Our website is www.pattayabridge.com Club News Sheet – No. 353

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Mon 10^th 1^st Hans & Paul Sc 61% 2^nd Tony H & Terry Q 61%

Wed 12^th 1^st Hans & Janne 62% 2^nd Ivy & TerryQ 57%

Fri 14^th 1^st Jean-Charles & Georges 66% 2^nd Bob P & Robbie 58%

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Bidding Quiz Standard American bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.

Hand A Hand B With Hand A you open 2NT (or maybe 2♣ - 2♦ - 2NT) and

partner transfers with 3♥, what do you bid?

♠ AKJ2 ♠ AK10854

♥ AQ ♥ A84

♦ Q75 ♦ J93 With Hand B RHO opens 1♦, what do you bid?

♣ AQ92 ♣ A

Hand C Hand D With Hand C everybody is vulnerable. You open 1♥ and LHO

doubles. Partner redoubles and this is passed to LHO who bids 1♠.

♠ K ♠ J9732 Partner doubles. RHO passes. Do you pass or pull partner’s double?

♥ 10987543 ♥ KJ632

♦ K2 ♦ 8 With Hand D it’s unfavourable vulnerability. LHO opens 1♦ and

♣ A32 ♣ 109 partner overcalls 1♠, do you bid 3♠ or 4♠?

Current club championship standings

	Gold Cup = Best 30	Silver Plate = Best 10	Bronze Medal = Best 5
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10	1882.8 Janne Roos 1865.2 Hans Vikman 1838.7 Paul Quodomine 1782.7 Sally Watson	669.6 Janne Roos 667.7 Hans Vikman 649.3 Paul Quodomine 632.6 Sally Watson 619.9 Jeremy Watson 617.5 Bob Short 615.1 Lars Broman 614.1 Ivy Schlageter 610.4 Gerard Hardy 610.4 Derek Tyms	350.7 Hans Vikman 350.0 Janne Roos 333.3 Paul Quodomine 324.5 Sally Watson 321.8 Ivy Schlageter 321.7 Bob Short 321.7 Jeremy Watson 321.0 Per Andersson 316.9 Terje Lie 316.1 Lars Broman

Pre-empt and bid again Board 12 from Wednesday 12^th

I don’t usually bother to write these up any more, as most people know not to do it now. I made an exception this time because the culprit is (usually) a good player who unfortunately is renowned for continually criticising everybody at the table. So I feel it’s only fitting to write up his appalling bidding on this board.

Dealer: ♠ 64 West North East South

West ♥ AQ943 pass 2♥ (1) 2♠ 3♥ (2)

N-S vul ♦ A65 3♠ (3) 4♥ (4) all pass

♣ 972

(1) With only 5 ♥’s, this is a very poor opening.

♠ A108 N ♠ QJ9532 Pass is clear.

♥ K52 W E ♥ 8 (2) This is fine, simply raising the pre-empt.

♦ K1072 S ♦ QJ4 (3) And this is fine, it is simply competitive.

♣ 853 ♣ AQ10 (4) But this is ridiculous. The silly pre-empt has

♠ K7 actually worked and the opponents are in a

♥ J1076 partscore. I can see no logical reason

♦ 983 whatsoever to bid on here, especially at

♣ KJ64 this vulnerability and with just 5 trumps.

And what happened? 4♠= twice, 3♠+1, 2♠+2 and 4♥-2 for 200 away and a joint top converted into an average by bidding again having pre-empted. The bottom lines: -

- Do not bid again having pre-empted. The fact that partner has raised your pre-empt is irrelevant and he is the captain.

Pull partner’s penalty double? Board 23 from Friday 14^th

Dealer: ♠ A1082 West North East South(C)

South ♥ Q2 - - - 1♥

both vul ♦ AJ7 dbl (1) redbl pass pass (2)

♣ QJ106 1♠ dbl pass pass (3)

♠ QJ97 N ♠ 6543 (1) I guess that this is slightly light for 1NT.

♥ AK6 W E ♥ J (2) I would bid 2♥ here to show ♥ length and a

♦ Q86 S ♦ 109543 hand unsuitable for defence.

♣ K54 ♣ 987 (3) What did you bid with this South hand C in

♠ K this week’s quiz? Partner rates to have just

♥ 10987543 four ♠’s and this hand is very bad for defence.

♦ K2 I think that 2♥ is best.

♣ A32

And what happened? 4♠*-4, 3♠*-2 1♠*-1, and 4♥=.

The bottom lines: -

- It is OK to pull partner’s penalty double if you have a hand that is totally unsuitable for defence.

Super accept of a transfer Board 17 from Friday 14^th

Dealer: ♠ 9 Table A

North ♥ K9 West(A) North East South

Love all ♦ J10842 - pass pass pass

♣ J10753 2NT pass 3♥ pass

4♠ (1) all pass

♠ AKJ2 N ♠ Q7543

♥ AQ W E ♥ 108743 Table B

♦ Q75 S ♦ K9 West(A) North East South

♣ AQ92 ♣ 4 - pass pass pass

♠ 1086 2NT pass 3♥ pass

♥ J652 3♠ (1) pass 3NT (2) pass

♦ A63 4♣ (3) pass 4♦? (4) pass

♣ K86 6♠ (4) all pass

Table A: (1) What did you bid with this West hand A in this week’s quiz. Partner has promised 5 ♠’s and you want to be in game – so bid it, this is a super accept.

Table B: (1) This West apparently does not play super-accepts (why not?)

(2) 4♥ is the alternative.

(3) West now decided to show his good ♠ support, the 4♣ was apparently Gerber.

. . . . . . . . . . . . This is totally illogical of course, looking for slam now when the previous 3♠ bid was non-forcing.

(4) I am not sure what East bid here, he may have simply bid 4♥.

(5) And this bid shows the futility of not playing super-accepts, West took a ridiculous gamble when partner has only promised values for game.

And what happened? 6♠-2, 4♠+1 twice and 4♠=.

The bottom lines: -

- Understand super-accepts, and they are especially important if you opened 2NT.

- When you open 2NT, you have told partner you values and he is the captain. It is acceptable to go to game with a good fit, but not to charge into slam opposite a hand with possibly only 5-6 points.

Too good for an overcall? Board 9 from Friday 14^th

Dealer: ♠ Q Table A

North ♥ Q9 West(D) North East(B) South

E-W vul ♦ AKQ652 - 1♦ 1♠ (1) pass

♣ J652 3♠ (2) all pass

♠ J9732 N ♠ AK10854 Table B

♥ KJ632 W E ♥ A84 West(D) North East(B) South

♦ 8 S ♦ J93 - 1♦ dbl (1) pass

♣ 109 ♣ A 2♥ pass 2♠ (3) pass

♠ 6 4♠ (4) all pass

♥ 1075

♦ 1076

♣ KQ8743

Table A: (1) What did you bid with this East hand B in this week’s quiz? A simple overcall at the one level is generally played as around 8-16 and so that’s what this East bid.

(2) What did you bid with this West hand D in this week’s quiz? If not vulnerable then 4♠ looks right, but looking at the vulnerability this West chose to bid just 3♠. Maybe he too underbid.

Table B: (1) This East added on for a great 6-card suit and for prime cards, and decided the hand was too good for a simple 1♠ overcall. I agree.

(3) Showing a ♠ hand too good for an overcall

(4) West now has an easy raise to game.

And what happened? 5♦*(N)+1, 4♠+2 twice, 3♠+1.

The bottom lines: -

- If a hand is too good for a simple overcall, then double and then bid the suit over partner’s response. 16 points and 7 playing tricks really is too good for a simple overcall.

Dave’s Column Here is Dave’s first, this time a defensive problem.

Dealer: ♠ Q853 bidding

North ♥ 862 West North East South

E-W vul ♦ 7532 - pass 1♥ pass

♣ J5 1♠ pass 2♦ pass

3♠ pass 3NT pass

♠ AK10962 N 4♣ pass 4♠ pass

♥ K W E 6NT all pass

♦ Q64 S

♣ KQ4

You are North, defending 6NT. South leads the ♠7 upon which dummy plays low and you win the ♠Q, declarer playing the ♠J. You know from the bidding that partner has an ace, but which one? What do you return?

Dave’s Column answer Board 14 from Wednesday 13^th

Dealer: ♠ Q853 Book bidding

North ♥ 862 West North East South

E-W vul ♦ 7532 - pass 1♥ pass

♣ J5 1♠ pass 2♦ pass

3♠ (1) pass 3NT pass

♠ AK10962 N ♠ J 4♣ (2) pass 4♠ pass

♥ K W E ♥ 109543 6NT all pass

♦ Q64 S ♦ AK109

♣ KQ4 ♣ A82 (1) This needs agreement, I would play it as

♠ 74 invitational and would bid 3♣, 4^th suit, here.

♥ AQJ7 (2) Again, 4♣ over 3NT as Gerber is by no means

♦ J8 standard and needs agreement.

♣ 109763

South leads the ♠7, Ducked to North’s ♠Q, East dropping the ♠J. What should North return at trick two?

East’s bidding suggests 5 ♥’s and 4 ♦’s. If South has as much as the ♥J to go with the ♦A, East cannot get rid of dummy’s ♦’s on his ♥’s. However, If East has the ♦A and ♦K and West the ♥A, East’s ♦ suit will run, even if South holds ♦J,10. Dummy’s ♥K will then go on East’s fourth ♦.

Analysis complete, Dr John W. Fisher reasoned that it was more likely that East had the two top ♦ honours than all three missing ♥ honours so he returned a ♥ and the ambitious slam went three down.

And what happened at the Pattaya Bridge Club? 3NT+3, 3NT+1, 4NT-1, 4♠+1 and 4♠+2.

Dave’s 2^nd Column Here is Dave’s 2^nd input, this time a lead problem.

Dealer: Book bidding

South West North East South

N-S vul - - - 1♠

pass 2NT pass 3♥

pass 3♠ pass 4♣

♠ 632 N pass 4♥ pass 4♠

♥ 2 W E pass 5♠ pass 6♠

♦ AJ1065 S all pass

♣ 10987

You are West, defending 6♠, what do you lead? 2NT was apparently 15+ with 3 ♠’s and 5♠ asked for a ♦ control.

Dave’s 2^nd Column answer Board 15 from Wednesday 5^th

Dealer: ♠ AQ4 Book bidding

South ♥ K53 West North East South

N-S vul ♦ Q84 - - - 1♠

♣ A643 pass 2NT (1) pass 3♥

pass 3♠ pass 4♣ (2)

♠ 632 N ♠ 85 pass 4♥ (2) pass 4♠

♥ 2 W E ♥ J10874 pass 5♠ (3) pass 6♠

♦ AJ1065 S ♦ K973 all pass

♣ 10987 ♣ J5

♠ KJ1097 (1) Presumably forcing and 15+

♥ AQ96 (2) cue bid

♦ 2 (3) apparently asking for a ♦ control.

♣ KQ2

You are West, what do you lead?

While you have reasons for some possible leads, you can reject one of them. That lead is the singleton ♥. If you felt you needed a ruff to set 6♠, leading a singleton might be wise. But it is not wise when you have an ace. Do you think that your partner has another ace?

Leading a trump runs a modest risk that it will find your partner’s queen.

The ♣’s and ♦’s look safe enough and I would go for the ♦A with the ♣10 being a close 2^nd choice. Whatever you think of the logic, you can see that the only lead to give them the contract is the ♥2. That lead pinpoints the ♥ suit for declarer and help him play the suit for no losers.

And what happened at the Pattaya Bridge Club? 6♠-1 twice, 5♠= and 4♠+1 twice. So I guess that all of our club found a sensible lead, I know that my partner led the ♦A and we set 6♠ by one trick.

Bidding Quiz Answers

Hand A: 4♠, a super-accept. 4♠ must have good play opposite just about any hand with 5 ♠’s.

Hand B: dbl (and then bid ♠’s). This 7 playing trick hand is far too good for a simple 1♠ overcall.

Hand C: 2♥. I think you should pull the double. This is not a sound opener and is short on quick tricks.

Hand D: 3♠. This one is very close and I would not argue with 4♠, which is what I would bid if non-vulnerable.