Weekly Hand Analysis - Mark Olsky - April 22, 2024 - Bid

 

Mark:

I'm looking for a nice way to say this. It looks like South was having a long snooze. To begin with, South needs to open the bidding at the first chance. Yes, the minor suit queens are downgradable, but having a 4 card spade suit upgrades the hand a bit and the heart queen isn't a deficit along with the ace. If the ace of hearts was hidden, South should still bid, though now he thinks he has only a doubleton. If South forgot to open and hears partner open, this would not be a time to make a highly invitational bid or explore for a fit in a suit other than hearts. You just bid 4 hearts right now, knowing that you have the combined points to belong in game and partner would pass if they opened with a minimum. North could have easily had 20 points and 6 or 7 hearts to open 1 heart. The hand would have been cold for a slam, maybe a grand slam and here you are in 1 heart. 

You asked what the bidding should have been. Here it is: With E-W passing throughout, South opens 1 club north responds 1 heart, South bids (up the line) 1 spade.

  Now, North has a choice. The one bid that North should not make is 2 hearts. That shows 5 or 6 hearts, but a minimum original response, not a hand that is either interested or insistent on game. North could bid 3 hearts, highly invitational and suggesting a 6 card suit and that should propel them to game. South will surely bid 4 hearts at this point. In expert circles North bids 2 diamonds over 1 spade. That is the 4th suit and is forcing beyond the level of 2 spades, usually forcing to game, but expresses uncertainty about suit vs. NT. South now bids 2 hearts over 2 diamonds, showing 3 card support (South didn't raise hearts initially, so he denied having 4.)

  In any event, all reasonable auctions and even some not so reasonable should land in 4 hearts. 

  At first, it may look like there could be a slam, since there's only one loser. However, to make a small slam you not only need to have no more than one loser, you need to have 12 winners. If E-W defend patiently. and make no major mistakes, 12 winners will not materialize. Even with the friendly break in trumps, even 11 tricks could be too much of a challenge. However, 10 tricks is a pretty safe goal on the actual deal.