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Avoiding Trouble.

We can all get caught by unlucky breaks in a competitive bidding auction. When you have 6 reasonable spades and your left-hand opponent has 6 more, you may not enjoy being declarer. However, it seems we may be able to reduce such occurrences by making our overcalls respectable. What about this situation, playing Teams:

 

The vulnerability is in your favour. What if anything would you bid?

Andy sets the scene:

Andy Braithwaite “Pass: 2 is not advisable on this poor 5332 hand.”

Peter Newell “Double: 2 on a terrible suit and poor playing strength risks going for a big penalty, or partner overbidding and expecting more, and it looks like you probably don't want a diamond lead either.

 I much prefer double, playable in 3 suits, much safer than 2 with partner able to bid 1 or 2.  If after a 2 overcall, and the auction goes "pass pass double" how will you feel? Sick?  Second choice pass, but I prefer to get into the auction on these types of hands if possible as they are often even more difficult to bid later.”

 

Michael Cornell “Double: Whilst it is tempting to overcall 2 at favourable vulnerability, I do not like either the suit quality or the 3-2-5-3 shape. I would prefer to X, either black suit being playable.

Pam Livingston “Double: My diamond suit is very poor and I have ATx.  Second choice pass.

Leon Meier “Double: I suspect we may have a panel unanimously supporting a take-out double. My second preference is pass and third preference is 2, not a fan of 2 with such a bad suit with only 12 points to compensate.”

Not quite unanimous, Leon, though most of the Panel will not develop more grey hairs that our overcall will surely bring, until North bids after South's re-opening double!

Nigel Kearney “ Double/Pass. I would not overcall. A balanced hand with a suit of Axxxx is not a two- level overcall. Double is much better if you want to do something. Pass is ok too.”

We have a reluctant bidder, but only because of the vulnerability:

Bruce Anderson “2: Holding the West hand I would, albeit reluctantly, bid 2  as it may be important to get a diamond lead if the hand belong to N/S. At equal or unfavourable vulnerability, I would pass as a 5332 shape lacks playing strength and potentially has a lot of losers.”

Our hand is far from a perfect double as Stephen points out:

Stephen Blackstock “Pass: Double is plausible, and I would risk it with a better hand so we don't get cut out of the auction. With this minimum and only three spades, pass for now looks more prudent. 2 would be horrible.  If N/S subside in 2 then I may reopen (but not after 2 from North!).”

and summarising the real problem is:

Kris Wooles “Double:  No, I would not bid 2. I’d double despite not having 4 spades. A similar hand arose in a WBF event where those who overcalled 2 were doubled for 1100/1400 and those that doubled usually ended up in 3 (obviously not today’s hand!) making on a 5/3 fit.”

 40 West players (hands have been reversed: at the table it was East) had this problem last Saturday. There were 20 2 overcalls, 11 passes and 9 doubles. There were no -1100 from 2x this time, though even KQx in partner’s hand was not enough for 2 to make. If nothing else, the 50% overcallers indicate that this is a true problem and where Panel and players, most of whom are Open, disagreed.

Today, I am not going to show you the full four hands (wait until tomorrow as we have a defensive situation on the same deal) but the 2 overcall did cause North a problem. What would you call after the auction:

 

Again Teams, N/S Vul.

At some tables, North called 3. What did the Panel think of that?

Michael Cornell “Pass: The only bid I could consider is 2NT but in my methods this shows 4+ hearts support 7-10. So, I have to pass which I would do anyway – I cannot bid 3  forcing on this motley lot.”

Pam Livingston “Pass : I don't like to pass with 9 points but I just don't have anything to say: double shows 4 spades. I don't have enough to bid 3 or 2NT. I'm not raising partner with a doubleton (good way to get partner forced off when I'm holding long diamonds).   I'll catch up if partner asks me to bid on the next round.”

Pam highlights the problem in doubling. Try and stop partner bidding spades if they have them. You may get to mention your clubs at a very uncomfortable level, or not at all!

Andy Braithwaite "Pass: North can only pass and await developments unless 2NT lebensohl is available to show a non forcing 3 as one of its options.

Stephen Blackstock “Pass: Double with a singleton spade is out; 2 is possible but hearts could play poorly if the long trump hand is tapped down. The problem, if any, will come on the next round: if South reopens with 2, I have an easy raise (3 looks about right) but double by South gives North several reasonable options of both strain and level. And I expect that with short diamonds South will reopen but with diamond length he will usually pass absent real shape outside. That will be fine too, as hearts will then play poorly for us, and diamonds even more poorly for them!”

The Panel are nearly unanimous. 3 barely gets a mention and double is just not on the table. Even 2 is overlooked except for:

Bruce Anderson "2: A negative double guarantees spades and if I pass, unless partner is 6/5 in the majors, he/she is almost certain to reopen with a double if East passes. Then my choices will be passing for penalties, which may well be wrong with such weak trumps, or bidding 3 which could also be wrong if, as seems likely partner has 4 spades, or bidding 2. So I am bidding 2 directly to show some strength, even though I should have 3 card support for that bid.

However, it's "pass" for the majority who all really echo these sentiments:

Nigel Kearney "Pass: If partner doesn't reopen, we are better off staying out. 3 is forcing and we don't want to be at the three level with possibly only 20 combined HCP and no fit.

 

 

So, tomorrow, the same four hands will be featured but the contract will be a little different and you will be finding an opening lead. 

Richard Solomon

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