Mark:
It's always a challenge to bid a game after an opponent has
opened the bidding. In this case, the combined high card points of E and W add
up to 26, which we all know is in a range that usually makes a game in NT or if
there happens to be an 8 card major suit fit. The exception is when the
opponents have a suit that can be run before 9 tricks are secured.
In this case, East made a bid that describes the hand
perfectly,after partner made a reopening double. It says "I have about 10
points and a spade stopper, balanced hand." Remember that East's bid of
2NT is a "free" bid. Since N made a further bid, E was no longer
required to bid, so E's bid of 2NT shows a decent hand with a definite spade
stopper. Now, back to West:
You have 16 high card points (your original reopening
double didn't necessarily promise so much). Add that to what your partner
promised and you come to between 25 and 27. I can understand downgrading
because the singleton spade king in the opponent's suit doesn't pull its
weight. However, East's free bid should be reassuring that the spade K is not
wasted. I would bid 3NT with the W hand immediately after my partner's 2NT bid.
I wouldn't wait for N to rescue me by keeping the bidding open. North's bid of
3 spades is pretty aggressive after partner keeps passing. 3 spades can be
doubled and set at least 2.
Having said all that, the fact that 9 tricks are
always there for E-W after a spade lead is very lucky. In fact, at an all-
expert table 3NT will be bid every time and will go down much of the time.
Do you see why? 4 club tricks are needed to make the game. When you see all 4
hands you know the club suit is breaking 3-3 with the club finesse working. At
a non- expert table, N probably doesn't throw the club Q after the J is
finessed successfully, but throws the 10 instead. E has no trouble after that.
A strong N player throws the Q as the K is cashed. Now, after the bidding has
suggested an unbalanced hand, a 3-3 break becomes less likely and declarer
could well think that South more likely has 4 clubs to the 10, finesse the 9
and N has a total of 5 tricks: 2 spades, 2 hearts and the club.
Should E re- calculate the likelihood of a 3-3 break
in clubs after seeing that N has a void in diamonds? Possibly so, but the math
is very close. If E is an expert and N is an intermediate player that has
learned about the OBLIGATORY FALSECARD (look it up and try to acquire it),
but E doesn't know N is capable of it, then E goes down every time as long as
N-S hold and play their hands carefully and without revealing breaks in tempo.
Every week I get a bidding question and my answer
delves a lot into the play of the hand. It's important to know that bidding
always attempts to gauge what will happen in the play. As you advance in your
knowledge of bidding and play, you want to picture how the play will go as
you evaluate (and re-evaluate) your hand and your bidding strategy during the
auction.
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