Hi Bobby,

Played a team game over the weekend. One hand left both my partner and I feeling dissatisfied with how we had described our hands. What should we have bid?

West dealt, NS Vul.

1D Dbl 1S Pass
2D 2NT Pass 3C
All Pass

North hand: AK7 KJT4 A4 AQ93

South hand: 92 75 T762 KJ642

Makes 5C in either direction, 2NT from North, 3NT from South.

Thanks.

@Ted
I’d be inclined to show that decent five card club suit after partner’s double. That should be all the encouragement that North needs to drive to game. West almost has to have the HA for his bid so the HK looks like a very good card. Something like xx/Axx/KQxxxx/xx (1D)x(1S)2C;(2D)3D(p)3NT would be a great auction but I would probably try the club game with (1D)x(1S)2C;(2D)5C. South does not have to pass this bid – he can bid on with great shape.

I would go with the auction you presented if the CK were the C5.

Hi Ted,

While sometimes bridge itself and its results forces some kind of disappointment or as you call it, dissatisfaction, no one did anything to be sorry for in the bidding.

Yes, if South’s diamond holding had included the nine instead of the six or seven he might have raised his partner to 3NT rather than seek the safety of only 3 clubs, but even that action would have been a stretch, though one which apparently would have been successful.

My guess would be that by reaching 3NT your side would have won the tournament, but, if so, be prepared for these types of hands to forever pervade your partnership moods in the future.

That is, if your partnership continues to get better, and therefore rises to become a threat to win any and every event in which they enter.

Treat every hand you hold as if the winner that day is dependent on error free handling. Yes, that is a large exaggeration, but to do so will prevent sloth while enabling both to concentrate on doing one’s best.

As all of us can now see, if South, not North had been declarer, 3NT would have scored up. But try as one may, no logical bidding sequence could possibly lead it there. No more, but hopefully, no less.

Can we take anything away from the bidding as to the location of the trump Queen? I’m thinking about Monday’s deal, but that was a jump over an already established suit. Thanks.

Hi Slar,

Yes, to bid immediately with the South hand, even over partner’s TO double, is stretching too much. The loss will come by partner expecting more than you have. For example if South had another king or even a QJx in another suit he would be right about what it took to bid freely ( 2 clubs over the 1 spade intervention).

However, there have to be parameters of maximum and minimum, without which, there would result chaos beyond repair.

Obviously all of us know that, and furthermore there is a tendency to both: 1. play results, 2. feel partner is doing the wrong thing while the truth usually results from: 1. chilling out, 2. being realistic and above all, not expecting perfection, 3. not excusing oneself in close situations since bridge judgment can be a devilish exercise, very hard to judge because of the difference sometimes between what a key 9 can be, compared to only a 7.

On the subject hand, while holding any 6 low clubs I would then bid 3 clubs, but not with holding any very poor 5 card suit, that is, until and unless the penalty doubling would start.

We MUST be practical and please keep in mind that bridge in almost no way, leads to perfection and if that fact is not crystal clear, the next period of time needs to be taken just to prove that very point.

I am not trying to totally halt your optimism, only to somewhat temper it.

Hi Ryan,

The guess of the spade queen on Monday’s hand was the result of a superior analysis of the entire defensive bidding, plus (and a highly educated one) a highly sophisticated judgment by a declarer who has a great nose for it.

The idea is to learn why he chose it and what he needed to know (as safely as possible, meaning not getting something prematurely ruffed by those nasty opponents). IOW, at least attempting, to go into declarer’s mind into what he is thinking and the guidelines he uses to determine.

Going still further, often it becomes a cat and mouse episode, such as knowing what those defenders may be doing to camouflage what you, the declarer, are trying to glean.

BTW and FWIIW, at the highest level of bridge, perhaps the top fifty players in the world, the only difference between them is their record of success in the above exercise.

Hi Bobby,

Part of my dissatisfaction might have been due to the other table getting to 3NT from the South. My teammates couldn’t remember how they got there.

Hi Ted,

Trying to play a bridge detective is not easy, but how about? W. 1D, N. Dbl. E,1S, S. P, W 2D, N, Dbl, E, P, S. 3C, W, P, N. 3D, E, P. S. 3NT All Pass. South promoted his 10xxx to a stopper.

Sometimes, such is bridge life in the fast lane.

Perhaps this is one of those things that separates advancing players from the experts. In my circles, I can’t remember the last time the hammer came down after a free bid. My bidding has been trending towards soundness as I’ve moved up the ladder and maybe this is a case where I need to learn the hard way. So far, aggressive free bidding has helped more than it has hurt.

Hi Slar,

Whatever the competition, from the rankest novice to the club professional, being aggressive generally causes more good things to happen than bad, particularly so when playing matchpoints.

The scoring system favors the bidder with only 50 and 100 the cost of down tricks. Sure there is the occasional double but when doing so those opponents are risking getting a zero if the hand is made, sometimes not a risk many want to take.

Also, oft times the opponents, in order not to capitulate but still not to risk a double just compromise and bid one more, allowing good defenders like you and your partner to either be already or soon, now set them one, turning a small minus into a small plus, but a significant advantage in the match pointing.

No doubt, in the long run tournament bridge is a bidder’s game (as has been your recent experience), not always, but slanted enough in favor, to choose that mode.

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