dummy’s K, which North ruffs. Now a to South’s A allows South to cash another for two down.

Why should declarer not take the finesse? He should know that South has the A. Otherwise why would South have led a rather than a ? And if South has the A, the finesse cannot gain; it can only loose.

To cinch the game, declarer should win the A at trick one and draw trumps. After he surrenders a to the K, he discards a on the Q and the defenders win only three tricks – one , one and one .

 

And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 5-2, 5-1, 4*=, 4= twice, and a few spurious results.

 

 

Dave’s 2nd Column                           Here is Dave’s 1st problem, on defence.

 

N           Q10743                                     Book Bidding

W    E        A62                                            West          North           East            South

S            KJ10                                           -               1                pass           2

                    Q3                                             pass           4                all pass

J5                                                                

853              

A654                                                 

J765

                                               

You are East and lead a low . The lead turns out badly when dummy’s J wins. The 3 is then led to the 7 and declarer’s K. How do you defend? Do you take the A or play low?


Dave’s 2nd Column Answer          Board 21 from Wednesday 3rd Nov

     

Dealer:             AK62                                         Book Bidding

North               KQJ104                                      West           North(E)      East          South

N-S vul            82                                               -                1    (1)        pass         2

                        A2                                              pass           4    (2)        all pass    

98                       N             Q10743               Table A

97                   W    E          A62                      West          North(E)      East          South

Q973                  S              KJ10                   -                 1NT (1)        2  (3)     pass (4)

K10984                             Q3                       2    (5)      dbl   (6)        2            pass (7)

                         J5                                               pass           3    (8)       

853                    

A654                         

J765

 

Book:         (1)  What did you open with this North hand E in this week’s quiz? This 1 looks pretty obvious to me as you can show the power and shape of the hand with a reverse into 2 next go.

(2)  2 is an alternative here (with the intention of bidding 4 if partner does not raise to 3). There may be 5-3 fit and a superior 4-4 fit.

Table B:     (1)  But two very experienced players did open 1NT. I don’t like this at all with nine cards in two good major suits and an easy (reverse) rebid.

(3) Showing a single suited hand. I don’t like this either as I would prefer six ’s and also a far better suit.

(4)   After a long pause. I can see no reason at all for South to pause with this hand and pass is clear.

(5)   Relay

(6)   Showing ’s

(7)   After a long pause. I can see no reason at all for South to pause (for a 2nd time!) with this hand and pass is clear.

(8)   Bidding his hand three times. E-W called the director. North insisted that his bid was clear and not influenced by his partner’s two long pauses. I agreed with E-W and the contract was re-set to 2 by East.

 

Anyway, onto the play in 4. Assuming North bids sensibly you are East and your unfortunate low lead is won by dummy’s J. The 3 is then led to the 7 and K. How do you defend? Do you take the A or play low?

East won the A and led another won by declarer’s A. Declarer cashed the Q and then ruffed his last small . A was played to the A and the declarer drew trumps and claimed.

The correct defence is for East not to cover the K. Then either West will get an over-ruff or East will win a continuation and lead another . Either way the contract is one down.

 

And what happened at the Pattaya Bridge Club? 4=, 3NT=, 1NT+3, 3+1, 2+1 twice, 2*(E)-1, 2(E)-1 and 4-2.

The bottom lines:

-         If you take a long pause and then pass, this is passing unauthorized information to your partner (that you have something to think about).

-         Most (but apparently not all) experienced players know not to bid their hand three times and know not to take advantage of unauthorized information.

Bidding Quiz Answers

 

Hand A:    2, with a minimal hand, bid you cheapest 4-card suit; so 1 would be an error.

Hand B:    (a)  pass. Deduct a point for 4333 and with nothing to compensate, it’s a clear pass.

(b)   pass. And playing a weak NT this is even more important as a double would be for penalties and this totally flat ten-loser hand has little trick-taking potential.

This hand is North from board 13 on Friday 28th Oct. This hand opened a weak 1NT, got doubled, then ran to 2 (partner had 763 942 K43 Q852). So they found their fit, but still went for 1100. Beware of 4333, especially for a weak 1NT. This is just another example of how bad 4333 is, and note that it is inherently incorporated in both the Losing Trick Count and the Rule of 20.

Hand C:    1NT. Showing the stop is far better than bidding the suit. Dbl, with this shape, is obviously out of the question.

Hand D:    (a)  dbl. This hand really is too good for a simple 1 overcall.

(b)  2. This shows a hand too good for a simple 1 overcall.

(c)    2 or 3? 2 shows a good hand but many would make a more serious try for game. The hand is not good enough for a jump to 4 which some may make?

Hand E:    1, with a reverse into 2 in mind to show the power and shape of the hand. A 1NT opening (as chosen by two experienced players at the club) is a terrible bid in my opinion because (a) there are nine cards in the majors, and (b) the hand is too good (this suit is worth more than six points and the hand has great top cards). I am a great believer in showing one’s hand with 1NT, but here there is no problem with bidding it naturally and not distorting the bidding.

Hand F:     (a)  4. It is probably slightly light for a Namyats 4 if you play that.

(b)  4. A Benjamin 2 (i.e. an Acol strong two in this case) is defined as a hand of power and quality with 8-9 playing tricks. This hand does not conform with the former and 4 is a far better opening even playing Benjamin or strong twos.

 

Bidding Sequence Quiz Answers

 

G     2      2NT                           2NT here is natural.

H     1     pass   1      pass       2 here could be just 3 cards, typically with a weak

        2                                        doubleton or singleton in a red suit.

J      1     pass   1      pass

        2NT   pass   3                   This is up to you, I play it as forcing.

K     1     pass   1      pass       Again, up to you. I prefer Gerber. I play that 4 is Gerber

        2NT   pass   4                   when partner’s last natural bid was 1NT or 2NT.

L      1     pass   1      pass

        2NT   pass   4     pass       A 4 response to Gerber is zero or four aces.

4         

 

Leads against NT answer

 

Example A       KQ62                   Lead the 2, 4th best       

Example B        KQ102                 Lead the K, top of a (broken) sequence.

 

 

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