More Than Happy

17th September – Board 6. East/West Game. Dealer East.

Trial bids do not come up that often but nevertheless they are an essential tool to have in your bidding armoury.

	North: S K 7 5 3 H 8 5 D 6 5 C A 8 7 5 4
West: S A J 4 H A Q 10 2 D A Q J 4 C 10 8		East: S Q 2 H J 9 6 3 D K 9 8 7 2 C 3 2
	South: S 10 9 8 6 H K 7 4 D 10 3 C K Q J 6

West	North	East	South
		No	No
1H	No	2H	No
3D	No	4H	End

The Losing Trick Count would seem to indicate that game is too ambitious to bid for West has a six-loser hand and East a nine-loser. However on a good day there may be a perfect fit and the trial bid will help to find this out. Most people play ‘long suit trial bids’ – that is to say a bid of a second suit usually contains length (maybe only three) and asks for help in that suit if responder is unsure whether to bid game or not. (As an aside if responder is ‘good’ in terms of high card points he will bid game regardless and will pull up short if he has a ‘bad’ hand unless he can help significantly in the trial bid suit.) In any event here East will be more than happy to bid game with his lovely diamond suit and the good game will be reached, depending as it does on little more than one of two finesses to work – around 75% as I’m sure you will have worked out.