Category Archives: Exercises: It’s Your Call

Learning by studying errors

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In my opinion there were three errors when this deal was played: a bidding error, a declarer play error, and a defensive error.

 

Check out the bidding first. Before you look at my opinion, who do you think made the error?

 

 

 

 

I don’t like South’s bid of 3C. North showed the major suits with no extras. From South’s perspective it is a misfit, and time to get out. But the better sign-off is to take the suit preference to two spades. North will be happy you stopped at the two-level. And North will like your two spade honors.

 

Now you are South in three clubs. (Suggest you print the NS hands to more easily follow the play.) Can you hold it to down one? West led the ace of diamonds followed by the king of diamonds at trick two. The eight of hearts then went to East’s jack. East continued with the ace of hearts. You trumped with a low club and led a low club to dummy’s ace as the queen fell from East. Back to your hand with the king of spades. Then the jack of clubs revealed the 5-1 break. West wins the king and exits with the four of hearts. How do you play from here? (Cover up the EW hands and see if you can avoid South’s error.)

 

 

Give it some thought before reading my recommendation.

 

 

 

The key is to make sure that West is on lead (end played so that she will be forced to exit with a trump from 9-6 to your 10-8. Do that by cashing the queen of diamonds and ace of spades. Then lead the queen of spades, discarding the nine of diamonds from hand. West will be in and forced to lead a club at trick 12.

 

The actual South did not do that. Instead, South cashed the 10 of clubs and had to lead the nine of diamonds at trick 12. Thus losing the last two trick to the 10 of diamonds and nine of clubs. The mistake cost EW a top board in a pairs game: Plus 100 instead of plus 50 by most of the field.

 

 

 

West erred on defense, however. West trumped the nine of diamonds, crashing East’s 10. And West had to give up a trick to South’s eight of clubs. Painful to watch.

 

 

 

Category: Exercises: Declarer Play, Exercises: Defensive Play, Exercises: It's Your Call | Tags: , , , ,

Clues from the Auction

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You have this hand in 4th seat (favorable vulnerability). Left hand opponent opens with a weak two hearts, partner passes, and right hand opponent bids four hearts. 

It’s your turn. What do you decide to do?

First thing to think about is what kind of hands opponents have. The oppening bid is straightforward, usually promising six hearts, 5 to 10 high card points, and likely loss of no more than three tricks vulnerable..

Right hand opponent usually has two kinds of hands for continuing the preempt. It could be somewhat weakish hand with four card support for hearts. Or, it could be a good hand with only two or three card support for hearts. You are somewhat in the dark, and that’s why preempts are so annoying. Those rascals have forced you to make your first decision at the four-level!

What can you deduce from your partner’s decision to pass in second seat? If responder had the weakish hand with good trump support, then partner would be short in hearts with a good hand. But partner did not double or overcall! Therefore, right hand opponent must have a big hand. You may not want to risk jumping into the auction if that’s the case. Unless, of course, you think you can hold your loss to minus 500 (down 4 in four spades doubled).Do you think your spade textue is good enough to hold your loss to down 4? Whan I saw this played on BBO, 4th seat chose to bid four spades. He went down four for minus 800 and a bad match point result. The usual result was minus 620 or minus 650 when opponents were allowed to play four hearts — above average match point score for the defenders..

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Bidding Critique

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Here is an auction I observed recently on BBO:

 

What do you think of the bidding by North? And how about South’s action? Give it some thought and see my critique below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

North erred by “super” accepting the transfer (jump to 4S) with the known 9+ card fit. That may work out occasionally but not recommended for two reasons:

 

  1. South knows partnership assets within half a point. So, South will know to pass, drive to game, or check on prospects for slam. Super accept uses up too much bidding space, reducing ability to make cue bids at the four-level.
  2. If South has a bust hand, North may have trouble making four spades. Don’t risk an almost certain plus score by overbidding.

 

South was on the right track to visualize a slam opportunity if partner has a diamond fit and if partner has the ace of hearts. Those are two big IFs. Too big to commit to slam. South erred by not passing North’s bid of four spades.

 

Post mortem: Best way to reach slam is to cue bid your way there. North used up too much space with the “super accept”. Without it, South could have made a mild slam try by bidding four diamonds. North would then temporize with five spades, denying first round control of hearts. And, since South should be worried about two quick losers in hearts, that’s where the bidding would end.

 

 

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Awesome Responsibility

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Your partner opens 2NT (20-21) in 2nd seat, making you “captain of the hand”. Assuming that RHO passes, what is your plan to direct the remainder of the auction? Here is your hand:

Your worry about the diamond void makes this a difficult problem. It looks like you have enough to be in game, holding ace of hearts and a runnable club suit. It will be best if you discover an 8+ spade fit. So, you respond three hearts, transferring partner to three Spades. But what do you do after that?

 

Knowing that partner will bid game in spades with at least three of them, bid 3NT. Yes, diamonds are causing you discomfort. But should partner have only two spades, she is likely to have diamonds well stopped. Don’t chance leaving partner in a 7-card spade fit opposite 5 crummy spades.

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Support with Support

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You (South) have strength for an almost certain game in spades with good prospect for slam.

What is your call at 1st turn after bidding shown above?

Unfortunately, you cannot use the Jacoby 2NT game-forcing raise after East’s interference. I recommend you indicate a limit raise or better by cue bidding three clubs. Do not bid two hearts. It’s best to keep those nice hearts a secret from the opponents. Experts like Eddie Kantar always emphasize support with support.

That should be your highest priority with the known 9+ spade fit.

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Slam Bidding Tip

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Here is a hand I recently observed on BBO. It’s illustrative of good slam bidding, using cue bids to get to the best contract.

Here is the hand:

The bidding started as shown above. South can discern the excellent slam potential of the hand. North had opened one diamond and guaranteed four hearts by raising to two hearts at second turn. Moreover, South knows there is a diamond fit, including  prospect of parking that losing club on partner’s fourth diamond.

 

Most Souths blasted into Roman Key Card Blackwood at 2nd turn. That’s not the recommended strategy with two potential spade losers.  Better is to cue bid your way there.

Recommended approach:

At 2nd turn South should cue bid 3 clubs, showing first round control and interest in slam. South is hoping partner will now show first round control of spades. When partner does exactly that, South should cue bid 3 Diamonds (first round control). Now partner may bid 3 spades, showing second round control. If so, you will be in grand slam territory.

 

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Thoughts on reopening the bidding with a balancing double

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Situation: You open the bidding one of a suit in 1st or 2nd seat, left hand opponent makes a suit overcall, partner passes, and right hand opponent passes. Notice that partner did not make a negative double. Do you keep the auction open and, if so, how?

Marty Bergen has guidance for us in this situation.  I will summarize his guidance below, but first look at two hands I recently observed. For each of them would you bid, pass, or make a reopening double?

Hand 1:

 

Hand 2:

What did you decide?

 

Here is Marty’s guidance:

Doubling in this situation is not “automatic” as some players seem to think. The main consideration is your holding in opponent’s suit.

  • Void: It’s rarely the case that you should double. Defending with a trump void is usually not correct. I was surprised to read this guidance. But on reflection “law of total tricks” may work in opponents favor on average, so our side may get a better score on offense than by defending. What do you think?

  • Singleton: Usually the ideal time to double.

  • Doubleton: Good time to double an overcall at a low level.

  • Three cards: Try to avoid making a double.

  • Four or more: Never make a reopening double.

Post mortem on the two hands:

  • Hand 1: South made the reopening double, partner bid two hearts, and South ran to three diamonds resulting in plus 130 for above average board.

  • Hand 2: South chose to rebid three clubs holding 10 cards in the rounded suits. A reopenng double would have resulted in 1100 points for NS. North had the ideal “trap pass”, and the partnership missed the opportunity for a top board.

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Action in 4th Seat?

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 Would you open this hand in 4th seat?

1. What’s the likelihood of a plus score?

Open the bidding in 4th seat when you think it’s likely (>50%) to result in a plus score for your side once the hand is over. Keep in mind that passing would give you a certain (=100%) nonnegative score.

2. Guideline on the determining the likelihood:

The widely accepted guideline for estimating a likely plus score in 4th position is “rule of 15”. The guideline says add your high card points to number of spades you hold. Open the bidding when that total is as least 15, otherwise pass. This hand qualifies as a 4th seat opener. It contains 10 HCP and 6 spades, summing to 16 “Pearson points”. Therefore, likelihood of a plus score is greater than 50% if you open the bidding.

3. Level of opening bid when likelihood is satisfied?

At what level should you open the bidding? This hand would be an easy opening bid of two spades in seats one, two, or three. But it’s emphatically not in 4th seat! Why is that? Because it is standard practice to open at the two-level with a hand that is slightly stronger than the usual weak two maximum. “Slightly stronger” means it qualifies for a minimum one-level opening bid in 1st or 2nd seat. The danger if you open this hand two spades is that partner will infer you hold equivalent of a minimum opening one-level bid. Relying on that inference, partner could easily get you too high when holding limit-raise values. Bottom line: open this hand one spade in 4th seat.

 

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Fun Freak Hand

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I saw this on BBO. Put yourself in 4th seat (both sides vulnerable). Your right hand opponent opens with a weak two spades in 3rd seat. What is your thinking holding this nice hand?


Some Considerations:

  • How many tricks can your side take and what is the likely outcome?
  • What do you think is your best tactic in anticpation of a competitive auction?

 

What’s your call? See below for my recommendation and postmortem on the hand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You count a probable 11 tricks in hearts and clubs. All partner has to have is one ace. The only ace that might not be helpful is the ace of spades. I recommend bidding 3 spades, a michaels cuebid describing a big hand containing hearts and an unknown minor.

That’s the good bid made by the player I observed on BBO. Unfortunately, it was partner who held the unlikely ace of spades. Misfortune was compounded when opening lead wasn’t a spade. Instead it was the ace of diamonds, and opponents quickly took the other two aces for down one. Sadly it was the only table at which a spade was not led. A future post will discuss the opening lead.

 

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What’s your call?

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You are in 2nd seat (none vulnerable). Right hand opponent opens one diamond. What is your call with this nice hand?

Decide what you would do and see below for my recommendation:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You could pass, double, overcall one heart, overcall 2 clubs. Pass seems a bit too timid. Double implies a tolerance for spades as well as hearts. Overcalling one hearts usually promises a five-card suit. Overcalling two clubs promises at least five of them.

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Another on Hand Evaluation

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You hold this hand in 2nd seat:

The bidding has proceded as follows:

You and partner are playing 2/1. So, partner’s 2C response to your opening bid is forcing to game.

Before you decide on your call at 3rd turn:

  • How well do your hands mesh?
  • How many spades does partner hold?

 

Okay what is your call? See below for my recommendation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Partner may well have the ace and king of clubs. That’s not helpful since you have the club suit under control. Moveover, partner may not have much help in the red suits. Also, you know from paartner’s initial response that she has three spades. Your hands don’t mesh well because of misfit in clubs. My recommendation is jump to four spades (fast arrival), indicating lack of interest in slam.

 

 

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Hand Evaluation

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Would you open this 10 HCP hand in 1st or 2nd seat?

Here’s how Bergen would value the hand: Club suit is worth 9 HCP plus additions of one point for the 5th club, one point for the 6th club, and two points for the seventh club. That’s 13 “starting points” in the club suit alone.

Why all those extra points for the small cards? Because the prospect for taking seven club tricks is well over 50 percent since you are only missing the jack. You have an easy opening bid of one club.

I recommend you discuss hand evaluation with partner to make sure you are on same wavelength. Maybe this hand has only 10 HCP, but it’s much better than its face value in HCP.

 

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Plan your rebid

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When opening the bidding make sure you plan your reibid. Here is an example:

You are in 1st seat (both sides vulnerable) holding this hand:

You have an easy minimum opening bid of one diamond with your 13 HCP. Now anticipate a response from partner might make your rebid difficult. A one heart response would make it easy for you to raise to two hearts. A response of two clubs would make it easy for you to raise to three clubs. And a one spade response would make it easy for you to rebid one no trump.

Difficulty arises if partner’s response is one no trump. You hate to pass 1NT knowing that opponents have many spades plus a troublesome number of HCP. You hate to rebid diamonds with that crummy 5-card suit. And you are way too weak to reverse to two hearts.

But you have a couple of inferences available to help you decide: First, what is the minimum number of spades held by opponents?. Second, what is the minimum number minor suit cards held by partner?  Decide on your rebid once you answer those questions.

See my decision below:

 

 

 

Inference number 1: opponents hold at least nine spades. Partner has at most three spades and I hold one.

Inference number 2: Partner did respond one heart so has at most three hearts. Ergo partner must hold at least seven cards in the minors.

 

My rebid is two clubs. That’s your best chance for a plus score.Partner did not raise diamonds, so you should have at least a seven card club fit. You will be able to hold off an attack in spades because of your shortness. Partner may take the suit preference for diamonds which would be even better.

BTW, you may have seen this hand before. Do you know where?

 

 

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Bridge Wisdom from Richard Pavlicek

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World class player and author Richard Pavlicek’s website is loaded with good bridge tips and stories for players of all abilities. Check out his excellent site if you have not already done so.

Here is a fun example I ran across a few days ago. South is dealer and opens the bidding one club. How do you think the bidding might go If West overcalls one spade?

North’s 4N is quantitative, inviting South to bid slam with extras. However, with a crummy 14 HCP (flat hand, three queens, four deuces) South declines the invitation.

Opening lead by West was the nine of hearts. You can see that, despite having a combined 31 HCP, declarer could not make 4N. Or so I thought. Maybe I was wrong. Could you make 4N?  It’s a good puzzle, and you can find the answer by exploring Richard’s site.

 

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Looking Ahead in the Auction

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You are in 2nd seat (vulnerable vs. NV). Right hand opponent opens preemptive three diamonds. You have this gorgeous hand, but bidding is already up to the three level.

It looks like you may have game or possibly slam in hearts. Most of the time that heart suit is going to bring in 8 tricks. How best for you and partner to find the right level in hearts?

You could double, planning to bid hearts later to show your big hand. Or you could bid four hearts immediately. Three hearts looks to be out of the question since you don’t want partner to pass. I chose to double. What would you do?

Decide on your call and I will tell you what happened below.

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It did not go well for me. I failed to consider that left hand opponent might further the preempt. When West bid four diamonds, I suddenly realized that partner was likely to advance with four spades. That’s exactly what happened, and I was stuck trying to figure out what to do at the five level.

I should have bid four hearts at first turn. Preempts put the pressure on us, and I managed to put my partner in a difficult situation.

 

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Overcall?

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It’s often a good idea to make an overcall at the one level. It usually helps partner get off to a good lead if you end up on defense. You may even find a safe partial contract, game, or sacrifice in a competitive auction. Overcalls interfere with opponents’ communication, particularly if the overcall is one spade. Overcalls don’t necessarily promise an opening hand. They are in the range of a good eight to seventeen points with most of the strength in the overcalled suit.

Here is a hand I do not recommend for an overcall:

overcall1D

Opening bid by right hand oppenent is one club. Do not overcall one diamond with this hand. Your stength is not in the diamond suit, so it would be misleading to partner. Moreover, it does not interfere with the opponents. They will have no problem finding a major suit fit if there is one.

Recommendation: When opponents open one club, do not overcall one diamond unless you have an opening hand. Make sure you discuss this with partner when going over your convention card.

 

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It’s Your Response?

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My partner opened one spade in first seat (favorable vulnerability). My right hand opponent passed. I wondered how to respond with this hand:

I thought splinter (response of 4 hearts showing shortness) is out because of my singleton king of hearts.

The hand is not good enough for a game forcing raise of spades by responding 2NT (Jacoby). I did not want to encouage partner to investigate slam.

And the hand looks to good for a limit raise of 3 spades. I don’t want partner to pass the invitation.

My solution: respond 4 spades. I want to make sure we get to game opposite partner’s opening. I think Bergen would agree with treating my singleton for its shortness feature rather than its high card points.

How would you respond?

 

 

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It’s Your Call

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You are in 1st seat, none vul., holding this hand:

What’s your call? Scroll down for my recommendation:

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You have two quick tricks – the ace of hearts and two outside kings. You have a total of 10 cards in your two longest suits (hearts and spades). You have an easy rebid in hearts. Open the hand one heart. Don’t even consider preempting with this hand.

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Preempts!

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In 2nd seat (none vul.) I opened one diamond with a huge hand. Then my LHO (an expert) preempted four spades! Here was preemptor’s hand:

Do you like the preempt? In answering that question, think about how many tricks you might go down if doubled. In other words, how many tricks do you have with no help from partner? Also, think about where the opponents are likely to go in the auction. Scroll down for a summary of my thouights:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love this preempt! Preemptor likely 5 tricks in spades and 1 or 2 tricks in clubs. That’s 6 and one-half tricks on your own. Give partner one trick and you will go down no more than three if doubled. Moreover, you have only 7 HCP while partner is a passed hand. Preemptor’s opponents certainly have game or slam in hearts. Make them guess at the five level. Preempts are difficult to deal with. Here was the entire hand (I was East):

As the cards lie our side can easily make 12 tricks in hearts for plus 480. Preemptor went down two doubled, holding us to the poor score of plus 300.

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It’s Your Call

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You are South. Partner opens one club in 1st seat. RHO passes, and you respond one spade. Now West overcalls two hearts, and partner passes (minimum opening with fewer that three spades). RHO passes. What is your call with this hand?

Scroll down for my recommendation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With your good 10 points you know the hand belongs to your side. Double asking partner to bid or leave double in with a heart stack.

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