All News

 A Bidders’ World.

Would you?  Should you?  There’s not any money at stake but you are playing Rubber Bridge and you are winning the match. The opponents are vulnerable and stand to claw back your advantage if they make their game. Your side is not vulnerable.

A question first. Here are the North and East hands from a recent Rubber Bridge match. The question is which of the two hands made the most bids:

 

 

Aid for counting points.

To save you counting, one has 2 hcp and the other 27. It is not very often playing Rubber, you could get to claim honours in two suits! I suppose as 27 counts go, it is not that flash, missing two aces and with rather wasteful black suit honours. Nevertheless, I would prefer to hold it in my hand rather than see it placed in an opponent’s!

Back to the question. Obviously, if the answer was that East made the most bids we would never be asking. So, hands up to all those who said North did. Wrong, too. How could North make more bids than East? Really! The prize goes to all those who said they made the same number.

I asked Michael Ware what he would open at favourable vulnerability with the North hand. “Pass” never got a mention as he went for just one bid, 4, and no more would be said. (two points and one bid. Michael, you must be getting older... and wiser!) “Too much danger of pushing them to slam” he felt if he spoke twice. Our North took it more slowly, starting with 3 with East, intent on closing out the Rubber and picking up honours as well, bidding a very conservative 4.

Back to North. You’ve stuck your neck out already. It’s a bidders’ world but you need to have something with which to bid. It’s not “500”. Those jacks you hold do not beat aces. Not to be outbid, North stepped into the very murky waters of the 5 level…..and lived!

West                     North                    East                        South

                                3                       4                         Pass

Pass                        5                         ?

East did well. It was not the time to leave the decision to partner! East doubled and although one 5 level suit game could be made with very careful play, the 6-2 heart fit could not:

 

Michael Ware was correct, as long as the opponents chose 6NT. 6 is just too tough while even 5 can fail to two ruffs and the A. So, with East realistically unable to imagine their partner had the other two top spade honours (though the ace would have been enough for 6NT), double was a fair option. The defence could have done better by either leading a trump or switching to one at trick 3. However, East could not resist cashing a high diamond first, or trying to, and North was able to score 9 tricks on a cross-ruff.

+300 did not really compensate for the missed game. Maybe North will try such a manoeuvre again the next time they are “jack high”. For that reason alone, their name must be withheld!

Richard Solomon

 

 

Go Back View All News Items