Tuesday, December 10, 2002 1:17 AM

Q-BIDS

PITBULLS:

Watched Stan Cabay for a few rounds tonight to attempt to learn something about the match point game . Stan held Ax QJxxx Axx K10x and partner vul opened 1♥ and RHO bid 3♠ so what do you bid ? You have 5 trump , your cards are all controls and if the opponents have the missing spade cards , which is highly probable , all your cards all pulling their full weight . You do not “pre-empt over a pre-empt” so 4♥ means that you feel you can make 4♥ . 4♠ is a Q bid that shows hearts and is a slam try . I would bid 4♥ in match points and 4♠ in IMPS . In match points you do not “chase slams” so if slam is there you bite the bullet and take your fix . In IMPS , I think you have to make a push even though on rare occasions 5♥ could go down . The opponents may have told you how to play the hand so finding cards might be easier and if partner has no duplication in spades , slam is odds on. Stan bid 4♥ and he was right as only one pair in the field bid slam . You can make 7♥ on careful play but you missing the trump king . 4♠ is a bit singlehanded but actually bidding 4♥ is also . You are discouraging partner from any slam with a hand that would make slam on a normal or good day.

Stan gave me a hand that beings up a pet annoyance of mine . The expert “overuse” of Q bids .The bidder is Eric Kokish and his partner opens 1 ♣ and Eric holds

KQ10xxx Axx xx Qx and RHO bids 3♦ . Eric bid 3♠ and partner bids 4♣ . Now what ? There is no right bid so Eric used a 4♦ Q bid as a “waiting bid” . If partner bids 4♠ he is happy or if partner bids 4♥ he can take a stab at a Moysean . O.K. now up on my soap box . The notion that a Q bid can show a strong hand , a 1^st round control , a 2^Nd round control , imply a fit for opener , ask for a control in that suit or just a waiting bid just confuses the issue . Even an expert partner has to be confused with the ambiguity of that bid ! I think Q bidding 4♦ on this hand is just like the little boy crying wolf . You may never trust the Q bid again ! 4♦ on this auction ( at the 4 level ) should show a diamond control either showing a powerful spade hand or support for clubs . Partner is entitled to leap to 6♣ with her doubleton diamond and tell Mr. Kokish where he can put his Q bid !! To make the bid so ambiguous renders it almost useless . Comments ?