Club News Sheet – No. 239 www.pattayabridge.com 3^rd June 2007

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My home phone is 038 422924 and my mobile number is 086 6089887

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

Mon 28^th N-S 1^st Albert & Dennis 59% 2^nd Bjorn & Per-Ake 56%

E-W 1^st Jan & Janne 61% 2^nd Kevin & Noreen 60%

Wed 30^th 1^st Robbie & Sean 67% 2^nd Bob & Jo 59%

Fri 1^st 1^st Paul Sav. & Mike 62% 2^nd Janne & Per-Ake 58%

Bidding Quiz Standard American is assumed unless otherwise stated.

Hand A Hand B With Hand A partner opens 1♣ and RHO overcalls with a

weak 2♦, what do you do?

♠ AK106 ♠ KJ1093

♥ K95 ♥ 10 With Hand B partner opens 1NT and you transfer with 2♥.

♦ A2 ♦ 643 Partner bids 2♠, what do you do now?

♣ 7542 ♣ KJ98

Hand C Hand D With Hand C RHO opens 3♣ and you decide to double (with the

intention of bidding 3♠ over a 3♦/♥ reply). But partner bids 4♥,

♠ AQ10762 ♠ Q10 what do you do?

♥ A8 ♥ AK93

♦ A1084 ♦ KJ1073 With Hand D LHO opens a weak 2♠ (actually showing 5 ♠’s

♣ 10 ♣ 72 and a minor) and partner doubles. What do you bid?

Hand E Hand F With Hand E LHO opens 1♦ and partner overcalls 1♠. What

do you bid?

♠ 8 ♠ AJ6

♥ K972 ♥ Q9854 With Hand F it’s love all. Partner opens 1♠ and RHO overcalls 2♥,

♦ KQJ86 ♦ 104 what do you bid?

♣ Q103 ♣ A32

Hand G Hand H With Hand G it’s love all. LHO opens 1♥ and partner doubles,

what do you bid?

♠ 963 ♠ A8

♥ KJ65 ♥ A109 With Hand H RHO opens 1♥, what do you do?

♦ A7 ♦ Q65

♣ Q752 ♣ A10984

Hand J Hand K With Hand J RHO opens 2♥ and you pass. LHO bids 3♥ which

partner doubles (take-out). What do you bid?

♠ AK2 ♠ Q10875

♥ J3 ♥ A5

♦ Q8765 ♦ A102 With Hand K LHO opens 2♥ and RHO raises to 3♥, what

♣ J76 ♣ AK3 do you bid?

Bidding Sequences Quiz All of these sequences occurred this week

L 1NT pass 4♣ pass 4♣ is Gerber, what is 4NT?

4♠ pass 4NT

M 2♦ 2NT pass 3♠ 2♦ is weak and 2NT natural, 15-18.

pass 4♣ (a) What is 3♠? (b) What is 4♣?

N 1♣ pass 1♦ 2♠ 2♠ is weak and 3♥ very strong.

3♥ pass 3NT pass So what is the 4♥ bid – how many ♣’s and how many ♥’s?

4♥

P 2♠ dbl pass 3♦ 2♠ is weak and dbl is take-out. What is 3♦, is it forcing?

Q 3♣ dbl pass 4♥ 3♣ is weak and dbl is take-out. What is 4♥, how many points?

R 1NT pass 2♣ dbl What is the double of Stayman?

The negative double promises an unbid major Board 25 from Monday 28^th

There are numerous ways of playing negative doubles. My preferred treatment is that if there is just one unbid major then a negative double promises 4 cards in it; if there are two unbid majors then a negative double guarantees 4 cards in just one of them.

Dealer: ♠ 843

North ♥ A742 West(A) North East South

E-W vul ♦ K986 - - 1♣ 2♦ (1)

♣ 83 dbl (2) pass 3♣ pass

3♦ (3) pass 3♥ (4) pass

♠ AK106 N ♠ Q97 4♣ (5) pass 4♠ (6) all pas

♥ K95 W E ♥ Q86

♦ A2 S ♦ 10

♣ 7542 ♣ AKJ1096

♠ J52

♥ J103

♦ QJ7543

♣ Q

(1) Weak

(2) What did you bid with this West hand A in this week’s quiz? 2♠ is wrong because that promises a 5-card suit and the negative double chosen is correct.

(3) Asking for a ♦ stop.

(4) I don’t have a ♦ stop but I do have 3 ♥’s.

(5) I don’t have 4 ♥’s but I do have good ♣ support.

(6) OK, then lets play in the 4-3 ♠ fit.

And what happened? 6♠ makes but that’s a bit difficult to bid; 4♠ is the best contract. Just two pairs found 4♠ (+1 and +2); three were in 3NT scoring reasonably well and one was in 5♣ scoring badly. The bottom Lines: -

- 5♣ does not score as well as 4♠.

- A Moysian fit plays well when you have shortage of the opponent’s suit in the three trump hand.

The Club Championships

Gold Cup = Best 30 Silver plate = Best 10 Bronze medal = Best 5

1780.5 Janne Roos 651.0 Janne Roos 337.3 Janne Roos

1731.2 Dave Cutler 634.5 Lars Gustaffson 336.2 Bengt Malmgren

630.9 Paul Savelkral 332.9 Paul Savelkral

627.1 Gunnar Barthel 325.6 Gunnar Barthel

626.7 Bengt Malmgren 325.6 Lars Gustafsson

619.5 Dave Cutler 322.9 Dave Cutler

A 1NT opener Board 11 from Monday 28^th

A familiar story – somebody failed to open 1NT “because of a weak doubleton” and missed an easy game.

Dealer: ♠ KJ1093 Table A

South ♥ 10 West North East South

Love all ♦ 643 - - - 1♦ (1)

♣ KJ98 pass 1♠ pass 2♠ (2)

pass (3) pass pass

♠ 542 N ♠ Q6

♥ QJ96 W E ♥ K832 Table B

♦ 1052 S ♦ K98 West North(B) East South

♣ Q32 ♣ A1065 - - - 1NT (1)

♠ A87 pass 2♥ pass 2♠

♥ A754 pass 3♣ (4) pass 4♠ (5)

♦ AQJ7 all pass

♣ 74

Table A: (1) This is clearly a poor bid. It’s a 1NT opener – don’t worry about weak doubletons.

(2) This is better than 1NT which would now show 12-14.

(3) North has a nice hand and should probably make a game try (by bidding 3♣), but with just 3 trumps South may well not accept?

Table B: (1) Most South’s opened the obvious 1NT.

(4) What did you bid with this North hand B in this week’s quiz? This hand had great shape and excellent intermediates – it’s easily worth game and the best bid is 3♣ to highlight the weakness in the red suits.

(5) South knows that the ♥’s may be weak and so sensibly goes for the ♠ game.

And what happened? Just 3 out of 7 pairs bid 4♠, with the other 4 in 2♠ or 3♠. Anything from 10 to 12 tricks were made.

The bottom Lines: -

- Don’t let a weak doubleton deter you from opening 1NT.

- Upgrade a hand with good intermediates in the long suits.

The blind squirrel Board 3 from Monday 28^th

When you double Stayman or a transfer bid then that asks for a lead. But you need a decent holding in the suit – especially if opener is reasonably experienced and places the redouble card on the table!

Dealer: ♠ Q1032 Table A

East ♥ 32 West North East South

Both vul ♦ A109 - - 1♣ (1) pass

♣ KJ62 1♥ pass 4♥ (2) all pass

♠ K54 N ♠ AJ8 Table B

♥ K1094 W E ♥ AJ65 West North East South

♦ Q72 S ♦ KJ - - 1NT (1) pass

♣ Q53 ♣ A1097 2♣ dbl (3) redbl (4) pass

♠ 976 pass (5) 2♠ (6) dbl (7) all pass

♥ Q87

♦ 86543

♣ 84

Table A: (1) This looks like the obvious opening with this hand – with a jump to 2NT in mind over a 1♦, 1♠ or 1NT response

(2) And the jump to 4♥ is correct when partner responds 1♥ - this shows 18-19 points, 4 card ♥ support and no shortage to splinter.

Table B: (1) This East decided to downgrade the hand because of the doubleton ♦KJ. But the ♣ holding is adequate compensation so perhaps he’s just a No trump hog?

(3) This double of Stayman asks for a ♣ lead. Quite why he wants a ♣ lead I don’t know, but it cannot cost to double, can it? …

(4) … East’s 18 count and his ♣’s are now looking very good, so he decided to make life uncomfortable for North. If West cannot co-operate he can pull it of course.

(5) But West has a good enough hand with good enough ♣’s to believe that 2♣ redoubled will be making.

(6) Oh dear, oh dear; what can I do now?

(7) Obviously East only needs double cards form here on.

And what happened? Most E-W’s were in 4♥ or 3NT, with scores varying from 600 to 660. 2♠ doubled went 4 down for 1100 (2♣ redoubled would have made +3 for the rare score of 1960). Now I won’t mention any names of course, but despite this set-back N-S at Table B went on to win the N-S competition, so it looks like even a blind squirrel occasionally finds a nut – eh?

The bottom Lines: -

- You really need a decent holding in the suit to double Stayman or a transfer – especially if the opponents are playing a strong No Trump and opener has his wits about him.

- KJxx is not a decent holding.

Responding in NT to partner’s overcall Board 21 from Friday 1^st

A few pairs have got in a mess over this recently.

Dealer: ♠ AQ10 Table A

North ♥ A84 West(E) North East South

N-S vul ♦ A732 - 1♦ (1) 1♠ (2) pass

♣ K52 2NT (3) pass 3♠ (4) all pass

♠ 8 N ♠ K97632

♥ K972 W E ♥ QJ105 ‘Expert Table’

♦ KQJ86 S ♦ 5 West(E) North East South

♣ Q103 ♣ 76 - 1♦ (1) 1♠ (2) pass

♠ J54 1NT (3) pass 2♥ (5) pass

♥ 63 pass (6) all pass

♦ 1094

♣ AJ984

Table A: (1) Playing a weak No Trump.

(2) I guess that East has choices – a weak 2♠ or a Michaels cue bid. But neither are really correct: A weak jump to 2♠ would deny 4 ♥’s and Michaels shows 5-4 or 5-5 in the majors. Pass is a possibility but I like this hand with both majors (and the points in the long suits). Double is out of the question of course and I too would overcall 1♠.

(3) What did you bid with this West hand E in this week’s quiz? You don’t want to leave partner in 1♠ and should look for a better spot. Had North opened 1♣ then 2♦ would be best but as North has opened 1♦ it’s not so easy. With a good ♦ holding a No Trump bid seems best and West thought that 2NT shows 11-12 points and good ♦ stops. Unfortunately this is incorrect when partner has overcalled at the one level.

(4) East decided to show his 6th ♠ rather than his 4th ♥.

‘Expert’ (3) The correct bid here is 1NT. Opposite a 1-level overcall this shows about

Table: 10-12 points.

(5) Our expert East knew that there may well be a 4-4 ? fit.

(6) Ans so there is.

And what happened? 3♠ went four down for a bottom. Two East’s ended up in 2♠ (-2) and one North played in 2NT. No E-W pair found the 4-4 ♥ fit.

The bottom Lines: -

- The No Trump responses to partner’s 1-level overcall are different to responses had partner opened; this is because a 1-level overcall may be as few as 7-8 points. I mentioned this in last week’s news sheet (sequence W last week) and here we have another player getting in a similar mess.

- So I have written up a new page on the web: -

(General bridge topics > responding in No Trumps to partner’s overcall).

Responding to partner’s double – part 1 Board 6 from Monday 28^th

This is pretty basic, but it went wrong at a couple of boards on Monday and two more on Friday. I was asked to write up how it should have gone after East’s disruptive opening.

Dealer: ♠ Q10 Table A

East ♥ AK93 West North(D) East South

E-W vul ♦ KJ1073 - - 2♠ (1) dbl

♣ 72 pass 3♦ (2) pass 4♦ (3)

pass 4♥ (4) pass 5♦

♠ 652 N ♠ KJ983 all pass

♥ Q7542 W E ♥ 1086

♦ 862 S ♦ 5 ‘Expert Table’

♣ Q10 ♣ J653 West North(D) East South

♠ A74 - - 2♠ (1) dbl

♥ J pass 3♠ (2) pass 4♣

♦ AQ94 pass 4♦ pass 4NT (5)

♣ AK984 pass 5♥ (6) pass 6♦ (7)

all pass

Table A: (1) A somewhat light Muiderberg 2♠ - weak with 5 ♠’s and a minor suit.

(2) What did you bid with this North hand D in this week’s quiz? This non-jump is totally inadequate as it shows a weak hand, 0-8 points. A jump to 4♦ is possible but I prefer our expert’s auction. 4♥ is not a good bid as that should promise 5 ♥’s – it’s best to cue bid.

(3) Showing a very good hand after partner’s negative response.

(4) An attempt to recover?

Table B: (2) This is the best answer to question D – cue bid to set up a game force.

(5) RKCB for ♦’s.

(6) Two keycards without the ♦Q.

(7) West can sign off in 6♦ or try for 7♦ with a king ask.

And what happened? I assume most N-S’s were given a free run but just 1 pair bid 6♦. 3NT (making various numbers of overtricks) was the most popular contract and 5♦ scored badly (as it usually does).

The bottom Lines: -

- Don’t bid 5♣/♦ if 3NT is a sensible option.

- A non-jump response to a double shows 0-8 points and is non-forcing.

- With a good hand opposite a double and no clear bid, cue bid opener’s suit to set up a game force.

Responding to partner’s double – part 2 Board 3 from Monday 28^th

A problem occurred here when a player correctly jumped in response to partner’s double.

Dealer: ♠ 53

South ♥ 10762 West(C) North East South

E-W vul ♦ QJ9753 - - - 3♣ (1)

♣ K dbl (2) pass 4♥ (3) pass

pass (4) pass pass

♠ AQ10762 N ♠ KJ9

♥ A8 W E ♥ KJ543

♦ A1084 S ♦ K2

♣ 10 ♣ J95

♠ 84

♥ Q9

♦ 6

♣ AQ876432

(1) At this vulnerability, 4♣ (if you play that as natural) or even 5♣ are alternatives.

(2) West can simply bid 3♠ but considered it a bit good, so he decided to double first. I’m a simple soul who likes to keep it simple and I would have bid 3♠.

(3) With a good 11 points East has to make a noise, and with a 5 card ♥ suit 4♥ is correct.

(4) What did you bid with this West hand C in this week’s quiz? West really should have carried through with his plan of bidding ♠’s. Partner has shown game values but only guaranteed a 5 card ♥ suit. West should bid 4♠.

And what happened? One pair did reach the good 6♠ but went down. Results really were all over the place and 4♥ making scored badly.

The bottom Lines: -

- If you plan to double and then bid again – to show a good hand – then carry on with that plan when partner makes a jump.

- A jump bid over partner’s double shows 9+ points and a 5+ card suit.

Responding to partner’s double – part 3 Board 8 from Friday 1^st

At table A I don’t like the bidding by either East or West.

Dealer: ♠ KQ5 Table A

West ♥ Q8742 West(G) North East(H) South

Love all ♦ K4 pass 1♥ dbl (1) pass

♣ K63 pass (2) all pass

♠ 963 N ♠ A8 ‘Expert Table’

♥ KJ65 W E ♥ A109 West(G) North East(H) South

♦ A7 S ♦ Q65 pass 1♥ 1NT (1) pass

♣ Q752 ♣ A10984 3NT all pass

♠ J1074

♥ 3

♦ J109832

♣ J

Table A: (1) What did you bid with this East hand H in this week’s quiz? A take-out double should be playable in the other three suits – this double is terrible. This is a nice ♣ suit and 2♣ is a reasonable bid but I prefer our expert’s choice.

(2) What did you bid with this West hand G in this week’s quiz? This pass is also a poor bid. Partner is presumably short in ♥’s for his double and you will not get rich by passing at the one level for penalties with just 4 trumps. 2NT (11-12) is correct (which partner would raise to 3NT with his hand).

‘Expert’ (1) Our expert knows how to evaluate a hand. 1NT here is 15-18 but the great

Table: ♥ and ♣ intermediates make this hand worth a 1NT overcall.

And what happened? 1♥ doubled went just one down for a poor score to E-W. Two pairs ended up in 3NT (430 and 460) and there was the usual suspect who insists on playing in a minor suit and thinks that making 10 tricks 5♣ -1 scores the same as 3NT +1; it does not, and 5♣ would have got a poor score even if it had made.

The bottom Lines: -

- Up grade a hand with good 10,9 combinations.

- 5♣/♦ is not usually a good contract - if 3NT is an option, then bid it.

- A take-out double is short in the suit bid and playable in the other three suits (unless very strong).

- Don’t make a take-out double if 1NT or an overcall describe the hand better.

Responding to partner’s double – part 4 Board 12 from Friday 1^st

This time it’s North-South who got into an inferior contract because of a poor take-out double and an incorrect response.

Dealer: ♠ AK2 Table A

West ♥ J3 West North(J) East South(K)

N-S vul ♦ Q8765 2♥ pass 3♥ (1) dbl (2)

♣ J76 pass 3♠ (3) pass pass (4)

♠ 63 N ♠ J94 ‘Expert Table’

♥ Q108762 W E ♥ K94 West North(J) East South(K)

♦ J3 S ♦ K94 2♥ pass 3♥ (1) 3♠ (2)

♣ Q42 ♣ 10985 pass 4♠ (5) all pass

♠ Q10875

♥ A5

♦ A102

♣ AK3

Table A: (1) I like this – it’s usually best to raise partner’s pre-empt immediately with three card support.

(2) What did you bid with this South hand K in this week’s quiz? A take-out double should be playable in the other three suits and I guess that this hand just about is - but with a 5 card ♠ suit it’s best to mention it. Double followed by a ♠ bid over partner’s response would show a much stronger hand and the other problem with double is that partner may well respond 5♣ or 5♦.

(3) What did you bid with this North hand J in this week’s quiz? It’s not easy with just 3 ♠’s but with 11 points you cannot make a non-jump like this. 4♦ is not possible as that’s also a weak bid and the most obvious bid is 5♦. The whole problem is of South’s making of course.

(4) North’s 3♠ bid shows about 0-8 points and South decided to pass. Looks like he dug himself a pit that he could not get out of.

‘Expert’ (1) Our expert knows to bid a 5 card major when he has one.

Table: (5) And that makes North’s bid trivial.

And what happened? 3♠ made +3 for a clear bottom, everybody else was in game.

The bottom Lines: -

- Don’t double when you have a 5 card major.

- Don’t make a non-jump response to partner’s major with more than 9 points.

- This North, incidentally, is the same North as in Part1 of these four articles – it seems that he simply does not know the basics of responding to partner’s double.

- I wrote all about this way back in news-sheet 133 and there is a page on the web

(Basic Bidding > #133 Responding to partner’s take-out double).

A penalty hand playing negative doubles Board 1 from Wednesday 30^th

South at table A made a sort of ‘leave it up to you’ wishy-washy double on this deal: -

Dealer: ♠ K10932 Table A

North ♥ KJ3 West North East South(F)

Love all ♦ AQ8 - 1♠ 2♥ (1) dbl (2)

♣ 65 pass 2NT (3) pass 4♠ (4)

all pass

♠ 8754 N ♠ Q

♥ - W E ♥ A10762 Table B

♦ J9762 S ♦ K53 West North East South(F)

♣ Q1097 ♣ KJ84 - 1♠ 2♥ (1) pass (2)

♠ AJ6 pass dbl (5) pass pass

♥ Q9854 pass

♦ 104

♣ A32

Table A: (1) A dubious two level overcall, that should have been severely punished.

(2) What did you bid with this South hand F in this week’s quiz? You only have values for a raise to 3♠ and game is by no means certain. It’s clearly best, at equal vulnerability, to go for the penalty. However, double here is not penalties! N-S play negative doubles and this double promises the minors and denies ♥’s.

(3) With a ♥ stop, North correctly bid 2NT.

(4) South does not have the values for 4♠.

Table B: (2) This South fully understands negative Doubles and correctly passed.

(5) And the same goes for North, who correctly re-opened with a double.

And what happened? At Table A East led a ♣ and declarer has difficulties because the ♣A was removed immediately and West had 4 trumps. He was unable to set up the ♥’s (East held up the ♥A till the 3^rd round of course) and 4♠ was one down for a clear bottom. 2♥ doubled would have been about 3-4 down for 500-800 to N-S and a clear top.

At Table B 2♥ doubled went three down for 500 and a clear top to N-S (Bob and Jo).

If N-S don’t go for the penalty, 3NT is a good contract as the 4-1 ♠ fit is irrelevant if they are not trumps and declarer will get 4 ♥ tricks.

And what happened at other tables in the Pattaya bridge club? - there were the usual spurious results.

The bottom Lines: -

- If you play negative doubles, then pass with a penalty hand and then pass partner’s anticipated re-opening double.

- If partner opens with a major and RHO overcalls in the other major, then a negative double promises both minors.

- So this double at (2) is lousy because: -

(a) it denies a decent ♥ holding (bid No Trump),

(b) it denies 3 ♠’s (generally raise ♠’s),

(c) it implies a good holding in both minors,

(d) partner cannot possibly pass – he has at most 3 ♥’s.

- In my opinion, five cards in total between ♣’s and ♦’s is not ‘both minors’!

How many ♣’s, and how many ♥’s? Board 9 from Wednesday 30^th

What were your answers to bidding quiz N? N-S here went 4 down in a 5-1 fit when there was a cold slam in another suit!

Dealer: ♠ -

North ♥ AQ752 West North East South

Love all ♦ 86 - 1♣ (1) pass 1♦

♣ AKQ985 2♠ (2) 3♥ (3) pass 3NT (4)

pass 4♥ (5) pass pass (6)

♠ AQJ10643 N ♠ 92

♥ 42 W E ♥ KJ986

♦ 2 S ♦ QJ1093

♣ 643 ♣ 7

♠ K875

♥ 10

♦ AK754

♣ J102

(1) This is surely the best opening, with the plan to reverse into 2♥ followed by another ♥ bid to thus show the strength and shape of the hand. A 2♣ opening is the alternative but I don’t really like that with two-suiters and with just 15 HCP’s.

(2) Weak

(3) A reverse, so promising a good hand with 4 ♥’s and more ♣’s.

(4) So showing the ♠ stop.

(5) This now completely describes North’s hand – a huge hand with 5 ♥’s (and thus 6 ♣’s).

(6) Unfortunately South did not realise this. Since South has shown nothing more than 6 points, a raise to 6♣ is surely in order.

And what happened? Two out of 5 pairs landed up in the rather ungainly 4♥ - going three or four down. Two pairs bid 6♣ and the fifth pair got an average for playing safely in 3♣+4.

The bottom Lines: -

- If you open one of a suit and then bid another suit twice, then that promises 6-5 shape.

- I believe that South got confused because they were playing a short (could be two) ♣.

- But whatever system you play, if you open 1♣ and then reverse then that guarantees 5 ♣’s.

Bidding Quiz Answers

Hand A: Double. Negative, promising values to at least compete at the two level and promising a 4 card major.

Hand B: 3♣. This hand, with its excellent shape and intermediates, is well worth forcing to game. It’s best to show the good 2^nd suit and emphasize the weaknesses in the red suits with a 3♣ bid rather than bidding 3NT. An invitational 2NT is feeble.

Hand C: 4♠. Partner’s 4♥ bid shows 9+ points and 5+ ♥’s, there is no reason not to continue with your plan of showing this good ♠ suit.

Hand D: 3♠. Cue bid the suit opened to set up a game force. 3♦ is a very poor bid as it shows a weak hand. 4♥ is a poor bid because it shows 5 ♥’s. 4♦ is reasonable but not really a good bid as it’s not strictly forcing.

Hand E: 1NT. Showing a ♦ stop, a dislike for ♠’s, and 10-12 points.

Hand F: pass. You are playing Negative Doubles and so cannot double (that would show the minors). You have ♠ support but only invitational values, I think it’s best to pass and then pass partner’s re-opening double for penalties. If partner does not re-open with a double but bids something else (showing a shapely hand not suitable for defending 2♥ doubled) then you can happily bid 4♠. If partner passes then do not play negative doubles with him or find a new partner.

Hand G: 2NT, showing 11-12 and good ♥ stop(s). Passing for penalties is a poor choice.

Hand H: 1NT, 15-18 with a ♥ stop. The great ♥ and ♣ intermediates make this worth 1NT. 2♣ is a reasonable alternative. Double is terrible.

Hand J: 5♦. This is a tricky one. You cannot bid 3♠ or 4♦ as these are non-jumps and show about 0-8 points. 4♠ is a possibility but the 4-3 fit may not play well and partner may not even have 4 ♠’s! The only sensible bid that I can think of is 5♦ or the somewhat nebulous 4♥ cue bid.

Hand K: 3♠, what could be simpler? If you double you will be in a mess when partner bids 4♣/♦ or in a real pickle if he bids 5♣/♦ - you may easily miss a 5-3 ♠ fit.

.

Bidding Sequence Answers

L 1NT pass 4♣ pass 4NT is to play (obviously 2 aces missing). If you want to ask

4♠ pass 4NT for kings, it’s 5♣.

M 2♦ 2NT pass 3♠ (a) If you play systems on here (I do) then 3♠ is a transfer

pass 4♣ to ♣’s and (b) 4♣ is simply doing what partner says to do.

N 1♣ pass 1♦ 2♠ Opener opened with 1♣ and subsequently bid ♥’s twice.

3♥ pass 3NT pass Thus he has 5 ♥’s and more (so 6+) ♣’s.

4♥

P 2♠ dbl pass 3♦ 3♦ is a weak bid (0-8) and non-forcing.

Q 3♣ dbl pass 4♥ 4♥ should be a 5 card suit with 9+ points.

R 1NT pass 2♣ dbl The double of Stayman promises good ♣’s and asks for a ♣ lead.