I think Janne and I are finally getting our act together. You can view the full boards by clicking Pattaya bridge Club results and then the x by the date. There were some truly comical moments during our round. On board 5 we were allowed to make 3S when the opponents forgot to cash 2 C tricks, but the really cute board of that round was when West reached 5C on board 6, which I doubled after partner had bid D freely and later supported H. The D lead was won by declarer and she promptly called for the club Q from dummy. Partner objected! That was the only play to insure the defeat of 5C. A very good player once said "If declarer doesn't know where the lead is, accept it. Declarer is too confused to make the contract."
On board 9 what I thought was a reasonable negative double holding AJxxx, Kxxx, 10x, xx after P, P, 1D, 2C went awry when partner left it in with a balanced 14 and Jxx of C. On board 14 I elected to open 1H as East. Not classic, and Janne responded 1NT. I now (while I could have passed) bid 2C (Swedish, ambiguous). I think Janne could raise to 3C with his hand but he chose to play me for the unspecified strong hand and bid 3NT. This was not a good spot!
Paul Quodomine
Monday 21 September 2009
Monday 14 September 2009
A problem hand
You hold AKQJxx, void, xx, K10xxx and open 1S (4+). Partner bids 1NT (n.f. in the Swedish system) and you rebid 2C showing either a modest 2 suiter (S+C) or a hand just short of a jump shift with any second suit. Partner bids naturally after this call, and bids 2S. I bid 4S which ended the auction. Partner had a "perfecto" holding 9x, 10xxxx, Axx, AQx. 6 made easily. 7C was never in the picture. I'm not sure what he should do after 2C which could be artificial, but do you have a good sequence to 6S or 7C using our methods? Neither was ever bid or even sniffed at in the Pattaya bridge http://www.pattayabridge.com club game.
Sunday 6 September 2009
Pre-empt with two voids?
In correspondance with an ex-partner, he related a hand that opened fairly light with good results, and he reminded me of this gem from a few years back in a club game where I opened a one bid on 7hcp! And at my second turn bid a Grand Slam! At the Pattaya Bridge Club this would probably be classified a "psyche", but anyway the auction was:
1S, holding K109xxxxxx, void, Axxx, void. Somehow with a nine-bagger headed by K109, two voids, and an ace fourth on the side it looked too good for any kind of preempt. And I didn't intend to be out-bid.
Next hand doubled, partner bid 2NT (Jordan) showing 4 card support (!!) and a limit raise or better and the next hand bid 3D. The opponents were competent and could be counted upon to have their bids so I rightly assumed partner to be short in D, and with a bit less than a splinter. My next call was SEVEN SPADES, resoundingly doubled, and equally resoundingly redoubled by me. In for a penny, in for a pound! Len was turning green.
The club ace was led and Len hit with AQJx, Qxxx, x, xxxx! Tear up the heart Q, 13 tricks were easy. LHO held void, AKxxx, Kxx, AK10xx and RHO void, Jxxx, QJ10xx, QJxx.
Hands like this happen once in a lifetime but when they do they're a lot of fun.
What WOULD the PBC consider the 1S bid as?
1S, holding K109xxxxxx, void, Axxx, void. Somehow with a nine-bagger headed by K109, two voids, and an ace fourth on the side it looked too good for any kind of preempt. And I didn't intend to be out-bid.
Next hand doubled, partner bid 2NT (Jordan) showing 4 card support (!!) and a limit raise or better and the next hand bid 3D. The opponents were competent and could be counted upon to have their bids so I rightly assumed partner to be short in D, and with a bit less than a splinter. My next call was SEVEN SPADES, resoundingly doubled, and equally resoundingly redoubled by me. In for a penny, in for a pound! Len was turning green.
The club ace was led and Len hit with AQJx, Qxxx, x, xxxx! Tear up the heart Q, 13 tricks were easy. LHO held void, AKxxx, Kxx, AK10xx and RHO void, Jxxx, QJ10xx, QJxx.
Hands like this happen once in a lifetime but when they do they're a lot of fun.
What WOULD the PBC consider the 1S bid as?
Thursday 6 August 2009
Stayman super accept
In a teams game, partnering terry Quested, after P, P all red I opened 1NT on:
Ax
K10xxx
Axx
KQx
In his No Trump Bidding book, Terry advocates super-accepting Stayman with a broken 5 card major and a maximum by a jump to 3 of the major. When RHO doubled Terry's 2C Stayman bid I naturally bid 3H, leading to 4H missed at the other table. My hand could not have been a more pure one for the treatment, especially with the double of 2C, and Terry's ultimate raise to 4H on 109xx, A9xxx, Qxx, x shows it off well. RHO erred slightly when he won the opening club lead with the Ace leading to an over-trick (giving me 2C winners instead of one) but 4 was always there.
You see, as arcane as most of it is, I have actually read Terry's NT bridge bidding book. SARS, Undefined Splinters, Quest Transfers/Relays ... they require a ream of memorized notes and are inappliccable to a simple club game. Some concepts like these Stayman super-accepts and transfer super-accepts, are quite useful a number of times.
Paul Quodomine
Ax
K10xxx
Axx
KQx
In his No Trump Bidding book, Terry advocates super-accepting Stayman with a broken 5 card major and a maximum by a jump to 3 of the major. When RHO doubled Terry's 2C Stayman bid I naturally bid 3H, leading to 4H missed at the other table. My hand could not have been a more pure one for the treatment, especially with the double of 2C, and Terry's ultimate raise to 4H on 109xx, A9xxx, Qxx, x shows it off well. RHO erred slightly when he won the opening club lead with the Ace leading to an over-trick (giving me 2C winners instead of one) but 4 was always there.
You see, as arcane as most of it is, I have actually read Terry's NT bridge bidding book. SARS, Undefined Splinters, Quest Transfers/Relays ... they require a ream of memorized notes and are inappliccable to a simple club game. Some concepts like these Stayman super-accepts and transfer super-accepts, are quite useful a number of times.
Paul Quodomine
Tuesday 4 August 2009
lots of slams
Partner opens 1S, (all white I believe), RHO bids 2S Michaels and you hold:
Q10
K10xx
void
AKQ9xxx
Your 3C natural and forcing is overcalled with 3D to your left, 3S by partner, and 4D to your right. What are your thoughts here?
I reasoned that 4S was unlikely to be allowed to play. How to send multiple messages? I bid 4S "knowing" I'd get another shot.
.
A) My spade support is "secondary". A D tap may cause a loss of control.
B) My clubs are playable opposite minimal support. (certainly no less than what I had).
C) I control D, you have little there if anything and thus have useful cards for me on the side.
D) When I bid 6C over 5D I would like you to look explicitly at that suit and pass or correct given the context.
Sure enough after P, P, RHO bid 5D. I now trotted out 6C, doubled to my left. Terry got the message(s) and passed holding:
KJ9xxx
AQxx
Jx
J10
The only making slam. LHO was Axx, x, Axxxx, xxxx. RHO xx, K9xxx, KQxxxx, void. Yes, of course RHO should have bid 5D earlier, but didn't.
Len Comment:
On the "monster" you may well be right, an immediate RKCB can't hurt and may keep the opponents out of the auction. I kind of felt that my way put partner in the picture at all times and would have him discount wasted D values such as AKJxx. Of course if he had bid 5D over 5NT showing the D king I'd have continued with 5H asking for the H king.
________________________________
Holding Jxx, QJxxx, AQ10x, x Partner opens 1H in first seat overcalled 1S. Terry bid 4C (Splinter) and it went 4S to my right. I was now able to infer the diamond strength and leaped to 6H holding A, AKxxx, J9xx, A10x. With H 2-1 it was cold ... and I didn't make the mistake of ducking the low D lead and suffering a ruff.
Partner opens in second seat, Red, 1S. I held:
AQJxx, AQx, x, AKxx. Naturally I had anticipated opening 2C but now had other things to deal with. Easy hand. After 4D, 4S, a simple RKCB auction with partner showing 2 without, then over 5NT the heart K I trusted him to have the club Q or a doubleton, or some squeeze position or finesse. 7S was laydown, but never bid elsewhere. What was the WORST he could hold? Kxxxx, Kx, AQJ10, xx?
His hand: Kxxxx, Kxx, Ax, Qxx.
Easy game bridge, really.
These hands were played on Mon 3rd August and the complete deals and results can be seen in the results section of the Pattaya bridge club web site.
Paul Quodomine
Q10
K10xx
void
AKQ9xxx
Your 3C natural and forcing is overcalled with 3D to your left, 3S by partner, and 4D to your right. What are your thoughts here?
I reasoned that 4S was unlikely to be allowed to play. How to send multiple messages? I bid 4S "knowing" I'd get another shot.
.
A) My spade support is "secondary". A D tap may cause a loss of control.
B) My clubs are playable opposite minimal support. (certainly no less than what I had).
C) I control D, you have little there if anything and thus have useful cards for me on the side.
D) When I bid 6C over 5D I would like you to look explicitly at that suit and pass or correct given the context.
Sure enough after P, P, RHO bid 5D. I now trotted out 6C, doubled to my left. Terry got the message(s) and passed holding:
KJ9xxx
AQxx
Jx
J10
The only making slam. LHO was Axx, x, Axxxx, xxxx. RHO xx, K9xxx, KQxxxx, void. Yes, of course RHO should have bid 5D earlier, but didn't.
Len Comment:
It will almost always be right to play this in clubs (at IMPs anyway). If you have a club loser, you wont be able to avoid it in spades.
On the other hand, I wouldn't bother to splinter--you know you're going to at least 6S, so an immediate RKC seems best.
Paul Reply
On the "monster" you may well be right, an immediate RKCB can't hurt and may keep the opponents out of the auction. I kind of felt that my way put partner in the picture at all times and would have him discount wasted D values such as AKJxx. Of course if he had bid 5D over 5NT showing the D king I'd have continued with 5H asking for the H king.
________________________________
Holding Jxx, QJxxx, AQ10x, x Partner opens 1H in first seat overcalled 1S. Terry bid 4C (Splinter) and it went 4S to my right. I was now able to infer the diamond strength and leaped to 6H holding A, AKxxx, J9xx, A10x. With H 2-1 it was cold ... and I didn't make the mistake of ducking the low D lead and suffering a ruff.
Partner opens in second seat, Red, 1S. I held:
AQJxx, AQx, x, AKxx. Naturally I had anticipated opening 2C but now had other things to deal with. Easy hand. After 4D, 4S, a simple RKCB auction with partner showing 2 without, then over 5NT the heart K I trusted him to have the club Q or a doubleton, or some squeeze position or finesse. 7S was laydown, but never bid elsewhere. What was the WORST he could hold? Kxxxx, Kx, AQJ10, xx?
His hand: Kxxxx, Kxx, Ax, Qxx.
Easy game bridge, really.
These hands were played on Mon 3rd August and the complete deals and results can be seen in the results section of the Pattaya bridge club web site.
Paul Quodomine
Sunday 28 June 2009
On Friday 26-June 2009 a responder held:
AJ
109xx
Jx
KQ10xx
and heard partner open 1C in first seat. The next hand over-called 1D. Apparently there are THREE differing opinions about what to do with this. The actual responder made a negative double with only AJ in spades, poor hearts, and a great club fit. This might have worked but is totally flawed. Terry opines that 1H is best ... despite the lack of any top heart honor which will usually denote 5 or more H or heart strength. I feel that a 2D cue bid showing a sound raise to 3C (which is the hand you have) would never preclude partner from showing a secondary heart suit with 2H, and thus you would never miss a heart fit. You decide. A good 6C was missed at every table.
The range of opinions and methods when opening 2C and responding to it is so varied it defies description. I've seen balanced 18 counts opened 2C and in the face of opposition bidding rebid 3H on AJ10x! (By chance??? he found his partner hold SIX hearts!) Some of the things I have heard have me reaching for the Tylenol (Paracetamol) bottle. When during a practice session at Janne Roos's home a responder passed after 2C, 2D, 2S (opponents passing throughout) holding Qxx of spades and an 8 count of reasonable strength it was all I could do to keep from falling off my chair! Naturally the contract made 5. The other opinion of this particular responder was that with a positive response one must go through 2D first. WHY? Get it in early and allow for more bidding room to explore the best game/slam! Positive responses guarantee game at least and the partnership can use sensible auctions to explore further options. Unless of course you open 2C on balanced 18s.
Grumpy Paul
AJ
109xx
Jx
KQ10xx
and heard partner open 1C in first seat. The next hand over-called 1D. Apparently there are THREE differing opinions about what to do with this. The actual responder made a negative double with only AJ in spades, poor hearts, and a great club fit. This might have worked but is totally flawed. Terry opines that 1H is best ... despite the lack of any top heart honor which will usually denote 5 or more H or heart strength. I feel that a 2D cue bid showing a sound raise to 3C (which is the hand you have) would never preclude partner from showing a secondary heart suit with 2H, and thus you would never miss a heart fit. You decide. A good 6C was missed at every table.
The range of opinions and methods when opening 2C and responding to it is so varied it defies description. I've seen balanced 18 counts opened 2C and in the face of opposition bidding rebid 3H on AJ10x! (By chance??? he found his partner hold SIX hearts!) Some of the things I have heard have me reaching for the Tylenol (Paracetamol) bottle. When during a practice session at Janne Roos's home a responder passed after 2C, 2D, 2S (opponents passing throughout) holding Qxx of spades and an 8 count of reasonable strength it was all I could do to keep from falling off my chair! Naturally the contract made 5. The other opinion of this particular responder was that with a positive response one must go through 2D first. WHY? Get it in early and allow for more bidding room to explore the best game/slam! Positive responses guarantee game at least and the partnership can use sensible auctions to explore further options. Unless of course you open 2C on balanced 18s.
Grumpy Paul
Thursday 25 June 2009
Transfer super-accept
I think this is an excellent example of Terry's "super accept" of a transfer and how it can provide a route to a good slam.
Holding:
Qxxx
AQx
AKxx
Kx
playing a 15-17 1NT do you open 1D or 1NT? The lack of intermediate cards (10 or 9) anywhere argues in favor of 1NT. So owngrade a point for this as my partner did. However when I transferred to spades the hand became a maximum and partner correctly bid THREE spades ... a maximum NT opening and 4 spades. Now I cue bid 4C as a mild slam try. Despite holding "only" 11 high card points they were prime:
KJ1087
Kx
xx
A987
Notice that there are no side suit queens or jacks in that hand. The auction proceeded with 4D (cue bid), 4S (no other 1st round control), 4NT (RKCB for spades), 5H (2 key cards and no queen of spades), 6S.
The contract is cold and was missed at all of the other tables after 1D, 1S, 4S. The hand holding the spade length might have moved on but apparently no one did. Chalk one up for Terry's methods and have a read of his book - "No Trump Bidding, Stayman and Transfers".
Holding:
Qxxx
AQx
AKxx
Kx
playing a 15-17 1NT do you open 1D or 1NT? The lack of intermediate cards (10 or 9) anywhere argues in favor of 1NT. So owngrade a point for this as my partner did. However when I transferred to spades the hand became a maximum and partner correctly bid THREE spades ... a maximum NT opening and 4 spades. Now I cue bid 4C as a mild slam try. Despite holding "only" 11 high card points they were prime:
KJ1087
Kx
xx
A987
Notice that there are no side suit queens or jacks in that hand. The auction proceeded with 4D (cue bid), 4S (no other 1st round control), 4NT (RKCB for spades), 5H (2 key cards and no queen of spades), 6S.
The contract is cold and was missed at all of the other tables after 1D, 1S, 4S. The hand holding the spade length might have moved on but apparently no one did. Chalk one up for Terry's methods and have a read of his book - "No Trump Bidding, Stayman and Transfers".
Monday 22 June 2009
Balancing Problems
1) After pass by you, W/W, LHO opens 1S followed by P, P. You hold:
Axx
Q10
xxx
A10xxx
Do you balance and if so with what call?
2) You open 1C R/R holding:
AK94
J1084
AK
K74
and get 2S on your left,P, P. Do you bid 2NT without a source of tricks, double with a flaw in diamonds, or pass and hope for the magic 200 on defense?
I passed. +100 for a less than optimal result. Partner held:
x
Qxxx
QJ86
J1085
Hearts were 4-1 with RHO holding 4 to the AK and the club honors were bad as well.
And now a bidding problem. You hold:
AQJ9
J10xxx
x
Axx
Partner opens 1D, opponents silent and you bid 1H. Partner rebids 3D. Your call?
I chose 3NT. WRONG!! Partner has
Kxx
AKx
KQJ9742
void.
Naturally a C was led and when the heart Q was off-side (and C 5-5) we went off one. But but if I had bid 3S at my second turn we would have reached a good 4H. Just stoopid on my part.
For a great book on balancing by Mike Lawrence, see the review at http://www.pattayabridge.com/bridge-books-15.htm
Paul Quodomine
Axx
Q10
xxx
A10xxx
Do you balance and if so with what call?
2) You open 1C R/R holding:
AK94
J1084
AK
K74
and get 2S on your left,P, P. Do you bid 2NT without a source of tricks, double with a flaw in diamonds, or pass and hope for the magic 200 on defense?
I passed. +100 for a less than optimal result. Partner held:
x
Qxxx
QJ86
J1085
Hearts were 4-1 with RHO holding 4 to the AK and the club honors were bad as well.
And now a bidding problem. You hold:
AQJ9
J10xxx
x
Axx
Partner opens 1D, opponents silent and you bid 1H. Partner rebids 3D. Your call?
I chose 3NT. WRONG!! Partner has
Kxx
AKx
KQJ9742
void.
Naturally a C was led and when the heart Q was off-side (and C 5-5) we went off one. But but if I had bid 3S at my second turn we would have reached a good 4H. Just stoopid on my part.
For a great book on balancing by Mike Lawrence, see the review at http://www.pattayabridge.com/bridge-books-15.htm
Paul Quodomine
Saturday 20 June 2009
Hands from Friday June 19th
First, I think a consensus card of "Pattaya Standard" should be derived from the current checklist and if an individual competition is deemed the format that everyone should adhere to it. This would streamline the play and eliminate lengthy and often ambiguous partnership discussions for what is likely to be 2-4 boards. I think I made that point before today's game and it seemed to have some support. We have a friendly club with everyone locally knowing everyone else and very few conflicts. I think a consensus card would be easy to arrange. I'll be happy to do so if you wish. The difficulty of arranging a satisfactory movement with an uncomfortable number of players is not lost on me, I was a Tounament Director in the U.S. more than thirty years ago, and an individual is certainly an acceptable format. The difficulty here arises in differing styles and agreements which could be resolved with a standard card.
In looking over the hands from today (Friday, 19/06) I see a couple that merit attention. After P, P (by you), 2D Multi by LHO partner passes and RHO holding
J10762
K1043
9
1043
bid 2H, unaware of what opener held. I now stuck a 3C call in (white vs red) with 8, J42, 7543, AKJ42. This is why I dislike Multi two diamonds . Opener holding K953, AQ, AKQJ2, Q8 had to bid 3D. His partner, not knowing WHAT was happening (as he admitted at the table) though it should be obvious, a strong balanced hand with D and no C stop, bid 3H and was raised to 4. A 5-4 but doomed spade fit was missed, (-1) instead playing in a 4-2 heart "fit" (-3), but wouldn't this be easier if the opening bid was 2NT?
Your partner doubles a 1C opening, which is raised on your right to 2C. Do you bid or pass holding:
K65
9862
Q32
J103
The player holding this miserable collection elected to freely bid 2H! One has to wonder whether this was to direct a lead, to show a suit, or if he was thinking about what he'd had for breakfast and dropped the 2H card by mistake! Never mind that he had not a thing in hearts, Hell, he paid his entry fee!! This led to 3C to his left, 3D by partner, P, P, 4C to his left, 4D by partner, P ....
and now, having what rated to be TWO useful cards for a player who had bid to the 4 level essentially on his own this person ... PASSED! An easy 5D was missed. If the 2C call had been passed, as it should have been, it would been easy to bid 5D. The 2H on trash bid had made the auction untenable.
He had to consider that his partner might actually be playing him for some values when bidding 4D.
Well Terry, have I pissed off enough folks with this one?
Your opinionated friend, who by now has alienated about 90% of the club,
Paul Quodomine
In looking over the hands from today (Friday, 19/06) I see a couple that merit attention. After P, P (by you), 2D Multi by LHO partner passes and RHO holding
J10762
K1043
9
1043
bid 2H, unaware of what opener held. I now stuck a 3C call in (white vs red) with 8, J42, 7543, AKJ42. This is why I dislike Multi two diamonds . Opener holding K953, AQ, AKQJ2, Q8 had to bid 3D. His partner, not knowing WHAT was happening (as he admitted at the table) though it should be obvious, a strong balanced hand with D and no C stop, bid 3H and was raised to 4. A 5-4 but doomed spade fit was missed, (-1) instead playing in a 4-2 heart "fit" (-3), but wouldn't this be easier if the opening bid was 2NT?
Your partner doubles a 1C opening, which is raised on your right to 2C. Do you bid or pass holding:
K65
9862
Q32
J103
The player holding this miserable collection elected to freely bid 2H! One has to wonder whether this was to direct a lead, to show a suit, or if he was thinking about what he'd had for breakfast and dropped the 2H card by mistake! Never mind that he had not a thing in hearts, Hell, he paid his entry fee!! This led to 3C to his left, 3D by partner, P, P, 4C to his left, 4D by partner, P ....
and now, having what rated to be TWO useful cards for a player who had bid to the 4 level essentially on his own this person ... PASSED! An easy 5D was missed. If the 2C call had been passed, as it should have been, it would been easy to bid 5D. The 2H on trash bid had made the auction untenable.
He had to consider that his partner might actually be playing him for some values when bidding 4D.
Well Terry, have I pissed off enough folks with this one?
Your opinionated friend, who by now has alienated about 90% of the club,
Paul Quodomine
Pattaya Bridge Club
The pattaya bridge club meets 3 afternoons a week in Pattaya, Thailand. In particular, the website - www.pattayabridge.com is well worth a visit. The website has an enormous ammount of bridge information, including the biggest bridge book review site on the web - www.pattayabridge.com/bridge-book-reviews.htm , free news-sheets every week and a very interesting bridge conventions section - www.pattayabridge.com/convindex_main.htm .
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