OCT 2003 ALBERTA BIDDING CLUB

Problem #: 1; Scoring: Imps; Vul: NS; Dealer: South

♠1086
♥K10
♦9742
♣K1053

North	East	South	West
		1♥	Dbl
pass	1♠	pass	pass
?

Some people would have bid 1NT directly over the double . It is IMPS so a pass is not out of the question . The moderator would “balance” 1NT as selling out to 1 spade does not seem right & hopefully the spades are 4-4. Some panelist views :

Maurice

1NT - This should be for the minors I also have tolerance for hearts .

Vince Lambert

1NT- Same thing I would have bid the previous round

Pat

Pass - Call me chicken but there is no guarantee this hand belongs to us and they appear to have the spade suit. The only call I would consider would be two hearts but hearts rate to be breaking badly and the objective at IMPs is to avoid disaster at all costs

Vince Nowlan

Doran Flock

2H I have too much offence to let them play 1S. I don't double because partner could easily bid a minor with a 3 card suit & I have two honors in hearts.

Allan Terplawy

Pass - Can't see why I would disturb this. I'm sure they can make 2 or 3 spades, maybe even NT.

Deschners

Dbl - Not enough to redouble 1H doubled, but will re-open now with a competitive double.

Stan Cabay

Dble - Further action is mandatory; this is nobody's hand and both sides have some sort of a fit. The goal is to find the best suit in which to compete, and a double does this best by showing a willingness to play in any suit outside of spades (my preference is to use 1N here to mean minors). It would be nice to bid 2C or 2H in order to steer a lead, but this is more likely to land us in a wrong contract and an unnecessary minus score.

Panel Votes

1NT- 3 2♥ – 2 Pass – 2 Dbl – 2 1NT gets 100 pts as the majority answer.

Problem #: 2; Scoring: Matchpoints; Vul: Both; Dealer: East

♠8543
♥8
♦A764
♣AQ82

North	East	South	West
	1♦	Pass	Pass
Dbl	Pass	?

A good problem . Seems to be a choice between 2S and a 2D Q bid. Normally I would like a 5 or good 4 card suit to bid 2S but partner has an inference that I did not make a spade overcall . This tips the scale in favour of the 2 spade bid for me as I am all controls with a stiff . Some comments by the panel:

Maurice

1NT - This should be constructive not weak

Vince Lambert

2D - Would like to reach 4 spades if partner has four Will bid 2 Spades over 2Hearts and 4 spades over 2 spades by pard

Pat

1NT - This is a tough one.....several options occur to me...... pass is possible and indeed one diamond may go down for the magic 200 but we could be cold for four spades.... however to bid one spade is an underbid and two spades overstates the quality of the spade suit..... two diamonds is a possibility too but I wouldn't be very happy if partner jumped to four hearts! So I compromise on the value bid of one no trump.

Vince Nowlan

2S

Allan Terplawy

2D - Good all purpose bid I'll raise 2S to 3, bid 2S over 2H, or make 2D if partner passes J. I'd like to get partner to bid NT but don't know how without potentially getting into trouble.

Deschners

2S - Spade suit is not great, but my hand is. Since partner is in the pass-out seat, I don't want to hang him, so will bid an invitational 2S.

Doran Flock

1S - This hand looks great but there are too many unknowns, particularly in spades. Partner is allowed to raise to 2S on an decent opener in my book, so I don't think I have totally excluded game.

Stan Cabay

2S - A balancing double shows less than a direct one, and so responses to balancing doubles must be upgraded to protect light action. This hand may qualify for a Q-bid (the Q of clubs and the singleton heart can be promoted in a presumed spade contract) after a direct double. But, after a balancing double, the Q-bid should show "a trap pass" (exchange the 3 of spades for a king). If you Q-bid with this hand intending to pull partner's 2H to 2S, would you also Q-bid with 8,8543,A764,AQ82 intending to pull partner's 2S to 3H? Where are the hearts on this hand?

Panel Votes

1NT – 2 2♠ - 4 1♠ - 1 2♦ - 2 2♠ worth 100 pts

Problem #: 3; Scoring: Imps; Vul: Neither; Dealer: North

♠753
♥AJ97
♦K108
♣Q103

North	East	South	West
1♣	2♠	Dbl	Pass
3♦	Pass	?

Partner does not have a reverse . He is just responding to my negative double . A Western Q bid is an overbid but it is IMPS so my 3S card hits the table. I will pass 4 of a minor by partner before we get doubled. Pass could be the right bid. Panel ?

Maurice

Pass - If partner can't bid 2NT or 3S I am not interested in going further

Vince Lambert

3S - Unwilling to give up, but it could certainly be right. Hope pard has a little extra for his 3D reverse J

Pat

3S - 3NT seems like the most likely game if partner can stop spades. I like my minor suit cards and my heart holding. The fact that spades were not raised makes it more likely that partner might have a stopper..... if not, I don't mind my values for a five club contract.

Vince Nowlan

Deschner’s

3S - A move towards 3NT. Great spot cards.

Doran Flock

3S - 3D is not a reverse. I'm going to bet that if partner has a spade stop he didn't open 1nt because of a stiff heart. 3S is asking, I will pass 4C.

Allan Terplawy

3S - I hope partner does something intelligent. Then again, after 30 years of playing bridge, what could possibly bring that about J. If partner has a 1-3-4-5 shape then 4 or more hearts could be right. Hope partner gets the idea that I have nothing wasted in spades.

Stan Cabay

3S -This requires partnership understanding. Does the double simply show hearts or does it show the unbid suits? If it simply shows hearts, 3D is a reverse and a slam is possible even with the expected bad breaks. If the double shows both red suits, 3D shows a minimum hand and a partial may be the limit of the hand (but, I would promote the four honors in partner's suit and land in game anyway). 3S here (Western or Directional Q) tailors to both cases.

Panel Votes

Pass – 1 4♣ - 1 3♠ - 7 3♠ 100 pts by a landslide

Problem #: 4; Scoring: IMPSs; Vul: Both; Dealer: South

♠AQJ543
♥73
♦Q94
♣A4

North	East	South	West
		1♠	Pass
2♥	Pass	2♠	Pass
3♦	Pass	?

Forced heart preference or 3NT ? 3NT is better played by the other side so I bid 3 hearts. Over 2H ( a game force) your 2 spade bid is unlimited in HCP’s so you can not be too aggressive or you overstate your values. Lets see what the panel says:

Maurice

4C - A cue bid or waiting for more info. I will pass 4NT and respond key card over 4D.

Vince Lambert

3H

Pat

3H - Three no trump which may seem the obvious bid at first glance is unappealing because if we only have one club stopper, we need eight runners after the expected club lead... I bid three hearts which does not preclude a bid of 3NT from partner which I will pass, but as I would have raised hearts initially with three or more, I think partner will only expect two on this auction..... they may have six anyway...

Vince Nowlan

Deschner’s

3H - O.K., I'll give preference. This hand is better in a suit contract.

Allan Terplawy

3H - Is this a trick question?

No it is not . See below

Doran Flock

3NT - Bob Hamman says if 3nt is a viable option, bid it. (see hand #3 for similarity) Second choice is 3S, which could hang partner.

Stan Cabay

3NT - 3N is a reasonable description of my hand: 6 spades and a club stopper. My bidding does not exclude the good spade holding that I have (indeed, because they are so good they provide a potential source of tricks in a notrump contract), so I have no urge to bid them the third time. And who knows, maybe partner bid 3D on a questionable diamond suit to elicit a club stopper or secondary heart support (3H is my second choice, but I would like at least honor doubleton).

Panel Votes

4♣ - 1 3NT – 2 3♥ - 6 100 pts for 3♥

Problem #: 5; Scoring: Matchpoints; Vul: EW ; Dealer: East

♠Q10987
♥8
♦7542
♣A104

North	East	South	West
	Pass	Pass	2♠
3♠	4♠	Dbl	Pass
5♠	Pass	?

Partner can not pull my penalty double with 3 suits since they are vulnerable . Therefore he has a monster 2 suiter ( maybe a 7-6 ) but a one loser hand since he is forcing to the 6 level not the 7 level. 5NT should cause him to bid his lower ranking suit . If it is clubs , I will raise to 7 and if diamonds I will pass because my club Ace may be a waste as the one loser has to be somewhere. ex AKQxxx KQJ109xx - Panel ?

Maurice

5NT - I'll raise partners minor to seven

Vince Lambert

5NT - Pick a minor suit slam, We might be on for seven given pards void and obviously huge hand .Third hand opened a five card suit, and is obviously very weak. At matchpoints I think getting to six is sufficient, so I wont worry about the potential seven.

Pat

6C - Partner obviously has some monster two suiter.....if they have hearts and clubs I do not want to bid six diamonds...... if they have diamonds and hearts, then they will convert six clubs to six diamonds anyway..... if they do that, I will raise to seven..... I could hold nothing outside of spades and I actually have a useful ace and a working singleton.

Vince Nowlan

Doran Flock

6D - 3S implies 2 suits, 5S implies 3 suits. Yes, 7D could be cold but what if partner "only" has AKQx of D and they don't break, dummy will be ruffing opening spade lead. Anyway don't bid 7 unless you know it will make. Will bid 7C over 6H.

Good advice . Do not bid 7 unless you are sure that it will make.

Deschners

5NT - If partner bids 6D, I will raise to 7. If pard bids 6C, I will seriously think about 7.

Allan Terplawy

5NT -What's going on? Where did East get this 4S bid? Why didn't partner bid 4NT or even his lower ranking suit at the 6 level? I figure he's got spades and Q-10 fifth and an outside Ace is enough to raise. Seriously, partner should have a monster one-loser two suiter but could be void in clubs (the opponents do have some distribution other than spades), so I should not over value the Ace of Clubs. 5NT is high enough. I will boldly raise 6C to 7, pass 6D, leave the room if he bids 6H J .

Stan Cabay

6S - Again, 3S requires partnership understanding. Is it Michaels? Does it just show some powerhouse? Does it request a spade stopper (this is what I play with Lisa, with 4C or 4D showing hearts and that minor). In this hand the opponents have gone mad vulnerable; there must be voids in all the other hands. Taking 3S to be Michaels (the most common agreement in this area), partner promises 12 tricks without my club Ace (5S is a grand slam invitation, since partner could have chose to bid 6C or 6D – I hope partner didn’t interpret my double to show much). So, with the Ace or the extra length in diamonds as the 13th trick, I request partner's minor with a 6S call, and hope they don't get a ruff on the go (with the 4 spade call, East is more likely than West to have a side void, so my 6S call rather than a 7C puts East on lead). As a side remark, 5N also requests partner's minor but perhaps this should be reserved for hands with the Ace or King of spades (in match points, 6N also deserves consideration). That is, if you bid 5N followed by 7 of minors, should this promise the spade ace? Otherwise, why not bid 6S immediately?

5S is a Grand Slam invitation bearing in mind we are one trick short as we are only forcing to the 6 level.

Panel Votes

5NT – 5 6♦ - 2 6♠ - 1 6♣ - 1 5NT = 100 pts

Problem #: 6; Scoring: Matchpoints; Vul: Neither; Dealer: South

♠AJ
♥QJ107
♦A3
♣J8763

North	East	South	West
		1♣	1♠
2♦	Pass	2♥	Pass
4♦	Pass	?

A 4S bid describes your Ax raise to 5D . 4D has to be the equivalent of a diamond strong jump shift. A simple raise to 5D does not do justice to your good minimum with 2 Aces. Panel ?

Maurice

Pass - Highly invitational with a long broken suit. Did not cue bid spades and pull . Clear cut 5D at imps .

Vince Lambert

4S - Pard showed no interest in notrump and by his jump very strong diamonds I will cooperate but I am left to wonder where the spade suit went Seems like pard must have about 3 to account for the opps bidding As we can most likely make 3 or 4 NT, this will commit us to slam unless pard puts on the brakes by bidding 4N. By the way, if I am playing with Ray, I bid 4H, 1 keycard .

Vince Nowlan

Doran Flock

4S - I bid 4S, ptnr can have too many hands where we are cold for slam. Partner will note that I didn't bid Blackwood. By the way, I play 4D as key card.

So does Ray Grace J

Pat

4S - Ax of diamonds is huge on this auction..... I will cue bid 4 spades on the way to five diamonds (or six)

Deschners

4S - If partner's looking for a slam, I'll cooperate.

Allan Terplawy

5D - assume 2D is not forcing to game, so 4D is highly invitational. I don't think my hand is good enough to cue bid 4S. Pass might be right but who knows.

I think 2D then 3D is highly invitational.

Stan Cabay

4N - I would prefer a 2N call, rather than 2H, on the previous round - North's failure to double immediately denies 4 hearts or a hand with hearts and sufficient strength (opening hand) to show them later; that is, it is now North's responsibility to ferret out any heart fit. South's 2H should show a distributional hand (inappropriate here because the two suits shown are so anemic). On this bidding, with North having denied a flat hand with a stopper, South's 4D is forcing (since 3D is not) fixing trumps and carries some slam interest; after all South's bidding leaves a high probability of diamond shortage and yet North is willing to force to game and to by-pass 3N. So, having so far mis-described the hand, South is at the cross-roads. The diamond support is superb, the spade Ace is a great asset, but everything else could be worthless. So I would pull in the reins and bid 4N if this is natural (my preference), or 5D otherwise. If South had instead bid 2N on the previous round, limiting the strength of the hand, a Q-bid of 4S stands out.

Good point . On all these strong minor auctions when partner has bypassed 3NT , 4NT should be natural .

Panel Votes

Pass – 1 4♠ - 6 5D – 1 4NT –1 4♠ - 100 pts

Problem #: 7; Scoring: Matchpoints; Vul: Both; Dealer: South

♠AQ85
♥A
♦A9
♣KJ10764

North	East	South	West
		1♣	Pass
1♥	Pass	1♠	Pass
2♣	Pass	2♦	Pass
2♥	Pass	?

Partner is not co-operating and the preference seems forced. 3NT will not make so any game would have to be in clubs. 2H is not as weak as 3C over 2D but partner could not bid 3C (invitational) initially. 2H is probably a NT probe. Since it is match points , I will allow partner to make the final decision by bidding 4C invitational. 4C should not be KCB when partner has not shown any signs of life. In IMPS , I bid 5C. Panel ?

Maurice

4C - Key card . Partners 2H bid should show good club support with something in hearts. If he does not have the club ace , I will sign off in 5C .

Vince Lambert

2S - Still unsure as to the right spot If pard has a diamond card, then we belong in 3N, as he must have a heart card, and presumably decent clubs for his 2H bid . Unfortunately this will likely draw 3C from pard and if so I will go quietly.

Doran Flock

2S - Ptnr doesn't have to have 4C. Heart bids are not great. I think I need more info. By not bidding NT here I show long clubs. Over 3C I try 3NT. (see hand 4 comment on Hamman and 3NT)

Pat

4C - While Axxx of clubs will probably make 3NT a good contract it will also give us a play for six clubs...nothing to say that partner doesn't have four clubs to the queen and king of spades or king of diamonds which makes five clubs cold, but not necessarily 3NT. I bid 4 clubs which is minor suit key card for clubs, and over four diamonds I bid four hearts which asks for queen of clubs...

Vince Nowlan

Deschners

6C - Best guess. Doesn't need much from pard to make.

Allan Terplawy

6C - Partner should have values in hearts, not just Jack 5th or some such holding. So let's construct the perfect hand: Kx in spades, Kxxx in hearts, xxx in diamonds, and Qxxx in clubs. Or xx in spades and Axxx in clubs. It's worth a shot - it's only matchpoints.

Stan Cabay

Abstain- This is a master solvers' problem only for the crowd playing "Edmonton Standard". I do not, so I have no idea how to follow up the forcing 1S bid that the rest of the world would bid 2S on. In Edmonton standard, I believe that 2S shows an invitational splinter. This is quite descriptive, but the class of hands so included is small. This leaves 1S to cover an enormous range of hands from trash openers, to intermediate, to monsters of numerous types. Not a fair exchange. How awful! Assuming 2D creates a game force (does it, and if so how then does one probe with invitational hand?), the first priority must be to set the trump suit by bidding 3C. After this I hope partner can Q-bid a red K so that I can follow with a key-card inquiry and then an ask (with adequate trumps) for the spade K. Next hand - I refrain.

When splinters were first invented , Edmonton fell in love with them and went overboard . Local experts preferred 2S to be a splinter and the bid stuck over the years. Not too sure about the rest of Alberta.

Panel Votes

4♣ - 3 5♣ - 1 2♠ - 2 6♣ - 2 Abstain – 1 4♣ 100 pts by a squeeker

Problem #: 8; Scoring: IMPS; Vul: Neither; Dealer: West

♠K2
♥1083
♦Q107
♣K9753

North	East	South	West
			1♦
Pass	1♥	Pass	2♥
Pass	2NT	Pass	3♥
Pass	4♥	Pass	Pass
What is your opening lead ?

West is broadcasting shortness by not liking NT . Neither side is showing any extra values . Always lead trump in hands that should be partials. Panel ?

Maurice

H3 West has been given the option of playing NT and refused. They are making this hand on ruffs if I don't lead trump(Thanks Susan)

Vince Lambert

H3 - The opps are on a minimum with potentially a 4-3 fit and a ruffing value with west . I go passive while also cutting down potential ruffs . I will pay off when west has five diamonds that get established

Pat

SK - Comes down to a choice between the black suits..... I don't think a trump or a diamond looks right on this auction...... I feel the spade suit offers the best chance to set up some tricks for our side and may cause declarer to go wrong in placing the cards if he puts me with KQx ... my length in clubs makes it less likely to set up tricks there....

Vince Nowlan

Deschners

H3 - Sounds like opener is unbalanced; want to cut down on ruffs.

Allan Terplawy

H3 - They tell me you're not supposed to attack against tentatively bid contracts. 3 of hearts looks reasonably safe.

Stan Cabay

SK - East has made a slam try and the diamond Queen appears to be well place. We won't beat them without a lot of luck.

2NT was not alerted so it is assumed to be natural. If systemic with partner bidding 3H as a minimum and partner carries on to game anyway , yes it is a slam try . I think in these problems I will put an asterisk on all alertable bids and then explain them.

Doran Flock

H3 - Looks like a tight game, I have tricks & West prefers hearts to NT so I lead one. If this gives a trick, hopefully we will get it back. Without Ray Grace on panel I see heart leads.

You are right , heart leads it is .

Panel Votes

♥3 – 6 ♠K - 3 ♥3 - 100 pts

Masterful job by the panel !! The thought process behind their bids show why they are Bridge experts . Visitors to this site will benefit most by participating yourself and then compare your answers to those of the panel. A superb way to improve your bidding !

Votes include the moderator ( I hate being left out J ) also for a total of 9 possible votes this month. Circumstances prevented panel members Tom Gandolfo and Kiz Fung to submit their answers . They will participate next month. Visotirs can make comments on the forum under Alberta Solvers club . Feedback welcome ..