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Daily Bridge in New Zealand

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?

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Q 10 9 2

A 9

K Q

9 8 7 4 2

 

West

North

East

South

4 

Pass

Pass

4 ♠

5 ♣

5 ♠

6 

Pass

Pass

?

 

 

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 “6Spade-small: 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 “6Spade-small: it appears south has a singleton club so the fate of both slams depends on who owns Diamond-smallA so I will hope it is my partner.

Spade-smallAKxxxxx Heart-smallx Diamond-smallAxxx Club-smallx. 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 6Heart-small.”

 

Michael Ware “6Spade-small: I guess to bid 6Spade-small. I think they might be making 6Heart-small despite my Heart-smallA.”

Kris Wooles “6Spade-small: 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 6Spade-small against the uncertain prospect of setting 6Heart-small. An easier decision at Teams where 6Spade-small is clearly insurance even if 6Heart-small is going down.”

Insurance against their making 6Heart-small… the bid we should have made last time.
What we do not know is how good a 4Spade-small 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 5Heart-small a round earlier. With this point well made, I am happy to accept Stephen’s abstention.

 

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

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 Diamond-smallK. 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 “6Spade-small: I expect west to be 7-5, possibly 6-5 shape.  So what about East, to suddenly volunteer 6Heart-small sounds like the 5Club-small 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 6Heart-small 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:

Spade-smallAKxxxxx

Heart-smallxx

Diamond-smallAJxx 

Club-small

 

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

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

West Deals
None Vul

Q 10 9 2

A 9

K Q

9 8 7 4 2

3

K Q J 10 6 5 4 2

K 10 6 5

 

N

W

 

E

S

 

8 6 5

8 7

J 10 7 4 2

A Q J

 

A K J 7 4

3

A 9 8 6 5 3

3

 

West

North

East

South

4 

Pass

Pass

4 ♠

5 ♣

5 ♠

6 

Pass

Pass

6 ♠

7 

Pass

Pass

Dbl

All pass

 

North led the Diamond-smallK and as they laid down dummy, East commented they were bidding on because of West’s 5Club-small 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 7Spade-small even though they held Andy Braithwaite’s key Diamond-smallA.

There were 2 obvious tricks for North-South but 6Spade-small 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?

 

K J 6 5

10 8 5

K 6

K J 4 3

 

West

North

East

South

 

Pass

3 

Pass

Pass

?

 

 

Any action?

Richard Solomon

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