Close Calls

In response to:Find a good response here

2009-07-27T00:52:23+02:00

I suppose my partner was frightened of a 4S bid over 3S, so he psyched 1S as a waiting bid. This led to the rather clunky auction Pass 4S (I was almost good enough to bid 4D as a splinter) Pass 5H float when 7H is cold but only 50% (6H+1 was a joint top).

1H X 1S -
4S - 5H

In response to:Find a good response here

2009-07-26T23:46:41+02:00

3S splinter. What's the problem or am I missing something blindingly obvious again?

In response to:Would you ever consider opening this hand 1D?

2009-05-14T15:22:41+02:00

This is a 1C opener for me too for the sensible reasons stated above.

Regards.

Simon

In response to:Would you ever consider opening this hand 1D?

2009-05-13T10:56:15+02:00

OK. No, never.

I'm not sure I'd reverse but I'd certainly be happy to make several noises on the hand, in what is likely to be a competitive auction (both with partner and oppo).

Why would I want to show 5+D and 4+C when I'm actually 5-6?

In response to:Would you ever consider opening this hand 1D?

2009-05-11T23:19:44+02:00

Not on a Friday at Pinner.

In response to:Would you ever consider opening this hand 1D?

2009-05-07T14:19:57+02:00

Personally I would not as it is too much of a distortion because I have longer and stronger clubs. I will also not be ashamed of reversing with such a powerful playing trick hand.

In response to:Would you ever consider opening this hand 1D?

2009-05-06T20:41:58+02:00

No...

In response to:2-parter

2008-11-27T11:56:52+01:00

Simon you've scored 100% - Harry found a 4D bid 4NT from me would now be a sign off.

Unfortunately, on this occasion, it was me who screwed up!

I read H's initial 3D bid as super-weak. He hesitated for a good minute + before pulling out 4D and I couldn't believe it was a slam try - I thought he was "pulling" 3NT.

I then proceeded to 'get out' with 5D (equally, I could have tried 4NT to play).

Oddly enough there was an equally bad screw up in the other room.

Dhondy J. chose 3H 4SF on the hand where you've found the nice 3D bid and simply passed Heather's 3NT call.

I think this was meant to be a division one match!!!

In response to:2-parter

2008-11-27T11:51:51+01:00

I'll show some mild encouragement and genuine diamonds with 4D.

(My original 3D doesn't guarantee much in the way of D support - could have been false preference with something like

AKxxx
xxx
xx
xxx

so it's important to show real diamonds now.)

Interesting aside - do you and H play that having bid 3NT to play, 4NT over 4D now would be a suggestion of a place to play rather than RKBC?

S

In response to:One to be wary of

2008-11-27T11:29:00+01:00

I am assuming (but do not know for an absolute fact) that there was no t.o. double on the other table - the doubler actually only held 3 Spades.

So, it probably went 1H - 1S; 2D - 2S; float which probably came in for 8 tricks. (Mind you, this is a guess).

In response to:One to be wary of

2008-11-27T11:23:55+01:00

Do you know how the bidding went at the other table Jonathan?

S

In response to:2-parter

2008-11-27T11:22:50+01:00

Your partner responds 3NT do you follow up with anything?

In response to:2-parter

2008-11-27T11:19:43+01:00

Easy for now - a simple 3D. We are in a GF situation. Maybe I am missing the point?

S

In response to:Would you ever come in with this hand?

2008-11-12T14:00:21+01:00

Nearly everyone was bidding at equal vul. on this one and they all did well as pd showed up with AS & other misc. and amazingly, 10 tricks were available.

Harry passed and we got about a 16% board!

In response to:Pass or 3S and why?

2008-11-12T13:58:25+01:00

I chose 3S here. I was doubled and went 2 off with a further loss of a few IMPs.

I don't think this is at all an easy hand and might well do the same again given the same cards again. Harry was very light for his 2S bid.

In response to:Pass or re-opening X?

2008-11-12T13:56:37+01:00

Pass is correct here. X is far too aggressive at Game all playing teams against another div one side. We ended up going one off in 4C undoubled on this occasion and lost a handful of IMPs.

In response to:Quick choices

2008-11-12T13:54:27+01:00

On #1 I chose 2C pd (Jacqui Tobias) much preferred 2S here. Result, we played in 2S+2 although with perfect defence it can be held to 9 tricks. A few pairs reached a making game and we got about a 38% board. I think we are only ever going to play in 3S though!

On #2 I picked the poor bid of "Pass" greedily pinching the hand as I fancied my own declarer play! As it happens we can only make 9 tricks in Hearts in a 5-3 (8 tricks were scrambled in a 4-3 Club fit). We actually (somehow) gained 5 IMPs on this board (presumably they were in 4H-1 next door). In any case, lesson learnt. The bid is a resounding 2H.

In response to:Quick choices

2008-11-10T09:48:00+01:00

Good morning Jonathan,

1. 2S. If partner has 5 spades and is too weak to bid again, I will have done the right thing.

Alternatively, if partner only has 4 spades, then a competitive bidding consideration comes into play as follows:-
If partner has only 4 spades then it follows that he doesn't have 4+ hearts (he would have responded 1H) so we the oppo must have a 9+ card heart fit. 2S makes it harder for them to find this than 2C.

2. I can't disagree with Paul's answer on this one but the only time I would have opened that hand 1C would be in the context of a weak NT 5 card major system. (else I would either open a strong NT or 1S if playing ACOL weak NT).

Regards.
Simon

In response to:Quick choices

2008-11-09T12:06:58+01:00

Interesting answers. Many thanks.

In response to:Quick choices

2008-11-09T12:04:46+01:00

On 1/ I prefer 2C because I have no honour in Spades

On 2/ I would bid 2H because my hand is quite good and it is conceivable that we could be missing game if partner holds for example :

xx / KJxxx / xxx / KQx

He will now bid 3H and the game will be reached.

Cheers,

Paul

In response to:Pass or re-opening X?

2008-10-21T09:12:06+02:00

Pass (but close to a 2nd double). I know my inaction could very easily lose a part-score swing but vulnerable oppo won't bid to 3H on tram tickets. If we are going to be playing the hand, I also have the worst possible heart holding for partner.

I don't think we have a game on - the fact partner hasn't bid freely over 3H leads me to think that he either doesn't have 4 spades or if he does he has no extras.

In response to:Pass or 3S and why?

2008-10-21T09:05:43+02:00

Pass. For 3 reasons:-

1. Law of Total Tricks - there's nothing to suggest that we have a 9 card fit (if we do I expect pd to compete further) and bidding 3 over 3 only right if one side has a 9 card fit.

2. I'd be delighted to defend 3H (dream on!)

3. The fact that opener has extras and pd could be very weak for his single raise leads me to think 3S could be whacked and go for 300.

In response to:Would you ever come in with this hand?

2008-09-22T20:32:15+02:00

OK at favourable I suppose. Should be good for 6 tricks, -500 against (presumably -600+). Any intervention could screw up their auction a bit.

I've no problem with any partner that passes though.

In response to:Puzzle in Diamonds

2008-09-18T20:27:20+02:00

I'm playing pairs so I think my choices are 3NT.

We don't have a spade fit and I have stops in the other 2 suits. 5D is unlikely to be better and I don't see anyway to investiage 6D without potentially losing a bundle of MP's.

Looking at both hands I'm guessing that 6D makes and was probably bid somewhere although it doesn't look a great contract to me (I'm not clever enough to work out the odds but I would guess they're well under 50%).

In response to:Puzzle in Diamonds

2008-09-18T19:34:36+02:00

OK - here is part two of the bridge puzzle (as far as I am concerned, you got part one right!)

6
A105
K8652
A873

1S P 2D P; 3D P ?

What are the choices here & which would you plump for?

In response to:Puzzle in Diamonds

2008-09-17T13:35:18+02:00

Thanks for your answer! I will let you have a 'part 2' to this question in another 48 hours or so!

In response to:Puzzle in Diamonds

2008-09-17T13:25:37+02:00

3D.

I'm fairly big but a quarter of my points are in the doubletons and I've no idea if we have even a partial spade fit. Also, 2D could be short if I'm playing a stupid system.

If partner bids 3H I'll plump for 3NT. If he bids 3S I'll bid 4S. If he bids 3NT I'll Pass. If he bids 4D I'll tank and probably Pass.

In response to:Consider the following bids!

2008-09-13T09:49:10+02:00

I bid 1NT which led to a small av+

I think I really only published this hand because it's rare to be faced with so many possible choices for the first bid as responder!

In response to:Lightner (or not?)

2008-09-13T09:45:54+02:00

On the second hand, again 6D is a good bid. I passed and instead of leading the singleton H which might have worked if declarer ruffs small in hand at trick 2. I 'read' the double as another Lightner double and lead a Club which chucked it at them.

2 disasters in 2 hands and a further learning curve!

In response to:Lightner (or not?)

2008-09-13T09:42:23+02:00

Just to confirm your answer was spot on here.

I got everything wrong on this hand! 4C bid - wrong, pushed them into diamonds! Choice of lead - wrong, I lead QS and they romped home. It has to be a heart to score the ruff.

Quite a bit of stuff learnt right here on one hand!