Post by a***@yahoo.co.ukPost by Travis CrumpPost by a***@yahoo.co.ukIt wasn't just the IMPS that were cross, I was at yet another
significant minus score at the end of the evening. This hand was a nasty
one and I'm not sure whether we could have done better given our
opponents.
Post by Travis CrumpPost by a***@yahoo.co.ukQT7
T6
Q7652
J54
KJ86 32
2 93
AT983 K4
T73 AKQ9862
A954
AKQJ8754
J
-
N E S W
3NT 4H P
P 5C AP
5C is unbeatatable but NS can make 5H. Of course, three out of the
four other pairs are allowed to play in 4H so that was 14.5 imps out. My
partner said she should have passed the first time and let them rot in
3NT. After pointing out we will never defend 3NT because West will pull
to 4C, she said she should have waited for West to do that then come in
with 4H, then we might get to play it. I think that if East is willing
to bid 5C opposite nothing from partner, he will bid 5C any time South
bids 4H. On my (north) hand, I didn't know whose hand it was, and was
reluctant to bid 5H over 4C thinking it likely that both five level
contracts are going down. What do you think?
Post by Travis CrumpWhat were the colors? If East is allowed to have a side king, I'm not
sure why West would pull especially undoubled. It just seems wrong for
South to be defending 5C undoubled, but what they should actually do
might depend on the colors. NS nonvul, 5H seems clear as a two-way punt.
Both sides vulnerable.
Bidding up to 7H at any vulnerability seems clear as a 2-way punt
(after starting with the tactical underbid of 4H which forces you to
punt). On the actual hand, partner has a few hiugh cards and the
opponents have no voids, but 5C still makes easily. When the opponents
have a void in a major, then 6C often makes easily and 7C sometimes
makes on the lead of the wrong major. Meanwhile, you may make 7H or
7S when partner has KQxxx of spades and the opponents lead the wrong
minor.
The opponents have almost the same problem with the majors and minors
reversed, and should use the same strategy of bidding 1 more through 7C
when in doubt. On the actual hand, West actually has 2 likely defensive
tricks, but is still in doubt over 6H so should insure with 7C (6H happens
to be easy to beat only because East has the unexpected K of diamonds.
Put that in dummy and 6H only goes down because there aren't enough spade
pitches on the diamonds or enough trump entries to squeeze West in spades
and diamonds). If West had nothing in spades and only the diamond ace
for a defensive trick, then 6H would make easily unless East can ruff
a diamond or spade (and has no unexpected side card). Then insuring
with 7C is especially clear since the risk that 7H makes is low (West
knows to lead a diamond). However, if it is North that would be
declarer in 7H or 7S, then insuring with 7C is not so safe since insuring
with 7H over that puts East on lead, and East will usually lead a club
unless West makes a Lightner double, and will sometimes lead the wrong
suit when West makes a Lightner double.
West will never have more than 1 ace, since East has exactly 1 and South
is looking at 2. Both sides usually have exactly 2 unless North has
the extras to make 6H easily (then the extras include the diamond A, so
it only takes xx in spades and xxx in hearts and a 1-1 heart break to make
6H). Neither side should be doubling with 2 aces when the other side's
bidding indicatates freak hands. The freaks often include voids, and just
the threat of them including voids should be enough to make you take
insurance. So the vulnerability matter much at imps. Maybe 5H is unlucky
so it is down 1, but the opponents bid a phantom 6C sacrifice and you bid
6H down 2. The opponents shouldn't double, so bidding 6H costs 3 imps
relative to bidding 5H. 7H singled would cost another 2 or 3 imps. With
split aces, it should sometimes be doubled, but often shouldn't be doubled
since double should be Lightner and the wrong lead would swing 20-30 imps.
-300 for 7H singled beats even -400 for non-vulnerable 5C singled. -800
for 7HX would beat the huge number for 5CX making 2 vulnerable overtricks
on the wrong major lead.
The optimal strategy is very different for matchpoints, because most minus
scores are bad. It should be to always double at the 6 level with 2 aces
when it doubt.
Richard Pavlicek stated a good strategy for a similar hand recently
on Bridgewinners. Over a 2D Multi opening, someone doubled with 10
top tricks, mainly in a long heart suit, and a void in diamonds (the
double is either a strong hand or takeout in a specific major (short
spades?). Partner had a balanced 12 count with Qxxx in diamonds. 2DX
was passed out and made. 6 or 7 hearts would have made even more
easily. Richard said to show this strength by bidding 1 more than the
sure number of tricks (5H with 10 tricks). On the current hand, South
has only 9 sure tricks, but has good chances of another trick with the
4th spade, and East is known to have a much freakier hand than is shown
by Multi, so bidding 1 more works even better. 4H and followed by a
non-jump to 4H or 5H work poorly, since they are not jumps and must
be made on many different hand types (typically with only a good 6
card suit and more high cards). Double would work better than in the
Multi auction since 3NTX won't be passed out. 5H would have worked
perfectly here. On a bad day, West would take it out to 6C; South can
make a forcing pass of this and North has the defensive garbage needed
to avoid bidding the phantom 6H sacrifice. However, with a 3rd heart,
North should bid 6H since 6C is too likely to make on a heart void.
Without agreements, of course you can't make the Pavlicek bid or even
bid 4 of a minor since this might be natural. I don't see anything much
better than bidding minimal hearts through 7H. Blackwood might work.
Try to play 5H if partner shows 1 ace (the ace must be in diamonds). Ask
for specific Kings and consider bidding 7H if partner shows the spade K.
Never bid 7H, but hope that this prevents the 7C sacrifice. Reconsider
over the 7C sacrifice.
There should be an agreement to ask for a major over gambling 3NT. With
you majors reversed, it would be very safe to bid RKC after finding a fit
in the shorter major and correct to your solid spades. You can find all
the key cards in the shorter major, but grand slams also require the J and
a 5th card in the shorter major, or the J in the shorter major and the K of
diamonds, so you usually shouldn't bid them. With your majors not reversed,
then you would have to correct to 5, 6 or 7H after finding a not so good
spade fit, so you should only try to use RKC in the shorter major if partner
wouldn't correct back to the shorter major.
I checked a big bad conventions book (2008 pages in 4 volumes). As usual,
it lived down to its badness by giving no defenses to gambling 3NT.
Klinger's little (158 pages) convention book is remarkably good. It gives
the following defense to gambling 3NT:
- double = strong hand; further doubles of minors are for penalties
- 4C = takeout for majors with heart preference
- 4D = takeout for majors with spade preference
- 4H/4S = to play.
These major suit takeouts would let you find all critical high cards
if the opponents don't bid soon enough, but not the KQxx or KQJ in
spades needed for an almost cold 6H and not KQxxx in spades needed for
an almost cold 7H.
Bruce