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Bidding Quiz 8th August, 2007
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Board 2 Dealer East N-S Vul
Anyone for a Weak Two with a 5-card suit? We are not big fans of this practice as a general rule, but here the conditions certainly look right, with that chunky suit and the favorable vulnerability. Anyway, let’s suppose that East manages to resist that particular temptation, and that the auction proceeds along these lines: East South West North Pass 2♠ Dbl Pass ??
Some players use Lebensohl in this situation, allowing them to bid Diamonds in two ways: - East can bid 3♦ directly, showing less than invitational values - Or, East can bid 2NT, artificial, a relay to 3♣, after which 3♦ is weak, showing less than invitational values. - With a hand that is better than invitational, East must bid the game of his choice, or if he is not sure where he is headed he can always sue-bid their suit.
So, playing Lebensohl, what should East do? Does he bid 3♦ directly, or does he bid 3♦ via the 2NT relay? A close choice, how much easier if East had opened 2♦ originally!
Board 5 Dealer North N-S Vul
South’s 4♥ was preemptive, typically showing 5 Hearts and a weak hand. What now, Mr West? Here are the choices: - Pass? A bit feeble, don’t you think? - Double? The most flexible bid, and probably the choice of most. It keeps the most options open and is the least committal. - 4♠? Double may be the bid that keeps the most irons in the fire, but it doesn’t do justice to the most likely iron of all, namely playing in 4♠. More specifically, if we Double, we’ll miss out on Spades when we have a 5-3 fit. So, we have a secret desire (one which perhaps we should suppress) to bid 4♠ directly, getting us to the best game when Partner has 3 Spades (or more). In fact, even honor doubleton in Spades may well be enough if Partner has some useful minor suit cards.
Board 6 Dealer East E-W Vul
South’s hand is too good for a rebid of 3♦, so we’ll have to find another bid, one which will be sure to get us to game. 3NT is our most likely destination but it would be somewhat rash to bid it directly with a worthless doubleton in an unbid suit. So, we will have to fudge our rebid, either with a fake jump shift to 3♣, or with a fake reverse of 2♥.
Conventional wisdom is that it’s a lot safer to lie about a minor suit than it is to lie about a major suit. Nonetheless, we would reverse to 2♥ here, it’s more economical that 3♣. If Partner raises to 3♥ (she is not supposed to raise to 4♥, just in case our suit is not real), we will know that she has 5 Spades, so can bid 3♠, offering Partner a choice between 3NT and 4♠.
Board 6 Dealer East E-W Vul
North’s hand has No Trump written all over it. 2NT is generally used to show a weak hand after Opener’s Reverse, so North should simply bid 3NT here, showing enough for game (but not too much) and something good in Clubs.
Board 8 Dealer West None Vul
Would you have opened this hand? We open most 12-counts, but not this one. True, it does have a few fillers, but there is also that square shape to consider, to say nothing of that plague of Queens. Anyway, let’s say that we pass, and that over Partner’s 1♠ opening, our RHO bids the Unusual 2NT, showing the minors. What next? Our hand is No Trumpish, but our minor suit strength is a bit lacking for 3NT. And, anyway, it would hardly be consistent to pass originally, and then to insist on game opposite a potentially light 3rd seat opening bid.
That leaves two choices: - We could either make a limit raise in Spades, and a common way to do that is to use one of the two available cue-bids (3♣ and 3♦), please follow the link for more on this. - We could Double 2NT, showing general values, and then compete to 3♠ over 3♣ or 3♦.
We’d go with the latter ourselves, though not with enthusiasm. Now, if we had only opened this crummy 12-count originally we wouldn’t have this problem!
Board 10 Dealer East Both Vul
First, let us suppose that East had opened 1♠. Now, common practice is for a direct 1NT overcall to show 15-18, and for a balancing 1NT to show somewhat less, let’s say 11-14 or thereabouts. Next, let’s look at NT overcalls after their Weak Two. In the direct seat, basically the same 15-18 as before. And in the balancing seat? Also 15-18, we don’t reduce the requirement in this case.
So, the North hand fits the HCP requirement for 2NT and that is probably the best bid. But it’s not ideal, we’d prefer a better Spade holding, and we don’t think that there’s very much wrong with a Double (other than the doubleton Club, of course).
Board 10 Dealer East Both Vul
Opposite Partner’s Takeout Double, our only goal here is to bail out in 3 of the safer minor. Using standard methods we would be guessing here between 3♣ and 3♦, but there is a useful device known as the Scrambling 2NT which takes the guesswork out of this awkward situation. Here’s how it works: - When Partner has made a balancing Double of 2♥ or 2♠, 2NT is used as a scrambling mechanism, usually saying “I have two (or three) suits to choose from”. - After the Scrambling 2NT the Doubler will bid her lowest-ranking 4-card suit, and eventually the partnership will be able to scramble into a playable fit.
On the actual hand, the Doubler was slightly off-shape, with 3-4-4-2 distribution, so after Partner’s Scrambling 2NT she bids 3♦ which is where she will play it. Without this scrambling device, South would bid 3♣ after the Double, leaving the partnership in danger of playing in it’s 4-2 fit.
Board 11 Dealer South None Vul
We don’t see much point in passing here, eagerly awaiting a balancing Double, in the expectation of a juicy penalty. Here are two obvious ways for that plan to go wrong: - If Partner has the right hand for a balancing Double, the opponents will probably escape to Hearts. - LHO might bid 1♥ immediately, thereby silencing Partner and putting us on the spot when the bidding gets back to us. No, instead of waiting in the bushes, we prefer a 1NT overcall here. It’s not exactly ideal with that singleton Heart, but at least it announces our general strength and puts Partner in position to judge the potential of the combined hands.
Board 13 Dealer North Both Vul
Here’s an easy one! This 9-count is too good for an invitation to 3NT, so we bid 3NT directly. We like the 5-card suit, and those lovely fillers, this one is plenty good enough to take a shot at 3NT.
Board 14 Dealer East None Vul
Regular Wednesday Gamers are familiar by now with the Cansino-count, whereby in 4th seat, after three Passes, we add the number of Spades to our HCP’s. If the number is 15 or more, we open the hand in 4th seat, otherwise we pass. But it’s only a guideline, chaps, as illustrated by this hand. Here we have 13 HCP’s and thus only 14 Cansino points. Therefore, it’s not a 4th seat opening bid? Well, of course we would not pass this hand out, that may keep the rule-followers happy, but it would defy common-sense, surely a 7-card suit must count for something.
Board 22 Dealer East E-W Vul
It’s common for a Redouble to show 10 or more HCP’s and at least some interest in penalizing the opponents. Well, we do have 10 HCP’s, but it does not look to us like a hand that should be suggesting that we penalize the opponents at a low level. Most of our points are in Partner’s suit, and our other values are all slow. This is surely a 1NT bid, typically showing 7-10 or 8-10.
Board 25 Dealer North E-W Vul
4♦ here would be a Splinter, showing Diamond shortness, and designed to allow Partner to judge her slam potential. Partner’s Diamond holding is key in these situations, for example, with wastage in Diamonds, such as KQx, she would be turned off by the Splinter and would settle for just game. For example, she might hold this hand: ♠ 9854 ♥ A3 ♦ KQ6 ♣ A954 This is a somewhat discouraging hand opposite our 4♦ Splinter, wouldn’t you say? Yes, indeed, and we would be bidding 4♠ accordingly.
Pretty simple stuff, eh? But not so fast! Perhaps you will have noticed that even opposite all that Diamond wastage, slam is still an excellent proposition. Does that mean that KQx is really a good holding opposite a Splinter? No, of course not, it means that the South hand is altogether too good for a Splinter.
In fact, there’s a lot to be said for just up and bidding 6♠ immediately, conveying minimum information to the opponents. If that is a bit rich for you, you might consider making a game try for starters. If Partner accepts the game try, you can bid the slam. If Partner retreats to 3♠ in response to the slam try, you can bid 4♣ next, an obvious slam try, and one that is being made opposite a self-proclaimed poor hand … now, Partner would have to be really weak not to bid the slam.
Finally, it won’t have escaped your notice that a grand slam is not out of the question. But getting there when it is right would be far from easy, Partner needs just the right cards and/or distribution, if we are to look after the third round of Hearts and the third round of Clubs.
Board 26 Dealer East Both Vul
North has quite a hand! True, the K♦ is wasted, but even without that card she almost has game in her own hand. 2♥ was a good place to start, a Michaels bid showing Spades and a minor, typically 5-5. Partner takes a preference to 2♠. What next?
What does 3♣ mean here? Obviously, it is showing our second suit, and taking another call must indicate a good hand. It seems to us that 3♣ should probably show a 6th Club and be forcing for one round. OK, suppose that we bid 3♣ and Partner declines our invitation, bidding just 3♠. Should we push on to game anyway? We suppose so, all that we need from Partner for game to have a reasonable play would be something like three small Spades and the J♣, surely that is not too much to ask.
Alas, on the actual hand, Partner has nothing useful in Clubs (nor anywhere else come to that), and 4♠ is down two.
Board 27 Dealer South None Vul
If the bidding had started lower, we would be happy to overcall 1♠, and even rebid Spades at the two-level, if required. But we have not been afforded that luxury, we must make our decision at the 4-level. Even though we are far short of game in our own hand, we would bid 4♠ here. It won’t always be a success, and a resounding Double from North would not be a huge surprise. But, on balance it’s our best shot, especially considering that 6th Spade. If we pass we may put Partner in a bind. He may have 2 or 3 Spades and be nervous about doubling with this kind of hand: ♠ J74 ♥ 2 ♦ KQ986 ♣ AJT8 As a general rule, when the opponents preempt to 4♥ we are well-advised to do some stretching when we have a long Spade holding.
Board 28 Dealer West N-S Vul
Partner is probably 5-4 or 5-5 in Spades and Hearts. With this minimum hand we are not going anywhere, we must simply decide whether to pass 2♥ or go back to Spades. As a general rule, in this situation we usually bid 2♠ on the assumption that the 5-2 Spades will usually play better than the (more likely) 4-3 Hearts. So, 2♠ would be our bid.
Next, suppose that the auction continues: North East South West Pass Pass Pass 1♠ Pass 1NT Pass 2♥ Pass 2♠ Pass 3♥ Pass ?? Now Partner has shown a 5th Heart, and also an interest in game. Clearly we won’t be going to game with this hand, and, equally clearly, we now prefer Hearts, so we pass.
Board 30 Dealer East None Vul
Here’s another opportunity for the Scrambling 2NT. If you have already read the commentary above (Board 10), you could bid 2NT here, saying “I’m not sure where we belong”. This bid shows tolerance for at least two suits and on the actual hand it allows N-S to scoot into the 4-4 Diamond fit, instead of languishing in the 4-3 Club fit.
Board 32
West East ♠ AQ5 ♠ KT943 ♥ K42 ♥ Q96 ♦ AKQ4 ♦ 762 ♣ AK6 ♣ T8
West North East South 2♣ 2♥ Pass Pass 2NT Pass 3♥ Pass 3♠ Pass 3NT Pass Pass Pass
This auction raises a few issues, so we’ll look at both hands and review the whole auction: - 2♣: How do you show a balanced 25-count? With 20-21 we open 2NT, and with 22-23 (or 22-24) we open 2♣ and then rebid 2NT. With 25, some pairs open 3NT, but that just preempts the auction. Better to open 2♣, and then rebid 2NT. Better yet, open 2♣ and use a gadget known as Kokish, for more on which please follow the link. - East’s Pass: When the opponents jump in over Partner’s 2♣ opening, how do you use those two extra bids, the Pass and the Double? The method most commonly used, at least on the tournament circuit, is that Pass shows values and Double shows a weak hand (let’s say that “weak” is less than a King or less than two Queens). So, here, East does not think he is quite good enough to bid 2♠ so he passes, saying “I have something”. - 2NT: Natural, 22+. There’s no need for West to jump to 3NT, his Partner’s Pass created a game force. - 3♥: Now, E-W can play their normal 2NT system, and here 3♥ was a transfer. - 3♠: Accepting the transfer. - 3NT: Offering a choice between 3NT and 4♠. - West’s Pass: West has a little extra, but not much, so 4NT (natural) is a tad optimistic, we think. The real question is whether to play in 3NT or 4♠. This being matchpoints we’d opt for 3NT, though we wish we had a better Heart holding.
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