another wild one
Once in a while, when I manage to stay awake past 9pm, George and I play a few hands on Bridge Base. It’s not usually the best bridge either one of us has ever played, but we always have some excitement. Last night’s adventure went like this: playing IMPS, equal red, I picked up
:S: AKQ9
:H: AJ832
:D: 8
:C: 852
Lefty started with pass, George opened 2NT. I sat there furiously trying to remember how we bid this hand (transfer to hearts and then bid spades, I think?) when Righty came in with 3 :D: . What’s the right thing to do now?
February 27th, 2008 at 8:49 am
On Bridge Base, depending on the opponents, double might actually be best because they might have made some awful bid and be going for 2000. However that is not bridge.
I think that 4D is clear on the way to some slam. And the 3D bid might help you bid a grand slam. If George bids a major over 4D I would bid 4N rkc next. If he bids 4N it is a lot tougher.
You can bid 5D and hope he bid hearts or you can just raise to 6N.
February 27th, 2008 at 9:04 am
Ok, so I chose 4 :D: and he bid 4 :H: . Now, we play 4 :S: Keycard for hearts — is 4 :S: by me here RKC or natural?
February 27th, 2008 at 10:14 am
I think that you can only play 4S as keycard for hearts when it is clear that is the trump suit, which is not the case here. 4D could be lots and lots of really good hands including one with 7 spades.
I think 4S should be setting the trump suit and a slam try which opener may pass if he so desires.
4N should be rkc in my opinion. If he has the missing 3 keycards then I take my chances that he either has the Queen of H or finds it. I bid 5N and if he responds 6C showing the King of clubs I next bid 6D and pass whatever his next bid is.
Hopefully he has Jxx, KQxx, AJx, AKQx and you have 4S, 5H, 1D and 3 clubs for 13 top tricks or he has a hand where he can ruff 2 diamonds or take ruffing finesse in diamonds to come to 13.
If he cannot bid 6C over 5N then you will end up in 6H.
February 27th, 2008 at 10:51 am
I was lucky — he took 4 :S: as keycard, bidding 5 :C: to show 0 or 3. I asked for the queen with 5 :D: and he showed it and the king of clubs with 6 :C: .
Now what do you do?
February 27th, 2008 at 11:02 am
So now you can count 3S, 5H, 1D, 1D ruff and 2C for 12 tricks and that only gives George 16 points. The jack of spades or Q of clubs or 3rd diamond or spade ruff in his hand makes 13 tricks makes 13 tricks. 7N makes almost for sure but I bid 7H which cannot go down unless there is a diamond ruff on opening lead. It will not make 7N if George holds xxx, KQxx, AQJ, AKx but will make 7H.
February 27th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
I chose 7NT. His hand was:
:S: 63
:H: KQT7
:D: AQT
:C: AKQ7
Said sorry about a million times, he was perfectly happy. Made it.
February 27th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
So if looks like 7H makes against any distribution as long as no opening ruff.
7N makes anytime at least (1) clubs 3-3, (2) at least 4 clubs and 4 spades in same hand, anytime diamond bidder also has 4 plus spades.
It goes down when diamond bidder has the 4+ clubs. So 7N is probably about 90%.
February 27th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
2 things I forgot.
(1) nice bid Stacy.
(2) I see that you and George were on the same wave length in that 4S was RKC but I don’t understand how you can then bid the following hand:
AQxxxx, Axx, x, xxx in the context of the auction presented. What do you bid over the 3D bid? I think that I would like to bid able to bid 4D and then bid spades.
February 27th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Wow, 4 :D: would never occur to me when partner opens 2NT; I’d rather bid 4 :H: transfer. But maybe I’m confused about your question.
Fun stuff, in any event. See you next week!
February 27th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
I don’t think 4H is a transfer. I think it is hearts. Transfers require a jump bid with interference. When u bid 4D did u think it was a transfer to hearts or asking for a major?
I think it asks for a major.