Our website is www.pattayabridge.com                           Club News Sheet – No. 363

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My home phone is 038 422924 and my mobile number is 083 6066880              25th Oct 2009

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Mon 19th  N-S   1st  Kevin & Noreen             60%       2nd    Frode & Johan                       58%

                E-W   1st  Hans V & Alan P           61%       2nd    Paul Q & Janne                      60%

Wed 21st N-S   1st  Gerry & Per-Ake           60%       2nd    Paul Q & Terry Q                  53%

                E-W   1st  Hans V & Janne             57%       2nd    Dave & Jan                            63%

Fri  23rd              1st  Kevin & Noreen             60%       2nd    Paul Q & Hans V                   59%

       
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Bidding Quiz                    Standard American bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.

 

Hand A           Hand B           With Hand A it’s unfavourable vulnerability. RHO opens 1,

what do you do?

Q10972        AJ843                                  

KJ8              3                   With Hand B LHO opens 1, partner doubles, and RHO   

9                   965               bids 1, what do you bid?       

K764           K875

 

Hand C           Hand D           With Hand C partner opens 1 (4+) and RHO bids a weak 3.

What do you do?

J8742           Q7                                             

K753            AK7             With Hand D it’s favourable vulnerability and partner opens 3.

AK43           AJ6               (a) What do you bid (at this vulnerability it may be very weak)?

-                   AK1065       (b)  Suppose you choose RKCB and partner shows one keycard,

What do you bid, 5, 6 or 6NT?               

                       

Hand E            Hand F            With Hand E it’s love all, RHO opens 1, what do you bid?

 

K652            Q109

A975            AQJ1096     With Hand F LHO opens 1 and partner bids a weak 3. RHO

5                   J8                 bids 4, what do you do?

QJ74            106

 

   

     
Ron Klinger web site
     
 
   

                          

                                                     


I understand that you can take liberties when non-vul against vul, but in my opinion the two overcalls below are way over the top, and not the sort of bid you should make at a friendly club when one or both of your opponents are very inexperienced: -

 

Bidding with a three count – part 1?                   Board 9 from Monday 19th   

 

Dealer:             K982                                          West          North         East          South

North               87                                               -                 pass           1NT         2    (1)

E-W vul           86                                               3NT (2)      all pass

                        J9753

(1)  This is ridiculous of course

A                        N               Q73              (2)  West was a beginner and was apparently put

J105               W    E            AK964              off looking for slam because of South’s bid.

AKJ942              S                Q3                   

A4                                        KQ10             

J10653                                    

Q32                                         

107                                         

862                                         

 

And what happened? 3NT+4 did not score well.

 

Bidding with a three count – part 2?                   Board 21 from Monday 19th   

 

Dealer:             AQ52                                         West          North         East          South

North               83                                               -                 1    (1)      pass         1NT (2)

N-S vul            KQ104                                       pass           pass           2    (3)    pass

                        AJ9                                            pass           pass (4)

 

KJ10                  N               863               (1)  This is the correct opening playing Acol

A765              W    E            K42              (2) Again, this is correct as partner may well

AJ5                     S                9762                   have only four ’s playing Acol.

864                                      1032            (3)  There is a lot to be said about balancing in the pass-out seat, but with a totally flat 3343 with

974                                             just three points outside the ‘long’ suit this is

QJ109                                        totally ridiculous in my opinion even at this

83                                               vulnerability.      

KQ75                                  (4)  Double would teach East something.

 

And what happened? East went only two down in his ludicrous contract; Deep Finesse says it should have gone four down which would doubtless have happened (doubled) if North/South were experienced players.

 

 

The bottom lines.

-     Pattaya bridge club is a friendly club. It is perhaps acceptable to make these stupid bids against your peers, but in my opinion it is not acceptable if one of your opponents is inexperienced. More experienced players should bid sensibly against lesser opponents J

 

 


A good slam?                                                        Board 3 from Friday 23rd  

 

Dealer:             Q7                                              Table A

South               AK7                                           West          North(D)    East          South

E-W vul           AJ6                                             -                 -                 -               3

                        AK1065                                     pass           4    (1)      all pass    

         

J6                       N               A8                      Table B

9532               W    E            Q1064               West          North         East          South

K832                  S                9754                  -                 -                 -               3

Q97                                     J42                     pass           4NT (1)      pass         5    (2)

K1095432                                  pass           6    (3)      pass        

J8                                              

Q10                                          

83                                             

 

Table A:     (1)  What did you bid with this North hand D(a) in this week’s quiz? I think it’s worth looking for slam – you never know, partner may even have the AK!

Table B:     (1)  This North chose RKCB, which I agree with.

(2)   1 keycard playing 3014.

(3)   What did you bid with this North hand D(b) in this week’s quiz? You know there are four trumps including a keycard missing. At this vulnerability partner’s opening may be pretty weak so is slam a good bet?

One player bid 5, two bid the 6 slam and I agree because:

(a)    It may be the K missing and if it’s onside you may even make 13 tricks.

(b)   There may be an unavoidable loser but the odds are that there will be no more than one loser - assuming partner has the worst possible holding of Kxxxxxx then it’s 53%, with Axxxxxx it’s 65% and if partner has  KJxxxxx then it’s 90%.

(c)    So are there any other losers? Probably not because partner has only 6 cards outside ’s and you cover 5 of these losers and the other should go away on a long provided no opponent has 5 ’s and that partner is not 7213 or a similar pattern that has a loser.

(d)   And all of this is pessimistic; partner may well have a useful card apart from the keycard (she did not, but the ’s behaved for just one loser).

 

And what happened? Only two pairs bid the slam: 6= twice, 5+1, 4+2 and 4+1 and 6NT-5. The finesse was unnecessary as the ’s set up easily enough with just one ruff.

The bottom lines: -

-         This is a good advert for playing RKCB rather than ordinary Blackwood, the knowledge that partner has a keycard is enough to bid the slam, but if you only know that an ace is missing then it’s pot luck if partner has the K. J

-         When partner pre-empts and you have a good hand like this North, do NOT bid No-trumps, you may well find that partner has no entry (as here). L

 

 


Bidding too high                                                   Board 13 from Friday 23rd  

 

Dealer:             A65                                            Table A

North               42                                               West(F)     North         East          South(C)

Both vul            Q10752                                     -                 1             3   (1)    4   (2)

                        AK3                                           4    (3)      pass (4)      5           pass

pass           dbl             all pass    

Q109                  N               K3                     

AQJ1096       W    E            8                        Table B

J8                        S               96                      West          North         East          South

106                                      QJ987542          -                 1             4   (1)    dbl  

J8742                                         pass           pass (5)      pass        

K753                                         

AK43                                       

-                                          

 

Table A:     (1)  With eight ’s East had a long think and eventually decided on 3.

                  (2)  What did you bid with this South hand C in this week’s quiz? The pair play that 1 is 4+ and this presumably agreed ’s and showed a control? Whatever it meant, I would not bid it. A negative double looks right to me (and as it happens leaves room for the only makeable game – 3NT). 4 is too high and goes past 3NT.

(3)   What did you bid with this West hand F in this week’s quiz? Partner has shown a weak hand with 7+ ’s, North has opened and South has shown some sort of strong hand. Bidding this 6-card suit here is suicidal – it simply converted a top into a bottom.

(4)   North was somewhat relieved that West had let him off the hook as he did not relish the idea of having to bid 4NT.

Table B:     (1)  This East chose to overcall 4.

(5)   With three top tricks and nothing to speak of in the majors, North passed.

 

And what happened? 5*-3, 4*-3, 4*-2 4=, 4-1 and 4-1.

The bottom lines: -

-     Don’t bid a new suit at the four level with a mediocre hand when partner has pre-empted and both opponents have shown values K

-     In this particular deal East’s pre-empt at Table A had worked well J as it prompted South to mis-judge and bid too high. West’s bid simply undid all of the good work of his partner’s pre-empt L

 

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

 

North               South                           West            North         East          South

95                 AQ7                         pass             pass           pass         1

KJ986          AQ1074                   dbl               4              all pass    

KJ65             84                            

Q8               K105

 

West leads the 5. South drew two rounds of trumps and led a low to dummy’s Q which held. He continued with a to his 10 and West’s J. West leads the 2, should South play the J or K?


Dave’s Column answer                      Board 4 from Wednesday 21st

     

Dealer:             95                                               Book Bidding

West                KJ986                                        West          North         East            South

both vul            KJ65                                          pass   (1)    pass           pass           1

                        Q8                                             dbl             4              all pass      

                 

KJ63                  N             10842             (1)  At one table West opened 1, and I would

5                     W    E          32                         would not argue with opening the hand. It

Q1072                S              A93                     is only 19 for the rule of 20 but 4441 type

AJ63                                  9742                    is so much better than 4432 type.

AQ7                                                      

AQ1074                         West leads the 5. South drew two rounds of trumps

84                                   and led a low to dummy’s Q which held. He

K105                             continued with a to his 10 and West’s J.

West leads the 2, should South play the J or K?

 

Should South play dummy’s J or K? At the table when the hand was originally played, South went up with dummy’s K and a return ensured declarer’s defeat. There was no way to avoid a finesse – one down.

What evidence did South overlook to make the winning play in ’s? Instead of wondering about West’s possible scheming in ’s, South should have concerned himself with the location of the K. If East has the K then either play in ’s will land the game. If West has the K, South must get the ’s right.

Given West’s bidding and the play this far, South knows that West began with the AJ and the assumed A and a singleton , wouldn’t he have opened the bidding?

Analysis complete, South should insert the J.

Terry comment: If West opens, as he did at at least one table, then declarer should presumably play the K and go down against best defense?

 

And what happened at the Pattaya Bridge Club? 4*=, 4= five times, 4-1 and 3+1.

 

 

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

 

North               South                           West            North         East          South

KQJ76         A43                          -                   -                 1           1

K2                AJ8754                    pass             1              pass         2

K743            65                            pass             4              all pass

85                J10

                                                                       

East cashes two top ’s and then shifts to a trump, how should North continue?

 

                                                                                 

                                                                                       

                                                                                      
Dave’s 2nd Column answer
        Board 6 from Wednesday 7th   

     

Dealer:             KQJ76                                       Book bidding

East                  K2                                             West          North         East            South

E-W vul           K743                                          -                 -                 1             1

                        85                                              pass           1    (1)      pass           2  (2)

pass           4    (3)      all pass

1095                   N             82                  

Q106              W    E          93                   (1)  Constructive but non-forcing, at least that’s

Q108                  S              AJ92                     the way the majority play it.

9632                                  AKQ74          (2)  Pass is the alternative    (not 2).

                        A43                                      (3)  Knowing that South could have passed,

AJ8754                                     North correctly assumed that South has a

65                                              decent hand in support of ’s.

J10              

 

East cashes two top ’s and then shifts to a trump, how should North continue?

 

The original declarer drew trumps, cashed the K and played a to dummy’s J. But West won with the Q and exited with a - down four.

If trumps are 3-2 there is no need for heroics. You should win the trump switch in hand and cash another trump from hand. When they do split 3-2  you cash the K, play a to the A and ruff a high in hand. You then play a to dummy’s A to collect ten major suit tricks.               

And what happened at the Pattaya Bridge Club? Nobody bid the game. Results were:

4-2, 4-1, 3 +1, 3=, 2+2, 1+3 and 1+1.

 


Qui Culpa?                                                           Board 9 from Friday 23rd

 

E-W let N-S play in 2 when they can make 8 or 9 tricks in ’s, who was to blame?

 

Dealer:             A53                                            West(A)     North         East          South

North               42                                               -                 pass           pass         1

E-W vul           Q1063                                        pass   (1)    1NT           pass         2

                        QJ95                                          pass   (2)    pass           pass (3)

 

Q10972              N               J864             (1)  What did you bid with this West hand A in 

KJ8                W    E            A96                    this week’s quiz? Even at this vulnerability

9                         S                874                    I see no reason not to make the obvious

K764                                   A82                    1 overcall.

K                                          (2)  Double now would show the black suits,

Q10753                                      but I much prefer to have shown the five

AKJ52                                        card suit last go.

103                                      (3)  I guess East could balance, but this flat hand

                                                      has defence and no offence and pass looks

                                                      fine. I put the blame squarely on West’s

shoulders.

 

And what happened? 3=twice, 2+1, 4-1, and 2+1 twice.

The Bottom Lines:

-     With a 5-card major, overcall. You only need around 8 points and a reasonable suit to overcall at the one level.

 


Bidding Quiz Answers

 

Hand A:    1. Even though you are vulnerable this hand is worth a 1-level overcall. The suit has good intermediates and the holding looks nice sitting over the opener.

Hand B:    4. I fully realize that many will consider the choice to be between 1, 2 or possibly 3. But although 4 may appear to be a slightly aggressive bid, the hand seems too good for anything less.

Hand C:    dbl, negative and usually showing both majors. Even if you are playing a 4-card major system I would still double as it is descriptive and partner may have 5 ’s and a 4 card major.

Hand D:    (a)  4NT, RKCB. Partner needs very little for slam.

(b)  6, this is odds-on even if partner has as little as Kxxxxxx. Do NOT bid 6NT as partner may not have an entry.

Hand E:    dbl. It’s only a 10-count but has perfect shape.

Hand F:     pass, obviously. Both LHO and RHO have shown values and partner is weak.

 

 

 

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

1923.4 Hans Vikman

1912.1 Janne Roos

1875.7 Paul Quodomine

1804.7 Sally Watson

1732.1 Ivy Schlageter

1725.8 Bob Short

1709.7 Paul Scully

1708.2 Bob Pelletie

682.1 Hans Vikman

676.6 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

614.1 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

 

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 Ron Klinger web site