Our website is www.pattayabridge.com                             Club News Sheet – No. 312

Our blogsite is www.pattayabridge.wordpress.com                                 

My home phone is 038 422924 and my mobile number is 083 6066880              2nd Nov 2008

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 27th     N-S      1st  Alain & Jean-Charles      59%       2nd Frode & Johan                   58%

                    E-W     1st   Bob S & Gerard             64%       2nd Guttorm & Tomas              60%

Wed 29th     N-S      1st  Phil & Tomas                  60%       2nd Wolfgang & Bob                59%

                    E-W     1st   Hans V & Janne              60%       2nd Gerard & Terry                 57%

Fri 31st        N-S      1st  Alain & Jean-Charles      53%       2nd Guttorm & Tomas              52%

                    E-W     1st   Gerard & Lewis              61%       2nd Dave & Royd                    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 and you raise to 2. Partner then

bids 3 (a help-suit-game try), what do you bid? 3 or 4?

J75               QJ8                     

K73              AKJ86

A2                AQ              With Hand B you choose to open 1 and partner bids 2,

87542          962              what do you do?

                       

     
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Editorial

The numbers have been very good for the off season, 10 tables on Wednesday was certainly a record for this time of year. It seems that our policy of keeping it a friendly club and throwing out rude/arrogant players is paying off. I got a nice e-mail from “John from Bangkok” – it said … ‘I would also like to join the Club, as I think it is very professionally run and has a nice atmosphere with pleasant people.’…

And that is just how Dave and I intend to keep it. Aggressive troublemakers, no matter how good a player they think they are, will continue to get banned. The club rules are quite clear and up on the site. For example, psyching is not allowed. There was a case where a player psyched two hands in a row; he was suspended and later permanently expelled for his subsequent rude behavior. Dave and I will continue to keep our club a friendly one.

I have recently received some interesting conventions from Paul Quodomine and Janne Roos (thank you both) and they are now on the website in the conventions section. I find Paul’s ‘Walsh notrump responses’ very interesting if you do not play 4-way transfers and Paul's ‘two-way game tries’ are also interesting for more advanced players. Janne’sSweedish responses to 1NT’ is probably only of interest to those from Sweden.


The Club Championships

Here are the latest standings in the club competitions. The big move this week was Lewis entering the Gold cup at position 4.

 

 

Gold Cup = Best 30

Silver Plate = Best 10

Bronze Medal = Best 5

 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

 

1872.8 Hans Vikman

1841.7 Dave Cutler

1831.9 Sally Watson

1803.4 Lewis Berg

1801.3 Janne Roos

1797.4 Bob Pelletier

1782.5 Ivy Schlageter

1727.5 Jan v Koss

 

672.7 Hans Vikman

663.6 Sally Watson

661.8 Dave Cutler

661.1 Jeremy Watson

647.2 Lewis Berg

643.4 Lars Gustafsson

642.7 Ivy Schlageter

636.4 Janne Roos

636.1 Bob Pelletier

634.3 Derek & Gerard

 

 

347.2 Hans Vikman

342.3 Dave Cutler

341.1 Jeremy Watson

341.1 Sally Watson

336.9 Lars Gustafsson

335.3 Ivy Schlageter

334.0 Lewis Berg 

328.5 Derek & Gerard

327.4 Tomas Wikman

326.2 Bob Pelletier

 

 

 

That 4333 shape again                                         Board 7 from Monday 27th

 

Dealer:             K987                                          Table A

South               743                                             West          North         East          South(A)

both vul            A10                                           -                 -                 pass         1NT

                        Q632                                         pass           2             pass         2

pass           2NT   (2)    all pass

Q10654              N             3                          

AJ63              W    E          98                        Sensible Table

K82                    S              J9643                   West          North         East          South(C)

J                                         A10987                -                 -                 pass         1   (1)

                        AJ2                                             1              1NT           all pass

KQ105                                     

Q75                                          

K54                                          

               

Table A:     (1)  What did you open with this South hand A in this week’s quiz? This player decided not to deduct a point for 4333.

(2)  This looks right, even with good intermediates 3NT is an overbid.

Table B:     (1)  This South knows all about how bad the 4333 type shape is.

 

And what happened? N-S have a combined 24 points with decent intermediates, yet 1NT is the limit on the hand! 4333 type shape is lousy and it was no good in this NoTrump contract.

The bottom lines: -

-     Deduct a point for the totally flat 4333 type shape.


Michaels can be strong                                       Board 20 from Wednesday 29th

 

Dealer:             KQ987                                       Table A

West                KJ                                              West          North         East          South

both vul            J974                                           pass           1              4    (1)    4

                        A10                                            pass           pass           5           all pass

 

1054                   N             A                          Table B

109                 W    E          AQ86543            West          North         East          South

KQ83                 S              -                           pass           1              2    (1)    pass

J762                                   KQ943                2NT (2)      pass           3    (3)    pass

                        J632                                           4   (4)      pass           6   (5)    all pass

72                                             

A10652                                            

85                                             

 

Table A:     (1)  This looks reasonable; some simply overcalled 2 and came in again later.

Table B:     (1)  This East chose a different route. This pair play Michaels cue bids as either weak or very strong, clearly this is a rare example of the latter type. It may be better to bid the ’s with this hand, but this choice of Michaels turned out very well.

(2)   Asking for partner’s minor. This bid generally shows shortage and both minor suits, as with this hand.

(3)   Showing the very strong Michaels type hand.

(4)   West can do no more than bid his cheapest minor.

(5)   Knowing that partner has 4+ ’s and that the finesse, if needed, is probably right, East bid the reasonable slam.

 

And what happened? 6 is the best spot and scored a top. 5 was bid and doubled twice and came in second place when it made exactly. 5 made +1 but scored badly, but it did beat the E-W pair who allowed N-S to play in 4 undoubled -2.

The bottom lines: -

-         My style is to play Michaels and Unusual NT as weak or else very strong.

-     With a hand like this East, don’t let the opponents play in 4!

 

 

 

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

 

North               South                       You are South, declarer in 4 and West leads the Q,

J75               KQ1096               plan the play.

K73              A862

A2                54

87542          AK

                                                                 

                             


Dave’s Column answer                      Board 19 from Wednesday 29th  

     

Dealer:             J75                                             West          North(A)    East            South

East                  K73                                            -                 -                 pass           1

Both vul            A2                                             pass           2              pass           3  (1)

                        87542                                        pass           4    (2)      all pass

                                             

A832                  N             4                     (1)  A help suit game try

Q5                W      E          J1094             (2)  What did you bid with this North hand A

QJ1063              S              K987                   in this week’s quiz? With a near maximum

93                                      QJ106                  and the useful K, North should accept the

                        KQ1096                                     invitation and bid 4.

A862                                  

54                                   West leads the Q, how should South play the hand?

AK                    

 

Most South’s took the A, cashed the A,K and led a 3rd intending to ruff the 4th if necessary. West threw one on the third and his last when East forced dummy to ruff the 4th . When North led a trump next, West took the A led a to East’s K and ruffed the return for one down.

The best play is to cash the A,K before starting the ’s and the contract then makes.

And what happened at the Pattaya Bridge Club? Only three out of ten pairs reached 4 and just one made it. A few people made 10 tricks but they were not in game.

 

The bottom lines

-         This South hand is worth a try after partner supports, and a 3 help suit game try is best. This also has the advantage of uncovering a possible 4-4 fit should North be maximum with 4 ’s.

-         This North hand, with 8 points, decent shape, and the K which is known to be a good card (after the help suit game try) should accept despite the relatively poor trumps.

 

 

 

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

 

West                East                      You are East, declarer in 4 and South leads a after

J32               KQ765             North had opened with 1. Plan the play.

7654             A8             

AQ               K32           

Q765           KJ4

 


Dave’s 2nd Column answer              Board 21 from Wednesday 29th 

     

Dealer:             A9                                              West          North         East            South

East                  KQJ93                                       -                 1              1              pass

Both vul            J54                                             2              pass           2NT (1)      pass

                        A109                                          4    (2)      all pass

                                             

J32                     N             KQ765           (1)  A game try showing a control.

7654             W      E          A8                  (2)  This is similar to the last hand. Here West has

AQ                     S              K32                      similar poor trumps but he has no wasted

Q765                                 KJ4                      values and with max values he should accept.

                        1086                                          

102                                      You (East) win the opening lead, plan the

109876                                 play.

832                   

 

Declarer must lose the A. A and one . The danger is losing a 2nd trump trick when the ’s are breaking favourably. Some East’s failed when they played the K at trick two; North won and continued ’s, Whether declarer ruffs the 3rd round high or low he must lose a trick to South’s 10.

It is no better for declarer if he starts with a low trump to the J and A. Two rounds of ’s again promote South’s 10.

To Avoid the trump promotion, declarer must cross to dummy in ’s to lead the first through North. If North wins to play ’s declarer can ruff the 3rd round high and draw the outstanding trumps with his remaining honour and dummy’s J. If North ducks the first declarer should return to dummy with another and lead a 2nd through North. North is marked with the outstanding high cards on the auction, but even without this clue, the missing trump intermediates should alert you to the possibility of a trump promotion.

And what happened at the Pattaya Bridge Club? Only two E-W’s bid game and they both went minus one. Four East’s made 10 tricks in 2 or 3.

 

The bottom lines

-         This East hand is worth a try for game after partner supports.

-         This West hand, with 9 points, with no wasted values in ’s, should accept despite the relatively poor trumps.

 


Bid game or just try?                                                 Board 1 from Friday 31st   

 

Dealer:             QJ8                                            Table A

North               AKJ86                                       West          North(B)    East          South

Love all            AQ                                             -                 1      (1)    pass         2    (2)

                        962                                            pass           4      (3)    all

 

A1032                N             654                       Table B

Q105              W    E          94                        West          North(B)    East          South

K965                  S              J108                     -                 1              pass         2  (2)

A5                                      QJ1087                pass           2    (3)      pass         3  (4)

                        K97                                            all pass

732                                           

7432                                         

K43                                          

               

Table A:     (1)  A 1NT opening is the alternative.

                  (2)  This South hand is barely worth a response (knock off a point for 4333 type) but it does have two kings.

                  (3)  What did you bid with this North hand B in this week’s quiz? This hand is only good enough to invite and 4 is an overbid.

Table B:     (2)  This South also chose to respond.

(3)   This North got question B right – a help suit game try.

(4)   South does have help in ’s, but with miserable trumps and the horrid 3343 shape he sensibly declined the game invitation

 

And what happened? 4 went -3! 3 made once and went -1 once. Two North’s opened 1NT and played there making and making +1. The others stopped in 1 or 2.

The bottom lines: -

-         Deduct a point for the totally flat 4333 type shape.

-         If you open with +- 16 points and partner supports your major, then make a game try – it’s not enough for game opposite a minimal response.

 

 

 

 

Bidding Quiz Answers

 

Hand A:    4. On the minus side the trumps are poor. On the plus side you are near maximum in points, have decent shape, and the all important K which you know is a good card after the help-suit game try. The plusses outweigh the minuses and you should bid game.

Hand B:     2. A help-suit game try. It’s not good enough for 4.

 

       

 Ron Klinger web site