Our website is www.pattayabridge.com Club News Sheet – No. 344

Our blogsite is www.pattayabridge.wordpress.com

My home phone is 038 422924 and my mobile number is 083 6066880 14^th June 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 8^th 1^st Karl & Rodion 64% 2^nd Jeremy & Sally 60%

Wed 10^th 1^st Karl & Jan 69% 2^nd Alan K & Michael C 63%

Fri 12^th 1^st Karl & Jan 61% 2^nd Arne & Terje 59%

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Bidding Quiz Standard American bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.

Hand A Hand B With hand A it is favourable vulnerability and RHO opens 1♠

in 3^rd seat, what do you bid?

♠ 95 ♠ 8

♥ A8732 ♥ AKQ1076 (a) At favourable vulnerability, what do you open with Hand B?

♦ A8 ♦ 108 (b) Suppose you choose 2♥ and partner bid 2NT, Ogust. What

♣ KQ63 ♣ 9863 is your response?

Hand C Hand D With Hand C everybody is vulnerable. You pass as dealer and

LHO opens 1♣. Partner makes a weak 2♠ jump overcall and

♠ 965 ♠ 5432 RHO doubles (negative), what do you do?

♥ AJ6 ♥ 1052

♦ K7654 ♦ A743 With Hand D LHO opens 1♦ and partner doubles.

♣ 92 ♣ 95 (a) What do you bid if RHO passes?

(b) What do you bid if RHO bid 2♦?

Bidding Sequence Quiz

E 1♦ dbl pass 1♠ How strong is the 1♠ bid?

F 1♦ dbl 2♦ 2♠ How strong is the 2♠ bid?

G 1♣ dbl redbl 1♦

pass 1♥ pass pass

dbl What is this double?

	Gold Cup = Best 30	Silver Plate = Best 10	Bronze Medal = Best 5
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10	1821.6 Janne Roos 1788.5 Hans Vikman 1784.6 Paul Quodomine 1759.6 Sally Watson	649.2 Janne Roos 639.3 Hans Vikman 636.2 Paul Quodomine 628.8 Sally Watson 616.9 Jeremy Watson 615.1 Lars Broman 611.1 Bob Short 609.2 Jean Wissing 609.0 Ivy Schlageter 607.6 Per Andersson	334.8 Janne Roos 329.0 Hans Vikman 326.9 Paul Quodomine 324.5 Sally Watson 321.8 Ivy Schlageter 321.7 Bob Short 321.3 Jeremy Watson 321.0 Per Andersson 316.1 Lars Broman 315.8 Gene Moats

The Tripple

Congratulations to Karl Buelens who achieved the elusive triple last week, actually having won four times in a row. I also note that Jan V Koss is making an impressive impact after his 6 month sabbatical.

Ogust responses Board 9 from Monday 8^th

Dealer: ♠ 8 Table A

North ♥ AKQ1076 West North(B) East South

E-W vul ♦ 108 - 2♥ (1) pass 2NT (2)

♣ 9863 pass 3♠ (3) pass 4♥ (4)

all pass

♠ Q10 N ♠ J542

♥ 85 W E ♥ 942 Table B

♦ AQ9763 S ♦ J54 West North(B) East South

♣ Q105 ♣ J42 - 3♥ (1) pass 4♥

all pass

♠ AK9763

♥ J3

♦ K2

♣ AK7

Table A: (1) What did you open with this North hand B(a) in this week’s quiz? 2♥ is obviously fine.

(2) Ogust enquirey.

(3) What did you bid with this North hand B(b) in this week’s quiz? This 3♠ response shows a maximum with points in the suit, but actually there is a specific response to show AKQxxx – 3NT.

(4) It made no difference as South is always bidding 4♥ opposite a maximum with good ♥’s.

Table B: (1) This North decided to open 3♥ because he also had a 4-card suit, this is also obviously fine.

And what happened? 6♥= (Sally of course), 4♥+1 three times, 5♠+1 and 3NT+1.

The bottom lines: -

- Playing Ogust, the 3NT response shows exactly AKQxxx

4-4 is better than 5-3 Board 11 from Monday 8^th

N-S got a poor score at this table, who would you blame?

Dealer: ♠ AQJ84

South ♥ 5 West North East South

Love all ♦ KQ74 - - - 1♦ (1)

♣ 983 2NT (2) 3♠ (3) 4♥ 4♠

5♣ 5♦ (4) pass 5♠ (5)

♠ 9 N ♠ 10532 all pass

♥ K10987 W E ♥ J632

♦ 3 S ♦ A985

♣ KQJ1042 ♣ 5

♠ K76

♥ AQ4

♦ J1062

♣ A76

(1) Promising 4+ ♦’s playing a short ♣.

(2) Unusual, showing ♣’s and ♥’s.

(3) There are more sophisticated defenses to the Unusual NoTrump (Unusual over Unusual) but this North clearly meant 3♠ as forcing.

(4) This looks like a very sensible bid to me – inform partner of the 4- ♦ fit.

(5) Why on earth South decided to remove a 4-4 fit into a 5-3 fit is totally beyond my comprehension.

And what happened? At the end of the game South blamed North, saying that she should pass and he would double 5♣. This is total nonsense of course as East would bid 5♥ which goes just one down. 5♦ is the optimum contract once West has bid 5♣ (and not allowed North to play in 4♠); North bid it and South blew it.

Results were 2h*(E)+1, 5♠(N)-3, 4♠(N)+1, 4♠(N)= twice, and 5♥*(W)-1.

So to answer the question (who’s fault), South is 100% to blame. He tried to argue his way out of it but he does not have a leg to stand on.

The bottom lines: -

- 5-3 fits can play well (sometimes better than 4-4) but that is only when the hand with 3 trumps can ruff something. This South hand, with absolutely no ruffing power, should play in the 4-4♦ fit and thus be able to get two discards on the ♠ suit. Deep Finesse says that good defence will get a ♠ ruff but 5♦ still makes and that 5♠ cannot make.

After a redouble Board 25 from Wednesday 10^th

Dealer: ♠ Q863

South ♥ J85 West North East South

E-W vul ♦ AQJ7 - - - 1♣

♣ 97 dbl (1) redbl (2) 1♦ pass

1♥ pass (3) pass dbl (4)

♠ A107 N ♠ 95 pass pass 2♣ pass

♥ AQ10763 W E ♥ 4 pass dbl (5) all pass

♦ 4 S ♦ K9653

♣ K42 ♣ J10863

♠ KJ42

♥ K92

♦ 1082

♣ AQ5

(1) I would never dream of doubling with this hand, a 1♥ overcall is obvious, but then there would be no story to tell.

(2) Showing the balance of power and looking for a penalty.

(3) Showing an inability to double ♥’s (and so by inference showing ♠’s).

(4) What would you bid here? This South thought that his double was showing ♠’s. It is not, it is penalties. 1♠ is the obvious bid.

(5) North had no idea what was going on; the auction is forcing and he chose to double, in hindsight 2♠ would have worked better.

And what happened? 2♣*+1 scores a clear top for E-W. The bottom lines: -

- After a redouble, all subsequent doubles are for penalties.

- After the hand, South asked how he could show ♠’s at (4). He was told ‘bid them’.

A free bid Board 23 from Wednesday 10^th

Dealer: ♠ A109 West North East South

South ♥ AKJ876 - - - pass

both vul ♦ - 1♦ dbl (1) 2♦ 2♠ (2)

♣ KJ74 3♦ 3♥ (3) pass pass

4♦ 4♠ (4) all pass

♠ KQJ N ♠ 876

♥ - W E ♥ Q943 (1) Unlike the previous West hand, this is just

♦ KQJ102 S ♦ 9865 about good enough to double and then bid ♥’s

♣ Q10863 ♣ A2 (2) What did you bid with this South hand D(b) in

♠ 5432 this week’s quiz? 2♠ is totally absurd and pass

♥ 1052 is obvious; perhaps South was dazzled by the

♦ A743 length and strength of this solid ♠ suit?

♣ 95 (3) Showing a strong hand with ♥’s

(4) Since partner did not like ♥’s he must have very good ♠’s?

And what happened? 4♠-5 was 500 away for a complete bottom.

The bottom lines: -

- A free bid at the two level shows at least a good 7+ points and a good suit.

- I do not call ♠5432 a good suit.

- You are not obliged to respond to a take-out double if RHO bids, to do so shows values.

Paul’s Column

Board 15 from Wednesday 10^th

Dealer: ♠ QJ8763

South ♥ K64 West North East(A) South

N-S vul ♦ KQJ - - - pass

♣ 7 pass 1♠ pass (1) pass

dbl (2) pass 2♥ (3) 2♠

♠ A42 N ♠ 95 pass pass 3♣ (4) all pass

♥ Q10 W E ♥ A8732

♦ 1052 S ♦ A8

♣ A10982 ♣ KQ63

♠ K10

♥ J95

♦ 97643

♣ J54

(1) What did you bid with this East hand A in this week’s quiz? There are at least three unattractive alternatives.  2♥, which I think is a poor bid on this suit; 2♠ (Michaels), which is even worse; double and squirm over partner's 2♦ bid; or pull the much underused green card and see what develops.  LHO has yet to make a call. 

(2) What would you bid here?  My personal choice would be 2♣, with double ruled out by shortage in hearts and a slightly under-strength 1NT balance a possibility.  Partner actually doubled which is not a good action with only two of the unbid major.  Three to an honor would be acceptable. 

(3) I produced a very quiet 2♥ as partner was balancing.

(4) And we thus reached the optimal contract for us. 

If I had overcalled 2♥ at (1) partner would have been fully justified in raising to 3♥ with two aces and ♥Q10 in support.  I feel strongly that two level overcalls show a good suit or extra length.  They should not be made on moderately balanced hands of intermediate strength with modest suits.  How many times has Terry written about re-opening doubles when the overcaller goes for 1100 against no game when overcalling 2♥ on hands like this?

The play also had some interest.  Winning the ♠ lead with the A I drew one round of trump with the K and led a ♥ to the ♥10 losing to the ♥K.  Back came the ♦K won by the ♦A.  Now the ♣A revealing the 3-1 break with RHO showing out, and clearing the ♥Q I led the third round of ♣’s to my ♣Q.  This allowed two ♦ discards from dummy when hearts broke 3-3 and thus 11 tricks.  The key was preserving an entry in trump, something players often overlook.  Clearing the trumps prematurely with ♣K, Q, and a third to the ♣A would leave the hearts blocked.

Terry’s comment: Had East overecalled 2♥ and West raised to 3♥ does this make? The defence cannot do everything (set up a ♠ ruff, set up a ♣ ruff and establish a ♦). Declarer can lead a ♥ to the ♥10 at the first opportunity and clear trumps ASAP and then the ♣’s are good. Depending upon the defence it might even make 10 tricks.

Paul Again: 3♥, as the cards lie, would indeed work.  But if the hearts were banked to the left it could be poor compared with 3♣.  Playing in a major 5-2 as opposed to a minor 5-4 may sometimes work but it is generally to be avoided.

Terry’s comment: I agree, 3♣ is indeed the safest contract.

Paul’s 2^nd Column

Board 27 from Wednesday 10^th

I might as well castigate myself for my glaring error on this deal. I was North.

Dealer: ♠ A843

South ♥ 932 West North East South

Love all ♦ - - - - 1♠

♣ AQJ874 2♦ 3♦ (1) 3♥ 4♠

5♦ 6♣ (2) pass pass (3)

♠ Q62 N ♠ J all pass

♥ A7 W E ♥ QJ10864

♦ KQ87432 S ♦ 965

♣ 2 ♣ 963

♠ K10975

♥ K5

♦ AJ10

♣ K105

(1) What would you bid here?  My choices were 3♣, 3♦, and 4♦.  I think in retrospect 4♦ might have been best but chose 3♦ (limit raise OR BETTER). 

(2) Another tricky bidding problem. I bid 6♣ trusting partner to have a heart control and trying for a grand slam opposite something like ♠KQxxx ♥Axx ♦Qxx ♣Kx. 

(3) 6♠ is better as it protects the ♥K.

A diamond was led and I won pitching a heart from hand and set about drawing trump with LHO having 3 and RHO a singleton.  If the spades could be brought in I'd get another heart discard and make this.  So how do you play the spades?  Any 2-2 will see you home and a 3-1 with a singleton honor will if you take the right line.  I screwed it up.  LHO had shown 3 ♣’s, a heart suit, and surely at least 3 ♦’s, so it was THAT hand that was likely to hold a singleton spade (in this case the ♠J) but I started spades with the ace having a fixation on RHO's having spade shortness.  I had succumbed to a fixation and failed to allow for the clues derived from the play.  Starting with a spade to the king, noting the J from LHO and assuming restricted choice I could finesse the 10 on the way back and pick up the suit.  The only case that mattered was when spades were 3-1 and figuring out who was more likely to hold three!

Terry’s Comment. Looks like everybody got the ♠’s wrong. 4♠ by South was played three times and everybody made just 11 tricks. A ♠ contract looks a bit safer to me as the (obvious?) ♥Q is a killer if North is declarer. And note that had Paul indeed splintered with 4♦ to show ♦ shortage then an astute East would not lead a ♦.

<end of Paul’s Columns>

Raise partner’s pre-empt Board 13 from Monday 8^th

Dealer: ♠ 965

North ♥ AJ6 West North(C) East South

Both vul ♦ K7654 - pass 1♣ 2♠ (1)

♣ 92 dbl (2) pass (3) 3♣ pass

pass pass (4)

♠ Q3 N ♠ 74

♥ K872 W E ♥ Q94

♦ A1098 S ♦ Q32

♣ 1063 ♣ AKQ54

♠ AKJ1082

♥ 1053

♦ J

♣ J87

(1) At unfavourable vulnerability opposite a passed partner, this hand is fine for a weak jump overcall.

(2) Negative, showing 4 ♥’s.

(3) What did you bid with this North hand C in this week’s quiz? I always raise partner’s pre-empt when holding three trumps and would do so here.

(4) A balancing 3♠ is called for, but he should have bid it last go.

And what happened? 3♣ making turned out to be OK for N-S, but not as good as 3♠ making or pushing the opponents up a level!

The bottom lines: -

- I suspect that North did not bid 3♠ because of the vulnerability. But bridge is a partnership game and South would not have bid 2♠ without a hand about this good.

- I am in the middle of reading the book “Murder at the Bridge Table” by Matthew Granovetter. He gives a huge number of good bridge tips and on page 48 under the title “Don’t let partner’s pre-empt go to waste” he says “Many pre-empts are squandered by partners who wont raise with three trumps. The fact is you should always raise partner’s pre-empt with three card support, regardless of the strength of your hand!”

- I (Terry) totally agree.

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

♠ AKQ102 West North East South

♥ K3 1♥ 1♠ 1NT pass

♦ 98 2♦ pass 3♥ pass

♣ J954 4♥ all pass

N ♠ 97653 You are North and lead two top ♠’s, declarer ruffing the

W E ♥ Q2 second with the ♥8 and plays ♣A,K and a ♣ ruff with the ♥Q,

S ♦ AQJ4 partner playing high-low standard count. The ♥2 is led from

♣ 32 dummy, partner plays the ♥4 and you win with the ♥K.

What do you lead now?

Dave’s Column answer Board 24 from Wednesday 10^th

Dealer: ♠ AKQ102 Book Auction

West ♥ K3 West North East South

Love all ♦ 98 1♥ 1♠ 1NT pass

♣ J954 2♦ pass 3♥ (1) pass

4♥ all pass

♠ J N ♠ 97653

♥ AJ1098 W E ♥ Q2 (1) The book admits to this being a dubious bid

♦ K532 S ♦ AQJ4

♣ AK6 ♣ 32

♠ 84

♥ 7654 You are North and lead two top ♠’s, declarer ruffing the

♦ 1076 second with the ♥8 and plays ♣A,K and a ♣ ruff with the ♥Q,

♣ Q1087 partner playing high-low standard count. The ♥2 is led from

dummy, partner plays the ♥4 and you win with the ♥K.

What now?

It’s pretty clear that declarer’s original distribution was 1543 and both declarer and partner remain with 3 ♥’s. You can force declarer to trump either a ♣ or a ♠ and build up a ♥ trick for partner, but which is better?

The high ♠ is better because it allows partner to discard a ♦. After declarer ruffs (if he doesn’t you will play a ♣ and force him to ruff) and draws two more rounds of trumps, he will try to take as many ♦’s as he can before South can ruff. Since you allowed partner to discard a ♦, declarer can now cash only two ♦’s before partner ruffs and wins the ♣Q.

Had you led a ♣ instead of a ♠ then declarer would have made his contract, as he would if you led a ♦.

And what happened at the Pattaya Bridge Club? Nobody played in ♥’s! 3♦+2 twice, 2♠(N)-1, 2NT(E)= and 5♣*(S)-3.

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

North South You are North, declarer in 4♠. East leads the ♣J and

♠ AKJ852 ♠ Q1094 West wins with the ♣A over dummy’s ♣K. West

♥ Q5 ♥ KJ63 continues with a ♣, plan the play.

♦ K542 ♦ J6

♣ 5 ♣ KQ4

Dave’s 2^nd Column answer Board 22 from Wednesday 10^th

Dealer: ♠ AKJ852 Book bidding

East ♥ Q5 West North East South

E-W vul ♦ K542 - - pass (1) pass (2)

♣ 5 pass 1♠ dbl redbl (3)

2♣ 2♠ pass 4♠

♠ 7 N ♠ 63 all pass

♥ 10872 W E ♥ A94

♦ 1087 S ♦ AQ94 (1) Many would open this hand.

♣ A7632 ♣ J1098 (2) And many more would open this hand.

♠ Q1094 (3) Jordan 2NT is the alternative.

♥ KJ63

♦ J6 East led the ♣J to the ♣K, ♣A and ♣5 and West returned a ♣.

♣ KQ4 How should North play to make the contract?

North threw a ♦ on the 2^nd ♣, took the ♣Q, drew trumps and led a sly ♥5, tempting East. But East played low, took North’s ♥Q on the next ♥ and led another ♣. North then discarded a ♦ loser on the ♥K but eventually had to lose two ♦’s.

North can succeed by giving East only losing options. After West shows the ♣A, North knows that East has all of the remaining high cards for his double; So North should ruff the 2^nd ♣, leaving the ♣Q in dummy, draws trumps and leads the ♥5. If East plays low, dummy wins and North discards the ♥Q on the ♣Q. If instead east takes his ♥A, North can discard three ♦’s on the ♥KJ and ♣Q. This play is often called the Morton’s Fork.

Note that West can always defeat the contract with a ♦ shift at trick two.

And what happened at the Pattaya Bridge Club? 4♠= twice, 4♠-1 three times.

Bidding Quiz Answers

Hand A: Pass. This is Paul’s answer and if you chose something else then have a read of Paul’s column to know what he thinks of your bidding.

Hand B: (a) 2♥, or 3♥ if you feel like it.

(b) 3NT, this shows AKQxxx of trumps.

Hand C: 3♠, always raise partner’s pre-empt with three card support.

Hand D: (a) 1♠, you are forced to bid.

(b) pass, a free bid of 2♠ here would show values (about 8-9) and a good ♠ suit.

Bidding Sequence Answers

E 1♦ dbl pass 1♠ 1♠ here is 0-8 points.

F 1♦ dbl 2♦ 2♠ 2♠ is a free bid, and at the two level should be about 8-10 with a good, hopefully 5+ card, ♠ suit.

G 1♣ dbl redbl 1♦

pass 1♥ pass pass This double 100% penalties, as are all doubles after a redouble.

dbl If opener cannot penalize 1♥, he should bid 1♠, 1NT or 2♣.