Mon 16th 1st Bob Short 60% 2nd
Wed 18th 1st Peter & Robbie 58 % 2nd Janne & Terry 56%
Fri 20th 1st Robbie Georges - 2nd
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Bidding Quiz Stand
American bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.
♠ AK5 ♠ A
♥
K3 ♥ AK7432 (a) What do you open with Hand B?
♦ Q863 ♦ 4 (b) Suppose you open 1♥ and partner bids 2♥, what do
♣ Q754 ♣ AK964 you
bid?
Hand C Hand D With Hand C partner opens 1♠ and you bid 2♣. Partner
now bids 2NT, what do
you bid?
♠ K108 ♠ Q10986
♥ 92 ♥ Q1087 With Hand D partner
opens 1♣ and you bid 1♠. What do
♦ A92 ♦ K1075 you do if (a)
partner bids 2♠, or (b) partner bids 1NT?
♣
KJ953 ♣ -
Hand E Hand F With Hand E partner opens 1♣, what do you bid.
♠ Q83 ♠ Q96
♥ A103 ♥
Q4 With
hand F RHO opens 1♣ and LHO bids 1♦. Partner
♦ 86 ♦ Q764 doubles this and it’s passed round to you, what do you do?
♣
KQJ32 ♣ Q643
Bidding Sequence Quiz
G 1♠ 2♣ pass pass What sort of hand does the 2♥ bid show?
2♥
H 1♠ 2♣ pass pass What is the double? Penalties or take-out?
2♥ 3♣
J 1♦ 1♠ 3♥ 3♠ What is the double? Penalties or “up to you, partner”?
4♥ pass pass 4♠
Hand Evaluation Board 25 from Monday 16th
Dealer: ♠ J1072 Table A
North ♥
72 West(E) North East South
E-W vul ♦ KQ953 - pass 1♣ pass
♣
76 2NT (1) pass pass (2) pass
♠ Q83
N ♠ A95 Table B
♥ A103
W E ♥ KJ4 West(E) North East South
♣
KQJ32 ♣ 9854 3NT all pass
♠
K64
♥ Q9865
♦ 742
And what happened? 2NT made +3 and 3NT made +1
The bottom lines: -
-
When evaluating your hand, do not just add up the
points – adjust upwards for long suits and especially for long suits with
points. KQJxx is a big plus.
Don’t pass partner’s take-out double Board 27 from Monday 16th
Dealer: ♠ Q96 West North(F) East South
South ♥
Q4 - - - pass
Love all ♦ Q764 1♣ pass 1♦
♣
Q643 pass pass (2) pass
♠ K84 N ♠ AJ (1) A reasonable double, showing both majors.
♥ 1082 W E ♥ K953 (2) What did you bid with
this North hand F in
♣
AK102 ♣ 875 course
and 2♠ is very clear. North tried to
♠
107532 explain
his pass by saying that he was only
♥ AJ76 3-2
in the majors. Nobody was
listening.
♦ A9
♣ J9
And what happened? 1♦* made +1. At the other table N-S bid sensibly
to 2♠ making.
The bottom lines: -
- Do not pass partner’s take-out double without
excellent trumps; Qxxx is not excellent.
Too high Board 9 from Monday 16th
Both pairs got (inexplicably to me) too high on this Monday hand. I
think the bidding was the same at both tables.
Dealer: ♠ A97 West(C) North East South
North ♥
K765 - pass 1♠ pass
E-W vul ♦ 763 2♣ pass 2NT (1) pass
♣
Q42 4♠ (2) all
pass
♠ K108
N ♠ QJ642 (1) This is fine, showing
a balanced hand
♥ 92 W E ♥ QJ4 with 5♠’s and 12-14 points.
♣
KJ953 ♣ A8 this week’s quiz?
This 4♠ bid, chosen at
♠
53
both tables, is not fine. The hand is only
♥ A1083
worth a raise to 3♠.
♦ QJ108
♣ 1076
And what happened? 4♠ went one down at both tables.
The bottom lines: - a balanced 11 point hand with just 3 trumps is only
worth a limit raise.
10 Playing T
Both pairs failed to bid slam on this board from Monday.
Dealer: ♠ K64 West North East South(B)
South ♥
QJ5 - - - 1♥ (1)
Both vul ♦ QJ10875 pass 2♥ pass 4♥ (2)
♣
10 pass pass (3) pass
♠ 973
N ♠ QJ10852 (1) What did you open with
this South hand
♥ 1086 W E ♥ 9 B(a) in this week’s quiz? I am not a great
♣
853 ♣ QJ72 hand,
with 10
playing t
♠
A
strong for just 1♥. 2♣ is the bid.
♥ AK7432 (2) What did you bid with
this South hand
♦ 4 B(b) in this week’s quiz? Having failed to
♣ AK964 open 2♣ you have to make amends now.
4♦ (a splinter) is possible
but I prefer 3♣
- a
help suit game try that is actually a help-suit slam try. With a maximum and a ♣ singleton North
would accept and South can then bid 6♥. This actual 4♥ bid shows a
balanced 18-19 and is a gross underbid.
And what happened? 5♥+1 and 4♥=.
Slam is easy of course, simply ruff two clubs and 12 t
The bottom lines: -
-
do not open 1♥ with an 18 point 10
playing t
-
If you are looking for slam after 1♥ - 2♥, use the help-suit
game try as a slam try.
-
Note that the ♠K is superfluous, this South hand needed just the ♥Qxx to make slam.
Right strain and level Board 24 from
Monday 16th
The aim of good bidding is to reach a final contract in the right
strain (suit or NoTrumps) and at the right level. On this deal from Monday both
pairs got it ˝ right.
Dealer: ♠ AK5 Table A
West ♥
K3 West North(A) East South(D)
Love all ♦ Q863 pass 1♣ (1) pass 1♠
♣
Q754 pass 2♠ (2) pass 4♠ (3)
all pass
♠ 74
N ♠ J32
♥ A95
W E ♥ J642 Table B
♣
K1086 ♣ AJ932 pass 1♣ (1) pass 1♠
♠
Q10986 pass 1NT (2) pass pass (4)
♥ Q1087 pass
♦ K1075
And what happened? 1NT and 4♠ both went -1. So one pair stayed low but were
in the wrong strain (NT instead of ♦’s
or ♠’s) and the other pair were in the right strain
(♠’s) but too high. Deep Finesse says that 4♦ and 3♠
make by N-S; the ♠ contract scores more.
The bottom lines: -
-
With a balanced hand, bid NoTrumps rather than
supporting with just 3 cards.
- A void in partner’s 1st bid suit
is not a great asset.
Dave’s Column Here is this week’s Dave
input involving the play of the hand.
West East You are West, declarer in 6♥. North leads the ♠Q.
♠ A ♠ 84 Can
you see what your best play is? Trumps break 2-1.
♥ KJ1065 ♥ AQ987
♣
AJ1052 ♣ 843
Dave’s Column
answer Board
16 from Wednesday 18th
Dealer: ♠ QJ1097 West North East South
West ♥ 3 1♥ pass 4♥ pass
E-W vul ♦ 972 6♥ all pass
♣ KQ96
This is a typical
recognition problem. Losers
♠ A N ♠ 84 in only one suit - ♣’s, a strong trump
holding
♥ KJ1065
W E ♥ AQ987 on both sides, and
two other side suits that
♠ K6532 You must end up
in dummy when leading a ♣
♥
42 and
you must remain with trumps in both
♦ Q10843 hands. Cross to a trump at t
♣ 7
a ♠, next play ♦AK and ruff a ♦ and then draw
the last trump ending in dummy.
If you
♠ J10 draw the 2nd trump before you ruff the ♦ you
♥ - will find yourself
short a trump and will be
♦ - unable
to execute the strip.
♣ KQ96 This is the position having stripped the
hand and pulled the last
trump, ending in
♠ - N ♠ - dummy. Lead a ♣.
If South follows with a
♥ K W E ♥ Q98 low
♣ insert the ♣10 (or ♣J) and North,
♠ K65 lead a ♠ and you throw a ♣ from dummy.
♥
-
♦ Q10
And what happened at the Pattaya Bridge Club? 5♥+1 (when North decided to lead the ♣K),
6♥-1
(declarer drew trumps prematurely) and 4♠*
by North -1 for an average.
West North East South This was the bidding at another table. What was
1♥ 1♠ 3♥ 3♠ your answer to bidding sequence question J?
Hand B: (a) 2♣ (or your strongest bid). This hand, with 18
points, 10 playing t
(b) 3♣, a help suit game try (which is actually a
help-suit slam try to find out if partner is maximum or not). A 4♦ splinter is a reasonable alternative. 6♥ also has its merits – partner need very little
for 6♥ to make; and 5♥ is also reasonable I suppose. 4♥,
showing a balanced 18-19, is not reasonable as it does not do justice to the
hand and partner may well pass when slam is cold (he did and it was).
Hand D: (a) 3♠, it’s not good enough to bid game.
(b) 2♥. 2♦
is not a good choice as a ♥ fit will get lost.
Pass is not reasonable with this shapely hand which is bound to play better in
a major.
Hand E: 3NT. This hand, with a great
5-card suit, is far too good for a modest 2NT. If you play Inverted Minors then
2♣ (forcing) would be fine.
Bidding Sequence Quiz
G 1♠ 2♣ pass pass 2♥ shows a weakish
distributional opener that does not
2♥ wish to defend 2♣ doubled.
H 1♠ 2♣ pass pass Double
is 100% penalties – it is a hand that was
2♥ 3♣
J 1♦ 1♠ 3♥ 3♠ Double
here is penalties, showing a desire to defend 4♠
4♥ pass pass 4♠ doubled rather than
press on to 5♥. A pass would be
So it’s not the double that says “up to you, partner”,
but the (forcing) pass.