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String of Diamonds.

A nice suit but nothing outside and a singleton in partner’s suit. What action would you take? You are playing Teams.

 

The options here are to Pass, Double or bid our suit. The last of these is, unless you have a specific agreement otherwise, forcing for one round. Our Panel do vote three-way.

Michael Cornell “3: one round force- too good to do anything else especially when we are playing Teams and can be cold for 3NT opposite an absolute minimum with  Qx or xxx and odds on opposite  xx.

Sometimes this will cost 100-400 but I think far more often will lead to 600+.

Unless partner bids 3NT, I will follow with 4 and I am not ashamed of my hand-if partner bids 5 it should have play. I am not promising a potential no loser 7 card suit.

It does seem a little hard for partner to pass 4 even with a bare minimum. Whoever plays in 4 of a minor after such an auction?

Also bidding is:

Nigel Kearney “Double: 3 is clearly too much. So, it's between pass and double. I'd rather show some values now than have to guess whether to try to catch up later.

However, the rest cannot find a bid.

Stephen Blackstock “Pass: No second choice. 3 is effectively GF and I don’t have that; double doesn’t begin to describe the hand in terms of shape or values. Without some heart length partner is likely to bid again, and if it goes all pass, I fancy our chances to beat it and don’t expect to have missed much.

Peter Newell “Pass: Not good enough to bid 3 forcing with a misfit for partner’s suit, and too much of a distortion to double.  I don’t like passing on these hands as it is often difficult to describe the hands later and catch up, but prefer that as the lesser evil to bidding and getting too high and being doubled when we get too high. If North passes 2, then partner will often balance (if partner has 4 cards in hearts, he will not but I am happy to defend on that scenario. With 3 hearts he may not balance at times) usually with 2 in which case I’ll bid 3 now which I think should show this type of hand. I’m a bit stronger than I might be for the action.

If North raises 2 to 3 I’ll bid 4 over this or over 3 if partner bids that.”

Kris Wooles “Pass: Looking at my singleton spade, bidding 3 could cause an ugly auction. Also, I would be underweight for my bid. Doubling appears way too clumsy for this type of hand. I hope to be able to bid diamonds later. “

Bruce Anderson “Pass: I am not strong enough to bid 3, particularly with a singleton in partner’s suit. If North passes and partner reopens with a double, I now I bid 3, which should be left to play unless partner is strong. I think a negative double here should show the unbid suits and greater strength. I am aware partner may have the hand to convert 3 to 3NT but most of the time that will not be possible, and with a misfit we will be overboard.

If there is no reopening double, I have two quick tricks for spades. And good defence against 2 in the unlikely event partner passes.”

Playing transfers here is not in most players’ repertoires. Matt wishes he could but if not:

Matt Brown “Pass: normally I would bid 3 as a transfer to diamonds but I guess I can't here... I think you have to pass. Double could be ok but with only a singleton spade and not actually both minors, I don't think it's right.”

I am not worried about not having both minors as you can convert a club bid to diamonds at the same level but hearing 4 from partner after one’s double might not be welcome news. However, West did double which produced more action:

 

Maybe West was lucky in only hearing 3 from North but West was able to show their hand-type well. However, they would have been able to bid 4 after the 3 raise, whether or not East did bid 4.

Happy ending

A normal trump break saw 4 make without need of a club finesse. 4, of course, was also a make but did need the trump finesse. Would East have been able to pass 4after West bid the suit for a second time is conjecture. Too good to pass but not good enough to bid. That was West’s dilemma. That kind of dilemma is normally solved with a double. Double followed by a suit bid (like 4 above) does show this hand type. Our Panel were not, though, generally inclined to take action.

Play to trick 1

 

South opens a Weak 2 in spades and very soon is declarer in 4. Your partner leads K. Using whatever carding method you play, which card do you play at trick 1?

Richard Solomon

 

 

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