Both vul, at IMPs, you hold as south: ♠AK ♥2 ♦QJ109632 ♣AJ3

W      N       E       S

-        P       P       1xDx

1xSx P       P       ?

Constructive

What do you bid?

At IMP scoring, there are two key considerations when deciding whether to reopen after partner passes either your opener, or left-hand opponent’s opener:

1.         Allowing the opponents to bid a makeable game.

2.          Protect partner on hands where he either doesn’t have the right hand type to enter the auction directly, or he is awaiting a reopening double that he can convert to penalties.

Here it doesn’t seem likely partner has a hand in which he is waiting to penalize spades. The clues are West should have a good suit and you are staring at the xSxAK! He may have a hand with long clubs that he was too light to bid 2xCx.

So what does he have? He likely has some spade length. He DOES NOT have four hearts with 6+ points or he would have made a negative double.

So we know that the opponents have an almost guaranteed heart fit and partner is likely weak.

The question that you need to ask yourself then is, ‘Can we beat 4xHx?

The answer is no. In addition to having 5+ hearts and some values, East is a strong favourite to have spade shortness since he did not raise.

So even though you may give up a part score where you can make 3xDx, you are not giving up game. In the 2014 CNTC playoffs South did balance with 2xDx and the opponents quickly bid up to the cold 4xHx game (two hearts by West, three hearts by East, four hearts by West).

The full deal (hands rotated):

Lessons to Learn

1)    Make sure you consider whether the opponents can make game, usually in an unbid major, when balancing after opening.

2)    An overcaller will often have a very good hand but cannot describe it with one bid. The theory is ‘If I can get by this round of bidding, I am in great shape to describe my hand.’ As such, he is vulnerable to the bidding going all pass.

3)    Notice East did not bid when he had a chance. That is because it is unwise to compete when you have a misfit for partner’s primary suit.

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E-W vul, at IMPs scoring you hold as South: ♠KQ752 ♥KJ1084 ♦K ♣42

W        N         E          S

3♣       P          P          3♠

P          3NT    P          ?

Do you agree with 3xSx?

What do you bid?

E-W vul, at IMPs scoring you hold as South: ♠KQ752 ♥KJ1084 ♦K ♣42

W        N         E          S

3♣       P          P          3♠

P          3NT    P          ?

Do you agree with 3xSx?

What do you bid?

A belated Happy New Year to all readers. Mine started with pneumonia and a stay in the Scottsdale Healthcare Hospital, but I am now on the mend. Way to go Canadian Juniors! Jets, it’s now your turn!

There are a couple of choices players would consider over 3♣:

Pass.Although a conservative choice, it could easily be right. However at this vulnerability North could easily have a semi-trap pass of 3xCx with a hand such as, ♠x ♥Axxx ♦Qxx ♣K109x.

Double. Partner will smile and pass with the hand above. The other plus about double is that brings into play both majors. The downside is you won’t be happy with any diamond bid, and partner’s likely 3NT will be apt to miss a 5-3 fit in a major suit.

4♣ is for the deranged. You will get to a major, but may go for your life. If four of a major is makeable partner will often look for slam.

3♠ is a compromise. It loses the penalty double, and only brings one major into the picture, unless of course you are going to bid the other one. On balance, I think double is best. I will pass 3♦, 4♦ and 3NT. If partner bids 5♦ I will look at the tournament schedule to see what event I can play in tomorrow. 3♠ is a solid 2^nd choice.

What do you bid over 3NT?

I think over 3NT pass is definitely right. It is looking like RHO has good holdings in both majors. If so he may double. Even with a fit, I don’t expect to make it if West doubles. This is exactly what happened in the 2006 Rosenblum Cup semi-finals. At one table South (hands rotated) balanced with 3♠ and converted 3NT to 4♥ which East doubled. The full deal:

This went down three for +500 for East-West.

Lessons to Learn

1)     West’s 3♣ was your first sign that the hand may be a misfit.

2)     Although 3♠ was far from perfect it was a reasonable shot.

3)     If deciding among game or slam choices, and you are on uncertain ground, the saying, ‘No double no trouble’ can be very good advice.

4)     Bridge is like driving a car, sometimes you step on the gas, sometimes the break, and sometimes neither.

N-S vul, at IMPs, you hold as South: ♠AKJ8764 ♥A ♦J109 ♣K102

W        N         E          S

3♥       4♥¹      5♥       ?

1 Both minors good hand. 4NT would show both minors wih a very good hand.

What do you bid?

N-S vul, at IMPs, you hold as South: ♠AKJ8764 ♥A ♦J109 ♣K102

W        N         E          S

3♥       4♥¹      5♥       ?

What do you bid?

¹Both minors, good hand. 4NT would show both minors with a very good hand.

Well the opponents have used the vulnerability effectively to make you guess at a high level. The first decision is to decide whether you want to settle for a small slam, or commit to a grand. Let me be clear – the decision rests solely on your shoulders. It is not possible, in the space available, to enlist partner’s cooperation. Go for the grand.

It is very, very unlikely partner does not have what you need to make seven. In this type of auction, when there are two possible trump suits, and there has been no trump suit agreement, a bid of five no-trump asks partner to pick a suit. However, if a suit has previously been agree upon, then 5NT would be the grand slam force. At the six level partner may think you want to play 6NT if you bid it, so to be safe bid 6♥, asking partner to pick a minor.

It is important here, because partner will pick his best suit, or one he has extra length. There may just be 13 top tricks. But if there aren’t you want to use spades as a secondary source of tricks. Sure enough partner has exactly what you expected: ♠53 ♥3 ♦AKQ42 ♣AJ965.If he had held the Q♣ you would have 13 top tricks. But you are in an excellent grand slam, although it is not cold. How would you play it?? How are you hoping trumps split?

Thinking….

Thinking….

Thinking….

Thinking….

Thinking….

Thinking….

Thinking….

Thinking….

Thinking….

Thinking….

As unusual as it sounds, you want trumps to split 4-1. Why? If trumps split 4-1 with West having the shortness, the chances that spades split 3-2 go from average to excellent!  You simply pull trumps, and play for spades to be 3-2. If they are 3-2 you have 13 tricks. If not you must guess the club.  If West has four spades he is 4-7-1-1 shape you need him to have a singleton club queen. If East has four spades you have a sure thing West is marked with 1-7-1-4 shape. Cash the K♣ and play the 10♣ finessing on the 2^nd round.

On the actual deal West has two diamonds. Essentially you are cold if spades are 3-2. Win the heart lead and play two top trumps. If trumps split 3-2 pull the 3^rd trump (West pitches a heart) and play ♠AK. If all follow, claim. If West has ♠Qxxx, he has 4-7-2-0 shape (assuming hearts are 7-4). Ruff a spade, J♣ finessing, club to the ten, cash the K ♣ ruff another spade with your last trump and claim.

Finally if East has four spades, then West has 3 clubs, and you can do no better than finessing him for the club queen. The full deal from an online match from last week:

Lessons to Learn

1.      If there are two (or three) suits bid in a slam try auction, but no sure fit, a bid of 5NT asks the other partner to pick a slam.

2.      If possible try to avoid unusual bids that your partnerships has not previously encountered, such as 6NT on this auction. HOWEVER, make sure you discuss it later on.

3.      Over a major suit preempt I like to play leaping Michaels. Here a bid of four of a minor shows 5-5 in that minor and the other major. Hence the cuebid here being for the minors.

4.      If the opponents jam you, try to envision what partner has and bid accordingly. Sometimes you can’t ask for key cards.

Intended audience: Intermediate and up

E-W vul, matchpoints, as south you hold: ♠AQ10765432 ♥- ♦J2 ♣Q4

What do you bid?

Here is a hand from the Dec 11^th Bridge from the Bridge at the Centre game. There is something about holding such a hand that makes you all warm inside:

·        Nine card suit

·        Your suit is spades

·        It is favourable vulnerability

So now we want to maximize our chances for a good score. First the range of tricks we can expect at a spade contract is unusually high. If partner has values only in hearts you may make as little as 6 or 7 tricks. However opposite ♠Jxx ♥xxxxx ♦Ax ♣AJ10 you are on a finesse for a grand slam!

The way to find out is to overcall 1♠. This will not get passed out and you start to learn something about the other three hands at the table. It goes pass, pass to East who rebids his diamonds.

Well we learned that West doesn’t have a negative double, or a good hand. North also has a poorish hand, at least for spades (not a shock). East has – diamonds. Bid 2♠. Game could still easily make, but three may be too high.

Not surprisingly, the third round of bidding is a like an old movie – pass, pass, 3♦!

Well our strategy is working. West and South have more of the same, as does East. As do you. Bid 3♠. You expect to be able to make this contract. If East continues to bid you will pass and allow partner to voice his opinion. He will have a very good idea what everyone has, and should get the decision right.

However, it goes all pass. Here is the full deal and auction:

           P                    P                  3♦                   3♠

     All Pass

The defence was accurate and I went down one. I was disappointed but still hoped a good score. Not to be as -50 was under average. Even though E-W can make 3NT they can never it play it there. Plus at most tables they found their heart fit which will make at most ten tricks but often only nine if the declarer gets careless.

There were a couple of a bidding errors made:

1.West has enough for a negative double over 1♠.

2.East has a very good offensive hand, but also one rich in high cards and good for defence. The way to show such a hand is to double at his second turn. Failure to double denies such a hand.

An analogous situation is this auction:

South shows a strong defensive hand by redoubling at his second turn. When he doesn’t do it he doesn’t have it! A 3♦ bid on the above auction could be made with something like ♠AJ ♥xxxx ♦AQJ10xxx ♣x

3.North bid well. He wasn’t invited to the party, and knew that partner had a hand like this, and wasn’t asked for an opinion.

Season Wishes

I hope you continue to find value and learn from the series of articles on bidding that I have been writing on behalf of the Unit for a number of years. I will be back in January for more of the same!

I also hope to have my third and final book on Bidding Judgement published in 2015.

May you have a safe New Years, and may Canada finally get another gold at the World Junior Hockey Championship.

Questions or comments may be sent to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.