Weekly Hand Analysis - Vic Johnson - January 9, 2023 -NT

 

Question: 

When reviewing hands you will sometimes see hands that were bid and played in NT without stoppers in all 4 suits. In this example E/W managed to take 4 overtricks because S led a H. 

If S had led a C the contract could have gone down. Should players look for NT bids without having all 4 suits stopped?

Vic:

I do NOT recommend a player make what they believe to be an auction ending NT bid unless they have reason to believe their side holds stoppers in all four suits. If they do, I would argue they are playing what I call "Ho Chunk Bridge" or "Slot Machine Bridge" (not the way I believe bridge should be played). 

The question in the auction above, however, is whether East bid 2NT with the idea of ending the auction there? Or did East bid 2NT simply to tell partner they have a balanced hand?  

Making a NT bid to promise a balanced hand, does NOT promise a stopper in all four suits. To Open 1NT, for example, you do NOT need a stopper in all four suits. You simply need 15-17 points & a balanced hand. Some bridge experts would advise that in the auction above East should have opened 1NT. Other bridge experts would support the opening bid of 1H. 

Whether one considers the opening bid flawed or not, pretty much the whole rest of the auction absolutely was. 

I would expect the first call by West to be 1S. The 2D bid actually denies four spades, but four spades is what West has. 

The second call of 2H by East promises a 6-card suit which they do NOT have. Given that the first bid of 2D by West promised five diamonds, the second call by East should have been to raise diamonds (showing a golden fit). 

I would interpret the 2S bid by West as showing a spade stopper & suggesting they do NOT have a club stopper. If that is the way East interpreted 2S, then their 2NT bid DOES promise a club stopper they do not have. Instead of NT, they should raise West diamonds. 

East bid hearts TWICE. Even though hearts is South long suit, leading into the hand supposedly showing six hearts is NOT a good idea. A much better lead would have been the unbid suit, which happens to be clubs. Declarer still makes their contract, but NS get the first five tricks. 

Ain't bridge a great game?