Here is an interesting hand I observed this morning played by world class players on Bridge Base Online (BBO).
Category Archives: Exercises: It’s Your Call
Here is an example of a competitive auction, and the thought process involved in it:
In this case your partner opens the bidding with one diamond. Right hand opponent overcalls one heart, You hold:
You have just enought strength to make a negative double with bidding still at the one level. Double by you says to partner that you hold exactly four spades and 6+points. If you held 5+ spades you would instead bid one spade.
Here is a hand from yesterday that displayed the negative double in action.
Your partner opens one diamond in second seat. Right hand opponent overcalls one spade. You have some nice values, four hearts and six clubs. It’s perfect situation for a negative double. Double promises four plus hearts in this situation. Your partner will know what to do. Most pairs yesterday got to game and made five hearts.
My partner opened the bidding one heart in 2nd seat. I held this hand as responder:
I really like my hand. I want us to end up in at least four hearts. Partner may be able to bring home five spade tricks from dummy. I responded one spade. Partner’s rebid was two diamonds. My rebid was three clubs (4th suit forcing to game).
Partner next bid three diamonds, so I know that she is at least 5-5 in the red suits. I bid three hearts, setting hearts at the trump suit, and partner raised to four hearts.
This is where I went off the rails. I should not have been so anxious to use my new cue-bidding-to-slam tool. Too many warning signs: misfit in diamonds, no second-round control in clubs, none of the top four honors in hearts, no extras shown by partner in the auction.
Undeterred, I foolishly cue bid four spades, showing first round control. Of course, we got too high and missed our easy game. Sorry for falling in love with my hand, partner.
Your right-hand opponent deals and opens the bidding one heart. What do you say with this hand?
Start by evaluating your hand. Your queen of spades is worth two points, since it’s bolstered nicely by the 10, 9, 7. Your heart king can be promoted, since opener will have the ace 75 percent of the time. You have a nice seven points in diamonds and a crummy one point in clubs. That gives you a hand worth a good 13 points. Compete when you have the strength and shape for a takeout double.
Double, hoping to find your partner with a spade suit. But you also have support for the minors if need be.
You deal and pick up this fabulous hand:
You open the bidding one heart, planning to reverse to two spades at your next turn. But West now makes a takeout double, and your partner passes. East advances with two clubs, and it’s back to you. What do you do and why?
I recommend pass as your best chance for a plus score. Your partner was too weak either to respond one spade or raise to two hearts after the double. Those inferences warn you not fall in love with your hand.
Cue bid your way to slam again on this hand. East opens the bidding one heart in 2nd seat. West responds 2NT, a game forcing heart raise known as Jacoby 2NT. East’s rebid is four hearts (fast arrival showing a minimum opening bid).
This is the situation for a support redouble as discussed here. It’s a useful convention and I recommend it for you and your partner.
Update 1/30/2020: I got the logic wrong on this when I made an editing error. I will repost it later today for all two of you who puzzled over it.
Most pairs did not get to slam on this hand. Would you get there? If so, how should the bidding go?
South was the dealer and opens one heart. Note that this is a sound opening bid: South has 12 high card points, plus one additional point for the 5th heart, plus two and ½ quick tricks.
How should North respond? I recommend the use of Jacoby 2NT. It’s an artificial, game forcing bid that tells partner you have 4+ hearts. Your eventual contract will be at least four hearts.
How about South’s rebid? South has a minimum opening bid with no singleton or void. I recommend South rebid four hearts. That’s known as fast arrival, informing partner that (based on your hand) you have no interest in going beyond game.
This is where it gets interesting. What should North do at her second turn? I recommend cue bidding as the way to possible slam. North cue bids five clubs, a primary cue bid showing 1st round control of clubs and denying 1st round control of spades (since spades were bypassed).
Now South cue bids five diamonds, the lowest available primary cue bid to show 1st round control of diamonds.
North, worried about spades based on the auction so far, retreats to five hearts.
Now South signs off in six hearts, since she has 1st round control of spades.
Nice article on primary and secondary cue bidding from Ron Klinger here. You will see a few editing errors, but the logic is clear and easy to figure out.
More on Jacoby 2NT here.
You are in 1st seat with nobody vulnerable holding this hand? What’s your call?
I recommend you open the bidding with one heart. This hand is too good for a preemptive two hearts. It values at 13 points (4 in spades, 5 in hearts, 4 in clubs). Length in hearts gives you the two points in addition to the king. Those who opened two hearts missed game in hearts.
Here is relevant portion of the convention card. Note 2D and 2H bids that transfer to the next higher suit:
