Our website is www.pattayabridge.com Club News Sheet – No. 357

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My home phone is 038 422924 and my mobile number is 083 6066880 13^th Sept 2009

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Mon 7^th 1^st Josteinn & Vaiur 61% 2^nd Bob P & Robbie 59%

Wed 9^th 1^st Derek & Gerard = Paul Q & Terry Q 57%

Fri 11^th 1^st Paul Q & Hans V 59% 2^nd Mike G & Terry Q 54%

Bidding Quiz Standard American bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.

Hand A Hand B With Hand A partner opens 1♦ and you bid 1♥. Partner then

jumps to 3♦, what do you do?

♠ A82 ♠ Q8

♥ J832 ♥ J9743 With Hand B partner opens 1NT and you transfer with 2♦.

♦ K73 ♦ 532 (a) Partner bids 2♥, what do you do?

♣ 1087 ♣ A95 (b) Partner super-accepts with 3♥, what do you do?

Hand C Hand D With Hand C you open 1NT and partner transfers with 2♦,

What do you do?

♠ K932 ♠ 954

♥ K1052 ♥ AJ75 With Hand D everybody is vulnerable. LHO opens 1♠ and RHO

♦ A6 ♦ K8742 bids 1NT forcing (6-12). What do you do?

♣ KQJ ♣ Q

Bidding Sequence Quiz

E 1NT pass 2♣ pass Is 3♣ weak, to play, or forcing?

2♦ pass 3♣

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	1896.6 Janne Roos 1882.7 Hans Vikman 1846.9 Paul Quodomine 1793.8 Sally Watson 1720.4 Bob Short 1682.4 Paul Scully	674.5 Janne Roos 673.4 Hans Vikman 649.3 Paul Quodomine 633.8 Sally Watson 619.9 Jeremy Watson 619.2 Ivy Schlageter 618.8 Bob Short 615.1 Lars Broman 611.3 Gerard Hardy 611.3 Derek Tyms	350.7 Hans Vikman 350.6 Janne Roos 333.3 Paul Quodomine 325.3 Ivy Schlageter 324.5 Sally Watson 321.7 Bob Short 321.7 Jeremy Watson 321.0 Per Andersson 316.9 Terje Lie 316.1 Lars Broman

Is it weak or forcing? Board 17 from Friday 11th

Dealer: ♠ 952 West North East South

North ♥ AJ1043 - pass 1NT pass

Love all ♦ 109 2♣ pass 2♦ pass

♣ KQ8 3♣ (1) pass 3NT (2) all pass

♠ A763 N ♠ QJ (1) West has a difficult bid here. 2NT is probably

♥ 6 W E ♥ KQ7 best but he believed that 3♣ was to play.

♦ KJ6 S ♦ Q842 (2) East believed that 3♣ was forcing.

♣ 76543 ♣ AJ102

♠ K1084

♥ 9852

♦ A753

♣ 9

And what happened? 3NT went -3 for a bottom. 4♣ made at another table.

The bottom lines.

- Sequence E (3 of a minor having bid Stayman) has to be agreed. Standard is that it is forcing – showing a four card major and a long minor. But I personally am not so keen on this treatment (how do you bid weakish hands where you want to play in 3 of the minor if there is no 4-card major fit?). The solution is to play 4-way transfers the sensible way – transfer to a minor and then bid a major as game forcing and natural. This then leaves sequences like sequence E free to use as weak if you have no other meaning for them.

- This, and the similar sequences when opener has a 4-card major, may also be used as Shape-Asking Relays after Stayman - SARS.

A poor overcall? Board 20 from Wednesday 9th

Dealer: ♠ AKQ86 West(D) North East South

West ♥ 103 pass 1♠ pass 1NT (1)

both vul ♦ A653 2♦ (2) dbl (3) all pass

♣ A9

♠ 954 N ♠ 1072 (1) Forcing, 6-12, any shape.

♥ AJ75 W E ♥ 82 (2) What did you bid with this West hand D in

♦ K8742 S ♦ 109 this week’s quiz? It barely has the values for

♣ Q ♣ KJ10843 a two level overcall and it is particularly

♠ J3 dangerous when vulnerable in the sandwich

♥ KQ964 seat – especially against opponents who like

♦ QJ to take the money.

♣ 7652 (3) With top tricks and great ♠’s North knows that West will be forced and that game for N-S is by no means certain. So he went for the jugular.

And what happened? The defence was perfect, North kept leading ♠’s and eventually his ♦6 was promoted! -3 and 800 beat the rest of the field who were mostly scoring 620 or 650 in 4♠.

The bottom lines.

- K8742 is not good enough for a two-level overcall. And in the sandwich seat between two bidding opponents who generally know what they are doing and with a silent partner and vulnerable it is suicidal. And what was the point? Did he really want a ♦ lead?

A super-accept Board 12 from Wednesday 9^th

Dealer: ♠ K932 Table A

West ♥ K1052 West North(C) East South(B)

N-S vul ♦ A6 pass 1NT pass 2♦

♣ KQJ pass 2♥ (1) pass pass (2)

♠ 1054 N ♠ AJ76 Table B

♥ Q86 W E ♥ A West North(C) East South(B)

♦ J987 S ♦ KQ104 pass 1NT pass 2♦

♣ 432 ♣ 10876 pass 3♥ (1) pass 4♥ (3)

♠ Q8

♥ J9743

♦ 532

♣ A95

Table A: (1) With the ♥10 and good top cards, this is a bit too good to simply complete the transfer although I would prefer it if a low ♠ was a low ♣ (KQJ is not a particularly good holding as there is wastage if partner has A, Ax or Axx – honours belong in long suits). On balance I think it’s just about good enough to super-accept.K

(2) What did you bid with this South hand B(a) in this week’s quiz? This motley collection is most certainly not worth an invite. Pass is very clear.

Table B: (1) This is the answer to question C. A super accept of the transfer, but as I said, it is close.

(3) What did you bid with this South hand B(b) in this week’s quiz? South knows that North has 4 ♥’s and a maximum but I think this is also close – this is still a motley collection. I was South and thought about it for a while before taking the dubious plunge.L

And what happened? With the ♥Q onside 4♥ made on two occasions. Other results were 4♠(N)-3, 4♥-1 and 2♥+1.

The bottom lines.

This was a very dodgy game. The South hand is horrible and 4♥ really was lucky to make. Having said that, I believe that it is impossible to bid unless North super-accepts.J

Dave’s Column Here is Dave’s first problem on the play of the hand.

N-S vulnerable.

West East West North East South

♠ Q73 ♠ K10542 1♦ 1♥ 1♠ (1) 3♦ (2)

♥ K2 ♥ 10 (1) 3♠ 4♥ 4♠ dbl

♦ AQJ873 ♦ K9542 all pass

♣ J8 ♣ 107

(1) 5+ ♠’s

(2) Sound raise to 3♥ or better.

South leads the ♥Q to the ♥K and ♥A and East ruffed the 2^nd round. East led a ♠ to the ♠Q which won, North playing the ♠6. What now?

Dave’s Column answer Board 4 from Wednesday 9^th

Dealer: ♠ 6 Book bidding

West ♥ A98753 West North East South

N-S vul ♦ 6 1♦ 1♥ 1♠ (1) 3♦ (2)

♣ AK942 3♠ 4♥ 4♠ dbl

all pass

♠ Q73 N ♠ K10542

♥ K2 W E ♥ 10 (1) Showing 5+ ♠’s when playing negative doubles

♦ AQJ873 S ♦ K9542 (2) An Unassuming cue bid – showing a limit

♣ J8 ♣ 107 raise or better here.

♠ AJ98

♥ QJ64 South leads the ♥Q to the ♥K and ♥A and East ruffed

♦ 10 the 2^nd round. East led a ♠ to the ♠Q which won, North

♣ Q653 playing the ♠6. What now?

East has a common problem. If North has the ♠J another ♠ lead will let East hold his trump losers to one, thus going down just one trick. This should be a fine result because N-S can surely make their 4♥ contract. They might even be able to make 6♥.

The trouble is that if East leads another ♠ and North shows out, it will mean that South started with ♠ AJ98. If declarer leads a ♠ from dummy he will find South with that holding, South will take two rounds of trumps and continue with ♥’s, making East use his last trump. That will mean east gets only four tricks – down six, that is way over the value of N-S’s game.

The cure for East is to stop leading trumps. Lead ♦’s and let South ruff them. This line will lose three ♠ tricks, a ♥ and two ♣’s. Down three for minus 500, but still a good score against their vulnerable game. There is no need to fight for down one when the gain will be small and the risks huge.

And what happened at the Pattaya Bridge Club? 5♦*(W)-2, 5♠*-4, 4♠*-3 twice and 4♥(N)+2.

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

North South West North East South

♠ 6 ♠ A1043 - - 1♣ pass

♥ KQJ742 ♥ 653 1♠ 2♥ pass 2♠ (1)

♦ 98742 ♦ AQ 4♠ 5♥ dbl all pass

♣ 8 ♣ J642

(1) Sound raise to 3♥ or better.

You are North, declarer in 5♥*. East leads the ♠8 which you win in dummy with the ♠A, what do you do next?

Dave’s 2^nd Column answer Board 6 from Wednesday 9^th

Dealer: ♠ 6 Book bidding

East ♥ KQJ742 West North East South

E-W vul ♦ 98742 - - 1♣ pass

♣ 8 1♠ 2♥ pass 2♠ (1)

4♠ 5♥ dbl all pass

♠ KQJ972 N ♠ 85

♥ 9 W E ♥ A108 (1) A sound raise to 3♥ or better.

♦ 1065 S ♦ KJ3

♣ KQ7 ♣ A10953 East leads the ♠8, plan the play.

♠ A1043

♥ 653

♦ AQ

♣ J642

In order to succeed declarer must find East with the ♦K and ♦’s 3-3. Even though this situation existed, a few declarers failed as follows: ♠A, ♥ to the ♥K and ♥A, ♥ return taken by the ♥Q, ♦ to the ♦Q, ♦A, ♠ ruff, ♦ ruff.

♠ - That left this position with the lead in dummy.

♥ J74 Now, whether South leads a ♠ or a ♣ West will

♦ 98 play high and continue with the ♠K and East’s

♣ 8 ♥10 is promoted as the setting trick.

♠ KQ N ♠ - Australian champion Bob Richman recognised

♥ - W E ♥ 10 the danger and was one of the successful

♦ - S ♦ - declarers in 5♥. He was able to avoid the

♣ KQ7 ♣ A10953 trump promotion on the third round of ♠’s.

♠ 104 After taking the ♠A, he played a ♣ at trick two,

♥ - a scissors coup. Now West could not gain the

♦ - lead later to play a 3^rd ♠ and declarer had no

♣ J642 problem. E-W can make 4♠ with careful play.

And what happened at the Pattaya Bridge Club? 5♥*-1, 4♠=, 4♠*-1 twice and 4♠-2.

3NT is usually better than 5♣/♦ Board 23 from Monday 7^th

Dealer: ♠ A82 Table A

South ♥ J832 West North(A) East South

Both vul ♦ K73 - - - 1♦ (1)

♣ 1087 pass 1♥ pass 3♦

pass 4♦ (2) pass 5♦

♠ Q943 N ♠ J107 all pass

♥ 105 W E ♥ KQ975

♦ A9 S ♦ 102 Table B

♣ 96542 ♣ KJ3 West North(A) East South

♠ K65 - - - 1♦ (1)

♥ A6 pass 1♥ pass 3♦

♦ QJ8654 pass 3♠ (2) pass 3NT

♣ AQ all pass

Table A: (1) I would have no problem with a 1NT opening with this hand.

(2) What did you bid with this North hand A in this week’s quiz? 4♦ with this totally flat hand cannot be right as there simply cannot be the values for 5♦ and this hand has no ruffing potential.

Table B: (2) This is the answer to question A. It is showing a ♠ stopper (it is not necessarily a 4-card suit as partner has denied 4 ♠’s) and suggesting that partner bid 3NT if he has the ♣’s stopped. The unsophisticated 3NT is a less attractive alternative.

And what happened? 5♦-2, 3NT+2, 3NT+1 twice, 1NT+2 and 2♦+1

The bottom lines.

- Strive to get to 3NT rather than 5 of a minor if you have a balanced hand.

Bidding Quiz Answers

Hand A: 3♠, showing a ♠ stop and inviting partner to bid 3NT. A direct 3NT now is a less attractive alternative, it’s too good to pass and with this flat shape a raise to 4♦ is inappropriate.

Hand B: (a) Pass. Very clear, this is a poor 7 points with miserable ♥’s.

(b) Pass or 4♥. This is very close. You know partner is near maximum with 4 ♥’s, but this is a very poor hand. I actually bid 4♥ but am not particularly proud of the bid and it was lucky to make. I would not have bid it if not partnering a good declarer player (two out of four made 4♥ and two made only 9 tricks).

Hand C: 3♥, a super-accept. With 4 trumps, the ♥10 and near max with prime cards and a doubleton, this is just a bit too good to simply complete the transfer

Hand D: Pass. Pretty obvious I know, but one player did find 2♦ and went for 800.

Bidding Sequence Quiz

E 1NT pass 2♣ pass 3♣ is generally played as game forcing, promising a 4-card

2♦ pass 3♣ major and a 5-6 card ♣ suit, although many do play the sequence as weak by agreement.