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A Day for Passing?

After a lot of concern about the final outcome, our East-West pair emerged with a good result on today’s board. This simple sequence has produced  divergence from the Panel on the two questions raised:

 

Well, would you overcall? We are playing Teams and as you see, both sides are vulnerable.

Wishing for a different set of conditions is:

Leon Meier “Pass: The overall problem would be easy if non vul, but when vulnerable this hand is super marginal and I'd lean towards pass, but I'd definitely overcall with as little as the 9  extra or if this suit was spades instead of hearts.”

As indeed is:

Peter Newell “Pass: It's borderline for me. I woud like to have better heart pips vul - would probably bid 1 if partner was a passed hand, but pass if he wasn't a passed hand given I do not want partner to get carried away and bid too much. If he has passed originally, he is unlikely to get carried away.”

Let’s hear from the bidders:

Anthony Ker “1: It is risky but I definitely prefer a heart lead to anything else and hopefully partner won’t get carried away .????”

Wayne Burrows “1: I was taught 8-15 hcp for an overcall. My range has expanded at both ends over the years. For me this is a normal minimum overcall. After the 1 opening on my right, the K increases in value. It even wins occasionally when LHO has the A and leads it.

and a realistic…

Michael Cornell “1: I would prefer better pips but I haven’t been dealt them. I have got to go for a number occasionally!  ( otherwise one is not bidding enough).”

Not so keen on writing down -800 is:

Stephen Blackstock “Pass: To some extent this is a matter of style, and depends a little on partnership agreement and how gently partner will treat a 1 overcall. However, 1 could go for plenty even at that level, and if you got raised to 2 or a pre-emptive 3, you would be cringing waiting for the axe. Negative factors are the weak suit, the minimal values, and the balanced shape (poor for offence). 1 doesn't even have the smallest pre-emptive value.”

Nigel Kearney “ Pass: I don't mind a one level overcall with 8 HCP but it should be a hand more like xx KJ10xx Axx xxx. The given hand is too defensive, and overcalling will lead to partner choosing to bid on when we should be defending.”

Bruce Anderson “Pass: the heart suit is weak and the hand has a lot of losers, and we are vulnerable.”

Somehow, the passers produce more practical reasons, even down to the one-word:

Andy Braithwaite “Pass: Certainly.”

Teams..vulnerable..moderate suit…poor shape...no pre-emptive value…fear of too much action from partner. Maybe, get your doubling card ready when you play Michael Cornell or Anthony Ker. Be careful, they play their cards well, too!

One problem with such a weak overcall is that it might and indeed did in a couple of instances into a seriously non-making 3NT contract. West must have expected better.

At the table, East did pass and the auction continued as below. We asked the Panel what they would do as West at their first turn to speak?

 

1 promised 5+ diamonds and 3 6-9 hcp with no major.

Into the unknown went:

Michael Cornell “Double: I am favourite to make 4 opposite A10xx and a bust so how can I not bid?

I cannot be opposite a decent 5 card suit as partner has passed so I won’t be bad with his points outside the suit. Over 3, I will bid 4 and hold my breath!”

Remember, Michael’s partner would have called 1 on the actual hand. Missing a 4-4 spade fit and possible game is the worry of either bidding 4 or passing. Maybe the danger of hearing hearts bid by East caused these negative responses:

Leon Meier “Pass: even though it feels bad, we know the opponents do not have a heart fit so partner has 5+ hearts and if they couldn't overcall hearts, they must be incredibly weak.

Most of our Panel did pass 1 and they were not that weak.

Peter Newell “Pass: given the opponents have not bid hearts, partner almost certainly has 5+ hearts  (occasionally opponents have 4 hearts when they pre-empt 3) and not enough to bid..at Pairs I might be tempted to bid 4 (assuming not (Non-) Leaping Michaels) if I thought the opponents wouid often push on to 4.”

Andy Braithwaite “Pass:  reluctantly with just nowhere to go”

Some did see 6 solid clubs:

Anthony Ker: “4: If it gets doubled and goes 2 light, c’est la vie. But my clubs are very good so it is unlikely someone is looking at a club stack. More likely they will be pushed to 4 or I escape undoubled and can hope for something useful like the K in dummy.

Putting the two hands together I think the auction should go (1) 1 (3) x (pass) 3(pass) 4  all pass. The double gets spades into the picture and 4 is encouraging .. but the overcaller has nothing to spare. 4 is by no means guaranteed to make but has play if the spade honours are split (or led!) and the A is onside.”

Bruce Anderson “4: Partner would never believe I do not have hearts if I double and I think the hand is too weak to double then bid my club suit should partner bid hearts. The auction is not over if I bid 4; it may still be possible to find a spade fit.”

It’s all too much, though, for:

Wayne Burrows “Pass: I cannot think of a sensible bid. Double is horrid without hearts and we are short of the playing strength for 4 or higher. I have made canape overcalls in the past but this doesn't seem the right auction to enter with 3. So pass it is.”

I think we would all agree about 3 for all the times when we do not have a spade fit.

Nigel Kearney “Pass: It might be our hand but we don't have enough to do anything. It sounds like partner has five or more hearts so we can't expect him to have many high cards.”

Stephen Blackstock “Pass: Double would be great if partner bids spades but how likely is that? We know he has 4+ hearts, and 3/4 puts us in a mess. I guess over 3 you could try 4, but the hand has a lot of losers and that sort of auction begs to be doubled. The real alternative to pass is 4, but 5 is a long way away and 4 gains only if 3 and 4 are both making, a very narrow target to aim at. 

Pass has a subtle way to win: if North were now to bid 3NT, I could double, clearly not based on a diamond stack given the auction and the fact I am under the opening bid. I must be showing a strong suit and asking partner to lead it. Given that I might have bid 3/3 with length and strength there, partner should have little trouble finding a club. Of course they may not sit 3NTx, but I can dream!”

We have another dreamer very shortly. At the table, West did bid 4… and then the bidding got lively:

 

 

North probably expected more trumps in dummy, though after a club lead, ruffed, and a successful diamond finesse, the contract was becoming not too bad. Declarer drew  trumps and successfully finessed J. A spade to the ace was followed by a second heart taken by East’s ace. A heart to dummy and then T covered. Declarer had 5 trumps, 3 hearts and 2 spades but that meant one down.

Welcome back our second dreamer:

Anthony Ker: “ Double dummy the optimal result seems to be (1) 1 (3) x all pass. A lead, heart ruff, underlead clubs to the 10, heart ruff, cash club and K to come +500. If my opponents did that to me, I’d be in shock ????”.

And on this day, you would be recording – 670 or -870. Dream on. However, 4 does give the opponents a chance of going negative whereas passing 3 does not.

Richard Solomon

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