May 18th, 2013 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ 6 Comments
Learning is not attained by chance; it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.
Abigail Adams
| North |
North |
| Neither |
♠ 10 2
♥ K Q
♦ A J 7
♣ A 9 7 6 4 2 |
| West |
East |
♠ J 9 8 5 3
♥ 2
♦ K 10 6 3 2
♣ Q 3 |
♠ K Q 6 4
♥ J 9 7
♦ Q 9 4
♣ 10 8 5 |
| South |
♠ A 7
♥ A 10 8 6 5 4 3
♦ 8 5
♣ K J |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
1♣ |
Pass |
| 1♥ |
Pass |
2♣ |
Pass |
| 4♥ |
Pass |
5♦ |
Pass |
| 6♣ |
Pass |
6♥ |
All pass |
♦3
It would be nice if two diamonds were natural and to play. However, most people, myself included, play New Minor Forcing, where this call is artificial with at least invitational values. So your choice must be to pass or rebid two spades. I’d guess to pass – my side-suit may be more useful in no-trump than in spades.
BID WITH THE ACES
♠ J 9 8 5 3
♥ 2
♦ K 10 6 3 2
♣ Q 3 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
1♣ |
Pass |
| 1♠ |
Pass |
1 NT |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
May 17th, 2013 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ 12 Comments
Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of.
Benjamin Franklin
| East |
North |
| East-West |
♠ 9
♥ K 10 7 2
♦ 6 5 4
♣ 10 9 8 6 3 |
| West |
East |
♠ 10 6 5 4 2
♥ J 6 4 3
♦ 9
♣ Q J 4 |
♠ K 8 7 3
♥ —
♦ Q J 8 3 2
♣ K 7 5 2 |
| South |
♠ A Q J
♥ A Q 9 8 5
♦ A K 10 7
♣ A |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
|
Pass |
| 1♥* |
Pass |
3♥** |
Dbl. |
| 3♠ |
Pass |
4♥ |
Pass |
| 4♠ |
Pass |
6♥ |
All pass |
*Forcing
**Weak
♣Q
Partner has four hearts and five or six diamonds in a good hand. How high should you go? I don’t think you have enough to bid three hearts – I might do that with either red queen in addition to what I have. My plan is to bid two hearts, then compete to three diamonds if necessary.
BID WITH THE ACES
♠ 9
♥ K 10 7 2
♦ 6 5 4
♣ 10 9 8 6 3 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
1♣ |
1♦ |
Pass |
| Pass |
Dbl. |
1♥ |
1♠ |
| ? |
|
|
|
May 16th, 2013 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ 3 Comments
Aye, you're neither one thing nor yet quite t'other. Pity, but there 'tis.
Eloise Jarvis McGraw
| East |
North |
| East-West |
♠ Q 10 9 5
♥ K
♦ A Q J 7 5
♣ K 9 8 |
| West |
East |
♠ 3
♥ A Q J 9 6 2
♦ K 10 8 2
♣ Q 6 |
♠ 7 6 2
♥ 7 5 4 3
♦ —
♣ J 10 7 4 3 2 |
| South |
♠ A K J 8 4
♥ 10 8
♦ 9 6 4 3
♣ A 5 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
|
Pass |
| 1♠ |
2♥ |
3♥ |
Pass |
| 4♠ |
All pass |
|
|
♦2
With such soft cards – you have only one ace and two kings – you should pass two hearts and hope partner can make it. If your partner had a full invitation, he could have jumped to three hearts, so you should assume game is very unlikely to make.
BID WITH THE ACES
♠ Q 10 9 5
♥ K
♦ A Q J 7 5
♣ K 9 8 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♦ |
Pass |
1♥ |
Pass |
| 1♠ |
Pass |
2♥ |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
May 15th, 2013 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ 8 Comments
I could a tale unfold whose lightest word Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood, Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres.
William Shakespeare
| North |
North |
| East-West |
♠ K
♥ K Q 10 5
♦ A Q 5
♣ K 10 9 8 2 |
| West |
East |
♠ A Q 10 3
♥ 9 8 4
♦ J 10 4
♣ 7 5 3 |
♠ 8 7 6 5 2
♥ A 6
♦ K 8 7 3
♣ J 4 |
| South |
♠ J 9 4
♥ J 7 3 2
♦ 9 6 2
♣ A Q 6 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
1♣ |
Pass |
| 1♥ |
Pass |
4♥ |
All pass |
♦J
Your partner has shown extra values and good clubs – probably 17 or more HCP since he could have bid three clubs directly with a decent overcall. With an eight-count, you surely have enough to get to game, but which? Cuebid three diamonds, hoping partner can bid three no-trump, or make some other descriptive call.
BID WITH THE ACES
♠ J 9 4
♥ J 7 3 2
♦ 9 6 2
♣ A Q 6 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
2♦ |
Dbl. |
Pass |
| 2♥ |
Pass |
3♣ |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
May 14th, 2013 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ 12 Comments
The challenge is high. The stakes are important. I think it's manageable.
William H. Webster
| West |
North |
| Both |
♠ A Q 10 9 7 2
♥ K J 2
♦ 9
♣ A 7 3 |
| West |
East |
♠ K 8 5
♥ Q
♦ A 7 5 4 3
♣ J 8 6 2 |
♠ J 4 3
♥ 9 8 6 3
♦ Q 10 8 6 2
♣ 10 |
| South |
♠ 6
♥ A 10 7 5 4
♦ K J
♣ K Q 9 5 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
Pass |
1♠ |
Pass |
| 2♥ |
Pass |
4♦ |
Pass |
| 4♠ |
Pass |
5♣ |
Pass |
| 5♥ |
Pass |
5♠ |
Pass |
| 6♥ |
All pass |
|
|
♦A
In situations of this sort, simple diamond raises are limited in high cards. So to show a good hand and short hearts, your choice is two hearts (showing an invitation or better) or three hearts, promising very short hearts and a good hand. This second call should help partner judge how far to go on.
BID WITH THE ACES
♠ K 8 5
♥ Q
♦ A 7 5 4 3
♣ J 8 6 2 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
1♣ |
1♦ |
1♥ |
| ? |
|
|
|
May 13th, 2013 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ 4 Comments
God is in the details.
Gustave Flaubert
| South |
North |
| East-West |
♠ J 9 5
♥ 7
♦ K 9 6 5 2
♣ 7 6 5 4 |
| West |
East |
♠ 7 4
♥ K 10 8 4 3
♦ J
♣ Q J 10 9 2 |
♠ K 8 6 2
♥ Q J 5 2
♦ 10 7 4 3
♣ K |
| South |
♠ A Q 10 3
♥ A 9 6
♦ A Q 8
♣ A 8 3 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 2 NT |
Pass |
3 NT |
All pass |
♣Q
Your partner’s double is doubtless based on a club stack, and declarer surely has the missing spade honors. I’d lead a heart rather than the singleton club – the clubs can surely wait. My choice would be the six — second highest from four small is acceptable against no-trump, though rarely elsewhere.
LEAD WITH THE ACES
♠ K J 9 5 4
♥ 8 6 4 2
♦ K 9 6
♣ 7 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
|
1♦ |
| 1♠ |
2♣ |
2♠ |
2 NT |
| Pass |
3♦ |
Pass |
3 NT |
| Pass |
Pass |
Dbl. |
All pass |
May 12th, 2013 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ 4 Comments
|
I held: ♠ K-9, ♥ K-Q-4-3, ♦ K-Q-10-5-4, ♣ 7-4. In first position, I opened one diamond and my partner responded one spade. RHO bid two clubs. Should I n ow pass, bid two diamonds, or bid two hearts? (After an overcall, is two hearts considered a reverse?) I couldn't double, because this would have been a support double.
Nowhere to Go, Montreal
You can play a double as support (and if not support, then it would be for penalties not negative). Two diamonds shows six cards, and two hearts does indeed show a reverse (just as it would have done without opposition bidding). So passing is correct here; you have no extras, no fit and no convenient call.
Incidentally, if partner doubles, you bid two hearts to show your approximate red-suit pattern.
This board came up at our local duplicate and I'm not looking to place blame. I just would like to know how to handle it if it ever comes up again. (We got a zero for this deal.) After my partner opened one no-trump, I heard two spades on my right and was looking at ♠ 9-3, ♥ 4, ♦ K-10-8-5-4-2, ♣ A-Q-J-2. I thought three diamonds would be forcing here so I bid it. I'm still waiting for my partner to bid!
The Force Be With You, Little Rock, Ark.
Answering your question properly might require adding a conventional agreement to your armory. See whether you like it — it is called Lebensohl, and the way it works is that after the opponents overcall your side's no-trump opening, all two-level actions are natural and weak. All three-level suits are game-forcing, and double is takeout. Use two no-trump as a transfer to three clubs. It's a way to get out cheaply with a long minor.
Have you ever played bridge on a cruise ship? Would you ever consider teaching in that environment?
Shuffleboard Enthusiast, Panama City, Fla.
I know that some of my friends enjoy that sort of thing, but I’m not sure I’m cut out for it myself. Larry Cohen has a knack for that, though. Now if the BBC ever brought back their televised competition – which involved, among others, Zia Mahmood and Bob Hamman – you might tempt me back to the sea.
|
Recently you ran a problem where South held ♠ 5, ♥ K-Q-J-3-2, ♦ K-J-5-4, ♣ A-7-3. His partner opened one spade and, in response to two hearts, advanced to three diamonds. In my opinion Blackwood is reasonable, as North needs more than a minimum for his forcing diamond bid. If he has two or more aces, there should be an excellent play for slam. This may be a little aggressive, but any other bid could leave you short of slam.
No Guts No Glory, Palm Springs Calif.
The unspoken subtext in my answer was that some play the three-diamond call to promise extra shape, but not necessarily additional high cards – that would be most peoples’ view if playing two-over-one. If (and only if) a call of four clubs shows a good raise in diamonds here, then it may be better to do that and not take control. If, however, the three-diamond bid guarantees real extras in high cards, driving to slam facing two aces is certainly plausible.
My partner and I had a discussion about the minimum values required for a response to an opening bid. I dealt and opened one club with 13 points and 4-3-3-3 distribution. My LHO passed and my partner had three points — specifically the diamond jack and the heart queen with a 3-4-3-3 pattern. What would be your call: pass, one diamond or one heart?
Squeaker, Augusta, Ga.
Passing is the indicated action, but sometimes for strategic reasons one keeps the bidding open – and sometimes one regrets it! Bidding one heart might well work better than inventing a diamond suit, even though the chance of an inconvenient raise is somewhat lower.
|
May 11th, 2013 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ 8 Comments
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same….
Rudyard Kipling
| South |
North |
| Both |
♠ A 7 3 2
♥ A 10 8 7 4
♦ K 2
♣ 6 4 |
| West |
East |
♠ K Q 4
♥ 3
♦ A J 7 3
♣ K 10 9 8 2 |
♠ J 10 6
♥ Q J 6 5 2
♦ —
♣ A J 7 5 3 |
| South |
♠ 9 8 5
♥ K 9
♦ Q 10 9 8 6 5 4
♣ Q |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 3♦ |
Pass |
Pass |
Dbl. |
| All pass |
|
|
|
♣9
This is an easy one. You are facing a passed hand. Which game do you think your side can make? It seems you have no decent fit in either major, but you do have a playable fit in diamonds. Therefore you should try to stop as low as possible since you have no values to spare. Pass two diamonds, and hope partner can make it.
BID WITH THE ACES
♠ A 7 3 2
♥ A 10 8 7 4
♦ K 2
♣ 6 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
| 1♥ |
Pass |
2♦ |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
May 10th, 2013 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ 8 Comments
He has two chances, slim and none, and slim just left the building.
Chick Hearn
| South |
North |
| Both |
♠ Q
♥ J 6 3
♦ A 9 8 6
♣ A J 10 5 2 |
| West |
East |
♠ J 10 9 7 6
♥ K 9 7 2
♦ 10 7 5
♣ 9 |
♠ A K 5 4 3
♥ Q 5
♦ J 4
♣ Q 8 6 3 |
| South |
♠ 8 2
♥ A 10 8 4
♦ K Q 3 2
♣ K 7 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1♦ |
Pass |
2♣ |
Pass |
| 3♣ |
Pass |
3♦ |
Pass |
| 3♥ |
Pass |
3♠ |
Dbl. |
| Pass |
Pass |
4♦ |
Pass |
| 4♥ |
Pass |
5♦ |
All pass |
♣9
Despite the fact that you have a 12-count, your side does not necessarily have a game here. A pessimistic approach would be to invite game with two no-trump or to raise to three diamonds. A more aggressive approach is to bid three clubs, a cuebid asking partner to show a club stopper or to make a descriptive call. If you take that action and hear a three-diamond rebid, you might elect to pass.
BID WITH THE ACES
♠ 8 2
♥ A 10 8 4
♦ K Q 3 2
♣ K 7 4 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
|
|
1♠ |
2♣ |
| Dbl. |
Pass |
2♦ |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
May 9th, 2013 ~ Bobby Wolff ~ 5 Comments
You cannot make a revolution with silk gloves.
Josef Stalin
| South |
North |
| Both |
♠ 7 3
♥ 6
♦ J 8 7 5 4
♣ A K 9 4 2 |
| West |
East |
♠ Q 9 5 2
♥ 8 5 4 3 2
♦ K 2
♣ J 3 |
♠ 10 8 6
♥ K J 9
♦ A 10 6
♣ Q 10 6 5 |
| South |
♠ A K J 4
♥ A Q 10 7
♦ Q 9 3
♣ 8 7 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1 NT |
Pass |
3♣* |
Pass |
| 3 NT |
All pass |
|
|
*Minors, invitational
♠2
Your partner's sequence shows four spades and the values for game, so you should correct to four spades. If your partner did not have a major, he would have simply raised to three no-trump. And since he clearly does not have hearts, you are safe to assume that you can work out which major he has!
BID WITH THE ACES
♠ A K J 4
♥ A Q 10 7
♦ Q 9 3
♣ 8 7 |
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| 1 NT |
Pass |
2♣ |
Pass |
| 2♥ |
Pass |
3 NT |
Pass |
| ? |
|
|
|
|
Today's deal arose in the Mixed Pairs in Biarritz, France, a few years ago when George Awad was tested as declarer in a tricky heart slam.
South’s rebid of four hearts would normally have ended the auction, but North, Marie Awad, decided that her strong hearts and minor-suit aces justified a slam invitation. Her five-diamond call was a cue-bid implying heart support, and South’s bid of six clubs suggested a club slam. With weak clubs and strong hearts, North reverted to hearts.
The opening diamond lead attacked a vital entry to dummy, and made Awad’s task vastly more difficult. But he found an ingenious plan that would succeed against a normal 3-2 club split, with the trumps divided no worse than 3-1. After winning the diamond ace, he cashed the club king and ace, then ruffed a club with the heart ace, establishing the suit while avoiding the risk of an overruff. He next crossed to the heart queen, led a winning club, and discarded his diamond loser. East ruffed in with the jack, but South was now safe. Whatever that player returned, South could reach the dummy with the heart king to discard his spade loser on a club winner. He emerged with seven trump tricks, three club tricks and two aces.
Awad’s safety play did not entirely rule out the chance of an overtrick. If West’s singleton trump had been the jack, South would have been able to overruff with the 10 on the fourth round of clubs without running any risk.