getting back on track
I think the act of a good teammate is to show up shortly before game time, ready to play. Shannon and I are playing a regional next week and I am most assuredly not ready to play. Woefully out of practice. So yesterday we went over and played at the club, jet lag and all, and I breathed a sigh of relief every time I got through a hand without incident. Somebody’s Law probably says that days when you’re rusty and a little off are the days your side gets all the cards …
:S: x
:H: KQJx
:D: Axxxxx
:C: AQ
Lefty opens 2 :S: and partner bids 3 :H: . Righty jumps to 4 :S: . Your call?
October 19th, 2007 at 6:39 am
Having gone down before I may be going down again. I am bidding 4N and if partner has one key card I will bid 6H. If partner has 2 keycards I will bid 5N and we will end up in either 6H or 7H if my partner now knowing we have all the key cards and the Queen of hearts choose to bid a grand. So if partner has for example Ax, Axxxxx, KQx, xx we will be in 7.
October 19th, 2007 at 7:27 am
In response to 4N, partner bids 6 :H:
October 19th, 2007 at 7:35 am
I am quite surprised by partner’s response since with only 1 keycard we might not want to bid a slam. Additionally there might be some hands where have a missing keycard and I had no intention of playing this is hearts.
So I must assume partner has something like void, Axxxxxx, KQJ, KJx and I will bid 7H
October 19th, 2007 at 9:53 am
Right. Partner’s hand -
:S: -
:H: Axxxx
:D: KQJxx
:C: Jxx
Unfortunately, the :C: K is off, so 7 :H: goes down. Question becomes how do you get to play the hand in :D: ?
October 19th, 2007 at 10:27 am
Stacy - I think that you girls may have fallen victim to not heeding the old “when fixed, stay fixed” adage. Essentially - when there is preemption like this, take a middle of the road action. Might be wrong - but - going the other way can be quite expensive.
I’m not sure that your partner should jump to 6H over 4NT. Surely you might have bid 4NT with: x, KQJxx, Axxxx, Ax - no?
Not sure what your agreements are over 4NT - but, 6D, showing a 2 suiter (with a void, most likely) is another option.
That being said - I think it is TERRIFICALLY difficult to land in 7D. Why folks preempt.
Many years ago, I was in a KO and my LHO opened 3S. Partner made a very good bid of 5H; 4H with a little “extra.”
I had a great hand for hearts - and wanted to cue 5S. Alas; my RHO made that call!
Long and hard I thought…. finally, I just blasted 7H. My LHO considered for a bit - then passed, as did partner, of course. RHO gave a slight hitch - then he passed, too.
Before I put down dummy, my partner said “well; at least I know we’re not off the ace of trump.”
ACE OF TRUMP???! I sure didn’t have it!
My RHO did - and failed to double as he did NOT want to give his partner another opportunity to save!!
We lost the match by a small margin - as our counterparts played FOUR hearts at the other table.
I could have bid 6H, doubled 5S, PASSED - any of a number of actions - and won the match. But, bidding 7H did us in.
That was my most vivid example of learning that often, taking the “middle of the road” action during lots of preemption pays dividends over the long haul.
October 19th, 2007 at 10:50 am
I don’t like the 6H bid. Suppose you had something like x, Kx, Axxx, AQ10xxx.
You would not even want to be in hearts. I think she should respond 5C showing one keycard. You will then bid 6H.
She can then decide whether to unforunately go on.
If you sign off in 5H then she might venture forth with 6H if brave.
October 19th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
People preempt with widely divergent types of hands today. Scientific bidding by the opposition really is more “hunt and peck” and good guessing.
Don’t beat up on yourself if you do not get these hands exactly right!
I’d focus more on the auctions where you have more space to weigh and judge. Much of these sorts of hands are no more or less than trying to “stay in the boat” and not have a disaster.
Bidding too much - OR too little - can translate into a lousy result!