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 2nd 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?               

     
Ron Klinger web site
     
 

 

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 7th 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 14th 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 5th 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 (4th 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 12th 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 (4th 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 2nd 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 2nd Column answer                    Board 19 from Wednesday 12th 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 4th 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.  

       
       

 Ron Klinger web site