Washington Bridge League Solver's Club  -  Mar/Apr 2003

Moderator: Steve Robinson   

      Congratulations to Bob Hartmann, Mark Chen and Rick Bingham with a score of 460.  They win a free entry to the Unit Game and will be invited to be on a future panel.  Tied for fourth were Richard Ferrin, John Lawrence and Steve Carton with a score of 450.  Tied for seventh were Al Duncker, Mike Kovacich, Michael Mayer and Rustry Krauss with a score of 440.  Tied for eleventh were Ted Guthrie, Barry Bragin, Brad Theurer, Kieran Dyke and Dave Smith with a score of 430.  Tied for sixteenth were Ken Kaufman, John Ferman, Lloyd Rawley, Marc Umeno, Gerald Lerner, Ellen Cherniavsky, Helene Fournier and Joe Wallen with a score of 420.  Tied for twenty-fourth were Juanita Beeson, John Glynn, Irish Grandfield, Mike Deverin, Peter Slafte, Arnie Frankel, Mel Yudkin, Bob Wissman and Lee Bauer with a score of 410.  The average score of the 223 solvers was 346.  The average score of the experts was 409.

     East’s 5-bid is either preemptive or invitational to slam.    Since most of the time, East’s bid is preemptive, pay off if East has eleven tricks and is doing it to you.  If East’s bid is preemptive, this is our hand and therefore we are in a forcing situation.  The opponents can’t play in 5 undoubled.  We must either bid on or double them.  In forcing pass situations, there are four levels of strength we can show.  The strongest is to pass and pull partner’s double.  The next strongest is to bid directly.  Then there’s pass and let partner make the decision.  With the weakest hand type, double.  So where does this hand fall in the four levels of strength?  With only one working card, I think this hand falls into the weakest category, which means double.  You don’t want partner to bid 5 holding AQJxxxQxxAKQJ.  I am happy that not one expert bid five over five.

      Two experts agree with me and double to stop partner from bidding. 

 Rodney:”Double---It makes sense to play this as a forcing pass sequence, giving ourselves more ability to show hand strength.  Just assume that RHO is sacrificing.  So, I double to tell partner I don't have much.  The heart king may score a trick on defense, but it will have less value on offense, since it's unlikely to remove a loser.”

 Shaw:”Double---Don't want partner thinking pass is forcing with my working four-count.”

 Two experts double 5 to show strength.  I would double 5 holding xxxxxxxxxxxxx.  Pass shows values.         

 Parker:”Double---I must show some values and let partner decide if he is so offensive oriented he will bid again. I cannot have a heart stack based on this bidding.  Pass would just get another double from partner.  At least this way I can show some values.  Bidding a suit now is just a guess as to suit and level.”

 King:”Double---I don't have enough to bid, but I think my values are enough to double.”

 Six experts pass.  Do they really want partner to bid on.

 Adams:”Pass---The 5 bidder thinks we can make 4, therefore I think we can make 4.  5 doubled will be a poor score.     However, I can’t bid without getting to a level that is a worse score.  So I pass, waiting for partner to take action, because to be making 4, partner must have a good hand.  Key is to not bid partner’s cards when he will get a chance to.  Next month, ask me what I do when partner reopens with a double.”

 Just because the 5-bidder thinks you can make 4 means that you can make 4.  Sometimes the 2-bidder has defense. 

 Cappelletti:”Pass---But you might double very frisky opponents.  Anything can happen in very freaky hands, but since partner probably is short in hearts, your Kx hearts suggests defense.  Note that if RHO has AQxxxx(x) - then even if partner has AQxxxAKQxxKJx they might make 5.”

 I would not expect the opponents to make 5.

 Ao:”Pass---East's 5 is likely an advance sacrifice.  But maybe it’s a trap to get +500/+650 instead of +450.  It's not a sure thing to me.  Partner knows better.”

 Roman:”Pass---I won't be goaded into bidding at the five-level with no distributional surprises and values well within the range of what partner will play me to have.”

 Couldn’t you have two or three working cards?

 Hopkins:”Pass---I have a working four-count and some distribution for partner.  This is not sufficient to bid at the five-level while partner has a further chance to speak.  Also, a double is premature as my Spade and Diamond length might negate some of partner's high cards.  Maybe partner will know what to do?”

Schwartz:”Pass---No reason to think they can't make it if partner can't bid again.”

 When an opponent jumps to five-of-a-major or a passed hand jumps to five-of-a-minor assume it’s your hand.  They can’t play at the five-level undoubled.  With weak hands, you have to double.

Partner has shown the red suits and has enough strength to bid at the five-level.  However, West has shown the black suits which means that any missing red cards will be with East.  The question is how much of our strength is partner playing us for.  If partner has xAKQxxAQJxxxx, 6would be a great contract assuming hearts are not 5=0.  If you are going to bid 6and since partner could have more then ten red cards, and you are a passed hand, why not show your ace of clubs.  Partner knows that any red cards will be offsides and won’t go wild.

 Four experts agree with me and bid a slam.  Three of them even cuebid looking for seven.       

 Adams:”6---Pass is out of the question, so which is it, 6 or 6?  Since I have the club ace and excellent diamonds, I might as well bid 6 just in case partner has a spade control and needs the club control for a Grand.  Maybe partner is -AKQ9xxAQxxxxx.  I like my chances in 7and we should be able to set 7.”

 Parker:”6hand is a great fit for partner.  He can bid 6, 6 or seven if he is so inclined.  I would give him something like AAKQxx(x)AQxxxx(x) and we are cold for seven with a 3-1 diamond break.”

 Schwartz:”6---Worth bidding slam with this much and gets us to the right trump fit.”

 One expert makes the bid that is most likely to make.

 Hopkins:”6hope my Ace is opposite partner's singleton or they lead clubs anyway and give partner tempo.  I am taking a stab at the safest slam as I worry about how the red suits are breaking.  Opener is usually 5-7 or such for this type of auction.”

      Five experts go back to the major.  With West showing a possible 7=5 hand, do you really want to play in a suit where on bad a day, East has three trump tricks, -AQ10xxxfor instance.  Also, with hearts as trumps, you might have to lose a club. 

 Cappelletti:”5---At matchpoints try to go plus in major.  Plus first, slam later.”

      At matchpoints try to go plus.  With all the black-suit bidding, any makeable game will be worth matchpoints.  Holding three little hearts, I can’t believe that 5 will play make more often than 5.  

 Shaw:”5---Tough problem. I don't want to hang partner for balancing.  I bid 5 to protect our matchpoint position. If partner is a conservative solid citizen I would bid five notrump choice of slams.  I think 6 shows the club Ace and invites a grand.  If I had the same hand with the King or Queen of hearts I would bid 6.”

 Rodney:”5---We may make six.  However, I was going to happily pass 4, so I won't be pushed into over-bidding.”

 You passed 4 because partner could have been gambling.

 Ao:”5is possible, but choosing a better game should be a better action.  Leaving 5is a clear victory to 4 bidder.”

 King:”5---I have two cards that should be very good for partner.  Is this enough to bid a slam?  Clearly suits are not breaking well and partner is under pressure, so I will bid only 5.”

      I think passing 5 is better than bidding 5.  5figures to make more often than 5

 Roman:”Pass---I like to play that this 5 bid shows five or more diamonds while bidding four notrump would show four.  As for raising, partner has bid twice under pressure.  It looks like I have a hand which will reward his enterprise, but a) if he had a moose he might've started with double and b) our suits are not breaking well here.”

 When suits don’t figure to break, play in your best suit even if that suit is a minor and even if you’re playing matchpoints. 

What is the meaning of 4?  6=5 in the minors?  Could be.  But what do you bid over 3 holding 32A2AKQ543A2?  Are you aggressive, bid four notrump and find opener with KQ5432JxxxKQJ?  6 is a poor contract which needs spades to be 3=2 with the ace on sides with no defensive ruffs.  I would not want to be in 5 opposite KQ5432.  Or, are you conservative, signoff in 4 and find partner with AKQ987?  How do you make a strength showing 4-bid?  4 is best played as an advanced cuebid.  Shows a good hand with two-card spade support.  If you had real clubs, you should have bid them earlier.  If 4 is an advanced cuebid and you have the AKQ of trumps, you must make a forward-going noise.  In slam bidding, the player with good trumps is obligated to advance towards slam.  Therefore, South must bid something other then 4.  If partner is making a slam try missing the top three trump honors, he must have good controls in the other suits.  Four notrump is the only correct bid.  If partner shows three keycards, a bid of five notrump will tell partner that you have the AKQ of trumps. 

 Three experts bid 4 as a preference.  They’re assuming that 4 shows clubs which is the wrong assumption. 

 Parker:”4