24th November – Board 21: North/South Vul. Dealer North.
It becomes easy after a while to know how to bid games with oodles of points but the sad fact is that most bridge matches are won and lost during the part-score battle when too many people give up too easily. Take the following deal as a case in point where East often took an over cautious approach. I think the bidding should be more competitive and go something like:
West
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North
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East
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South
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|
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1D
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1H
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No
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2H
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Dbl
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No
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3D
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No
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No
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??
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End
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|
|
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There are several things to note. South might be tempted to double initially but that I think is wrong because of the danger of partner bidding clubs; better to bid your five card suit first and see what transpires. Then North should raise to 2H – not as a forward going move showing game aspirations (because if he had those he would start with a 2D cue-bid) – but merely to make it harder for E/W to compete. However East should not be deterred but should make a take-out double because it is highly likely that there is a fit of sorts somewhere and at the prevailing vulnerability there is little risk. See what happens – 3D is cold for E/W and 3H is defeated by one trick, so whatever action South decides to take at his last go will lead to a negative score.
Would it not be better for N/S if North does bid the 2D cue-bid asking South about the quality of the overcall? That may then stop East doubling and allow South to play in 2H.I s North's hand not good enough to try this just in case partner is top end for his overcall? Presumably even though South is at the top end he would not to jump to 4H because North passed originally?
ReplyDeleteI think if North did make an UCB of 2D that South would bid game. I know North passed originally but he could still have the values for game. What about something like: SAx HQxx Dxxx CKJxxx? Now game would be an odds on proposition I think.
ReplyDeleteSo, just to check, you don't think North should bid an UCB with his hand even if only to put off East?
ReplyDeleteIt's a good idea but I think just a little too subtle. certainly the subtlety would be lost on me.
ReplyDeleteSo as subtle as a brick then!
ReplyDelete