Brian Davies
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Hi Helen, you should remember that partner has another chance to bid and will usually strive to make a protective bid if holding four spades.
Unless I miscounted, it is only 25 points.
Misfits are always awkward. The problem here is the lack of communication between the two hands – particularly if there is a club lead removing the ace at trick one.
Ray, Bernard did cover Weak Two bids and defence against Weak Two bids in the Friday live presentations back in September/October last year.
I don’t think that he has done anything similar for other preempts yet, but many of the principles are transferable.
Most people understand “Trial Bid” to be synonymous with “Game Try Bid”. The bid is made at the two level and invites partner to bid to bid game if suitable or sign off at the three level. I use this method, Bernard teaches this method and I believe that Andrew Robson does too. Game Try Bids only apply if we can stop below game. Game Try Bids do not apply if the bid commits the partnership to playing at the game level.
In a sequence such as 1S-3S, any new bid of a new suit means that we are committed to game and the only sensible interpretation is that the bid is looking for the slam. In this context, it can be given a number of possible meanings. Some would play that it shows a first-round control (ace or void) in the suit; some play the Italian-style cue bid where it shows first or second-round control (ace, king, void or singleton). I play this latter method and Bernard teaches this method.
But an alternative method is increasing in popularity. Under this newer method, after 1S-3S, a new suit is a natural Slam Try Bid, showing length and values in the suit and allowing partner to better judge the degree of fit in assessing a slam. This method operates similar to a Game Try Bid and for this reason is sometimes also called a Trial Bid, but I think that it is confusing to use the same term for bids with different purposes. There are other differences between a Game Try Bid and a natural Slam Try Bid. When making a game Try, most agree to bid a suit where you want some help. But a Slam Try Bid would be made in a suit where you have length and values.
Natural Slam Try Bids only replace cue bids in some very specific sequences, so you need good agreements with partner to know when each applies. You also need good judgement to to understand whether the Slam Try Bid has improved your hand for slam purposes. In other words, the method is rather complicated and I do not recommend the method for less experienced players.
6C is a great sacrifice on this hand, but if partner has wasted heart values 6C might be three-off with 4H failing. On the other hand there might be a very real chance of pushing the opponent’s 6H and finding that it makes.
Systems were different at the other table, so the auction was not the same. The double was pushy and I wouldn’t have doubled, but she does have a good lead. Presumably this falls within the range that her partner is expecting. As mentioned they are top-level players.
Sorry Bernard, I wasn’t clear, this wasn’t sent to you.
My attempt at humour missed the mark. I was joking that you had given a lot of detail on run out methods over 1NT doubled but had (unsurprisingly) failed to mention what I should do holding a nine-card club suit!
In practice, East had enough to bid five hearts and it was 650 at both tables. The full hand was:
Yes, this prevents any ruffs by a hand with a singleton trump – which is the main danger. You can cope with any 3-1 trump break and also cope against bad breaks in the side suits. The actual deal was:
I tried your original suggestion, trying to cross to dummy in diamonds. East should know to get the defence right since East has a full count of the spade suit.
Hi Kenneth, this is getting closer. You don’t need the clubs at all – this is the mirage! You must lose the ace of spades, even if you could cash the three top clubs. But the ace of spades is the only loser outside of trumps, so the key is to lose no more than two trumps.
How can we lose no more than two trumps? There are two possibilities: (1) if trumps break really badly or (2) if we suffer a ruff. What can we do to minimise the risk of losing three trump tricks?
Mark,
Your line fails to a bad break.
Just about any line will work if the suits are breaking kindly. What is the best line to guard against a bad break?
I agree Vicky, that would be even more effective. I must confess that I played hearts from hand and finished with “only” 9 tricks in 3NT. I do play more teams than pairs bridge and I am not good at looking for over-tricks.
It looks like another director call was missed David. East should have called the director when he realised that he only held 12 cards! 🙂
