Our website is www.pattayabridge.com Club News Sheet – No. 342

Our blogsite is www.pattayabridge.wordpress.com

My home phone is 038 422924 and my mobile number is 083 6066880 31^st May 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

Mon25^th 1^st Janne & Paul Q 67% 2^nd Jeremy & Sally 60%

Wed 27^th 1^st Bob P & Nick 61% 2^nd Ivy & Richard M 58%

Fri 29^th 1^st Gene Moats 70% 2^nd Paul Quodomine 58%

	to news-sheet main page
	to Pattaya Bridge home page
	to bridge book reviews	to bridge conventions	to No Trump bidding
	to bridge CD's and computer games and software

Bidding Quiz Standard American bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.

Hand A Hand B With Hand A it’s favourable vulnerability. You open 1♥ and

♠ 7 ♠ 84 LHO overcalls a weak 2♠. This is passed to you, what do you do

♥AQJ97 ♥ AKJ64

♦ K73 ♦ A6 With Hand B it’s again favourable vulnerability. RHO opens 1♥:

♣ AQJ8 ♣ AJ42 (a) What do you bid? Suppose you choose to pass, then LHO

bids 2♦ and RHO bids 2♥, (b) What do you do now?

Hand C Hand D Do you open Hand C in first seat?

♠ 87 ♠ Q1076543

♥ Q1085 ♥ 94

♦ KQ86 ♦ 62 With Hand D partner opens 1♣, what do you do?

♣ KQ4 ♣ J9

Current Championship standings

	Gold Cup = Best 30	Silver Plate = Best 10	Bronze Medal = Best 5
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10	1818.0 Janne Roos 1788.5 Hans Vikman 1775.5 Paul Quodomine	649.2 Janne Roos 639.3 Hans Vikman 636.0 Paul Quodomine 631.5 Sally Watson 615.1 Lars Broman 613.8 Jeremy Watson 611.1 Bob Short 609.2 Jean Wissing 607.6 Per Andersson 600.1 Ivy Schlageter	334.8 Janne Roos 329.0 Hans Vikman 326.9 Paul Quodomine 324.5 Sally Watson 321.7 Bob Short 321.3 Jeremy Watson 321.0 Per Andersson 318.2 Ivy Schlageter 316.1 Lars Broman 315.8 Gene Moats

Editorial

I apologize for the mess in last week’s news-sheet 341; the Dave column questions were copied from the previous news sheet and I forgot to change them. I also made a typing error in one of the bidding sequences. The errors are now corrected and the updated sheet is on the website.

Not a penalty double Board 5 from Friday 29^th

Dealer: ♠ KQ95 Table A

North ♥ Q10973 West North East(B) South

N-S vul ♦ 85 - 1♥ 1NT (1) all pass

♣ KQ

Table B

♠ A763 N ♠ 84 West North East(B) South

♥ 2 W E ♥ AKJ64 - 1♥ pass (1) 2♦ (2)

♦ Q32 S ♦ A6 pass 2♥ (3) pass (4) all pass

♣ 107653 ♣ AJ42

♠ J102

♥ 85

♦ KJ10974

♣ 98

Table A: (1) What did you bid with this East hand B(a) in this week’s quiz? This 1NT overcall is certainly acceptable, the ♥’s are certainly stopped and it is within the 1NT overcall range.

Table B: (1) This East decided to pass and await developments. With length and strength in RHO’s suit, pass is often the best bid and I would not argue with it here.

(2) Obviously South should pass and maybe bid the ♦’s later if necessary. A weak jump shift into 3♦ is also a possibility I suppose but I would like to have seven ♦'s for the 3-level and I would pass.

(3) This is OK unless you have the agreement that a reverse into 2♠ after a two-level response shows shape and not necessarily extra values.

(4) What did you bid with this East hand B(b) in this week’s quiz? Double would be a poor bid as partner will undoubtedly take it as take-out for the black suits. Pass is clearly best now – take the money for a few vulnerable down tricks, and you never know, partner may make a balancing take-out double which you can pass.

And what happened1♥-2, 2♥-3, 1NT(E)=.

The bottom lines: -

- With length and strength in RHO’s opened suit it may be best to pass if 1NT is unattractive.

- At this vulnerability I think that the pass chosen at table B is fine but 1NT is obviously also very acceptable.

Dave’s Column Here is Dave’s 1^st input concerning the play of the hand.

N ♠ 6542 West North East South

W E ♥ - - 1NT pass 2♣

S ♦ AKQ3 pass 2♠ pass 4♠

♣ KJ986 all pass

♠ KJ98

♥ A10542 You are East, on lead against 4♠ by North. You lead the ♦A, K, Q. When

♦ 1065 all follow you have to search for a way to score the setting trick.

♣ Q You know partner must be nearly bust, how should East continue?

Dave’s Column answer Board 13 from Wednesday 27^th

Dealer: ♠ AQ107 Book Auction

North ♥ KQ7 West North East(A) South

Both vul ♦ J72 - 1NT pass 2♣

♣ A107 pass 2♠ pass 4♠

all pass

♠ 3 N ♠ 6542

♥ J9863 W E ♥ -

♦ 984 S ♦ AKQ3 East leads the ♦A, K, Q. When all follow he has

♣ 5432 ♣ KJ986 to search for a way to score the setting trick.

♠ KJ98 How should East continue?

♥ A10542

♦ 1065

♣ Q

Obviously East cannot count on help from West, who must be virtually bust on the bidding.

The ♣K looks attractive, but North would then have made his game easily; ruffing two ♣’s in dummy using the trump suit for communication, and East would never get a ♥ ruff.

East’s best bet is a trump switch; declarer is then helpless. After winning the trump switch North cashed the ♣A and ruffed a ♣. Then he led another trump to his hand to ruff his last ♣ with dummy’s last trump. Stuck in dummy with no trump to lead, declarer had to lead a ♥ and East scored his ruff for one down.

An interesting deal, East having to switch to a trump himself in order to later get a ruff.

And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 4♠-2, 4♠-1 twice, 3♥-1 and 2♦(s)-1.

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

North South You are South, declarer in 4♠. West leads the ♥2, you play

♠ J1098 ♠ AKQ653 low from dummy and East’s ♥J wins. The ♦K comes back,

♥ K1084 ♥ 9 plan the play.

♦ 72 ♦ A65

♣ AQ3 ♣ 742

Dave’s 2^nd Column answer Board 14 from Wednesday 27^th

Dealer: ♠ 72 Book Bidding

East ♥ AJ63 West North East South

Love all ♦ KQ104 - - 1♠ pass

♣ K105 3♠ pass 4♠ all pass

♠ J1098 N ♠ AKQ653

♥ K1084 W E ♥ 9 South leads the ♥2, you play low from dummy

♦ 72 S ♦ A65 and North wins with the ♥J. He shifts to

♣ AQ3 ♣ 742 the ♦K. Plan the play

♠ 4

♥ Q752

♦ J983

♣ J986

You could try the ♣ finesse, but if it loses you are down, losing a ♥, a ♦ and two ♣’s. Is there anything better?

Yes! Just look at those wonderful ♥ spots. Win with the ♦A at trick two, play a ♠ to dummy and play the ♥K. North wins with his ♥A and you ruff high and play another trump to dummy. And lead the ♥10. Instead of ruffing, discard a ♦. South takes this trick with the ♥Q and cashes the ♦J and shifts to a ♣. But you win with the ♣A and discard the remaining ♣ on the established ♥8. You get the remainder on a cross-ruff.

Note that a straightforward dummy reversal is a trick short (4 ♠’s, 3 ♥ ruffs, 1 ♦ and 1 ♣).

And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 4♠= twice and -1 three times.

Paul’s Column

The individual on Friday presented some interesting hands in bidding, play, and defense.

In bidding board 3 stood out for me, partner (R vs W) opens 1♦ in first seat and you hold ♠AKQJ10, ♥x, ♦void, ♣J1087xxx. What is your response? 1♠ or 2♣? I chose 1♠ and after a tortured auction in which I twice rebid in ♣ we arrived in a hopeless 3NT opposite ♠xx, ♥Q10xx, ♦KQxx, ♣KQx. 5♣ was easy. Should partner’s (Hand C) be opened? I think not, it lacks quick tricks or shape. My recommendation would be P, P, 1♣, P, 1♦ or 1♥ depending on style, P, 1♠ (less than a jump shift), P, 2NT, P, 3♠ (5♠ and longer ♣), P, 4♣, P, 5♣.

On board 8 partner opens 1NT (15-17) and you hold:

♠ Qx

♥ AQJ

♦ KQ1073

♣ Kxx

You are always going to slam with this, but decide to check for aces on the way with 4♣. Partner replies 4♦ (0 or 4). This is clearly impossible so you simply bid 6NT, which makes an overtrick when two finesses work. The responses to Gerber, which I know Terry has detailed here in the past, are NOT the same as keycard where a suit has been agreed and the Q of trump as well as a fifth keycard are indicated. They are 4♦=0 or 4, 4♥=1, 4♠=2, 4NT=3.

On board 15 a defender held:

♠ x

♥ K953

♦ KQJ8 And after an opening 1♥ on his left found himself

♣ AJ106 defending 4♠ declared to his right. The dummy was:

♠ Qx On the second round of spades he discarded a small heart allowing declarer,

♥ AJ10xx holding Qx in hearts, to pick up the entire suit via a finesse. This should be

♦ xx fairly easy, discard a ♦ and then a ♣ on the second and third rounds of ♠’s.

♣ KQxx

With the next hand (Hand D) from board 16 this same person responded 1♠ to a 1♣ opening holding:

♠ Q10xxxxx If you play weak jump responses to opening bids this is a fairly clear 2♠

♥ xx response, if you do not it is an equally clear pass.

♦ xx

♣ Jx. Anyway, the opposing side declared in 4♥ from his left and the dummy put down:

♠ Jx

♥ Qxx

♦ J109xx

♣ Axx

His partner led the ♠K which declarer won. Declarer now led the ♦K which his partner won and returned a low ♣, declarer winning in hand with the king. Declarer played ♥K and ♥J (partner ducking both) and without unblocking the diamonds reverted to a spade to the ♠J and this defender’s ♠Q, partner showing out. How difficult is it to return partner’s suit destroying the entry to those diamonds? This person returned a diamond to declarer’s ♦Q and the hand was over.

On board 18 opener held, white vs red:

♠ x A prime 17. His 1♥ opening was overcalled 2♠, P, P, and he chose to bid 3♣!

♥ AQJxx A penalty of 500 or 800 was thus missed by his failure to reopen with a double

♦ Kxx instead netting 430 for 3NT +1 by his partner.

♣ AQJx

Once again, Terry has stated many times over that if playing negative doubles you should strive to reopen with a double if short in the overcalled suit unless you your hand is weak and has unusual shape.

A small play error occurred on board 19, perhaps an oversight, but declarer holding a suit of Axxxx opposite Qx laid down the Ace and then led to the now bare Queen. As the cards lay it didn’t matter but PLEASE, if the King was to his left he could score both the Q and A by leading low first!

Ah, I’m just cranky because I didn’t win!

Paul

Terry comment: But you scored 58% despite your partners!

<end of Paul’s Column>

A re-opening double? Board 18 from Friday 29^th

Dealer: ♠ Q Table A

East ♥ 532 West North East(A) South

N-S vul ♦ A10842 - - 1♥ 2♠ (1)

♣ 7654 pass (2) pass 3♣ (3) pass

3NT (4) all pass

♠ A9852 N ♠ 7

♥ 10 W E ♥AQJ97 Table B

♦ QJ65 S ♦ K73 West North East(A) South

♣ K92 ♣ AQJ8 - - 1♥ 2♠ (1)

♠ KJ10643 pass (2) pass dbl (3) pass

♥ K864 pass (5) all pass

♦ 9

♣ 103

Table A: (1) A weak jump overcall.

(2) At this vulnerability West obviously wants to go for the penalty. So, playing negative doubles, he passes and hopes that partner will re-open with a double.

(3) What did you bid with this East hand A in this week’s quiz? This East decided not to double with a singleton ♠. I don’t like this 3♣ bid– it looks like an overbid to me; and pass is a bit feeble.

(4) Somewhat disappointed that partner could not find the re-opening double, West bids the obvious 3NT.

Table B: (3) This East knows all about the ‘automatic’ re-opening double. Now there are exceptions when you should not double, and a singleton trump is not good, but with this strong trick-taking hand at this vulnerability I think that East should certainly double. After all, if partner has a ♠ stack that’s fine (you don’t mind defending) and if partner bids anything then that is also fine. So double is my answer to question A.

(5) A happy camper.

And what happened? 3NT(W)+1 twice (430) and 2♠*(S)-2 (500). Deep Finesse says that 2♠* can go -3, but -2 was good enough for a clear top.

The bottom lines: -

- Remember the ‘automatic’ re-opening double if you play negative doubles.

- Be more inclined to go for a penalty when opponents are vulnerable and you are not.

Bidding Quiz Answers

Hand A: dbl, ‘automatic’. This is not so obvious with a singleton trump but the vulnerability is right if partner has a penalty hand (quite likely) and you have a good hand for defence. I cannot see that there is really any alternative, 3♣ is an overbid and pass timid; so double and you don’t really mind what partner does. Paul also says dbl in his column.

Hand B: (a) 1NT or pass. This one is close; 1NT is obviously fine but at this vulnerability it may be best to try the infamous ‘trap pass’.

(b) pass. Take the vulnerable money, dbl would be take-out for the black suits.

Hand C: Paul says pass. Terry says it’s 20 for the rule of 20, with points in the long suits, so 1♦ is acceptable (Paul and I do not always agree!).

Hand D: Paul says 2♠ if you play weak jump shifts, else pass. I agree, 1♠ is asking for trouble.