Our website is www.pattayabridge.com Club News Sheet – No. 362

Our blogsite is www.pattayabridge.wordpress.com

My home phone is 038 422924 and my mobile number is 083 6066880 18^th Oct 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 12^th N-S 1^st Frode & Johan = Bob P & Robbie 54%

E-W 1^st Alan P & Hans V = Paul Q & Janne 58%

Wed 14^th N-S 1^st Kenneth & Per-Ake 60% 2^nd Johan & Tom 51%

E-W 1^st Paul Q & Terry Q 64% 2^nd Janne & Hans 61%

Fri 16^th 1^st Paul Q & Hans V 63% 2^nd Dave & Tomas 60%

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Bidding Quiz Standard American bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.

Hand A Hand B What do you open with Hand A?

♠ 42 ♠ Q9

♥ 52 ♥ AQJ106 With Hand B nobody is vulnerable. LHO opens 1♥ and partner

♦ AKQJ1097 ♦ A10 doubles, what do you bid?

♣ 84 ♣ A1098

Hand C Hand D With Hand C it’s love all. RHO opens 1♥, what do you do?

♠ AJ83 ♠ 6 Hand D is one for the experienced player, or one who thinks

♥ 4 ♥ K10984 that he knows his conventions. RHO opens 2♠, how do you

♦ J632 ♦ A describe this hand in one bid?

♣ KJ65 ♣ AKJ1072

Hand E Hand F With Hand E it’s love all. Partner opens 1♣ and RHO overcalls

1♠, what do you do?

♠ KJ1094 ♠ 76

♥ KQ98 ♥ 4 With Hand F there is nobody vulnerable. You open 1♣, LHO

♦ 84 ♦ A1073 overcalls 1♠ which is round passed to you. What do you do?

♣ 84 ♣ AKQ962

A one-level penalty? Board 17 from Wednesday 14^th

Dealer: ♠ K5 West(B) North East(C) South

North ♥ K8753 - 1♥ dbl (1) pass

Love all ♦ KQ9 pass (2) pass

♣ Q73

(1) What did you bid with this East hand C in

♠ Q9 N ♠ AJ83 this week’s quiz? Eleven + points is about

♥ AQJ106 W E ♥ 4 the norm for a take-out double, but with this

♦ A10 S ♦ J632 ‘perfect’ shape double is fine.

♣ A1098 ♣ KJ65 (2) What did you bid with this West hand B in

♠ 107642 this week’s quiz? You have 17 points and

♥ 92 opener presumably has 12 and partner 11.

♦ 8754 Slam is remote, 3NT will probably make two

♣ 42 overtricks for 460, but how many will 1♥* go for? Surely declarer will make only 3 or 4 tricks and at this vulnerability you should pass and go for the 500 or 800 rather than 460 for game.

And what happened? The above auction looks automatic to me, but it seems that only one pair doubled and passed. Results were 3NT+2 three times, 3NT+1, 1NT+5, 2NT+2 and 1♥*-4.

The bottom lines.

- A one-level penalty can be lucrative even with non-vul opponents. J

Leaping Michaels Board 27 from Wednesday 14^th

Leaping Michaels is a little known and little used convention, but if it come up it describes your hand perfectly! I was West and this is the first time that I have ever used the bid.

Dealer: ♠ 9 West(D) North East South

South ♥ QJ65 - - - 2♠ (1)

Love all ♦ Q93 4♣ (2) pass 4♥ 5♦

♣ Q9543 pass (3) pass dbl (4) all pass

♠ 6 N ♠ Q10874 (1) This is silly of course, 1♠ is clear.

♥ K10984 W E ♥ A72 (2) What did you bid with this West hand D in

♦ A S ♦ J62 this week’s quiz? The answer is 4♣ - Leaping

♣ AKJ1072 ♣ 86 Michaels, usually showing exactly 5 ♥’s and

♠ AKJ532 6 ♣’s and a decent hand. If you don’t play this

♥ 3 convention then it’s difficult!

♦ K108754 (3) West has already described his hand perfectly

♣ - (4) From South’s bids East knows that North probably has 4 ♥’s and so he doubles rather than bidding 5♥.

And what happened? A mixed bag, as you would expect on a distributional deal like this, with seven different contracts: N-S: 6♦*-2, 5♦*-2, 5♦*-1; E-W: 6♥*-4, 4♥*-1, 4♥-1 and 3♥*-1

The bottom lines.

- I love a bid that describes you hand in one go. Leaping Michaels does just that but occurs infrequently. This is the first time I have ever made the bid J

The re-opening double Board 1 from Friday 16^th

One player said to me on Friday that he did not like/understand the ‘automatic’ re-opening double. My answer is that if you do not understand it (despite its repeated appearances in the news-sheets), then don’t play negative doubles!

Dealer: ♠ KJ1094 Table A

North ♥ KQ98 West North(E) East South

Love all ♦ 84 - pass pass 1♣

♣ 84 1♠ dbl (1) pass 2♣

2♥ dbl pass 3♣ (2)

♠ AQ853 N ♠ 2 all pass

♥ A1075 W E ♥ J632

♦ KJ S ♦ Q9652 Table B

♣ 73 ♣ J105 West North(E) East South(F)

♠ 76 - pass pass 1♣

♥ 4 1♠ pass (1) pass 2♣ (3)

♦ A1073 2♠ (4) dbl all pass

♣ AKQ962

Table A: (1) What did you bid with this North hand E in this week’s quiz? This negative double does indeed promise 4 ♥’s but it is not my choice of bid.

(2) South knows that partner has 4 ♥’s, but he also knows that both opponents have 4 ♥’s each. He did not know that partner had a ♠ stack over overcaller and so he decided to pull the double.

Table B: (1) This North fully understands Negative doubles and re-opening doubles, and this pass (waiting to pass partner’s re-opening double) is the answer to question E.

(3) What did you bid with this South hand F in this week’s quiz? There are exceptions when you should not re-open with a double, but this is not one of them. With two trumps, a singleton, the ♦A, and great ♣’s which partner will presumably lead, this is a great offensive hand and double is clear.

(4) Fortunately for South, West was also not an experienced player.

And what happened? 3♣=, 3NT+1 for 430 and 2♠*-5 for 1100 (1♠* would have been easily enough for a clear top). The bottom lines: -

- Remember to pass when RHO overcalls and you have a penalty hand K

- If you do not understand the need for the ‘automatic’ re-opening double, then do not play negative doubles. L

- Negative doubles, and a comprehensive study of when to re-open with a double, are all written up on the website. J

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

North South West North East South

♠ AK104 ♠ 8532 - 1♣ pass 1♥

♥ QJ83 ♥ AK1097 pass 2♥ pass 4♥

♦ 87 ♦ Q6 all pass

♣ K73 ♣ A8

You are South, declarer in 4♥. West leads the ♠6, plan the play

Dave’s Column answer Board 25 from Wednesday 14^th

Dealer: ♠ AK104 Book Bidding

North ♥ QJ83 West North East South

E-W vul ♦ 87 - 1♣ pass 1♥

♣ K73 pass 2♥ (1) pass 4♥

all pass

♠ 6 N ♠ QJ97

♥ 65 W E ♥ 42 (1) This is better than 1♠; you should not bid 1♠

♦ K10432 S ♦ AJ95 as a major suit fit is already located. A 1♠ rebid

♣ Q9542 ♣ J106 followed by a ♥ raise shows only three ♥’s.

♠ 8532

♥ AK1097

♦ Q6 West leads the ♠6, plan the play

♣ A8

The only problem is if the lead is a singleton, in which case there could be two ♠’s and two ♦’s to lose. The first step is to win the ♠A, draw trumps and unless they are 4-0 play the ♣A, ♣K and ruff a ♣, stripping the suit. Now exit with a ♦, your equal length inevitable loser suit. The best play for the opponents is to take their two ♦’s and exit with a ♣, but it’s not good enough. If West has the lead he has to lead a ♦ and give you a ruff-sluff. If East has the lead he has to lead a ♠ into dummy’s ♠K10 or give you a ruff-sluff.

And what happened at the Pattaya Bridge Club? 3NT(N)+1, 4♠=, 4♥= and 4♥-1 4 times.

So what is this ridiculous 3NT+1 you may ask? Well, that was against me and my partner. North opened a weak 1NT, South decided to transfer with 2♦ (2♣ Stayman is the alternative), West considered his hand and ♦ holding not good enough for a lead-directing double and so passed, North bid 2♥ and South bid 3NT which North passed, deciding to ignore the known 5-4 ♥ fit and ♠’s never got a mention. East led the ♠Q which North, looking at 9 top tricks and 5 certain ♦ losers, ducked! E-W were playing low to encourage East thought for a while and decided that partner’s ♠6 was more likely to be encouraging than a singleton. He continued with a ♠ and N-S’s ridiculous bidding and dubious play gained them a clear top.

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

Dealer: ♠ K763 Book bidding

East ♥ J109 West North East South

Both vul ♦ 63 - - 5♦ (1) all pass

♣ A753

♠ AJ109 N You are North, defending 5♦. South leads a 4^th highest ♣2.

♥ AK743 W E After taking the first trick with the ♣A, what do you do

♦ 2 S at trick two?

♣ QJ10

Dave’s 2^nd Column answer Board 26 from Wednesday 7^th

Dealer: ♠ K763 Book bidding

East ♥ J109 West North East(A) South

Both vul ♦ 63 - - 5♦ (1) all pass

♣ A753

(1) What did you open with this East hand A

♠ AJ109 N ♠ 42 in this week’s quiz? This is yet another

♥ AK743 W E ♥ 52 classic 3NT opener and 5♦ is ridiculous

♦ 2 S ♦ AKQJ1097 of course.

♣ QJ10 ♣ 84

♠ Q85

♥ Q86

♦ 854

♣ K962

To defeat 5♦ your side seems to have two ♣ tricks and you need to find one more trick. If East has eight ♦’s headed by the AK then the contract is cold, If south has a trump trick it won’t go away.

But what if East has never heard of the gambling 3NT and has pre-empted with a solid seven card suit? A ♥ trick looks unlikely for your side, so you will need a ♠ trick. But East is likely to set up a discard on dummy’s 3^rd ♣ if you return a ♣. There isn’t a moment to waste. You must shift to a ♠, presumably the ♠3. It comes with no guarantee and on some layouts might cost an over-trick. But here it works perfectly.

And what happened at the Pattaya Bridge Club? 3NT+2 five times, 3NT+1 and 6♥-4. I understand that one top player passed with the East hand and then jumped to 3NT when partner opened – I assume that the 3NT opening has a different meaning in Sweden? And I also note that 3NT was declared by West four times so I guess that only the one pair play/understand the Gambling 3NT despite it having been written up in the last two news-sheets.

Bidding Quiz Answers

Hand A: 3NT. This is yet another perfect example of the Gambling 3NT.

Hand B: Pass. Go for the penalty. Slam is remote with LHO sitting over you with an opening. You know that 3NT will probably make +2 for 460 but how many will 1♥ doubled go down? Surely LHO cannot make more than 4 tricks in ♥’s and three down is 500 which beats any game with overtricks your way.

Hand C: Dbl. A take-out double is normally about 11+ in the direct seat, but with this classic shape 10 is fine. Here is a note about this bid from Paul Qupdomine:

This is an example of one of my favorite treatments ... the light shaped take out double.  At match-points aggression is frequently rewarded and never more so than here.  I feel that this treatment MUST meet 3 criteria ... the shape must be a perfect take-out, all the high cards must be in your long suits, and the vulnerability must be white/red or white/white.  It also helps if  partner understands you may be doubling with as little as 10 hcp.  My hand was perfect for this and 1♥ doubled went for -800 white/white when the best we could achieve declaring (on reasonable play) was 460.  My hand was AJ9x, x, J10xx, KJxx.  NOT what everyone considers a T.O. double of a 1♥ opening apparently but fine by my standards.  It met all three criteria and partner (holding Hand B) worked out that a pass would net a top!  Most balancing hands had to settle for 3NT opposite this.  At IMPs this is a bit riskier but still valid.

Hand D: 4♣, Leaping Michaels. Generally showing a strong hand with 6 ♣’s and 5 ♥’s.

Hand E: Pass, and pass partner’s expected re-opening double. This penalty pass is much better than a negative double showing 4 ♥’s as game is not certain and you will get an excellent score for 1♠* going down a lot.

Hand F: Dbl. ‘automatic’ when playing negative doubles.

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	1918.3 Hans Vikman 1905.5 Janne Roos 1875.2 Paul Quodomine 1802.9 Sally Watson 1728.7 Ivy Schlageter 1725.8 Bob Short 1709.7 Paul Scully 1708.2 Bob Pelletier	680.4 Hans Vikman 674.5 Janne Roos 655.3 Paul Quodomine 636.6 Sally Watson 625.4 Jeremy Watson 619.7 Ivy Schlageter 618.9 Bob Short 615.1 Lars Broman 613.2 Per-Ake Roskvist 611.2 Gerard & Derek	351.7 Hans Vikman 350.6 Janne Roos 336.7 Paul Quodomine 326.0 Sally Watson 325.4 Jeremy Watson 325.3 Ivy Schlageter 321.7 Bob Short 321.0 Per Andersson 316.9 Terje Lie 316.1 Lars Broman

The Tripple

Congratulation to Paul Quodomine for achieving the triple for the second time. Also well done Bob Pelletier who has now qualified to join the other seven challengers in the Gold Cup.