All News

Going higher?

Slam time….but for whom?

A lively quite informative auction. Are you going to end the bidding or keep going? How many tricks can each side make?

 

It’s Pairs, with neither side vulnerable and you are North. West has not come to pass and now East has joined in. What say you?

Our Panel say pretty much one thing though their reasons are a little different.

Nigel Kearney “6: I would have bid this last time. RHO has length in hearts and clubs so partner is likely to have spade and diamond length. That means the hands fit very well. There are no guarantees but it looks to me we will take 12 tricks more often than not, or at least force them to save at the seven level so we get the maximum penalty.”

Andy Braithwaite “6: it appears south has a singleton club so the fate of both slams depends on who owns A so I will hope it is my partner.

AKxxxxx x Axxx x. does not look like too much for partner to hold and they would not know whether to double in front of me when oppos bid 6.”

 

Michael Ware “6: I guess to bid 6. I think they might be making 6 despite my A.”

Kris Wooles “6: last time someone bid  like this against me they had 7/6 shape. While this is no predictor regarding the current hand I’m bidding 6 against the uncertain prospect of setting 6. An easier decision at Teams where 6 is clearly insurance even if 6 is going down.”

Insurance against their making 6… the bid we should have made last time.
What we do not know is how good a 4 bid our partner had. Was it a stretch or was it a 4 and a half bid? If the former, then perhaps we should be penalising.
I do like the comment made below about our failure to bid 5 a round earlier. With this point well made, I am happy to accept Stephen’s abstention.

 

Stephen Blackstock “Abstain. South's 4 was very wide ranging, and after North's astonishingly lazy 5 bid South had no idea whether North was saving or expecting to make. Surely North was worth 5 to show a constructive raise with a heart control. As it went, South's pass over 6 has no additional meaning and neither North nor South has any idea what is opposite. The auction suggests that 6 may be close to making, but we shouldn't be in this situation.”. So, I double and lead K.”

And one for doubling:

Bruce Anderson “Double: I think it more likely both sides are going down at the 6-level. So, I double and lead K. This could be wrong if we do not have a diamond trick. Yet, any positive score could be a good result.

and one whose wish did come true:

Peter Newell “6: I expect west to be 7-5, possibly 6-5 shape.  So what about East, to suddenly volunteer 6 sounds like the 5 bid has improved their hand, maybe a doubleton club with some honours.., and likely not much if any honours in spades and diamonds. Partner has passed over 6 which suggests either a fairly weak hand outside spades (under this scenario maybe east also has the ace of diamonds) or a good hand - give partner something like:

AKxxxxx

xx

AJxx 

- 

 

and 6 is cold. While I think 6 will likely go down 1 or 2 I think 6 is a reasonable chance, so while feeling a bit uncomfortable I'll bid 6 hoping they bid 7. 

At the table, North did bid 6 though East as Peter hoped was still not finished.

 

North led the K and as they laid down dummy, East commented they were bidding on because of West’s 5 bid. West did not have the club length that their bidding suggested, certainly not Kris Wooles’ 7-6 shape.

 I can understand East’s bid, though opposite West’s 4-card suit, East was lucky the club break was so extreme.
Also, with potential quick losers in two suits, South really should have saved their partner with the bother of doubling the final contract. They would not want to suggest they fancied 7 even though they held Andy Braithwaite’s key A.

There were 2 obvious tricks for North-South but 6 would be impossible to make even though with South as declarer, there could be no diamond ruff at trick 1. South’s diamonds cannot be established even if South guesses to only draw one round of trumps before playing top diamonds.  

Insurance is often a good idea at any form of the game and this time, North-South were unlucky with the diamond break which defeated their slam. However, West was there to reward them with as good a result as they could get.

A Balancing Act?

 

Any action?

Richard Solomon

Go Back View All News Items