Adam Lea
2017-03-07 22:49:59 UTC
An interesting hand from the novice evening where partner and I showed
the beginners how not to bid against a pre-empt. I ended up playing with
one of my regular partners who was also there to help (I was directing),
not ideal, it would have been better to pair a helper with a novice, but
anyway:
I held as East:
K9765
AKQ53
4
87
South opens 3D and partner doubles, RHO passes. I have heard somewhere
that cue bidding a pre-empt shows a good responding hand with both
majors, equal length, and asks partner to choose, so I bid 4D (first
time I have ever made this bid). The full hand and auction was:
J8
T976
A9
QJT62
AQT3 K9765
J4 AKQ53
KJ2 4
AK95 87
42
82
QT87653
43
NS vuln
N E S W
3D X
P 4D P 4NT
P 5H P 6NT
AP
As you can see, the auction was a bit of a mess. After my 4D bid partner
went into the tank and looked very confused, I could see the strain on
her face trying to work out what 4D meant. She responded 4NT, apparently
intended as Blackwood, but I had no idea what it was supposed to be, so
I assumed strong/natural, and after a think, decided to bid my best
major. Partner leaps to 6NT.
The NS novices were as confused about the auction as we were, I think
the DA was led, and I put my hand down, mumbling something about 4D
trying to show a choice of majors. As it happens partner has a strong
hand (coincidentally I wasn't far out with my guess as to what she had
with the 4NT bid), and 6NT is an easy make with ten major suit tricks
and the club AK. So a rubbish auction gets us a total top. I apologised
to NS for duffing them up like that, and tried to give some explanation
as to what I (we) were trying to communicate in the auction, I'm not
sure I did a good job on that.
It wasn't like this all evening, the punishment hand came up on the next
round.
the beginners how not to bid against a pre-empt. I ended up playing with
one of my regular partners who was also there to help (I was directing),
not ideal, it would have been better to pair a helper with a novice, but
anyway:
I held as East:
K9765
AKQ53
4
87
South opens 3D and partner doubles, RHO passes. I have heard somewhere
that cue bidding a pre-empt shows a good responding hand with both
majors, equal length, and asks partner to choose, so I bid 4D (first
time I have ever made this bid). The full hand and auction was:
J8
T976
A9
QJT62
AQT3 K9765
J4 AKQ53
KJ2 4
AK95 87
42
82
QT87653
43
NS vuln
N E S W
3D X
P 4D P 4NT
P 5H P 6NT
AP
As you can see, the auction was a bit of a mess. After my 4D bid partner
went into the tank and looked very confused, I could see the strain on
her face trying to work out what 4D meant. She responded 4NT, apparently
intended as Blackwood, but I had no idea what it was supposed to be, so
I assumed strong/natural, and after a think, decided to bid my best
major. Partner leaps to 6NT.
The NS novices were as confused about the auction as we were, I think
the DA was led, and I put my hand down, mumbling something about 4D
trying to show a choice of majors. As it happens partner has a strong
hand (coincidentally I wasn't far out with my guess as to what she had
with the 4NT bid), and 6NT is an easy make with ten major suit tricks
and the club AK. So a rubbish auction gets us a total top. I apologised
to NS for duffing them up like that, and tried to give some explanation
as to what I (we) were trying to communicate in the auction, I'm not
sure I did a good job on that.
It wasn't like this all evening, the punishment hand came up on the next
round.