Brian Davies
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I think that your system can make a difference. There is little reason to bid playing Bernard’s Benji Acol system. The great advantage of Benji or Acol with Strong Two’s is that you don’t need to keep the bidding alive with a five-count (and this is not a great five-count). But if playing:
- Acol with Three Weak Two’s (or a Multi etc.): There is a greater chance that partner might choose to open at the one level with 20/21 points. There is a stronger case for keeping the bidding alive.
- Five-card Majors and a Strong NT: Now the 1♣ opening might be a prepared club. I think that there is a good case for a response.
- Benji Acol (playing the style where you would open a minor with 4-4 in a major and a minor): Now there is a higher chance of a major-suit fit and responding is a little more attractive.
The play in 4S is interesting. Looking again, I think that you should scrape home in 4S if you play to set up the clubs straight away (discarding diamonds). But it does need the king of hearts onside and trumps breaking 3-2, so I would be happy not to finish in 4S.
A few comments here:
- I would not bid 2S as West. A new suit at the two level should really promise 10 (or a good 9) points. It is difficult to value the West hand and whilst it has great spade holding, it is aceless and has a void in partner’s suit. I would start with a double as West.
- I am surprised that North is not bidding. North has more points than any other hand at the table and knows that there is an eight-card diamond fit.
- Charles and John are suggesting 4S, but that looks a difficult contract to make – particularly on a likely trump lead.
Thank you for today’s live presentation Bernard. This was exactly the idea that I had when I made my post back in January.
As I said, these are so easy to miss at the table – I did! So maybe today’s lesson will help me to spot these situations.
As Julian says, the cards were lying very favourably. If there were a less favourable lie of the cards, you might not even make four hearts! Maybe:
I think that Julian’s Stayman auction to four hearts is reasonable and hope that things are lying reasonably.
Partner will respond 1♠ with as few as six points. It is true that partner might have four hearts, but partner should respond 1♥ with 4-4 in hearts and spades, so much of the time partner will not have a heart fit. But even if partner does have four hearts you will be playing at the three level or higher (2♥ is forcing) on as few as 20 points. Much of the time your partner will not have a fit and will be forced to give you preference back to your longer diamond suit – again at the three level.
Let’s imagine that partner holds: ♠K876 ♥74 ♦95 ♣K10854. Would you find a three diamond contract easy? Remember that partner is allowed to bid again with a stronger hand, say: ♠AK876 ♥K974 ♦Q5 ♣54 and the bidding will start 1♦-1♠-2♦-2♥ and the heart fit will be found.
So, in summary, a reverse bid (where you bid past the barrier) requires extra strength because you will be forced to play at the three level opposite a minimum response. I tend to want a really good 16 points after a one-level response to reverse and 15 points after a two-level response.
I like to have full value for my 1NT in third seat, because of the risk of a double. But I was non-vulnerable playing pairs where most would open 1NT and after a bit of thought, I chose to go with the room and opened 1NT.
I was in good company, going three-off in 1NT for -150. Nine other tables had the same result – I think you might go two-off, playing the hand double-dummy, but three-off seems normal. Only one pair passed it out – they got a top. To be honest, I wouldn’t have passed but I was tempted to open 1D. We have a diamond fit, but partner will respond 1S and as Stewart points out we have to pass this and play in a 4-3 fit at the one level, which will probably go down one. So on this layout, passing scores best, then opening 1D and 1NT will get you a joint bottom and 35% of the match points. It is an interesting hand, given Bernard’s seminars on hand evaluation.
Thanks for the simulations Geoff. They are also very interesting to play through.
Well done Geoff.
Here is an ugly 4333 hand from last night. Playing pairs, at favourable vulnerability, you are sitting in third seat holding:
Only 12 High Card Points and no stuffing. Do you:
(a) Pass – this is surely a downgrade
(b) 1NT (12-14) – you are non-vulnerable and it is pre-emptive
(c) 1D – this might attract the best lead
Hi Alan, I will leave David to comment on the legal question, but I think that your partner has seriously underbid the West hand. If you don’t play Lebensohl, the 3H bid has promised no points at all, but West has 10 great high card points in a very suitable hand. even if you do play Lebensohl, I would still have responded 4H as West hand and then you have a chance of competing to 5H With the East cards.
The play in 5H is interesting, but I would aim to eliminate the other suits before playing clubs and South will be end-played.
I have a Microsoft Word document open with my common alerts already typed. So it is as quick and easy to give alerts in full “Spades” rather than symbols and abbreviations using a simple copy and paste.
Julian, so in Lesley’s auction (1NT)-2D-(Pass)-2H, would you regard the 2H bid as forcing? Does it make a difference if the 1NT is strong (so game our way is unlikely) or 1NT is weak (when game our way is still a reasonable proposition)?
Thanks
Thanks David.
For what its worth I would have passed or opened 1NT on the East hand and they wouldn’t be in that situation. But given the the 1D opening, I tend to agree.
Yes.
If you don’t have a stopper then a cue bid of the opponent’s suit will often be right and your partner can bid NT if they have a stopper. You need to find an alternative contract if neither of you have a Stopper, because the opponents will have at least 5 winners and 3NT will be hopeless.
These freak hands are a lottery. Pre-empting with a four-card major on the side, in first seat, is a bit of a no-no – but I have very occasionally broken this rule. Pre-empting with a five-card major on the side is too much, even for me.
I am sure that David Stevenson would be quick to point out that an opening one diamond would not be permitted (under EBU levels 2 and 4), so that seems to be ruled out too.
So yes, I agree with Brian, pass (in tempo and with a poker face).
