Our website is www.pattayabridge.com                           Club News Sheet – No. 350

Our blogsite is www.pattayabridge.wordpress.com                                 

My home phone is 038 422924 and my mobile number is 083 6066880              26th July 2009

It is best to use my home number to contact me unless I am at the bridge club.

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

My MSN messenger ID is tj_quested@hotmail.com

Mon 20th                1st  Hans & Guttorm     64%           2nd    Guy & Tony H                       57%

Wed 22nd               1st  Hans & Janne         70%           2nd    Paul Q & Terry Q                  60%

Fri   24th                 1st  Hans & Paul Q       67%           2nd    Bob S & Paul Sc                    58%

       
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Bidding Quiz                    Standard American bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.

 

Hand A           Hand B           With Hand A partner opens 1, what do you bid?

 

8653             A84                               

1098             53                 With Hand B you open 1 and partner responds 1. RHO bids

AQ432         AJ10             2, what do you do?

64                KJ832

 

 

Bidding Sequence Quiz

 

C     1      pass   2      3          What is 3? Competing or invitational?

        3     

D     1      pass   2      3          What is the dbl?

        dbl

    

     
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

1859.3 Janne Roos

1832.4 Paul Quodomine

1832.2 Hans Vikman

1776.3 Sally Watson

657.6 Janne Roos

655.0 Hans Vikman

649.0 Paul Quodomine

631.8 Sally Watson

619.9 Jeremy Watson

617.5 Bob Short

615.1 Lars Broman

614.1 Ivy Schlageter

609.2 Jean Wissing

607.6 Per Andersson

340.7 Janne Roos

339.9 Hans Vikman

333.3 Paul Quodomine

324.5 Sally Watson

321.8 Ivy Schlageter

321.7 Bob Short

321.7 Jeremy Watson

321.0 Per Andersson

316.9 Terje Lie

316.1 Lars Broman

 

The Tripple

 

Congratulations to Hans Vikman, who has won the triple (three wins in one week) a total of three times now. I note that Guttorm recently won three times in a row – but that does not count as it has to be in the same week

 

.

A support double                                                  Board 4 from Monday 20th

 

Not so many play them, but a support double (showing 3-card support for partner’s major suit response) would have worked well on this hand.

 

Dealer:             Q53                                            Table A

West                Q8                                              West          North         East          South

both vul            9832                                          1             pass           1            3    (1)

                        Q975                                         pass   (2)    pass           3    (3)    pass      

4      (4)    all pass

A84                    N               KJ9762             

53                   W    E            J104                  ‘Expert’ table

AJ10                   S                76                      West(B)     North         East          South

KJ832                                  A10                    1             pass           1            2    (1)

10                                               dbl   (5)      pass           4    (6)    all pass

AK9762                                    

KQ54                                       

64                                             

 

Table A:     (1)  This is a strange bid. Apparently South wanted to make a weak jump overcall, I don’t know why and a simple 2 looks clear to me.

(2)   This is tricky if you don’t play support doubles and pass is probably best.

(3)   Very reasonable.

(4)   With his 3-card support, West decided to raise to game, although three players on the day did not

‘Expert’      (1)  Let’s assume a normal 2 overcall.

 Table:        (5)  What did you bid with this West hand B in this week’s quiz? This is a support double, promising 3-card support (a 2 bid would guarantee 4 ’s). I would make the same bid over 3 (as at 4 above).

(6)  With known 3-card support opposite this hand is worth a shot at game.

 

And what happened? 4=, 4-1, 3+1, 3=twice and 2+2. My partner made 4 no problem.

The bottom lines: -

-         Support doubles (and redoubles) are a useful tool for the more advanced player.

-         They not only show exactly3-card support, but help partner in the auction, especially if he is contemplating leaving the double in for penalties.

 


A Constructive raise                                            Board 1 from Wednesday 22nd

 

When you open say 1 and partner bids 2, then you often don’t really have that much information; partner is 6-10 and may have 4 or just 3 trumps. That is a drawback of normal Standard American but there are two treatments that allow responder to be more accurate. One is to play Bergen Raises and the other is to play 2/1 with constructive raises.

 

Dealer:             QJ1087                                      Table A

North               A                                                West          North         East          South

Love all            AKQ3                                        -                 1              pass         2    (1)

                        J107                                           3              3    (2)      3            pass (3) 

all pass

9                         N               K43                   

K1098543      W    E            QJ2                   Table B

84                       S                J652                   West          North         East          South

K32                                     A96                    -                 1              pass         2    (1)

A652                                          3              4    (2)      all pass

76                                              

1097                                         

Q854                                        

 

Table A:     (1)  This is a pretty obvious bid playing Standard American.

(2)  Presumably meant as invitational – but it isn’t, it is simply competitive. Since there is no room for a trial bid, double should show an invitational hand.

                  (3)  I guess that South may decline even if he knew partner was inviting.

 Table:        (1)  This South had no problem, however. They play 2/1 and with a poor raise to 2 he would bid a forcing 1NT and then 2. I consider this hand just about worth a constructive raise because of the 4th .

(2)  And North has an easy 4 bid opposite a known good raise.

 

And what happened? 4+1 twice, 4*+1 twice and 3+2 twice.

The bottom lines: -

-         East has a 7-card suit but it’s dangerous to bid 3 as partner may assume that you have some points, this explains the two doubled contracts.

-         Two-over-one really has a whole bundle of benefits.

-         Bergen Raises are also defined on the website.

 


A play problem                                                     Board 23 from Wednesday 23rd

 

Dealer:             K3                                              West          North         East          South

South               10953                                         -                 -                 -               pass

Both vul            J7                                               pass           pass           1           pass

                        A10542                                      1              pass           1            pass

2              pass           4            all pass

8642                   N               AQ97                

KJ84              W    E            76                     

AQ3                   S                K96             South led the 7 which North won with the A.

93                                        KQJ8           North returned a which East won. How  

J105                                     should East tackle the trump suit?

AQ2                                    

108542                                

76

 

Virtually everybody in the club crossed to dummy and finessed the Q, thus making the contract. At our table declarer took a different line – he cashed the A and then entered dummy to lead towards the Q. This failed when North won and gave partner his ruff (South had carefully played the 10 and then the 5, a trump echo guaranteeing three trumps and asking for a ruff – so obviously showing that he could ruff higher than dummy). So, which line of play in the suit is correct? I have no idea and so I put it in to the suit play program on the website and the program crossed to dummy and then ran the 8. This would have worked in practice but the program only plays the suit in isolation and does not know about the impending ruff. Perhaps Mr. Vincit would like to make a constructive comment?

                                                                   

And what happened? 4= 5 times; 4-1 once.

 


Lebensohl                                                             Board 1 from Monday 20th

 

Dealer:             J6543                                         Table A

North               KQ3                                           West          North         East          South

Love all            Q10                                            -                 pass           1NT         2

                        Q107                                         2NT (1)      pass           3NT         all pass

                                                                       

K87                    N               AQ2                   Table B

9                     W    E            542                    West          North         East          South

86532                 S                AKJ                   -                 pass           1NT         2

AJ43                                    K986                3NT (1)      pass           4 (2)      pass

109                                             pass (3)

AJ10876                             

974                                      

52

 

Table A:     (1)  This is tricky. An invitational 2NT looks OK if you don’t play that as Lebensohl – but the ’s may be wide open!

Table B:     (1)  This pair play Lebensohl and so 3NT shows the values (just about!) for 3NT but denies a stop.

(2)   Knowing that there is no stop, East bids 4.

(3)   With a minimum for 3NT bid, West decided to pass.                          

 

And what happened? 3NT-2 three times (the obvious J lead); 3NT=, 4= and 1NT+2.

The bottom lines: -

-         The Lebensohl convention has many uses, here the direct 3NT bid shows no stop. With a stop West bids 2NT (forcing 3) and then bids 3NT – slow shows.

-         Holding AJ108xx against 3NT, lead the jack.

 

 

 

Dave’s Column           Here is Dave’s first input, this time a defensive problem.

 

East                                                                        West          North         East            South

K4                                                                      -                 1              pass           2 

A52                                                                    pass           2              pass           3 

J1097                                                                  pass           4              all pass      

A1052

 

You are East, on lead against 4, what is your opening lead?

 

 

 

 

 

                         

     

     


Dave’s Column answer                      Board 5 from Wednesday 22nd

     

Dealer:             AQJ9                                          Book bidding

East                  KQJ74                                       West          North         East            South(A)

N-S vul            K6                                              -                 1              pass           2  (1)

                        Q7                                             pass           2    (2)      pass           3  (3)

pass           4    (4)      all pass      

1072                   N             K4                       

63                   W    E          A52                (1)  What did you bid with   this South hand A in

85                       S              J1097                    this week’s quiz? With a hand worth only one

KJ9843                              A1052                  bid it’s best to show your 3 ’s rather than 1

                                                                         (2)   A game try that may be 4 cards

                        8653                                     (3)  South accepts because of his singleton, but I           

1098                                           think that he should bid 4 - this is likely to be

AQ432                                       better than a 4-4 fit because ruffs can be

6                                                taken in the short trump hand.

(4)   Obviously North does not know that the 5-3

fit is superior.

 

East led the A and then another . Declarer won in dummy to try the trump finesse, but when East took the K he led a third . West ruffed and the A meant one down.

East gets credit for a well conceived defence (the opening lead of a small would also work), but the bidding made it easy for him. East knew that West had at most two ’s and East suspected that he would get in with the K.

4 makes easily of course.

                                                                                         

And what happened at the Pattaya Bridge Club? 4= twice, 4= twice, 2+2 and 5(W)-1.

The bottom lines:

-     A 4-4 fit is usually better than a 5-3 fit. But not if the 3 card trump hand can take ruffs in a short suit.

 

 

 

Dave’s 2nd Column   Here is Dave’s 2nd input the play of the hand.

 

West                East                          You are East, declarer in 4.

953               A42                      South leads the Q, plan the play.

A32              KQJ109    

765               AJ108        

AK42           8                 


Dave’s 2nd Column answer              Board 6 from Wednesday 22nd  

     

Dealer:             K87                                            Book bidding

East                  765                                             West          North         East            South

N-S vul            42                                               -                 -                 1              pass

                        J10976                                       2             pass           2              pass

2              pass           4              all pass

953                     N             A42                     

A32                W    E          KQJ109        

765                     S              AJ108            

AK42                                 8                           

                        QJ106                                 

84                                   South leads the Q, how should East play the hand?

KQ93                                  

Q53                                          

 

East won the first , took the AK to discard a , and tried a finesse with the J. South won with the K, cashed a and led another . East ruffed and played the K and A and led a 2nd to his 10. South won with the Q and led another for partner to ruff for the setting trick.

Where did declarer go wrong? After he discards a on the K, he should take the A and concede a . When he regains the lead he concedes another and eventually ruffs his last with dummy’s A.

 

And what happened at the Pattaya Bridge Club? 4= four times, 4+1 and 4-1.

 

 

 


Bidding Quiz Answers

 

Hand A:    2. With a weak hand it’s usually best to support (showing the 8 card fit) rather than introducing the 4-card suit.

Hand B:    dbl, A Support Double, showing exactly 3 card support for partner. If you do not play support doubles then I guess that you have to bid 3.

 

 

Bidding Sequence Quiz Answers

 

C     1      pass   2      3          3 is simply competing

        3     

D     1      pass   2      3          dbl is a game try – there is no room for a conventional game

        dbl                                             try of a new suit, so double has to suffice.

       

 Ron Klinger web site