Weekly Hand Analysis - Vic Johnson - November 22, 2021 - Stronger Hand Motto

 

Question: I know that “once you know, then you go” is a motto but there is also “go slow if you have a good hand” motto.  There lies a bid discrepancy.  In this hand I could have bid 4 Hearts but I bid three to allow the partner some room.  I thought if the partner had a good hand then we would begin Blackwood.  But because I did not bid 4 Hearts, N bid 4 hearts.  All of the other hands made 5 hearts because south bid 4 hearts and then north bid 5 hearts.  Are the bridge rules that rigid so that once you eclipse 12 points for a 3Heart bid, then you must or should go to 4 hearts?

Vic:

The correct motto is: “The stronger the hand, the slower the bidding, until you know & then you go.” I don’t see any discrepancies in that motto. 

Motto Meaning: With a strong hand do not use up bidding space rapidly. You need the auction to go slowly enough so that you can be sure to find the correct denomination (S - H - D - C - NT) & also determine if you really do have enough points and/or the correct distribution to be in game. Once one of you is sure of the denomination & knows that you are strong enough for game, they should stop worrying about using up bidding space & simply go to game (jump or whatever). 

The 1H bid by partner was an overcall which most players agree could be as weak as 8 HCPs. Added to your 13 HCPs that is NOT enough points for game. However, partner’s overcall also promises a 5-card suit so the Law of Total Trump says you should be in game, point count be damned.  

As soon as partner overcalls 1H you “know” (by virtue of the Law of Total Trump) that you should be in game. On your second chance to call you should tell partner that by bidding 4H. If partner has a hand that is much stronger than 8 HCPs, they are then free to explore for slam. 

The 3H bid you made told partner you do not “know” whether you should be in game. The 3H bid only invites game. Fortunately, partner had more than 5 hearts & accepted your invitation. 

In the bidding scheme the robots use the 5H bid by north, over a jump to game (4H) by south, was probably a bid that was forcing to slam (which deserves to go down). 

You deserve to take 11 tricks whether your contract is 4H or 5H. You get the same score either way. You do not have to bid 5H to get the score for 5H. So I am not sure why would it matter whether the final contract was 4H or 5H. In fact 4H would be preferable, since it gives you room to miss a trick & still make your game contract.