Our website is www.pattayabridge.com                       Club News Sheet – No. 471
Our blogsite is www.pattayabridge.wordpress.com                                    
My mobile phone number is 083 6066880                                                            27th Nov 2011
My e-mail is terry@pattayabridge.com or pattayabridge@yahoo.com
My Windows Live Messenger is tj_quested@hotmail.com

Mon 21st N-S      1st   Dave & Ursula               56%            2nd  Bob S & Gus                  56%
                 E-W     1st   Janne & Sigurd              55%            2nd  Jim D & John S              55%
Wed 23rd N-S      1st   Robbie & Bob S             61%            2nd  Mike G & Terry             55%
                 E-W     1st   Sigurd & Hans V           60%            2nd Svein & Arnt                  56%
Fri 25th     N-S      1st  Jean & Lars B                68%            2nd Johan & Guttorm           59%
                 E-W     1st   Jeremy & Sigurd            63%            2nd  Jens & Kristinn              58%

 

Bidding Quiz          Standard American (short ♣) bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.

Hand A           Hand B           With Hand A what do you open if …
                                                  (a) Playing a short ♣?
♠ KQ53           ♠ 762               (b) Playing better minor?
♥ AJ9              ♥ Q108752                             
♦ AK3             ♦ 85                 With Hand B partner opens 1♦, what do you bid?    
♣ Q84             ♣ 107

Hand C           Hand D           With Hand C you are in first seat, vulnerable against not.
                                                Do you open?
♠ 6                   ♠ A9                                       
♥ AQ109         ♥ K6                                             
♦ KQ93           ♦ Q10976        With Hand D RHO opens 1♦, what do you bid?      
♣ 10965          ♣ AJ65         

Hand E           Hand F           With Hand E RHO opens 1♥, what do you bid?
♠ J1065           ♠ Q76             
♥ AQJ7           ♥ 874               With Hand F partner opens 1NT and RHO overcalls 2♥, what
♦ KQJ              ♦ A5                do you bid?
♣ Q2               ♣ AJ984       

 

Bidding Sequence Quiz            

G      2♥     pass   2NT   3♠                2♥ is weak (6-10) and 2NT is Ogust, what does the
         4♥                                             4♥ bid show?

H      1♦     pass   1♠      pass             2NT is 18-19, is 3♠ forcing?
         2NT  pass   3♠                         

J       1NT  2♥      3♥                          What does the 3♥ cuebid show/ask?

 

The Triple

Congratulations to Sigurd for getting the triple with three different partners.


A poor double
                                                      Board 5 from Friday 25th Nov

Dealer:             ♠ K983                                          Table A
North               ♥ 8                                                 West(E)     North         East           South
N-S vul            ♦ 109752                                       -                 pass           pass           1♥
                        ♣ KJ3                                            dbl    (1)     pass           2♣             pass
                                                                              2NT  (2)     all pass
♠ J1065                 N               ♠ 742                    
♥ AQJ7             W    E            ♥ 964                     Table B
♦ KQJ                    S                ♦ 83                       West(E)     North         East           South
♣ Q2                                       ♣ A9854               -                 pass           pass           1♥
                                                                              1NT           all pass
                        ♠ AQ                                      
                        ♥ K10532                               
                        ♦ A64                                     
                        ♣ 1076                                         
                                                                                                        
Table A:    (1)  What did you bid with this West hand E in this week’s quiz? To me this double is
                        a terrible bid. It works OK if partner bids ♠’s, but what if he bids 2♣?...
                 (2) … This scenario was totally predictable of course. West now has the choice between
                        two unpalatable alternatives; 2NT (which shows a much stronger hand) or pass.

Table B:     (1)  This is the correct answer to question E. If you were opener, you would have opened
                         this hand with 1NT, and with these great ♥ stops a 1NT overcall is equally obvious.
                         The 1NT overcall does not preclude a 4-card ♠ suit and Stayman/transfers are usually
                         played opposite a 1NT overcall.

And what happened? Five out of seven got it right and bid 1NT which makes. 2NT went one down as did 2♣ by East.

The bottom lines:

  1. Do not double 1♥ just because you have four ♠’s if 1NT is more descriptive.
  2. A double of 1♥ should be playable in the other three suits (unless very strong).

The Weak Jump Shift                                                Board 22 from Monday 21st Nov

Dealer:             ♠ A9                                              West(A)    North(C)   East(B)      South
East                 ♥ K6                                              -                -                pass (1)      pass
Love all           ♦ Q10976                                      1♦    (2)      pass (3)      pass (4)      pass
                        ♣ AJ65                                         
                                                                             
♠ KQ53                 N             ♠ 762                      
♥ AJ9                W    E          ♥ Q108752             
♦ AK3                   S              ♦ 85                        
♣ Q84                                    ♣ 107                     
                        ♠ J1084                                  
                        ♥ 43                                        
                        ♦ J42                                       
                        ♣ K932                                        

(1) This hand is nowhere good enough for a weak two of course. In fact that is not allowed
      in this club as it’s only 11 for the rule of 14/15.
(2) Playing a short ♣, a 1♣ opening is obvious of course, but what did you open with this
      West hand A if playing better minor? I was actually called over to a table where a player
       opened 1♣ when playing better minor and North was of the opinion that he should have
       opened 1♦. My answer is that ‘Better Minor’ is a very broad term and players have different
       treatments. I personally (and many, many other players) will only open 1♦ if it is longer than
       the ♣ suit, the points being irrelevant, so I always open 1♣ when 3-3 or 4-4 in the minors.
       Others will open 1♣ when 3-3 and 1♦ when 4-4. While yet others will open the stronger suit (so 1♦ here).
(3) What did you bid with this North hand D in this week’s quiz? With length in ♦’s, double is ridiculous of course.
      It’s a point light for 1NT but I would not argue too much with the bid. I was actually North and passed.
(4) What did you bid with this East hand B in this week’s quiz? This East passed because 1♦ promised 4 card
      in their system. To me that is pretty much irrelevant and a weak jump shift is totally obvious to me.

And what happened?  1♦ went one down for a near bottom. Most East’s found the weak jump to 2♥
(whether 1♣ or 1♦ was opened) and played in ♥ partscores for +140.

The bottom lines:

  1. Opening 1♣ rather that 1♦ when there is a choice is certainly my preferred treatment. It gives you more bidding space, you do not miss a minor suit fit (like missing a great 4-4 or better ♣ fit after the sequence 1♦ - p - 1NT - p - p - p), and opening 1♣ more frequently is clearly an advantage if you play Walsh.

 

Dave’s Column

West                East                         West        North       East         South
♠ AQ1062       ♠ KJ74                    1♠            dbl           redbl       2♥
♥ J                   ♥ Q62                     pass         pass          2♠           pass
♦ A63              ♦ K97                      4♠            all pass  
♣ AQ5            ♣ 432            (2)                     

You are West, declarer in 4♠. North leads the ♥A and switches to the ♦Q, plan the play.


Dave’s Column Answer                           Board 4 from Wednesday 16th Nov 
     
Dealer:             ♠ 83                                               Bidding            
West                ♥ AK104                                       West          North         East           South
Both vul          ♦ QJ5                                             1♠              dbl             redbl  (1)   2♥
                        ♣ KJ97                                          pass  (2)     pass           2♠              pass
                                                                              4♠              all pass
♠ AQ1062             N             ♠ KJ74                   
♥ J                     W    E          ♥ Q62                (1)  this bid usually shows shortage in partner’s
♦ A63                    S              ♦ K97                      suit.
♣ AQ5                                  ♣ 432                (2)  forcing of course
                        ♠ 5                                                
                        ♥ 98753                                  
                        ♦ 10842                             
                        ♣ 1086                                         

North’s takeout double tells West where the key cards are. Taking advantage of that knowledge might be another matter.
West won his ♦A, drew trumps and led a low ♦ to dummy’s ♦K, hoping to put North on lead with a third ♦. But North alertly hopped up with the ♦J to avoid the embarrassing endplay and the third round of ♦’s was won by South and an accurate switch to the ♣10 ended West’s hopes. The defence scored two ♣’s. one ♦ and one ♦.
West can actually endplay North, but he has to do so very carefully.
When North leads the ♦Q at trick two, West must duck, allowing North to win. Dummy’s ♦K wins the continuation and a low ♥ is ruffed by West. Two rounds of trumps eliminate North’s ♠’s, and the ♦A is cashed. Finally a trump is led to dummy’s ♠K and the ♥Q puts North on lead, West discarding a low ♣. North is then end-played, having to give a ruff and discard with a ♥ or lead away from the ♣K.

 

Dave’s 2nd Column

North               South                                       Bidding    
♠ Q76              ♠ AJ4                                      West          North            East           South
♥ 874               ♥ K32                                      -                 pass              pass           1NT
♦ A5                ♦ KQJ2                                    2♥              3NT              all pass
♣ AJ984          ♣ K102                                  

You are South, declarer in 3NT. West leads the ♥Q and East plays the ♥5, plan the play.
                                                                       
                                                                       
                                                                 
                                                       
                                                                       
Dave’s 2nd Column Answer       Board 1from Wednesday 16th Nov. 
     
Dealer:             ♠ Q76                                            Bidding    
North               ♥ 874                                             West          North(F)    East           South
Love all           ♦ A5                                              -                 pass           pass           1NT
                        ♣ AJ984                                        2♥              3NT (1)      all pass
                                                                             
♠ K82                    N             ♠ 10953             (1)  What did you bid with this North hand F in this
♥ AQJ109         W     E         ♥ 65                        week’s quiz? If you play Lebensohl then it’s easy
♦ 10864                   S  `          ♦ 973                      – a direct 3NT showing values for 3NT but        
♣ 6                                         ♣ Q753                denying a ♥ stop. If you don’t play Lebensohl
                                                                              then 3NT is still the best bid; it is unlikely that
                        ♠ AJ4                                            West has solid ♥’s (he may have passed
                        ♥ K32                                           1NT) and so the odds are that partner has a ♥
                        ♦ KQJ2                                          stop. Note that 3♥ by North at (1) is not asking
                        ♣ K102                                         for a ♥ stop, it is Stayman, showing four ♠’s.
                       
West has five or six ♥’s headed by the ♥AQJ. If West had started with ♥QJ10xx then East would have played the ♥A at trick one.
Normally it is best to grab your king while you can, but if you win trick one and lose a ♣ trick, they can cash four ♥’s. You should let the ♥Q hold. If West continues with the ♥A and a third ♥ you win and continue with the ♣K and ♣10, finessing into the now safe hand with no ♥’s.
If, instead, West shifts to a ♦ at trick two, win with the ♦A and run the ♣9 into the safe hand which is now West as you still have the ♥K protected.
Either way, you are sure of your contract as long as you let the ♥Q hold trick one.

 

 


Bidding Quiz Answers  

Hand A:   (a)  1♣. Obviously.
                 (b) 1♣ or 1♦, this is entirely up to you and players will continue to argue about this for years to come.
                       I personally always open 1♣ when 3-3 or 4-4 regardless of how strong the suit is, whether playing better minor or a short ♣.
Hand B:    2♥. This is totally obvious (and a classic example) if you play weak jump shifts, regardless of whether 1♦ promises 3 or 4 cards.
Hand C:   1♣. This is North hand 5 from Monday. The hand is 19 for the rule of 20 but it has
                  a third 4-card suit and great intermediates. I ‘automatically’ opened 1♣ without
                  giving it much thought. It did not occur to me that not everybody would open the
                  hand until somebody pointed it out to me after the hand was over. Did you open?
                  Unlike the ‘point pundits’, I will often open a good 11 and pass a poor 12; intermediates are significant and shape is just as important as points.
Hand D:   pass. With length and strength in RHO’s suit it’s usually best to pass. 1NT would
                  be my 2nd choice – it’s nearly good enough. Anything else (i.e. double) is
                  ridiculous.
Hand E:    1NT, pretty obvious with these great ♥’s. Double is terrible with just two ♣’s.
Hand F:    3NT. If you play Lebensohl then it’s easy, this promises values for 3NT without a ♥ stop.
                 If you do not play Lebensohl then 3NT is still best – it’s likely that partner has a ♥ stop.
                 Note that 3♥ is not asking for a ♥ stop, it is Stayman promising four ♠’s.

Bidding Sequence Quiz            

G      2♥      pass    2NT   3♠             This probably is not in any text-books, but it’s quite
         4♥                                             logical. The bid must be showing a maximum (pass with a minimum).

H      1♦       pass    1♠      pass           3♠ is forcing. If you play some sort of convention here then
         2NT   pass    3♠                         it’s forcing and if you play no conventions it’s best to play that any bid over the jump to 2NT is forcing.

J       1NT   2♥      3♥                        This is Stayman, promising four ♠’s. It is not asking for a ♥ stop.

 

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

1876.2 Hans Vikman
1836.8 Bob Short
1812.8 Janne Roos
1802.9 Sigurd Zahl
1792.0 Paul Quodomine
1771.9 Gerard Hardy
1763.7 Derek Tyms
1758.0 Paul Scully
1747.5 Robbie Georges
1746.9 Alan Kleist

658.0 Hans Vikman
648.3 Bob Short
648.1 Paul Quodomine
639.8 Per Andersson
631.1 Janne Roos
629.7 Sigurd Zahl
627.9= Gerard Hardy
627.9= Derek Tyms
626.5 Paul Scully
624.6 Lars Broman

335.5 Bob Short
335.1 Hans Vikman
332.2 Per Andersson
328.9= Gerard Hardy
328.9= Derek Tyms
325.8 Paul Scully
324.9 Paul Quodomine
322.6 Dave Hurst
321.7 =Lars Broman
321.7 =Alan Kleist