Our website is www.pattayabridge.com Club News Sheet – No. 392

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Bidding Quiz Standard American bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.

Hand A Hand B With Hand A you are dealer at love all, what do you open?

♠ 94 ♠ x With Hand B partner opens 1♥ in 2^nd seat at unfavourable vul.

♥ 9 ♥ xxxxx (a) What do you bid?

♦ AKJ10987 ♦ AKx (b) Suppose you splinter with 3♠ and LHO bids 4♠. Partner

♣ 1042 ♣ KQxx doubles (penalties), what do you do?

Hand C Hand D With Hand C it’s favourable vulnerability. RHO opens 1NT,

what do you do?

♠ 96 ♠ Q107

♥ K87 ♥ KQJ42

♦ AQJ652 ♦ - With Hand D partner opens a Gambling 3NT (solid minor

♣ 94 ♣ AJ953 with nothing outside). What do you bid?

Bidding Sequence Quiz

E 3NT What is a 3NT opening?

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	1829.9 Paul Quodomine 1825.7 Janne Roos 1788.8 Hans Vikman	649.0 Janne Roos 641.2 Hans Vikman 638.3 Paul Quodomine 626.8 Tomas Wikman 619.8 Lars Broman 615.9 Jean Wissing 610.0 Sally Watson 609.5 Duplessy & Coutlet 597.8 Bengt Malgren 586.4 Bob Short	330.4 Janne Roos 329.6 Tomas Wikman 327.9 Hans Vikman 324.8 Sally Watson 323.4 Paul Quodomine 322.9 Lars Broman 320.3 Jean Wissing 319.5 Duplessy & Coutlet 308.2 Bob Short 305.7 Bengt Malmgren

An ‘unusual’ Gambling 3 No trump Board 8 from Friday 7^th May

The North at Table A considers himself to be a superior player, and his partner is a superior player. However, I think that both North and South at table A bid badly.

Dealer: ♠ 94 Table A

West ♥ 9 West North(A) East South(D)

Love all ♦ AKJ10987 pass 3NT (1) pass pass (2)

♣ 1042 pass

♠ A8532 N ♠ KJ6 Table B

♥ 108 W E ♥ A7653 West North(A) East South

♦ 652 S ♦ Q43 pass 3♦ (1) all pass

♣ KQ6 ♣ 87

♠ Q107

♥ KQJ42

♦ -

♣ AJ953

Table A: (1) What did you open with this North hand A in this week’s quiz? This supposed gambling 3NT is very silly in my view but was actually chosen by two players.

(2) What did you bid with this South hand D in this week’s quiz? Assuming that partner has a solid ♦ suit with no outside ace or king then you should bid 4♣ which is pass or correct (you know that partner will correct to 4♦). You have all of the other three suits hopefully stopped but this pass is silly as with a ♦ void partner presumably has no entry to his hand.

Table B: (1) This is the obvious opening bid and the answer to question A in this week’s quiz. Pretty simple eh?

And what happened? 4♦*-2, 3NT-3, 3♦-3, 4♦-1, 4♥*(E)-3

The bottom lines:

- The Gambling 3NT is best played as a totally solid 7-8 card minor with absolutely no outside ace or king (then partner knows what to do).

- Note also that South should not bid 4♦ at (2) as that is used with a good hand to ask for partner’s shortage if he has a singleton/void.

- AKJ10987 is NOT a solid suit. It needs to be AKQJxxx or AKQxxxxx or better although some do bid it with AKQxxxx.

Overcalling a 1NT opening Board 3 from Friday 14^th May

Overcalling 1NT at the three level, or even just at the two level, can cause difficulties for the opening side, as this deal demonstrates.

Dealer: ♠ 96 Table A

South ♥ K87 West North(C) East South

E-W vul ♦ AQJ652 - - - pass

♣ 94 1NT 2♦ (1) 2NT (2) pass

3♣ pass 3♦ (3) pass

♠ K2 N ♠ A543 3♥ pass 3NT (4) all pass

♥ AJ54 W E ♥ 1032

♦ 84 S ♦ K3 Table B

♣ AK873 ♣ J1065 West North(C) East South

- - - pass

♠ QJ1087 1NT 3♦ (1) 3♠ (5) pass

♥ Q96 pass (6) pass

♦ 1097

♣ Q2

Table A: (1) What did you bid with this North hand C in this week’s quiz? This was natural in their system and OK I suppose.

(2) Even this lowly 2♦ bid makes it difficult for East. East has an invitational hand but cannot now invite, so he decides to go for game and kicks off with a Lebensohl bid demanding that partner bids 3♣.

(3) This is now Stayman, and the fact that it was preceded by a Lebensohl 2NT shows a ♦ stop.

(4) Thus showing 4 ♠’s and a ♦ stop.

Table B: (1) I prefer this 3♦ to 2♦ in answer to question C – it makes life even more difficult for East and is fairly safe at this vulnerability.

(5) It’s now impossible for East, he hoped there was a ♠ fit but there wasn’t.

(6) Presumably this pair do not play 3♠ as forcing, but it’s also difficult for West with no ♦ stop and not knowing that partner has one.

And what happened? 3♠(E)-2, 5♣-1, 3♥(W)= twice, 3NT=.

The trouble with tribbles Roman Keycard Blackwood Board 25 from Wednesday 5^th May

I was told about this deal a week later and unfortunately there are no hand records, so I only have the E-W hands. Still, it is very instructive. E-W were vul.

♠ x N ♠ K10xx West(B) North East South

♥ xxxxx W E ♥ KQJxx - pass 1♥ pass

♦ AKx S ♦ Jxx 3♠ (1) 4♠ (2) dbl pass

♣ KQxx ♣ A 4NT (3) pass 5♠ pass

6♥ pass pass 6♠ (4)

pass pass dbl all pass

(1) What did you bid with this West hand B(a) in this week’s quiz? With five trumps this hand is easily worth a game-forcing splinter.

(2) Unfortunately I don’t have the North hand, but it must be very strange as it passed initially and now comes in at the four level.

(3) What did you bid with this West hand B(b) in this week’s quiz? This 4NT RKCB bid, made by a very experienced player, is totally ridiculous in my opinion for a number of reasons:

a) He has already shown a good hand with a ♠ singleton.

b) With all the points as good defensive points, there is no reason to remove partner’s double.

c) There is no reason to suppose that there may be slam – partner has already shown no interest.

d) Finally, when ♥’s are trumps and you have just one keycard without the trump queen, it is dangerous to bid RKCB because if partner has two keycards with the trump queen then he will bid 5♠, thus forcing you to 6♥ with two keycards missing.

So what should West do? I would respect partner’s double and pass, but 5♥ is the alternative or perhaps a 5♦ cue bid if you really want to invite slam.

(4) Unaware that West, somebody who usually tells every man and his dog how to bid, had no idea what he was doing and had propelled their side into an unmakeable slam with two aces missing, South let them off the hook by bidding 6♠. Unfortunately I do not have the South hand, but as East had already doubled 4♠ for penalties this seems strange.

And what happened? 6♠*(N)-5, 5♥=, 5♥+1, 4♥+1 twice, 4♥= twice and 5♥-1.

The bottom lines:

- Be wary of bidding 4NT RKCB when ♥’s are trumps and you have just one keycard without the trump queen. Obviously this and even more problems exist with a minor suit as trumps.

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

West East Book Bidding

♠ AQ1032 ♠ 6 West North East South

♥ KJ ♥ 643 - - 3♦ pass

♦ 86 ♦ KQJ1075 3NT all pass

♣ Q832 ♣ K107

You are West, declarer in a dubious 3NT contract. North leads the ♥8 (4^th best) to the ♥3, ♥10, ♥J. You lead a ♦ to dummy’s ♦10 and continue with the ♦K, North winning with the ♦A and South showing three ♦’s. North (not knowing that your ♥K is now bare) shifts to the ♠4, South putting up the ♠J, do you have any chance of making the contract?

Dave’s Column answer Board 18 from Wednesday 12^th May

Dealer: ♠ K754 Book Bidding

East ♥ AQ98 West North East South

N-S vul ♦ A3 - - 3♦ pass

♣ AJ5 3NT dbl all pass

♠ AQ1032 N ♠ 6

♥ KJ W E ♥ 643

♦ 86 S ♦ KQJ1075

♣ Q832 ♣ K107

♠ J98

♥ 10752

♦ 942

♣ 964

You are West and your shot at 3NT was debatable (as was East’s opening bid) and when North’s double is passed out it seems as though you have seriously erred.

North leads the ♥8 (4^th best) to the ♥3, ♥10, ♥J. You lead a ♦ to dummy’s ♦10 and continue with the ♦K, North winning with the ♦A and South showing three ♦’s. North shifts to the ♠4, South putting up the ♠J, do you have any chance of making the contract?

When the deal was first played, Victor Mitchell, one of the most colorful of bridge players, was declarer.

After a ♥ to declarer’s ♥J and two rounds of ♦’s, North did not cash the ♥A because he did not know that West’s ♥K was dropping. But if Mitchell had taken the fourth trick with his ♠Q over South’s ♠J and played a ♣ towards dummy’s ♣K then North would have had no choice. He would have won with his ♣A and in desperation cashed the ♥A, with gratifying results from his point of view.

Setting a subtle trap, Mitchell took South’s ♠J with the ♠A! Then, when North won the next trick with the ♣A, he continued with a low ♠, expecting partner to win with the ♠Q and push a ♥ through for at least three down. But it didn’t work out quite like that when Mitchell won with his ♠10 , crossed to dummy with a ♣, ran the ♦’s, took the ♣’s and claimed two overtricks.

And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 2NT*(N)-5, 4♥*(S)-3, 3♦=, 2♣= and 2♣-2

Dave’s 2^nd Column Here is Dave’s second problem, this one on defense.

Dealer: ♠ A65

South ♥ QJ107 West North East South

E-W vul ♦ 65 - - - 2♠

♣ AKQJ pass 4♠ all pass

N ♠ K4

W E ♥ 8432 You are East, defending 4♠. Partner leads the

S ♦ AJ92 ♦4 and declarer drops the ♦8 under your ♦A.

♣ 743 How do you plan the defense?

Dave’s 2^nd Column answer Board 19 from Wednesday 12^th May

Dealer: ♠ A65 Book Bidding

South ♥ QJ107 West North East South

E-W vul ♦ 65 - - - 2♠

♣ AKQJ pass 4♠ all pass

♠ 73 N ♠ K4

♥ K95 W E ♥ 8432

♦ K10743 S ♦ AJ92

♣ 1082 ♣ 743

♠ QJ10982

♥ A6 You are East. Partner leads the ♦4 and declarer drops the

♦ Q8 ♦8 under your ♦A. How do you plan the defense?

♣ 965

East should start by checking the defensive tricks. He can see one in ♠’s and already has got one in ♦’s. Where the other two coming from? Not in ♠’s or ♣’s. Hopefully partner has the ♦K, so a ♥ trick is also needed, and there is a need for urgency. You must switch to a ♥ at trick two; and you should play the ♥8 – a high card warning partner that you are leading from a weak suit. With this play declarer cannot succeed.

Note that if you return a ♦ at trick two, the contract makes as declarer plays ♠’s and his ♥ loser then disappears on dummy’s 4^th ♣ once the trumps are gone..

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

Bidding Quiz Answers

Hand A: 3♦, obviously. This suit is NOT solid and so the hand does not qualify for a gambling 3NT.

Hand B: (a) 3♠, a splinter agreeing ♥’s and promising ♠ shortage.

(b) I would pass – partner knows that you have ♠ shortage and has chosen to defend; with values in the minor suits I would not over-rule him. I guess that 5♥ is reasonable and if you really want to look for slam then bid a 5♦ cue bid. The only bid that I find totally ridiculous is 4NT, RKCB, because if partner has two keycards and the ♥Q he responds 5♠ and you will be propelled into 6♥ with two keycards missing.

Hand C: 3♦. Even if you play Cappelletti and can bid 2♣, or if you play a natural 2♦, then these are perfectly acceptable but I still prefer 3♦ at this vulnerability as it has more pre-emptive effect and may make life difficult for the opponents.

Hand D: 4♣, pass or correct. You may have the outside suits stopped but there is no entry to partner’s hand and so you should not pass. 4♦ is wrong although you know that partner has ♦’s, as that bid is conventionally used with a strong hand to ask for shortage.

Bidding Sequence Quiz Answer

E 3NT This is best played as the gambling 3NT, promising a solid 7-8 card minor with no ace or king outside.