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Nothing to bid: no fun!

When you have no or few high cards and no support for your partner, then the best bid is “Pass”. Yet, there are times when this is just not possible.

 

 

With 1 being natural, 2 was certainly not! You had manufactured a bid a round earlier and are now being asked to find a second bid. Not easy!

I asked our Panel whether they agreed with our 2 bid first up and also what they would bid next. In my dim and distant past, I remembered some advice about it better to lie (“misrepresent” may be a nicer term) about the length in a minor than a major suit. Thus, I was somewhat surprised by some of the Panel’s answers:

Stephen Blackstock “No, I don't agree with 2. At times you will have no option other than to bid a 3-card suit. If so it is normal and prudent to bid the lowest. This gives partner the most space to try another suit. It is also the action he expects you to choose in these circumstances and therefore the one he will be treating most cautiously. There is no way he will play you for only three clubs in this sequence. 1NT doesn't require a lot by way of values, but definitely more than I have.”

Leon Meier “I prefer the style to bid 1 with these hands as partner has shorter clubs more often than shorter in a major, perhaps even 4432! 1 also keeps the bidding lower.”

and even more bluntly:

Michael Cornell “I would not bid 2 with a gun to my head. Why should I bid a level higher with my weakest suit and how can it possibly be only 3 cards? I would simply respond 1 and partner should be aware it could be only a  3- card suit.

With a few extra points I would bid 1NT which is not 8-10 anymore but too much of a stretch with just 2 jacks.”

 

It’s time to enlist a little help:

Nigel Kearney “I agree with 2. 1NT needs more values and bidding a three card major is more likely to create problems than help us stay a level lower.”  but:

Bruce Anderson “Don’t agree with 2; I would have bid 1, the lesser distortion of my hand it seems to me.”

Even if it may seem a “lesser distortion”, I would expect our partner is more likely to presume it is a 4+ card suit and support with a reasonable hand and 4 of their own. It would be much rarer for them to go to a high level in clubs. If partner now bids a 5+ major, I can pass. 

Others seemed to either agree or at least tolerate 2 as a first response.

One’s problems compound when partner bids 2 second time round…and they would have done that whether you started with 1 or 2. Had you started with 1, could you bear to bid this 3-card suit twice?

Stephen Blackstock “What to do after 1 - 2 is a Bridge World Master Solvers problem. Some will rebid 2, some try 2NT on the grounds that it doesn't need values now given that you didn't bid 1NT earlier (I have a problem with this, if you have four hearts you might well choose 1 on the first round so perhaps 2NT now still shows a flicker of life). But if partner has plenty of tricks and just needs a diamond stopper 2NT could be the winner.  There might also be the odd vote for 2, but that sounds like 4-5 in the majors to me.”

and after our 2 bid?

Stephen Blackstock “After an initial 2, 2 is forcing and 3 is absurd, so you are pushed into 2NT I think.”

Michael Cornell “2NT: and I did not guarantee four hearts  by bidding 1. I simply bid the lowest of equal length suits.”

Nigel Kearney “ 2: A lot depends on agreements and many pairs have not discussed this situation method. My preferred understanding of this auction is that I have denied a four card major by bidding 2 and the cheapest bid now is a default option anyway when nothing else fits. I could bid 2NT but it is quite likely partner has club support when they do not rebid a major or no trumps. If it is something like AKQx AKx x KQxxx then we can stop in 3 if I don't do anything encouraging. I can still bid 3NT later if partner keeps forcing.”

Bruce Anderson “ I am gritting my teeth and bidding 2NT as partner is asking if I have a stop, which I do. Partner is likely to be very strong and if he/she has solid clubs and quick tricks outside my diamond stop may well be enough for our side to make 3NT.”

Well, you do have a diamond stop and you are showing less than 6 hcp (no 1NT last time) though I prefer still saying nothing this time round like:

Peter Newell “ 3: yes it's ugly but my aim is to convey weakness and no 4+ major. I think bidding a major here would normally show a weak 4/5 hand - though there is an argument for agreeing that one should respond 1 of a major with a weak 4/5 hand. While I have a diamond stop, 2NT would promise a bit more in terms of values.  If partner were to bid 3 over 3, I would now feel comfortable bidding 3NT. If partner has a 5+ major, over 3 it would be time to bid it.

and coming from the same beginnings as yours truly re the 2 bid:

Andy Braithwaite “3: Partner did not Michaels originally so is likely to have some club support for the 2 bid. Otherwise 2 of a major would show a strong hand with a 5 card or longer suit. I would like to bid 2NT with my diamond stopper but think that would show a mildly constructive hand - not this one. So, 3 it is to discourage partner once again. After all that is why I bid 2C and not a 3 card major in the first place.”

Leon would have preferred 1 first time though chooses hearts after our 2 bid:

Leon Meier  “2: partner should assume it is a 3 card suit now because you didn't bid it over the double.”

I think we can assume that with 4 hearts and longer clubs, you would have bid 1: hence the 3-card assumption.

I think the key to the second question is how many hcp does 2NT show. Certainly less than 6 but as weak as 2 jacks? I am not so sure: hence my support for Peter Newell’s 3. “It’s OK, partner. If you really have 24 hcp (you did?), you will try one last time with 3 and then I will declare 3NT.”

As to 1 on a 3-card suit? Not my cup of tea if at all possible..and it is. The aim this time was to reach 3NT as this was partner’s monster 24-count:

 

9 tricks on top in 3NT after a heart lead but South would more likely lead partner’s suit, a diamond. Even after a low heart switch at trick 2, declarer can score a 9^th trick in one of the red suit suits.

So, at some point, West has to own up to a diamond hold…and the 10 would be a bonus for East. Actually, West has honour cards in every suit…a pretty good 2-count!

Richard Solomon

 

 

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