Bidding Quiz                                7th June, 2006

 

 

Board 1     Dealer North    None Vul

 

 

The correct bid here is 2♥.  With that weak 6-4 hand it’s better to rebid the 6-card major in preference to introducing the 4-card minor.  Is it ever right to bid 2♦ with that 1-6-4-2 distribution?  Actually, yes!  Let’s look at two more hands of the same ilk. 

 

Firstly:              ♠ 8

                        ♥ AKQT53

                        ♦ J943

                        ♣ A9

No, this is not a 2♦ bid either!  You jump to 3♥ on this one … showing extras and fortified by that robust Heart suit and that lovely 6-4 distribution.

 

Secondly:         ♠ 8

                        ♥ AQT753

                        ♦ K943

                        ♣ A9

This is a pretty good hand, but not quite good enough to jump rebid to 3♥.  The solution?  Rebid 2♦!  Now, if Partner corrects to 2♥, we can give it a boost to 3♥.  What does this show?  Something in between a 2♥ rebid and a 3♥ rebid.

 

                                                    Board 2       Dealer East       N-S Vul

 

 

Would you invite to game (via Stayman) or would you Pass?  It’s a close call!  We like to invite with good 8’s and bad 9’s … those Spade fillers look rather good, but the rest of the hand doesn’t.  A dangling Jack, a dangling Queen, no Aces ... this hand is pretty bad.  In fact, it's so bad that, on the actual hand, should you decide to pass 1NT (which we really think you should), Partner will have his work cut out just making that contract!

 

Board 3       Dealer South     E-W Vul

      

 

The choices here are 1NT and 2♦.  We have no qualms whatsoever about rebidding 1NT holding a singleton in Partner’s suit, and we generally prefer to have a 6-bagger when we rebid our suit.  Does this mean that we prefer 1NT here?  Actually, no!  Our Diamond suit is so good that it almost looks like a 6-bagger, and, if we ever wind up in 3NT, it might be a good idea to protect Partner’s major suit holdings from the opening lead.  So, 2♦ is our choice.  However, 2♦ is not without some down-side, as it will make it impossible to find the Heart fit if Partner happens to be 5-4 in the majors and less than invitational in strength ... so, 1NT is a reasonable alternative.

 

                                                    Board 4       Dealer West        Both Vul

 

 

North's sequence typically shows 18-19 with a balanced hand (with an unbalanced hand and Heart support, North might well splinter).  South has 13 HCP's so we would want to make a slam try here ... but what slam try?  Blackwood is generally not a good idea when you have two top losers in an unbid suit.  For example, North might hold: ♠ JT, ♥ AT54, ♦ AQ3, ♣ AKJ2.  In that case, if we use Blackwood, Partner will show sufficient controls for slam, but the combined hands will have 2 Spade losers.

 

A better approach here is to try a cue-bid of 5♦, showing something in Diamonds, and denying a control in Spades and Clubs, both being cheaper cue-bids that were by-passed.  On the actual hand, with Spades and Clubs both covered, and a hand loaded with controls, North can leap to slam.  With the hypothetical hand given above, North will see the problem in Spades, and will sign off at the 5-level.

 

                                                    Board 7      Dealer South       Both Vul

 

 

Is the North hand worth a Negative Double?  7 HCPs and a 4-card Heart suit is enough for some people, but the hand some negatives:

 - the hand is square, and minimum to boot

 - the Q♠ is a dubious asset

 - N-S are vulnerable, and -200 is a definite possibility, especially if Partner competes to the 3-level.

 

No, we'd prefer not to get involved in this one unless Partner is able to bid again.

 

 

Board 8      Dealer West       None Vul

               

 

After West opens 1NT, and East will have three possible plans:

Plan A: Just play it in 1NT ... those Queens certainly look No-Trumpish, but we do have a singleton Diamond, and the Club suit is so weak that it may not set up unless Partner has a good fit.

Plan B: Play it in 3♣.  Most partnerships have a way to get out in 3 of a minor after a 1NT opening, most usually after a transfer sequence.

Plan C:  Play it in 3♣ or 3NT, depending upon Opener’s opinion.  If you play 1NT 2♠ as a transfer to Clubs, and if you further distinguish between Opener’s rebids of 2NT and 3♣ (one of these should like Clubs, the other one should not like Clubs), then you can try 3NT if Opener has a Club fit.

 

We would choose to play in 3♣, regardless of whether or not Opener said he liked Clubs.  Our second choice would be to pass 1NT.  Trying for 3NT is a bit optimistic in our opinion … say that East transfers to Clubs, and West says “I like Clubs!” … now East bids 3NT, and, on the actual hand, although Opener has a maximum, all Aces and Kings, including 3 Clubs, 3NT has no play on a Diamond lead … even on a non-Diamond lead, Clubs must be 2-2 for the contract to make.

 

 

Board 9      Dealer North     E-W Vul

 

 

East’s choices are simple enough … either Double or bid 1NT.  Double would not be terrible, but surely 1NT is more descriptive … it shows 15-18 HCPs, balanced distribution, and something decent in the enemy suit.  Most partnerships play “systems on” after a 1NT overcall, so, if West wants to try for game, he can use Stayman or transfers along the way.

 

                                                    Board 14       Dealer East       None Vul

 

 

Double is not an option here, not when we have a self-sustaining Heart suit.  So, it's a choice between 3♥ or 4♥.  Obliging as ever, we would go with either bid, our preference being for 4♥. 

 

Suppose that you bid 3♥ ... now, it goes 4♠ on your left, 5♥ by Partner, back to you.  Having taken the low road on your first bid, would you now bid 6♥?  Partner is a passed hand, is it possible that he has the right cards to make slam?  Give him the A♥, and the K♦ ... that means he must have a Club suit that will play for one loser ... we think that, for a passed hand, this would just be too much of a perfecto, and we would subside at the 5-level.  As it happens, Partner has KJ8 of Clubs ... one Club goes on a Diamond, and the success of 6♥ will depend on a Club guess.

 

                                                    Board 16       Dealer West       E-W Vul

 

 

 

Your call as South.  You are not quite good enough to double for penalties, but you certainly want to compete, and there are methods for getting the majors into the auction in this situation.  Our own suggestion here would be to play Modified Cappelletti, in which case 2♦ would show the majors.

 

 

Board 17    Dealer North    None Vul

 

 

When it comes to opening bids, this one is close to the bottom of the list, but, yes, it is on our list and just about worth squeaking out 1♣.  The hand passes the Rule of Twenty and, although it has an astonishing lack of intermediate cards, it also has no dubious honor holdings (such as Jxx or Qx or singleton King).  We don't suggest that you blindly follow the Rule of Twenty, but when the hand is "pure", as this one is, we find that it's an excellent rule of thumb.

 

                                                    Board 18      Dealer East       N-S Vul

 

 

After 1NT are you tempted to rebid 3♥ or 3♠?  Not a good idea in our opinion ... true, you do have 17 HCP's, and that nice 6-4 shape ... but the Q♣ is quite useless ... better to downgrade the hand a little bit, and give your side a better chance to find the right strain.  3♥ here would be a plain overbid ... and 3♠ would be approximately OK on values but would overstate the Spade suit and give up on the potential 4-4 Heart fit.  So,

2♥ it is ... if Partner takes us back to 2♠, we'll invite to game with 3♠.

 

 

                                                    Board 18       Dealer East        N-S Vul

 

 

A tantalizing hand for North!  A decent hand, but no clear direction, and not quite good enough to invite.  We clearly have at least a 5-2 fit in Spades, and at least a 4-3 fit in Hearts.  Which is better?  Do you pass 2♥ or correct to 2♠.  In general, the 5-2 fits work out better than the 4-3 fits (yes, of course, there are numerous exceptions).  And, there is a second reason to bid 2♠ here ... it keeps the auction alive!  Partner's 2♥ could be made on a fairly robust hand, one with some extras, so with our 9-count we want to give her another chance.

 

 

                                                    Board 19      Dealer South        E-W Vul

 

 

Clearly this hand belongs in Spades.  Game or slam?  South's hand is really good ... loads of tricks, and 3-card support.  Anyone for Roman Key Card Blackwood?  A bit precipitous, perhaps, there's no real safety at the 5-level ... Partner might have something like:  ♠ QJT972  ♥ 9  ♦ J75  ♣ K98.  No, not Blackwood, our suggestion is a bid of 4♣.  Hopefully, Partner will take this as a really good raise to 4♠ ... could it be natural? ... we don't think so, bidding a new suit at the 4-level does not sound like a fit-seeking move to us.

 

 

Board 20    Dealer West    Both Vul

 

 

Based on HCPs alone, the obvious rebid here is 2♠, typically showing 14 HCPs or less.  But this hand is just too good for that, notwithstanding the mere 13 HCPs.  You’ve just got to love that void, and all those juicy fillers.  Full value for a 3♠ bid in our book.  After this fine bid, the partnership will zip into 6♠ for +1430 … after a 2♠ rebid, it will most likely languish in +680 territory.

 

 

Board 23    Dealer South    Both Vul

 

 

This one is about conventions, not bidding judgment.  Do you play Support Doubles and Redoubles?  If you do, you will know that these are a useful device which allow Opener to distinguish between 3- and 4-card support for Partner.  Using this method, a Redouble here by South shows 3-card support, and a raise to 2♥ shows 4-card support.  Support Doubles (and Redoubles) are a convention well worth playing.  They are especially valuable in part-score battles where it often pays to know how many trumps our side has … if we can be sure that Partner has 4-card support, then we’ll more freely compete to the 3-level.

 

 

Board 24    Dealer  West     None Vul

 

 

That 2♦ bid was Michaels, showing both majors.  Partner’s Double showed some values, not necessarily Diamond support … for this bid he will typically be eager to double one of their major suit contracts.  With that in mind, should we pass and let Partner take a whack at 2♠?  No, this hand is way too offensively oriented.  We would bid 3♥ here.  What does this mean? When the enemy has shown two suits, as they have here, the cue-bid of one of those suits shows a stopper in that suit, and invites Partner to bid No Trump if he has the other suit stopped.  Not surprisingly, Partner most certainly does have the other suit stopped, and will bid 3NT in a flash.

 

Alas, the winning bid here is 3♦, which Partner will no doubt pass, making 9 or 10 tricks for a plus score.  3NT is a fine contract indeed, except that it suffers from the trivial defect of not actually making.  Sometimes you bid ‘em right, but get ‘em wrong.  And vice versa, thank goodness.

 

 

Board 27    Dealer South     None Vul

 

 

Yes, this is a 4♣ bid!  Club support?  No, not exactly!  We are in a forcing auction, Partner has identified our fit in Spades, so this jump is shortness, inviting Partner to re-evaluate her hand opposite a Club singleton or void.  As luck would have it, she has a moderate hand, with AQT75 opposite our shortness.  Not a good holding, too much wastage, so she signs off in 4♠.  Making 11 tricks as it happens.

 

 

                                                    Board 31       Dealer South       N-S Vul

 

 

What would you rebid as Opener?  We like 1NT, there does not seem to be much point in rebidding 2♣ when we have scattered values and such a mediocre Club suit.  However, put that Q♠ somewhere else, such as in the Club or Heart suit, and 1NT becomes less attractive, we'd rebid 2♣.

 

 

                                                    Board 31       Dealer South        N-S Vul

 

 

East wants to make a strong move in Hearts, but no number of Hearts is appropriate ... obviously not 2♥ ... and 3♥ is merely invitational ... and 4♥ gives up on slam.  We would suggest a bid of 2♣ here, intended as New Minor Forcing.  Our plan is quite crude ... establish Hearts as trumps, then check for controls ... if we are not missing 2 Aces, we'll try for slam. 

 

But, perhaps, we might be even more direct with Plan B ... the hand is so good, we might just as well 4♣ as Gerber.  There's no guarantee that the resulting slam will be cast-iron, but it will usually have a reasonable play.  That's the third Gerber hand in the Wednesday Game in the last month, a most unusual occurrence as we have been known to go for years at a time without using this not-so-common convention!

 

 

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