Hand 1 from a C player:

Vul E/W

Matchpoints, Club Game

Dealer: North

                 NORTH

                 S   J  10  3

                 H   K  7  4

                 D   Q  7  3

                 C   K  J  9  2

WEST                           EAST

S   A  5  4                    S   8  6  2

H   A  J  9                    H   10  6  3

D   8  6  5                    D   A  J  9  2

C   Q  6  4  3                C   A  8  5

                 SOUTH

                 S   K  Q  9  7    

                 H   Q  8  5  2

                 D   K  10  4

                 C   10  7

What should the auction be for this hand?

John Burgener

A very normal auction would be Pass, Pass, Pass, Pass. It would not be wrong for South to venture a risky bid of either 1Heart (best chance to get both majors in play and in hopes of defending against a spade contract) or 1 Spade (best as lead director) then in either case a 1 No Trump response should end the auction. I expect 1 No Trump to make and all further bidders to go minus.

Part a) I see no reason to distort this have and so would open 1 Club being willing to rebid 2 Clubs over a 1 Spade or to raise 1 Heart to 2 Hearts. These bids are underbids but are safe bids, an important consideration at matchpoints. Over a 1 Diamond response a 3 Diamond rebid is appropriate and over 1 No Trump a raise to 3 No Trump.

Part b) Here I would Double denying 4-card heart and showing extra values, willing to defend if partner has a sort of ordinary negative double or for him to further describe his hand. They may make it but at matchpoints such risks when you have 25 HCP or more are good bridge.

Mark Boswell  

Although the cards are favorably placed for NS, and NS can make one or two NT, neither N nor S has enough to open the bidding.  South should not open light in 3rd chair because South does not have a good suit and should fear that partner may take the partnership too high.   West should not open either.  Using the rule of 15 for a 4th chair opening (add your HCPs to the number of spades you hold and if the sum is less than 15, pass), West should also pass.  I would expect that the hand would be passed out at most tables.

Tom Kniest

P P P P would make sense. 

However, I confess I'd open 3rd seat with 1S for lead directing and disruptive purposes.  North would use Drury by bidding 2C and I'd make my weakest response of 2S and play it there. 

I don't see how the opponents could compete.  Looks like I'd make 2 Spades -most days.

Roger Lord

Our auction would be:

North     East     South     West

P            P         1S          P

2C          P         2D          P

2S          P         P            P

Two Clubs is a convention called Drury, asking whether opener has more than a bare minimum.  Two Diamonds is negative, over which responder raises to 2 Spades, ending the auction.

Note:  The majority of players guarantee a fit and reverse the meanings of opener's rebids, whereby 2Spades would be negative instead of 2 Diamonds.  (P-P-1S-P-2C-P-2S-P-P-P).

As for the opening, we play 5-card majors in first and second position, but we open light hands in the third seat with a 4-card major.

Tom Oppenheimer

I believe that this hand should be passed out.  Nobody has an opener.

Nancy Popkin  

Rod Van Wyk

Pass-out may be common. The only one who should consider opening is 3rd seat. With both majors, I would open. It would go: p-p-1D- p-1NT-p-p-p.

Karen Walker  

Pass-Pass-Pass-Pass.  South might choose to open a light, lead-directing 1S in third seat. North will raise to 2S (or bid 2C, if you play the Drury convention) and the auction will end in 2S, probably making 8 tricks.
 

En Xie

The hand probably would be passed out at most tables. Some aggressive players might take action when sitting south or west.
 

Milt Zlatic

This is easy. P-P-P-P. The only hand I would even think about opening is South with 4-4 in the majors.

Question 2 from a C Player

I am not yet a Life Master, but I have 300 points.

I play 2/1 Game Force, 5-card majors, negative doubles, and take-out doubles, etc., etc.

But I have never been taught when to double for penalty and not get into hot water.

Will you give me 3 quick tips?

John Burgener

Modern bidding makes for fewer “penalty” doubles but if partnerships are on the same page each makes doubles that show shortness in opponents bid suit that may be converted by the other partner to penalty doubles.

You may (should by agreement) play that a double of a No Trump opener or of a 1 No Trump overcall is for penalty.

You should also have a firm agreement on how high you play takeout, negative, or other special doubles so that doubles above that level are penalty doubles.

Finally, you and partner can by agreement set lower levels for when penalty doubles apply after preemptive interfering bids or any other interfering bids, as an example, after the opponents make a Michaels cue bid a double should say “I want to double the opponents” (at least one of the known suits they have offered to play in) then a double of the runout is Penalty. These are legal! Warning; they must be alerted if lower than “standard” players would be making them as penalty doubles.

Mark Boswell

Three tips on penalty doubles.

1. The best penalty doubles occur when the hands are a misfit and you hold many cards in the opponent's suit including honor cards and you are behind the opponent that holds the trump suit.

2. One of the biggest differences between bidding in IMPs vs. MPs is in the area of penalty doubles.  In IMPs doubling the opponents in a partial that makes and the penalty makes it into a game contract is a sin (e.g. 2H doubled is the same as making 4H).  Also, a double at IMPs that tells the opposition how to play the hand to have it make is a sin.  Double at IMPs when you expect to beat the contract at least 2 tricks.  At MPs, double to protect the contract you expect you can make.  An example is that you expect to make +140 in a contract and the opposition has bid to 4 of a minor, you need to double more often, because if you don't and they go down you lose to all the 140's your direction whether your opponents make it or not. 

3.  The reason to make a penalty double should include more strategic thinking than “I didn't think they could make it.”    

Tom Kniest
Tip 1 - double in auctions where you and your partner are silent, but when the opponents arrive at a final contract, and your cards suggest the opponents will be "unlucky" based on the auction.

Tip 2 - double any low level contract in the passout seat with shortness - often they have stayed low because of no robust fit, and your shortness suggests that all suits may be stacked unfavorably.  While this double is essentially for takeout, because you can support any unbid suits, partner will be happy to pass with values concentrated in the doubled suit.

Tip 3 - double when partner has implied strength and you are leading a singleton to partner's bid suit or through dummy's strength to wake up partner that you are seeking ruffs - s/he is in a much better position to realize what is going on and to direct the defense from there.

Roger Lord

A.  When you are opener, after LHO overcalls and the next two players pass, be prepared to double for takeout, especially with shortness in the overcall suit.  In this sequence, partner can pass for penalty, which it tantamount to  his/her making a penalty double.

B.  In such an auction, when YOU are responder, you will pass for penalty only when you have good trumps.

C. As the opening bidder, do not reopen with a double when you have 3 (or more) of the overcall suit and a minimum-range opening bid.  If responder does not have enough to bid or make a negative double, either s/he is too weak or s/he has length in their suit and opponents have a misfit, and your reopening double might allow them to escape to a better fit.

Tom Oppenheimer

A.  Double suit contracts when you have a good trump holding and it looks like they do not have anywhere to run

B. Double no trump when you have a good source of tricks (quality suit), an entry to your hand and are are certain the suit will be led by you or your partner.

C.  When you and your partner have the balance of power and have bid to what you determine is a quality makeable contract (usually a game or slam), you double to get the best score you can and to protect your side if in a team game.

Nancy Popkin

Rod Van Wyk

1) The most important factor is defensive tricks, not high-card points. Trump tricks are good. If partner has bid, length in his suit is negative defense.

2) If you will be on lead, be sure you have an effective lead before you commit the double.

3) If partner will be on lead, remember that your double may have a special meaning, depending on the auction.

Karen Walker
(1) At IMPs (team games), don't risk a penalty double unless you're reasonably certain you'll set the contract at least two tricks.
(2)  On most deals, you need trump length and strength, not just high-card points, to double.
(3)  When in doubt, take out a takeout double. Don't pass for penalty with a marginal trump holding.
 

En Xie

Tip 1: Don't double on Hcps. Double on defensive tricks.
Tip 2: Don't double much in imps/team games. Double more often in MPs.
Tip 3: Don't double often on mondays. (Well, at least it doesn't work for me anyway)
 
 

Milt Zlatic

1) If you're not going to bid on, double the opponents when you know they are sacrificing.
2) Double with a trump stack.
3) If you think the opponents have outbid you, double to protect your part score. The zero is only rounder.

Question 3 from a B Player

All Vul

Matchpoints, NAP District Finals

Dealer: North

Below is a question from a hand at the NAP event in Springfield on November 14:

A

AKx

Qxxx

KJ9xx

2 Questions:

a) What do you open: 1C, 1D, or 1NT?

Assuming you open 1C or 1D, assume bidding proceeds as follows:

North                        East       South    West

your bid (1C or 1D)     1S            X        3S

b) What is your next call and why?

John Burgener

Part a) I see no reason to distort this have and so would open 1 Club being willing to rebid 2 Clubs over a 1 Spade or to raise 1 Heart to 2 Hearts. These bids are underbids but are safe bids, an important consideration at matchpoints. Over a 1 Diamond response a 3 Diamond rebid is appropriate and over 1 No Trump a raise to 3 No Trump.

Part b) Here I would Double denying 4-card heart and showing extra values, willing to defend if partner has a sort of ordinary negative double or for him to further describe his hand. They may make it but at matchpoints such risks when you have 25 HCP or more are good bridge.

Mark Boswell

This is a close opening call between 1C and 1D.  I never open 1NT with a singleton.  You have the minimum HCPs needed to make a reverse (opening a lower ranking suit and then bidding a higher ranking suit at the two level), but most of your points are outside of your two longest suits, which suggests opening 1D.  I would not particularly criticize either opening 1C or 1D.  Whichever one you opened, I think you should bid the other minor at the 4 level over the 3S bid.  A double would show your values and would be called an “action”, “cooperative”, or “balance of power” double, but you should have at least 2 spades at this level to make that call.

Tom Kniest
a)  I open 1C because I can "reverse" in a negative double situation, possibly forcing to the 3 level.  If my hand weren't quite so robust, I'd open 1D, preparing the bid 2C over the negative double of 1S.

b)  I'd double again, showing cards (extra values) and denying 4 hearts.  Length in the 4th suit would be implied. .

Roger Lord

I double, which is "responsive" showing extra values.

Tom Oppenheimer 

I am torn between 1 Club and 1 No Trump as an opener.

Over the 3 Spade bid, I double to show extra values and most likely 3-card heart support.

Nancy Popkin

Rod Van Wyk

a. 1C.

b. Double. Since the opponents have at least 9 spades, it is more practical to use the double to show extra values than to show a trump stack. Partner may bid or pass.

At the NAP, my partner and I bid and made 4 hearts. The opponents missed a good sacrifice, down 1 at 4 spades.

Karen Walker

(a) 1C.
(b) Double, which says this is our hand, but I have no clear action (usually because I don't have 4 cards in partner's suit). Partner will know I don't have a trump stack, but he may choose to pass if he doesn't have extra length in his suit or a fit for my suit.
 

En Xie
a) 1c
b) double. In team game, 4H might be reasonable alternative. But in mps, 4h is too much. Double gives partner a chance to do something either good or bad.
 

 

Milt Zlatic

a) The hand is too strong for 1NT. I would open 1C and rebid 2NT. Don't reverse when you strength is concentrated outside your 2 suits.
b) Double. This says "Partner, I have extras but no clear-cut action and I don't have 4 hearts."

John Burgener

The auction given has one major flaw: The 1 Spade bid is terrible! 1 No Trump is better, (do not bid two suits when you have 4333 shape) better still is to raise partner then he could better evaluate his hand now a further advance is more attractive and then you could get to game. I suggest the auction should go P P P 1C, P 1H P 2H, P 3H P 4H, P P P (Note: a 4 th seat 1C should be a full value hand otherwise you would open a major or just pass the hand out) This is a lucky make of 4 hearts but winning bridge requires that you be both aggressive and cautious appropriately.

Mark Boswell

Although a more modern style would be to open the North hand 2H, the auction you had was very reasonable and landed you in a very good contract.  In order for 4H to make, the hearts must have been 2-2 (40% chance) and the King of Diamonds on side (50% chance) giving 4H about a 20% chance of making.  I would rather play a contract with an almost a 100% chance of a plus score(2H) than one with a 20% chance even with the game bonus (you need to be at least a 50% favorite at MPs or 50% favorite not vulnerable at IMPs to be in game).  On a bad day with the hearts 3-1 or 4-0 and the Diamond King wrong, this hand will make only  2H or 1H.

Tom Kniest
I'd open a weak 2H with the North hand - the most descriptive bid.  With the South hand, I'd bid 2NT and then subside with 3H; however, implicit in the 2NT bid is a game try, so North can carry on with "extra values"...which he doesn't have here. 

Par is to get to 3H and be glad to make it.  It would be a BIG MISTAKE to pass 2H, letting the opponents bid at a low level and then deciding what to do.  For example, to pass and let lefty balance with 2S allows them to get their best suit in, the best defensive lead, and the ability to compete to the 3 level in spades on some hands, although probably not this one.

Roger Lord

This deal contains several principles.

Seeing both hands, do you want to be in game? Vulnerable at IMPs, emphatically yes.  At Matchpoints, or non-vulnerable at IMPs, maybe not.

As for bidding, what should opener's second bid be? We cannot reasonably go through an auction without raising partner's major-suit bid when we have support.  Furthermore, after a 1Club opening and a 1Heart response, opener's 1S rebid, or so we assert, guarantees four or more clubs.

We raise immediately (with minimum-range) holding, Axx, Kxx, or QJx.  The game-going auction could be:

West     North     East     South

P           P            P          1C

p           1H          P          2H

P           3D          P          3S

P           3NT        all pass

The 3 Diamond game try allows opener to sign off at 3 Hearts or proceed to game.  3NT would be played by the hand with the Queens.  Nine tricks may be easier (in a 3NT contract) than 10 tricks (in a 4H contract).

Tom Oppenheimer

It is not clear that 4hearts will always make on this hand.

However, I think that the North hand should open with a weak 2 heart bid.  Now South can use whatever methods you have agreed upon to inquire about the quality of the North hand.  You may or may not reach game.

Nancy Popkin

Rod Van Wyk

I would open 2H as North. Then South should bid 4H, using the rule of 17 (high-card points plus number of trumps). This rule is very good when your points are in aces and kings.

Karen Walker

Your auction was fine. Game is not a good proposition here – it needs a 2-2 break in trumps and the diamond king onside, which adds up to about a 20 percent chance of making. South's heart fit and all-aces-and-kings hand might cause him to consider a raise to 3H, but that's very aggressive, especially with such a flat hand.
 

En Xie

I think North better open with/ 2H, then partnership might reach 3h or 4h. By the way, 4H is not a good contract for pairs games.
 

Milt Zlatic

That's the best auction.  You have 3 sure losers and a trump loser if they don't split.  I wouldn't worry about missing this game.

John Burgener

 This is easy. Yes! By both North and South. North the more so because he guaranteed 16 usually 17 HCPs or more. Knowing that about North's hand, South denied at many as 12 HCPs And since the 2 Heart bid promised another bid by North, which he made by bidding 3 No Trump, South needs to bid again 6 No Trump being the only bid that shows the hand held following the previous auction. Each bid in an auction further describes the hand already shown by previous bids. Using this principle is the key to successfully reaching the best contract most of the time, the goal of bidding.

Mark Boswell

This is a difficult deal to get to the best spot.  The North hand is a dead minimum for an opening bid, and I would not object if a partner elected not to open this hand.  North's rebid of 2H is known as a reverse because it opened in a lower ranking suit and bid a higher ranking suit at the two level.  This bid requires extra values (17+ HCPs) because it requires partner to make a preference to the lower ranking suit (clubs) at the 3 level. So the North hand should not make a reverse bid with this hand. The very hard part of this hand is for the partnership to recognize the weaknesses in diamonds and play in one of the 7-card major fits.  The better 7-card fit to play in is hearts, because of the possible need to ruff a spade to establish the suit.  A possible sequence might be with the opponents silent, 1C-1S-1NT-2D (new minor force)-2H-4H.

Tom Kniest
God yes, it should have been bid differently - after North's reverse, I don't see how the partnership avoided getting to slam.  North has a minimum opener, and many who subscribe to "sound initial action" would pass in second chair. 

Here's my recommended auction: (E/W pass throughout)
1C - 1S
1NT - 2D   (1NT - minimum balanced hand; 2D - game forcing check-back Stayman looking for 4 hearts: first duty is to show 3-card spade support; if not, then show a 4-card heart suit, if not, then show a 5-card club suit).
2H - 3C  (2H -I do Not have 3 spades, but I have 4 hearts; 3C - I do not have 4 hearts, but I have a good hand for clubs)
3S - 4S  (3S - I have doubleton spade honor; 4S -maybe NT isn't right).

South subsides in 4S because there's a hint that they might have a problem in diamonds.

Roger Lord

We pass originally with the North hand.  Our auction would use the Drury convention as described in my answer to Question 1.

West     North     East     South

P           P            P          1S

P           2C          P          2NT

P           3H          P           4H

P           P            P

Pretty neat, huh?

Tom Oppenheimer

I would not choose to open the north hand.  However, I would open the South hand 1 notrump and would likely have reached 3notrump.  Kudos to those who arrived in 4 spades.

Nancy Popkin

Rod Van Wyk

North's opening is marginal at best, and his reverse shows a much stronger hand. South should think slam with his 16 count.

All that said, I would also reach 3NT by this auction:

p(N)-1NT(S)-2C(stayman)-2S(S)-3NT(N).

Although 4H or 4S may work better, I would expect most pairs to reach 3NT. Even with a diamond lead, 3NT will make with a lucky club position.

Karen Walker

North should pass. On your actual auction, after 1C-1S, North should put on the brakes by rebidding 1NT. That's an uncomfortable choice, but it's much better than 2H, which is a reverse, showing 17+ high-card points.
Whether North opens or not, all auctions lead to 3NT. 4S would probably play better, but that won't be the field's choice. With semi-balanced hands, 27 high-card-points and stoppers in all suits, other tables will surely be in the same 3NT contract, so your result shouldn't have been a matchpoint disaster.
 

En Xie

It's a good hand for learning concepts.
a) With north's hand, opening 1c is marginal.  ( I probably would pass).  North's 2h after 1s is reverse, showing much bigger hand. Finally, I wouldn't bid 3nt as north after 2nt.

The fun part is that after all, 3nt is a playable contract.

b) With south's hand, we need to be careful of placing the final contract. 3NT would not be the best contract. 4H/4s would be much better. Modern conventions such as new minor forcing and checkback stayman will help you.
 
 

Milt Zlatic

Yes. You can't rebid 2H because that's a reverse and you are at least an A-K short of that. So, you're left to rebidding 1NT.
Did you consider passing? You have a minimum hand with rebid problems and only 2 spades.

John Burgener

It seems that the 1 No Trump bid was ignored by both North and South. Expect bad things to happen. A 1 No Trump overcall is stronger than a 1 No Trump opener (at least marginally). Most people play that a new suit after the 1 No Trump overcall is to play usually a 6-card suit or better. The 2 Spade bid should show extreme distribution at least 6 clubs and 5 spades and at most a singleton in hearts. Even that is seldom a reason to pull partner's 2 Heart bid unless it gets doubled. When one offers 2 No Trump as a place to play he is announcing that the partnership has at least 22 (or 23 by some) HCPs between them. And you were somewhat unlucky.  But if you have your bids, you have a much better chance of going plus more often.

Mark Boswell

Since the North hand looks like a no trump type hand, it should elect to play in no trump by simply passing the 1NT call.  A 2H bid in this auction by North requires 5 good or 6 cards in hearts.  The North hand is very close to having enough for a penalty double of 1NT.  In my opinion the North hand is 1 HCP short (or even just a couple of 10's short) of what is needed to double 1NT for penalties.

Tom Kniest
Let's see; you attempted to make 2NT when an opponent had already contracted to make 7 tricks in NT his/her direction. 

If you could be successful in your contract, then the opponent would be unsuccessful in his/hers.

Since you are allowed to double with this hand, South should be wary and pull the double if he has a weak one-suiter - similar to a good weak 2 bid, or a weak 2-suiter, which he probably doesn't have since he opened 1C. 

With a full 13 HCPs, plus 3 10s, he should pass.   He can stand any lead by you.  I would lead a heart with the N hand - that's where you live and the suit you want returned...at least until you and partner see the dummy.  Let's say dummy shows up with the spade J and the diamond Q - you can see what a debacle it will be for declarer.

Roger Lord

North has no reason to bid a 4-card suit.  S/he should prepare to defend 1NT, either by passing or by doubling.  The double of the 1NT overcall is for penalty.  With 8 HCP, North is on the borderline.  Remember that it is harder to play a contract when almost all high-card points are in tone hand (in this case, declarer's).  The contract should be set and East-West are welcome to try to escape into a suit contract (out of the proverbial frying pan).

Tom Oppenheimer

Over the no trump overcall, I think your choices are double and pass rather than 2 hearts.  Depending on the quality of your side's opening bids it looks like you have the balance of the points.  It appears that a lead of either of your 4 card suits should net you a nice profit.

Nancy Popkin

Karen Walker
North should pass the 1NT overcall. His 2H bid is non-forcing, promising long hearts (usually a 6+-card suit) and a hand not strong enough to double 1NT (less than 9 points). That means South should have passed 2H. The problems you ran into in your auction provide a good example of why it's important to have this agreement.

En Xie

I think 2H bid a bit off shape. Pass or double would be better choices. As south, I think pass of 2h better than 2s. 2H is an non-forcing bid, usually showing 5+H with 8 or less hcp. I have to admit that even I don't bid the way both of you did. I like your style. Be sure partnership understanding when you try to do something like that though.

Rod Van Wyk

North should not bid 2H without at least a 5-card suit. He should want to let the opponents play this hand.

With a scattered 8-count, and no good lead, I would pass.