June 06' ATE

Question 1 :   Bob Pedrotti (Flight C)

East Dealer None Vul.
 

West	East
9	AJx
AKQx	xx
Axx	K9xx
KQxx	ATxx

East dealer: 

The bidding went 

EAST     SOUTH      WEST       NORTH

    P            1            Double           2

    3         All pass.

We made 5, and most were bidding and making 3 NT. How should the bidding have gone?

Panel's Responses

Ken Bland

East should open the bidding - a common treatment to determine an opening bid is the "Rule of Twenty". Add your high card points to your two longest suits if the total is twenty as in East's hand open 1D (or some 1C)

Tom Kniest

Be thankful the opponents only bid to the 2 level with their 9 spades.  When east bid over 2S, he showed values for a free bid, although he had a hand that many would have opened.  West has 18 hcp and a stiff spade, and the opponents have gratefully left him room for a 3S cue bid.  East has an easy 3NT bid, and west has no reason to disturb that contract.
  
Roger Lord

Over North's 2 spades, East should jump to 3 notrump. West might pass, or he might raise to 4 NT, which East will pass.

Tom Oppenheimer

I would open the east hand. Now we would certainly get to game...and maybe slam. If you passed, East is much to good for 3 clubs. A responsive double showing the minors would be good. Now you will either reach 6 clubs or 3 no trump. Looks like you have a good play for 6 clubs.

Nancy Popkin

The bidding should have gone:

East	South	West	North
1	1	X (neg)	P
1NT	P	2	P
3	P	4NT	5
6	All Pass

East should open because of the Rule of 20: Count your points and then add your two longest suits and if it totals 20 open the hand. East has 12 high card points, plus 4 diamonds, equaling 16 points, plus 4 clubs, equaling 20. Another good rule is if you have 2 aces and a king and you are not totally balanced (4-3-3-3 distribution), go ahead and open, especially if your aces and king are with your long suits.

Fran Schiefler

I open any 12 point hand with 2 quick tricks; this one has 2 1/2 QT.  After an opening bid of 1D, the game is easy.  In fact, some pairs might get higher. Even if he originally passes, East should get his side to game with a bid of 3NT in response to West's takeout double.

Ed Schultz

East has an opening bid! I would open 1C. If partner bids 1D, I would raise to 2D. If partner bids 1H, I would bid 1NT. If partner bids 1S, I would raise to 2S. In the actual hand after a 1C opening, partner would bid 1H, then after a 1 NT rebid by me, partner would make several slam tries in clubs, possibly showing shortness in spades, which fits my hand in cooperating for a slam in clubs.

Karen Walker

With 2 ½ quick tricks, I would have opened the East hand with 1C. Once this hand passed, though, it needs to take stronger action over partner's takeout double.

The 3C freebid shows some values, but not this much, and it tends to show a longer suit. Possibilities for a stronger rebid are 2NT for the timid, 3NT for the bold or Double (responsive) for the unsure.

West did some serious underbidding here, too. After the 3C bid, he should have bid 3S to look for a notrump game or a club slam.

En Xie

I would open 1D with East's hand. 12 HCP and 5 controls are good enough for me to open. I wouldn't bid 3C after North bids 2S. 2NT or 3NT would be my choice. 2NT is a slight underbid and 3NT is a slight overbid. Either bid would lead us to 3NT contract. With 18 HCP and partner's 3C bid, I would bid

3S with West's hand. Then 3NT contract would be reached.

Milt Zlatic

First, East should have opened the bidding. Second, the 3C bid could be made on a lot less. Why not tell partner where you live? Bid NT. Whether you bid 2NT or 3NT is a problem. 2NT is an underbid and 3NT is somewhat of an overbid since there is no long suit. On this hand it wouldn't matter. Partner has an easy

raise to 3NT.

Question 2 : Rose Etzkorn (Flight B)

I am a "B" player and I have gotten several answers to my question but would like other opinions. Only three teams bid the slam and we were not one of them.
 

K 3 2

A K Q

Q 7 4

10 9 7 4
 
THE BIDDING: East opens with one spade and South bids 3 clubs. What should West do with the above hand ?

Panel's Responses

Ken Bland

(a) Negative DBL to show "card points" then raise spades, this will save bidding spade or (b) a cue bid of four clubs. I prefer the former, your hand may not be good enough for clubs

Tom Kniest

Over the 3C bid, west should bid 4C which, in this day and age, does not show first round control of clubs, but does show a hand that fits spades and has the values for game.  I presume east has a hand that would move forward from there - a hand short in clubs, good trumps, and room for a below game cuebid of 4D. West now can bid 4H and now perhaps east can Blackwood with a singleton club.  I suspect east's hand looks something like AQxxxx xx AKxx x  or AQJxx  xx AJ10xx  A, either hand being worthy of a slam bid.  West's initial 4C bid should encourage east to envision slam.

Roger Lord

West should cuebid 4 clubs, showing spade support and a very good hand. (When a cuebid of the opponent's suit is the first bid which shows a fit, it does not necessarily promise a control.) If East simply returns to 4 spades, the auction is over. Instead, if East makes a control bid of 4 diamonds, West will counter with 4 hearts and await partner's decision.

Tom Oppenheimer

I am a big advocate of having 4 card trump support for a cue bid, but they took up my bidding space, I would bid 4 clubs to show partner a good hand with spade support.

Nancy Popkin

Fran Schiefler

I would start with a negative double, intending to next bid 4S, which should indicate a hand too strong to raise spades immediately, while denying first round control in clubs.

Ed Schultz

West should cue bid 4 clubs showing a game-forcing raise to 4S.

Karen Walker

A cuebid of 4C would show a good high-card raise to 4S. It would then be up to partner to move toward slam, either by Blackwooding or cuebidding. He might, for example, show slam intentions by cuebidding 4D if he had the diamond ace, and you could cooperate with a 4H cuebid.

En Xie

I would bid 4C. 4C shows spades support and at least an opening hand. It does not promise club control.

Milt Zlatic
What slam was bid and what was partner's hand? I'd temporize with a negative double and see what happens. You could try 3NT and hope partner has an honor in clubs or the suit blocks.

Question 3 : Arbha Vongsvivut (Flight A)

We had an interesting hand this week at local club game. John and Gabe also would like to hear from the experts.

North Deals/NS Vul:

West	East
AQxxx	KJTxx
none	JTxx
AK9x	JT
KQxx	Tx

North	East	South	West
P	P	P	1  (2?)
P	2 (?3*/4 **?	P	4 (3 ?)
All Pass

2S= 6 to 9 support points at least 3-card support
*3S= limit with at least 4-card support
**4S= preemptive with 4- or 5-card support with side suit singleton. (Some play this as preemptive with 5-card fit, may not have side suit singleton).

Question:
1. How should the bidding go for E/W ??
2. Do you think West hand is good enough to try for Slam ?? (West can rebid 3D and rebid 4C and rebid 5C ??)
3. Note : 1 out of 7 pairs bid 6S and made 7.

Panel's Responses

Ken Bland

This is a difficult hand to get to six spades, I didn't see a suggestion of a Drury Auction. West's hand is good enough to try a slam if East is aggressive in his/her first response:

1S-3S limit or 1S-2D 4-card Drury

Tom Kniest

At the table, I would bid 1S with the west hand; 2C is absurd - you can never show your shape starting at the 2 level with an artificial bid. If partner raises spades, bids a NT, or 2 of a suit naturally, you have a good idea of how to continue.  Almost everyone I know plays a form of Drury over 3rd and 4th seat openers, and I recommend it highly.  In my opinion, 4S is the most descriptive bid with the east hand.  The opponents are silent, and it's probably your hand, but 2S does not do the hand justice in terms of playing strength and 3S is a mis-description that could get you in trouble.  With the 4S bid, West can bid 6, knowing you have long trumps and some shape, either fitting one or both of his minors; or, more likely, having some heart length and corresponding shortness in one or both minors.  I don't think West would have any interest in trying for 7 over 4; that hand couldn't exist...but could if partner bid 3S.   

Roger Lord

The questioner essentially answered his own question. After 1S-2S, opener's 3D "game try" would elicit an acceptance by East, a jump to 4S. Now West bids 5C to show that he was going to game all along but would like to try for slam. If East still is not sure, he can temporize with 5D, over which West should jump with confidence to 6S.

Tom Oppenheimer

I would open 1 spade with west and bid 4 spades with east. I would not likely get to slam..and it is likely but not certain to make with a trump lead. Possibly, West could make a slam try with 5 clubs but east should not accept.

Nancy Popkin

North	East	South	West
P	P	P	1
P	4	P	6
All Pass

With 5 trumps and a little distribution I would bid 4S, not 3S, and definitely not 2S. The Law of Total Tricks says count your trumps between the 2 hands and that's how many you should be able to make-If partner has 5 trumps and I have 5 trumps we should be able to take 10 tricks.

Fran Schiefler

After a 1S opening bid, partner should probably bid 4S, which most often would end the auction.

After a 2C opening bid and a waiting 2D response, 2S should elicit a 3S bid by responder (a bit stronger than 4S would be).  Then opener might gamble that pard could cover two of his three losers and try 6S - very scientific :-))

Ed Schultz

I would raise 1S to 2S. If playing Bergen, you could bid 3C which will get you closer to a slam. Even after my start of 1S-2S- if you are able to make a short suit game try or slam try and partner leaps to game, you might get to slam if opener asks about trumps. Tough to get to slam, the fifth trump is large.

Karen Walker

Question 3:

How should the bidding go for E/W ??

North	East	South	West
P	P	P	1
P	2	P	3 or 3
P	4	P	6
All Pass

East's 2S raise looks about right with this strength and pattern. A jump to 4S is very pushy, especially since it's clear that there's no need to preempt your passing opponents.

Over any game-try/slam-try, though, East's strong trumps and the two doubletons make his hand worth a jump to game. That might be enough to convince West to give the slam a shot. Any further cuebids by West are pointless.

En Xie

1) I would open 1S with West's hand.

2) According to your system, I agree with East's 2S bid.

3) 3D would be my choice after hearing 2S. This hand has good potential for

slam. It wouldn't hurt to try for slam. With 5 spades and short in Diamonds,

I would bid 4S with East's hand. Then slam is possible to reach (West can

rebid 5c).

Milt Zlatic

1. With the opponents silent, you know partner has a good hand. He'll never bid a slam with a simple raise that could be based on 3 trumps. I'd lie and bid 4 spades and let him know I have long trumps.

2, It depends on what partner bid over 1S. If the raise was 2 spades, then I would make a try with 3 diamonds followed by 4 clubs. It's tough for partner to move when all he has are trumps. If the raise was 4 spades, I'd just bid 6 and see if I can make it. On this hand, partner doesn't even need those jacks.

3. Sounds like 6 pairs undervalued the West hand. Surely, someone bid 4 spades over 1 spade. To make 7, they must have gotten a diamond lead.