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Which suit: which level?

A couple of interesting problems arose with today’s deal with issues about which suit we would want to suggest as the trump suit and what level we should bid, both at our first and second turns to speak.

 

We asked the Panel whether they were satisfied with a 1 response first up, stipulating that they could not bid 3 as that showed a spade shortage with heart support.

Generally, the Panel were happy with an initial 1 bid. However, we do have one different view.

Peter Newell “4: Tough problem. First time around 4 and 1 both flawed but clearly the 2 best options. I lean towards 4 as it gets across the good spades, playing strength and has pre-emptive value as there will be times where the opponents can make a lot of tricks in a minor suit contract.  On the minus side is hiding the heart fit (though these hands with a long strong suit often play better in the suit than in 5-3 fits), and pre-empting partner.  1 doesn't get across the spades and playing strength and leads to awkward rebid problems.”

However, most just thought 1 was fine. The following offered comments:

Stephen Blackstock “1: 4 would take away space we might need if South is strong, and whatever 3 might mean, it doesn't sound like a good idea.”

Wayne Burrows “ If you play 4 as natural then I suppose there is an alternative to 1 but otherwise 1 is normal and middle of the road. If you play 2 as a weak jump shift then this hand is far too strong for that with a seventh spade and excellent support for hearts.”

So, Peter Newell predicted there would be rebid problems if we bid 1….and there were. Interestingly, all the Panel voted for a spade bid next, though at different levels. Meanwhile, at the tournament 16 of the 20 North-South pairs played in hearts.

Let’s start with the conservative replies:

Andy Braithwaite “2: my spades will not take many tricks if hearts are trumps as partner probably only has one spade at most. Game looks a long way off so I bid conservatively.

We will see that though Andy is correct about cashing spade tricks, in a heart contract, they provided a very useful way of drawing trumps!

Bruce Anderson “ 2: Conservative I know, especially at teams with a 7- card suit and with good support for hearts. However, I think it very unlikely we can make a heart game given West has shown the values to double for take-out, which is  another reason for bidding conservatively. I am taking the view this is a part-score hand and spades at a low level is the safest contract.”

Peter Newell “2: we are left with the underbid of 2 and the slight overbid of 4.  West's double of 1 suggests spades, and potentially a bad heart break, and partner’s 2  bid of our singleton is also a warning that these hands may not fit well.  While I was with 4 the first time, I would prefer the underbid of 2 now in view of how the auction has developed which is suggesting caution.”

One obvious problem of going for gold in 4 is if we are missing the top two spades and the top two diamonds. So, there are those who make an invitational 3:

Anthony Ker “3: I think the strength of this hand lies in the long spade suit, not the heart fit. So I’m going to rebid 3 invitational. With x AQJxx xxx Axxx, partner will pass and with a better hand we’ll end up in 4.” 

Michael Cornell “3: An invitational 3. Kxx is a big asset but invariably the hand will play much better in the long suit. In a heart contract, there will often be no late entry to the spades. If partner bids 3NT over 3, I will bid 4 and hope we don’t have 4 top losers.”

Nigel Kearney “3: We want to play in spades, not hearts. Imagine a hand opposite such as x AJxxx Kxx AJxx. Playing in hearts, partner is very unlikely to be able to set up and use my spade suit. Our hand is worth about two and a half spades, but a 2 bid could be a lot weaker and partner will usually pass it. Vulnerable at IMPS, I want to choose the more aggressive action.”

We are playing imp scoring. So, the rest go for game.

Leon Meier “4: I think 4 is the game with the best chance of making. I think it'll almost always play better than hearts on this auction so I'll bid 4. We don't need much from partner to make it (e.g. K, AQ, K). So, I wouldn't invite at Teams vul.”

Michael Ware “4: Can't see this playing better in hearts. Maybe I'm insulting my partner, but I am worried if I only invite, he/she will pass because of 0/1 spades with hands that are making 4.”

Stephen Blackstock “4: We might be down on top, but no sequence will identify that and I'm not going to be delicate when there is a fair chance of a vulnerable game at IMPs. Even opposite a void, 4 will usually play better than a 5-3 heart fit (and the double hints at a bad break offside). Yes, South may have six hearts. We might learn of that over a 4^th suit 2, but still I will not be surprised if spades plays equally well. The danger with 2 is that if I subsequently bid 4 that will sound stronger than the hand I hold and we may get too high.”

Wayne Burrows “4: I think this hand has the values for game. I can't see the form of scoring which might make a difference at matchpoints where the incentive to bid game is less. 

I know the spades are solid (from the queen down), unless there is a very bad break, but I do not know if the hearts are. It is right very often to choose the seven-card suit over the known 5-3 fit in such situations. So I bid 4 here.

 

It is possible that 3 will work out better, not just when partner passes and we cannot make game but also when partner bids 3NT and we pull to 4. Partner will then play us for precisely this sort of hand. However, I think I have too much playing strength for an invite so I am sticking with 4. Also, it is possible that fourth suit forcing might help but it might not after 1 1 2 2 2/3NT. I still do not know whether 4 or 4 is better and not giving away additional information with the 4 blast might help.”

 

So, certainly spades over hearts and 3, followed by 4 if partner does bid 3NT seems to cover most outcomes. On the actual deal, 3 should attract a spade raise:

 

4 was a breeze for anyone there (most of the Panel) for the loss of just a spade and a diamond. 4 as predicted was harder. Even if West leads their trump (taken in dummy), South can force West to take their A. West cannot continue  trumps or switch to a diamond.

South can ruff 2 clubs in dummy and force East to ruff spades to prevent discards. 10 tricks should be the outcome though as the Panel predicted, it was so much easier with spades as trumps.

Richard Solomon

  

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