Friday, October 27, 2006 10:44 PM

Hand Evaluation - Tactics ( Choice of Contracts )

PITBULLS:

Sometimes offering a choice of contracts can be ambiguous. Some guidelines are needed to prevent a disaster. 5NT in modern bidding is becoming more popular as “pick a slam” rather than the Grand Slam Force. Larry Cohen writes that experts have a lot of grand slam invites after this particular sequence. Quite often when there is doubt about the strength of your 4-4 major fit trump holding , partner will go back to her minor at the 6 level with a good suit as a choice of contracts. Sometimes 6NT is the best contract to prevent a ruff or right side the contract. Offering partner a choice of contracts cannot hurt if the context of the bidding allows it.

Karen Walker writes on her Bridge site that 4 of partners or your major should never be a Q bid when you have a minor agreed. In other words , this particular Q bid just does not exist & instead partner is offering a choice of contracts when bid at the 4 level. It is usually done with a 6 card major or a 5 card major that gets promoted because of suit quality. Her motto “when it can be natural to play – it is “ . This thinking also follows the guiding principle of Q bidding. Game before slams.

Here is an impressive auction in a Bermuda Bowl that shows the “choice of contracts” concept. ♠xx ♥AKQxx ♦A1098 ♣xx opposite ♠Qx ♥Jx ♦Qxxxx ♣AKQx . Lauria opened 1♥ , Versace bid 2♦ which was raised to 3♦. Versace made a NT grope with 3♠ so Lauria promoted his nice heart suit and bid 4♥. This ended the auction for +620 vrs 5♦ down one at the other table ! They are just not allowed to Q bid their major in these auctions.

My partner had ♠KQx ♥AKQJ ♦Axxx ♣10x in the balancing position vulnerable , 1♣ was passed around to him & he doubled. I bid 1♠ so partner showed his rock by bidding 2♣. The “death response” after a Q bid is returning to your suit even if it is a 4 bagger . Since I had some cards , I bid my other suit 2♥ with ♠J109x ♥xxxx ♦x ♣AJxx . Partner bid a quiet 2♠ so I bid 3♣ as another game try. Partner bid 4♠ so that’s where we played it . If we are going to game anyway , 4♥ by partner must be interpreted as a choice of contracts. It cannot hurt as I could always return to my spade suit if that is the best spot. The ranks of the two suits allow this luxury.