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Bidding Quiz Standard
American bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.
Hand A Hand B With Hand
A you open 1NT. Partner transfers with 2♦
and
♠ AQ76 ♠
AQ10962 to you, what
do you do?
♥ KQ4 ♥ K54
♦ J9 ♦ J With Hand B it’s favourable vulnerability and there are two
♣
K1084 ♣ J32 passes to
you. What do you open?
Hand C Hand D With Hand C you are in 2nd seat at love all. What do you open?
♠ J1098764 ♠ K
♥ KQ32 ♥
95 With
Hand D it’s favourable vulnerability. You open 1♦ and
♦ KJ ♦ AJ976543 LHO
overcalls 1♥. This is passed to you, what do you do?
♣
- ♣ A4
 |
||
E 1♠ pass 3♠ 3♠ is invitational,
but how many ♠’s does it show?
F 1♠ pass 2♣ pass How
many ♣’s does the 2♣ bid promise…
2♦ pass 3♠ … and how many ♠’s does this 3♠ bid show?
G 1♣ pass 1NT pass What
is the dbl…
pass dbl …
is it a ‘trap pass’ penalty double or take-out?
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 |
1877.1 Janne Roos 1852.8 Paul Quodomine |
669.2 654.6 640.1 626.8 Tomas Wikman 622.1 Sally Watson 619.8 Lars Broman 615.9 Jean Wissing 610.0 Derek & Gerard 609.5 Duplessy & Coutlet 603.3 Johan Bratsburg |
344.6 337.6 329.6 325.4 Sally Watson 323.4 322.9 Lars Broman 322.7 Derek & Gerard 320.3 Jean Wissing 319.5 Duplessy & Coutlet 316.0 Sigurd Zahl |
Worth a 1♠ Opening? – part 1 Board 8 from Wednesday 21st July
One of the club’s presumed better pairs came a cropper at table B. What do you think?
Dealer: ♠ J1098764 Table A
West ♥ KQ32 West North(C) East South
Love all ♦ KJ pass 1♠ (1) pass (2) 3♠ (3)
♣
- pass 4♠ (4) all
pass
♠ - N ♠ K52 Table B
♠ AQ3 pass
♥
4
♦ Q862
♣ QJ753
Table B: (1) So what did you open with this North hand C in
this week’s quiz? This North considered the hand not good enough for 1♠ and too good for 2♠ and so passed.
(5) Multi Landy - showing a single-suited major.
(6)
South now
went into a deep huddle. He reasoned that partner had ♥’s and probably only five (he had not opened
with a weak two). So not wanting to play in a 5-1 fit he decided to pass,
hoping that partner had ♦’s.
And what happened? Obviously South should not
have been so devious, but should simply have bid 2♥ (pass or correct) at (6). The pass is
certainly ridiculous as North cannot have ♦’s
–would have bid 2♥ with 5 ♥’s
and ♦’s, clearly South was not thinking clearly. But
the good 4♠ contract will never be reached if North does
not open. Other more sensible results were 4♠**=, 4♠=, 3♠=,
4♠-1 and 4♠*-1.
The bottom lines:
- As an aside, I personally do not like having a ‘gap’ between a 1♠ and 2♠ opening. With a six card major, if a hand is too good for a weak two bid then I always open at the one level.
- Now you may think that one alternative with the North hand is to pass and then come in later. I don’t like this as partner will never take you for such a strong hand, but also there may possibly be no ‘later’ – give South ♠Axxx ♥Jxx ♦Axx ♣xxx and the deal may well get passed out (especially because you have the ♠ suit) with other N-S making 12 tricks in ♠’s, how embarrassing!
Worth a 1♠ Opening? – part 2 Board 3 from Wednesday 21st July
One of the club’s better pairs got a poor score as N-S at table B. What do you think?
Dealer: ♠ AQ10962 Table A
South ♥ K54 West North(B) East South
E-W vul ♦ J - - - pass
♣
J32 pass 1♠ (1) pass 1NT
♠ 43 N ♠ K85 dbl (2) pass 3♦ 3♠ (3)
♠ J7 West North(B) East South
♥
QJ1062 - - - pass
♦ 1094 pass 2♠ (1) pass pass
♣ A75 dbl (4) pass 3♦ 3♠ (5)
all pass
Table B: (1) This North chose to open 2♠ With Hand B. I don’t like this at all –
especially at this vulnerability and in third seat I would play a weak two as
much weaker than this. 1♠ seems clear to me.
(4) As at (2) above West has a balancing double but
is even more sure that partner has values as
(5) But unlike at (3) above, South does not know
that North has a good hand and so cannot raise to 3♠ with just ♠Jx.
And what happened? 3♦= was a top for E-W. Other results were 4♦(E)*-2, 2♠=,
2♠+1, 3♠+1.
The bottom lines:
- In my opinion 11 points with a good suit is much too strong for a weak two which I play as 6-9, maybe 10 if vulnerable. Note that a six-card suit with 11 points is always 20 or more for the rule of 20 which applies to 1st and 2nd seat 1-level openers (3rd seat may be weaker).
Dave’s Column Here is Dave’s 1st problem, on the play of the hand.
♠ Q5 ♠ AJ9 West North East South
♥ AKQJ1093 ♥
82 pass 1♥ pass 2♣
♦ K852 ♦ 764 pass 3♥ pass 4♥
♣
- ♣ KQJ63 all
pass
You are North, declarer in 4♥. East leads a low ♠, plan the play.
Dave’s Column
Answer Board 20 from
Wednesday 28th July
Dealer: ♠ Q5 Book Bidding
West ♥ AKQJ1093 West North East South
both vul ♦ K852 pass 1♥ pass 2♣
♣
- pass 3♥ pass 4♥
all pass
♠ K743 N ♠ 10862
♠ AJ9
♥
82
♦ 764
♣ KQJ63
Only a bona fide finessaholic goes down on this one. He plays low from
dummy at trick one, loses to the ♠K,
and then sees the ♦Q rammed through his ♦K. With the ♦A with East, this could mean losing three ♦ trick for down one. A cooler cat (you) wins the ♠A and leads the ♣K from dummy, intending to make a loser-on-loser play. If the ♣K is covered by West, ruff high, play the ♥A and then a ♥ to that wonderful ♥8 in dummy to pitch
two ♦ losers on ♣’s.
If the ♣K is not covered, discard the ♠Q. Assuming the ♣K loses to East’s ♣A East has to be
careful lest you make an overtrick. If he leads the ♦A then your ♦K is trick eleven. If he leads leads a ♠, play the ♠9 from dummy. If that drives out the ♠K you will ruff high and the ♠J is trick eleven. To save an overtrick when
holding the ♦A, East must exit with a ♥ or a ♣.
But you still make the contract and your loser-on-loser play in ♣’s has paid big dividends.
And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 4♥+1, 4♥=,
3NT= and 4♥-1 twice.
Dave’s 2nd
Column Here
is Dave’s 2nd problem, on defense.
N ♠ AQ96 West North East South
♠ J7
♥
J42 You are South, defending 4♠. North leads the ♦Q and you win with
♦ A7643 the ♦A with West playing the ♦2. What would you do now?
♣ 1095
Dave’s 2nd Column Answer Board 21 from Wednesday 28th July
Dealer: ♠ 3 Book Bidding
North ♥ AQ10 West North East South
N-S vul ♦ QJ85 - pass 1♣ pass
♣
Q8742 1♠ pass 2♠ pass
4♠ all pass
♠ K108542 N ♠ AQ96
♠ J7 What do you do now?
♥
J42
♦ A7643
♣ 1095
And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 4♠= twice, 3♠+1,
4♠-1 twice.
The Bottom Lines:
- From
Jxx or Qxx, if you need two tricks, lead low; but if you need three tricks,
lead high.
Janne’s Column
♠
- Here
is the 2nd hand from Wednesday last week.
♥ Kxxxx you
pass. LHO passes and partner bids 3NT. Opener now bids 4♠,
♦ J9xx what
do you bid? When you have decided, have a look at the last page
♣ AQxx and what 60 “experts” bid.
<end of Janne’s Column>
Unauthorized Information
You are not allowed to pass information to partner by unauthorised means, and if such unauthorised information is passed to you, you have to ignore it. Two recent examples:
Hesitation Board 3 from Monday 26th July
Dealer: ♠ K832 West(A) North East South
West ♥ AJ 1NT pass 2♦ dbl (1)
N-S vul ♦ KQ85 2♥ (2) 3♦ pass (3) pass
♣
J72 3♥ (4) all
pass
♠ AQ76 N ♠ 94
♠ J105 (4) What did you bid with
this West hand A in
♥
652 this
week’s quiz? With just 3 ♥’s and minimal
♦ A106532 values this
bid is dubious (partner has shown
♣ A no
more than zero points and both opponents
have shown values).
So what happened? I was called over, N-S said
that they wanted to reserve their rights as there was a long pause. West
protested that it was not long – only about 6 seconds. My decision? It does not
matter if it was 6 seconds or 10, East paused and West made a very dubious bid,
possibly knowing that East was thinking about bidding and therefore had values.
3♥ was -1 for a good score to E-W and so I reset
the result to 3♦+2 by N-S.
Asking about the auction Board 6 from Friday 23rd July
Dealer: ♠ KQJ9 West North East South
East ♥ 6 - - pass (1) pass
E-W vul ♦ Q10 pass 1♣ 2♦ 2♥
♣
KJ9862 pass 3♣ pass 3NT
all pass
♠ 753 N ♠ 1062
♠ A84
♥
108432 Before leading West asked for a recap of the
bidding.
♦ KJ7 On hearing the 2♥ bid he asked what the 2♥ bid was!
♣ Q7 Obvioulsy
North simply said that it was natural.
In my opinion West’s asking for a recap of the
bidding was unnecessary, and his question “what was the 2♥ bid” totally uncalled for – it is ‘obviously’ passing
unauthorized information that he himself has good ♥’s. West’s lead was a ♦ to East’s ♦A and what really surprised me is that that East then played the ♥K! Now East is a really excellent player and,
with a singleton ♥
on table, he probably did work out
that partner had good ♥’s – but I would
never lead a ♥ under these circumstances. But I would give
partner a good ticking off after the hand, explaining that his ridiculous
question inhibited him from leading a ♥.
A Difference of Opinion
♠ K With Hand D it’s favourable vulnerability; this is hand D from last week’s
♥ 95 news-sheet. You open 1♦ and LHO overcalls 1♥. This is passed to you, what
♦ AJ976543 do you do? I said “This is a classic
example of when to re-open with a double”.
♣ A4 However,
a few of our top players apparently disagree.
This is a huge and very important
difference of opinion. My feeling is that partner is very likely to have a
penalty hand and this hand, with top cards, a singleton, two ♥’s, the ♦A
when partner is likely to lead a ♦,
and vulnerable opponents vs non-vul, is very suitable for defense. And in the
event that partner does not have the penalty hand and pulls the double you can
then always bid ♦’s. If you do not double with this hand then
partnership trust diminishes, perhaps to the level that you should not play
negative doubles as partner will not be happy to pass with a penalty hand if
you do not re-open with a double with most hands? Presumably if you hold a
penalty hand you have to bid some number of NoTrumps if partner will not
usually re-open with a double? As it happens I am in the middle of reading a
book on Bols Bridge Tips and Bep Vriend says “… after a double from partner,
which in these times of negative doubles will almost always happen…”
Incidentally, a good simple test of whether to
re-open with a double when it is likely that partner has a penalty hand is
“would you pass a double from partner if playing penalty doubles”? With this
hand the answer is clearly “yes”. Another criteria is that you have to be able
to cope if partner pulls your double, and here that is no problem as you simply
bid ♦’s. I know that Dave, Jeremy and Eddie agree
with this philosophy (which I believe is main-stream, as hinted by Bep Vriend)
of the ‘almost always’ re-opening double when playing negative doubles. But
Paul Quodomine, Janne and I believe Hans disagree, I’ll let Paul have the last
word:
“I am strongly in favor of negative doubles in overcall situations,
and while I understand where Terry is coming from here I have played for many
(30+) years using certain standards for re-opening doubles. I know for a
certainty they are mainstream in the
Terry Question: What did the “expert’
open with this hand? It is 22 for the rule of 20, and while I understand that
the singleton ♠K needs downgrading, a 1♦ is totally obvious in my opinion.
The hand, especially with two aces, is far too good for a pre-emptive opening;
and as with hand C this week partner will never believe that you are this
strong if you do not open.
So, quite a few interesting and controversial
hands and topics this week – see next week for the next exciting installment
and Paul’s promised contribution! Sensible inputs for the news-sheet will be
accepted from anybody, so please contribute and give your opinions to keep the
news sheet entertaining.
Bidding Quiz Answers
E 1♠ pass 3♠ The direct 3♠ here should promise
four ♠’s
F 1♠ pass 2♣ This may possibly be just a
three card ♣ suit…
2♦ pass 3♠ … and this follow up 3♠ bid shows three ♠’s.
G 1♣ pass 1NT pass This
double is a take-out of ♣’s. It’s in the balancing seat
pass dbl and
shows a typical take-out shape but without the values
for an initial double.
