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A BID TOO FAR.
At times, we all tend to underbid hands….and at other times, we all bid a bit too much. It’s OK. There are times when our bidding is spot on, too! We do sometimes bid correctly, hopefully more often the more experienced one gets.
So, let’s see into which category the following bidding sequence falls. We will look at the bidding through the eyes of the South hand which is:
T43
98
KQ5
AKQ95
With only our side vulnerable, our partner opens the bidding with 2, which is a Weak Two, showing a 6-card heart suit and 6-10 high card points. On our right, East bids 2. We have a tricky decision to make at this point. If we pass, there is a reasonable possibility that 2 will be the final contract.
That may not be the best for our side as the opposition will be playing at a low level and may scramble to make 8 tricks. We do, however, have an opening hand and do have a fit for partner’s heart suit. Remember, a fit is 8 trumps between the two hands. We know that our partner has 6. Of course, we do not know how good a suit partner has but we might either make 3 or perhaps go one down were we to bid 3.
Especially playing Pairs, going one down for -100 is worthwhile if the opponents were scoring 110 for making 2. Of course, we would want to avoid being doubled as even 1 down would then be a disastrous -200, a really bad result in what would seem to be a part-score deal.
So, we have decided to bid. We could, of course bid 3, our own suit though we do not know how many clubs partner has…and the clubs will be very useful in playing 3. So, 3 it is. Fingers crossed.
West North East South
2 2 3
3
Yet, that did not end the bidding. West competed to 3. Oh well, at least we pushed the opponents one level higher. We would have done well if 3 is defeated by one trick.
There was still more bidding!
West North East South
2 2 3
3 4
Ouch! We did not want that to happen. We did not really think we were strong enough to make game…and if we get doubled, we are vulnerable. Yet, East did not double!
West North East South
2 2 3
3 4 4
Well, maybe that is not so bad. We have plenty of high cards. Indeed, now having only 2 hearts becomes almost an asset as chances are greater that we will score at least one heart trick. So, maybe we can beat 4. Although we do not have a trump trick, we might double 4. At least that would or should stop our partner from bidding 5! So, we double 4 a bid which ends the auction. Whew! Finally!
On lead to 4x, we lead A…. and this is what we see in dummy:
| North Deals N-S Vul |
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| West | North | East | South |
| Dummy | You | ||
| 2 ♥ | 2 ♠ | 3 ♥ | |
| 3 ♠ | 4 ♥ | 4 ♠ | Dbl |
| All pass |
You are playing natural signals where a high card is encouraging, a low card discouraging.
On the lead of A, your partner plays 2 and declarer T. So, you continue with K with your partner playing 3 and declarer J.
Your problem for Sunday is which card do you play at trick 3?
We will have to wait until Sunday to see our partner’s hand but in theory, they should not have bid 4. Assuming they have what we would call a normal Weak 2, 6 hearts with their remaining cards spread around the other suits, they have already bid their hand…and it is for you to decide whether your side has enough to bid game. If you were interested in game, you would have made a 2NT enquiry. Your partner should have recognised that when you only bid 3.
Either they have something special about their hand (e.g. 6 hearts and 5 cards in one of the minor suits…that is extreme shape) or they have overbid. Overbidding can result in one of two bad things happening. You may be doubled in your contract, going down (not good when your side is vulnerable even if 3 was making) or else the opponents push on to their game contract and make it..when they would otherwise have stayed in part-score.
To see which, tune in on Sunday….though what you play at trick 3 may well have a bearing on the end result. No pressure! Well, just a little!
Richard Solomon
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