midweek update
George, photo by Peg Kaplan.
Claude Vogel, photo by Peg Kaplan.
I’ve been remiss in congratulating George and Claude for their win last weekend in the District 13 North America Open Pairs final. I hope they update the district website so everyone can appreciate that the field was tough and their achievement is significant.
My best thing by far this week was the good review I got from Glen Ashton. I especially appreciate his positive feedback about the Gazzilli notes that Judi, Shannon, Jenny and I have developed over the last year.
I went ahead and published the first section of no-trump notes and am working on finishing them this afternoon. It’s a shame I hadn’t done them yesterday when I played with Shannon. Playing IMP pairs, I picked up:
S Txxx
H void
D AQxxxx
C Axx
Shannon opened 1NT and I heard Judi’s constant refrain … Think of at least three bids which describe your hand. Obviously, Stayman. I could, I suppose, transfer to diamonds but that could get ugly if she doesn’t have fit with me. I could also Puppet Stayman.
2C is pretty clear. Partner bid 2S, which was initially a relief but pretty quickly I realized that I couldn’t figure out how to evaluate my hand. Is Txxx something of which I should be very proud? How about my heart void? I like my six diamonds headed by the Ace
and Queen, but do I really want to make a slam try?
I hedged. Bid 3D natural and forcing, and Partner bid 3H. Since we had an established spade fit, I figured, 3H must be a cuebid. Seemed to me the club Ace was better info than the heart void so I cuebid 4C. Shannon bid 4H and signed off in 4S. She bid 6D.
It worked out ok, the spade King was onside, but I would have done so much better setting trumps, don’t you think?
The problem on this hand was that I wasn’t ever really sure how to evaluate it. In retrospect I can see that it got considerably better when Partner had spades with me, but I’m curious to know what you think. Do you show an unbalanced slam try with 3H or go slower with 3D?
September 17th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
I am not sure what your methods are. Some play that a transfer to diamonds followed by 3S would show a 6-4 hand. Others play that 3S is shortness or a Q bid.
You stated that when you bid 3D, 3H then became a Q bid in support of the established spade fit. I am not sure how partner knew you held 4 spades rather than 4 hearts at that point.
If you play that 3H shows an unbalanced slam try after partner’s 2S bid then that might be best. Partner can then do different things depending on your methods to find out your shortness.
These hands are very tricky because for example if partner held AKxx, Axx, xx, KQxx you can make 6S as long as spades behave and diamond is onside.
But if partner held Axxx, AKQJ, Kx, xxx then you can make 6D or 6N but not 6S.
In general these hands are very difficult to both evaluate and bid in my opinion.
September 17th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Congrats to George and Claude. I hadn’t heard. I will be sure that the District site is updated ASAP!!
Suzi
September 18th, 2008 at 4:35 am
George pointed out to me that my original description of the bidding was fatally flawed because 3H by Partner wasn’t a cuebid; in fact it’s my imperfect use of the language — at the time I was bidding it up there like crazy totally forgetting that I’d never set trumps.
The point Shannon made at the table was that I could’ve made an unbalanced, fit-showing slam try. I picked right up on that key phrase … The question I was trying to pose is this: do you evaluate this hand as a slam try or simply game going? Do I entertain concerns about my pretty terrible spades or do I enjoy the known major fit, even if Pard’s spades are Axxx?
Judi liked 3D but called me out for not bidding 4S over 3H. George can’t understand why I don’t evaluate this hand up, he says it’s worth more like 15 points than 10. I’m not buying that, since what I have is a good weak 2 bid in diamonds … I wouldn’t open the bidding with this hand, so am I good enough to go slamming?
September 18th, 2008 at 7:52 am
(1) This is a 1D opening bid. Possibly some would pass but it is clearly an opening bid. It is a much better hand than for example 10xxx, QJx, AQxx, Axx which I presume you would happily open. I would NEVER open this 2D, not even in 3rd seat. Opposite Axxxx, ? Kx, ? it makes 4S. It makes 3N opposite many hands where partner holds Kx of diamonds and a few other cards.
(2) Once I bid stayman and partner responded 2S, I would never ever consider 3N. While it is true that it might make when 4S goes down, I know of no method to get there. The opponents have at least 10 hearts. While partner could theoretically have a hand which makes 3N and goes down in 4H, that will be rare compared to all the hands that make 4 or more spades but have no play for 3N.
(4) I think I would bid 3H over 2S showing shortness somewhere and at least a mild slam try in spades. After that I would bid very conservatively. If partner now bids 3N asking for your shortness you can bid 4H. Partner will now devalue all hearts except for the ace but if he has the right cards he may go on.
Your other option is to bid 3D as you did and then jump to 4S, showing that the 3H bid did not help your hand and that you have diamonds, spades and a mild slam try.
(5) The structure after stayman where opener responds a major that responder holds is as follows:
3 of other major shows a fit and an unbalanced slam try (3N asks for your shortness, if hearts are trump then 4H by responder shows spade shortness), 4C is RKC in opener’s suit, 4D shows a balanced 15-17 and a 4-4 fit in opener’s suit.