Weekly Hand Analysis - Vic Johnson - October 2, 2023 - Continue with a minor

 

Question:  South was concerned about hearts and so decided to continue diamonds.  Was there a better way to bid this hand?  (South started with a 1 club bid which is not shown above.)

Vic:

Yes, there was a MUCH better way. Over partner's 3NT South needed to PASS!

By bidding NT not just once, but twice, North clearly promised a heart stopper. South has every reason to believe their heart Queen will solidify the heart stopper North is imagining. South has very little cause to be concerned about hearts.

 What South has every reason to be concerned about is trading a game contract (3NT) that requires only 9 tricks to make for a game contract (5D) that requires 11 tricks to make. It is FAR more difficult to take 11 tricks than 9 tricks. 

 Playing in 3NT, EW deserve an overtrick (10 tricks total) for a score of 630 points. By a stroke of good luck, EW deserve to take 11 tricks playing in 5D, also making game, but for a score of only 600 points. 

 Playing duplicate bridge, EW pairs bidding 5D & taking 11 tricks would get zero match points versus EW pairs bidding 3NT & taking only 10 tricks.

 Does South not trust their partner? Because if they do not, then they should be looking for a new partner. Bridge is a TEAM game. There is no future in playing bridge with a partner who cannot be trusted.

 And if North realizes that South is not willing to trust them, then it is North who should be looking for a new partner. 

 Ain't bridge a great game?

 

Weekly Hand Analysis - Mark Olsky - October 2, 2023 - Cue Bid

 

Question: Does East properly use a cue bid?

Mark:

We'd love to have a bid that says "Partner, I have great support for your suit and a void or ace in one of the opponents' suits. The situation that makes that a useful message, such as the present hand, comes up seldom. If that's the meaning you assign to it, you give up other potential meanings that could be useful more often. The most common meaning for the cuebid  is a limit raise in support of partner's suit. Issuing a game invitation in the context of an overcall, which doesn't have to be as strong as an opening bid, tends to promise a very nice hand, one that would probably jump to game facing an opening bid. It's pretty aggressive with the actual East hand if that is what the bid meant, but not wrong as the very distributional character of the hand and the non- vulnerable status can justify it. West, with minimum overcall strength understandably declines the invitation, but might consider bidding 4 spades as a non- vulnerable sacrifice.

  Paradoxically, the magic fit and distribution of opposing cards make E-W cold for 4 spades (might even make 5 with a heart lead) on a combined 15 high- card points, while N-S, with a great fit and 25 high- card points can be set in 4 hearts with careful defense. The main bidding lesson of the hand is to be sure and discuss the meaning of cue bids in several situations.  There isn't a single correct answer. The limit raise game invitation is currently the most popular. 

Weekly Hand Analysis - Glenna Shannahan - October 2, 2023- NT or Minor?

 

Question: Does North jumping to 3 clubs imply South should go to 3NT?

Glenna:

 Sometimes people make too many bids!! They bid everything they can and often it puts you in the wrong spot. After N bids 1 ♥️, I think S should bid 1 NT!  Show what you have and bid 1 NT so that the lead comes into you!! N doesn’t have  good bid after a 1 ♠️ bid. But clearly doesn’t have enough points for a jump—6-10 points is a weak hand  and not a hand to invite for partner to bid more.  

The best advice I can give: As Responder bid low as possible with 6-10. Invite with 11 or 12 and make sure you get to game when you have an opening hand opposite an opening hand.

Weekly Hand Analysis - Glenna Shannahan - September 25, 2023- Responding to Double

Question:  Even though N had no points, should N had responded to S's double or does that not apply when the opponent opens with 1NT?

Glenna:

Partner MUST respond to the take out double (TOX)!!!!!!!!!! The weaker you are, the more important it is for you to bid. Partner put his neck out there to X, so you must cooperate. Just bid your lowest suit at the lowest level so on this hand bid 2 ♣️! This promises nothing!!! It also shows nothing but at least E is not making his contract. Respond cheaply with bad hands, bid at the 2-level 

With 8 or more points and at the 3-level with 11 or more points.

Weekly Hand Analysis - Mark Olsky - September 25, 2023 - Switching to 3NT

 Question: This hand went down 2 in 3NT.  How does one know to stay out of NT when bidding game?

Mark:

Interesting hand! N-S have a combined 23 HCP and a misfit, so it was pretty aggressive to get to game. However, because of key intermediate cards, 10s, 9s and even a key 8, on almost any foreseeable defense, 3NT can be made if S manages entries carefully. 

My guess is that declarer used a precious dummy entry to take the diamond finesse. That would be a critical mistake, giving the defenders a chance to prevent the South hand from cashing diamond tricks after the diamonds are cashed. To be sure, it's an intermediate+ play challenge. As soon as S gets in after the opening lead, play the ace then Q of diamonds, then lead the heart J and overtake with the Q. If W ducks, S takes 4 diamonds and can lead any of the remaining suits. At least 9 tricks will result. If W grabs the first round of hearts, 9 tricks are easy and E-W have to take all 4 tricks before 1 of them goes to sleep.

Weekly Hand Analysis - Vic Johnson- September 25, 2023 - Stolen Bid

 

Question:  South had 1NT opening bid.  North gave a transfer bid.  East stole the transfer bid.  Should South had doubled?

Vic:

No, South should not have doubled 2S. If South believed that the 2H bid by partner was a transfer to spades, what South should have done is bid 3S. That would have been an expensive screw up of Jacoby Transfer convention to be sure.

If NS were in fact playing Jacoby Transfers, the bid by North should have been 2D. 

One possibility is that North messed up the Jacoby Transfer. Another possibility is that North either forgot or never agreed in the first place to play Jacoby Transfers & intended their 2H bid as natural.

Assuming East believed 2H was a transfer to spades, I am guessing they intended their bid of 2S to be a cue bid, asking partner to bid one of the other three suits. In reality, 2S proved to be a dream come true for West who caused other hearts at the table to skip a beat by passing.

My analysis program tells me EW deserve to make 3S. They can also make 2NT or 4D. If played in the North, NS deserve to make 1H. That is the only contract NS deserve to make.

 Ain't bridge a great game?

Weekly Hand Analysis - Mark Olsky - September 18, 2023 - Redouble

Question:  West Redouble simply means West has more  than 10 points or does it mean more than that?

Mark:

A redouble means one of two things, depending on the situation. It either says "The opponents are in trouble, we should not let them off the hook unless it's clear they have made a safe escape or we have a definite lucrative contract of our own." In a different situation, it means "We are in trouble, an escape is mandatory." These are completely opposite messages, so partners need to discuss and make sure they know which is which. 

  In the present case, the redouble after partner opens 1 of a suit the redouble shows 10 or more points. There should be no exception to that. All doubles by the opening and redoubling hands from that point on are for penalty. Each partner should double with the suit bid and should pass, to allow partner to double with some value in the bid suit, even 4 little cards. This assumes that partner has a bid coming. If neither of you has a hand where a double looks good, the opponents have probably escaped safely. Since Your side has the majority of points and a very probable fit of your own, you need to bid on. Now, assume that the opening bid was 1NT and the next hand doubles. This is an S.O.S. redouble, demanding that the NT opener must bid the cheapest 4 card suit and you go up the line as needed until a fit of at least 7 cards. If your partner opens 1NT, you have 7 or more points and the next player doubles, they are probably about to be in trouble. If the final contract is 1NT doubled, you'll make it, probably with an overtrick, maybe more. That should be a great score most of the time. You don't need to improve it. 

  So here's the bottom line: If the opponent's double shows strength and may be penalty oriented, then redouble says RUN!

  If one opponent makes a takeout double before the other one has shown anything, redouble says "Don't let them off the hook. We have the strength." 

  On the actual hand, the takeout double is unlucky to catch partner nearly broke and the opponents knowing they have you caught. Because of the flat distribution, I would not make the double for fear of just what happened. That doesn't mean the double is wrong, but it's risky. If you pass, you may get another chance to bid if the hand belongs to your side. In this case, W would bid 1 heart, E will say 1NT. Some Wests might get greedy and hope for game and bid an invitational 2NT. Almost all roads lead to E-W taking exactly 7 tricks at NT. Pulling North's 1 spade doubled to 1NT, which will surely get doubled, is normally a big mistake. Partner could well have 5 spades and you normally go down more at NT than spades. In this case, because of a likely defensive cross- ruff, 1 spade is likely to go minus 300 while 1NT is lucky to be down only 1. -100 is no bargain. Other N-S pairs will be -90 or + 50, both of which beat -100. The redouble did exactly what it was meant to do. When you have that W hand in this auction, you can be almost sure of a nice result. Well- done E-W. Unlucky, but somewhat deserved by South.

 

 

Weekly Hand Analysis - Glenna Shannahan - September 18, 2023 - 2NT

Question:  South knows hearts will be the suit to play this hand.  Can the 2NT bid be used as a confirmation by South to let North know that hearts are acceptable?

Glenna:

If they are playing Jacoby 2NT showing this particular hand, it’s perfect. Hope people are playing that convention.

Weekly Hand Analysis - Vic Johnson - September 18, 2023 - Take Out Double

Question:  Are there rules for using a Take Out Double on a major suit?

Vic:

Yes, there are "Rules". The details of those rules are a partnership agreement issue that needs to be discussed with your various playing partners. The same rules apply to TO DBLs of both major & minor suits.

Rules: A Takeout Double should promise an opening hand & "tolerance" in the unbid suits. The definition of "tolerance" focuses on the length of the unbid suits & varies widely from one partnership to another.

A conservative definition of tolerance is that each unbid suit should be at least 4 cards in length. More aggressive definitions of tolerance allow one or more of the unbid suits to be only 3 cards in length. The more inexperienced the partners, the more conservative I suggest their agreement should be. 

A pretty common current partnership agreement is that unbid majors must be 4 cards in length, but that 3-card unbid minors are acceptable. By this partnership agreement the South hand above meets the standards for tolerance.

 The South hand above, however, does not meet the standards for opening hand strength. South holds only 11 HCPs & 3 of those HCPs are for unsupported "Quacks". They also have only 1.5 Quick Tricks (standard opening hands have at least 2.0). Holding the South hand, I would Pass (especially given the fact that NS are vulnerable).

Deal Pro tells me that East deserves to make 3S for a score of 140 points. It also tells me that NS do not deserve even 7 tricks in clubs. That means EW would deserve a higher score for setting 3C than they would get from making 3S. 

A bid of 3C down three would give EW a score of 300 points. A bid of 3C doubled for penalty & down three would give EW a score of 800 points. WOW!

 Ain't bridge a great game?

Weekly Hand Analysis - Vic Johnson - September 11, 2023 - Going for Game

 

Question: Based on the bidding, the hands are similar in High Card Points (HCP).  They are also similar in strength while E/W is strong in hearts and N/S are strong in spades.  Should North or South chance 4 Spades based on their HCP and vulnerability or was their pass the correct bid?

Vic: 

Answer: Pass is not a "bid". It is, however, the correct "call". 

Neither side has enough points for game. Neither side should bid game. Neither side deserves to make game.  

NS deserve to take 8 tricks in spades. EW (thanks to a very fortunate defender trump split) deserve to take 9 tricks in hearts. 

East should open 2H. A Weak Two bid describes their hand much better. Opening 1H not only oversells the strength of their hand, but fails to tell partner they have six hearts.  If South overcalls 2S (I would suggest they should), West should compete to 3H. If North subsequently chooses to compete to 3S, that is where the auction should end. 

Ain't bridge a great game?

Weekly Hand Analysis - Glenna Shannahan - September 11, 2023 - Passed Take out Double

 

Question:  When West doubles and East passes the take out double, South is left in a peculiar position because South's first bid indicates points without a stopper in diamonds.  Is there a different overcall that should have been used to put South in a better position if East passed the take out double?

Glenna:

There is a wealth of information here to clear up meaning of doubles and when partner must or must now bid! 1st of all: When W bids and S overcalls a NT, S is still showing just 3 suits stopped BUT one of the 3 must be opener’s suit so ♣️ are stopped but no one knows which suit is not stopped.

  W’s double of 1NT is a negative double—W has everything but ♣️ and hopes that E bids a 2nd suit. E should NEVER pass. Also, South’s 1st bid does NOT deny ♦️ to be stopped, it just shows 3 suits stopped.

Weekly Hand Analysis -Mark Olsky - September 11, 2023 - Missed Slam

 Question: N/S obtained the 3NT bid fairly easily and missed a slam in clubs.  Was there anyway for South to know about North's clubs?

Mark:

If the N-S use typical Standard American, the bidding would make no sense. 2NT would be a non- forcing invitation for S to bid 3NT with a maximum 1NT hand and to pass with a minimum, which S happens to have. The fact that the bidding went as it did, I assume they play 2NT as a transfer to 3 clubs. In that case, the transfer to 3 clubs followed by a bid of 3NT is a slam invitation showing really good clubs and inviting a slam if S has a maximum. S loves the club fit, but has a minimum 1NT bid and very flat distribution. I would leave it in 3NT. I like this auction just fine and it does show excellent, long clubs in the North hand. It happens that W doesn't have a hand that makes it attractive to lead a heart, so 12 easy tricks were taken. When you are bidding the N-S cards you don't know that hearts will not be led. If a slam is bid, W might lead the Ace of hearts and the hand will be defeated. I'm not normally a fan of leading aces against slams routinely, but some people are. Anyway, 3NT is the right contract without getting a peek at the E-W cards.