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Pointless

Why do we bid? Maybe the short answer is that if we kept passing, we would end up defending all the time and that’s tough! So, let’s bid and try and be the declaring side, make our contract and get a good score. You agree?

Well, then. Let’s check out one board from this week’s play where I suspect a few players did a bit of bidding and rather regretted doing so. It is, of course, a lead problem. Try it. You are South. This is the bidding and your hand:

West                  North                 East           South

                                                                       Pass

Pass                    1                   1NT            Pass

3NT                     All Pass

 

 Q3

 Q32

 A95

8762

East-West are vulnerable. Your choice?

The one thing you can deduce is there are quite a lot of points in this pack. You nearly, could have, should have doubled 1NT. East should have at least 15, West at least 9 and you have 8. That would not give your partner enough for a genuine opener. What do you fancy? If you chose not to lead a spade, would anything else stand out? You could argue for a heart on the basis that West did not seem interested in that suit but is that enough evidence? Keep partner happy. Go on. They opened 1. They must have a reason for doing so. Say they had KJT to 5 spades and an outside entry?

A number of South players kept their partner happy by leading the Q against whatever contract their opponents were declaring.  Their partners did indeed have an outside entry though setting up spade tricks would prove a little hard. Their partners showed little encouragement for that suit. Take a look.

 

 

Those East players in 3NT had little difficulty in making 9 tricks and thanked their partners for dummy, really meaning it! A low diamond lead did not help the defence either. One pair found a heart lead but an early switch still meant success for East. Eight East players declared a no trump contract and all made at least 9 tricks.

You can take a bow if you found that low heart lead. If not, don’t worry. It’s not your fault. Why oh why did North open 1?

Because they had paid their table money?

Because they were third in hand not vulnerable?

Because they were going to find a good sacrifice over the opponents’ 4 contract?

As a lead directional bid for partner?

Which of those boxes applies here? The answer is “none of them”. If you wanted to make a third in hand opening bid with a purpose, why not open 1? Even if you are playing 5 card majors. You do have a 5 card major. Does that mean you have to open it?!

If opening a goodish 4 card major in third seat not vulnerable is not your cup of tea, then try and find one of those green pass cards. You were given several.

It is true that your partner will not always have 3 to the queen but 1 appeals so much more than the “see if you can now make the right lead, partner” 1 bid. Passing might still have brought you a minus score but there would have been a much greater chance of a successful defence if you had never fingered that 1 card. What was the purpose?

None that I could see.

Richard Solomon

 

 

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