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

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".

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

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

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 .