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                        Choices?

Some bids are easy, come from a beginners’ textbook on the game. At other times, we have a very difficult decision to make. Our textbook has told us that when your partner opens the bidding at the 1-level and that you have 13 high-card points, your side should either be in game or, where the opponents are in the bidding, be trying to extract a penalty from them.

So, that is kind of the dilemma you have today:

 

You have to bid something....but what?

Most of the Panel had some liking for playing 4 but they were not going to make the decision just yet:

Kris Wooles “4: I have a spade stop, 13 HCP but no aces. Partner’s 3 is somewhat forced. Our right-hand opponent has bid all the way to 3 with AQxxxxx likely and other cards of value for sure. I am not confident we could run 9 tricks before North gets in and runs a lot of spades. 4, even opposite a doubleton might be a decent enough game and might be the only makeable game. I’m tempted to bid it straight off.”
The lack of aces coupled with the poor spade hold are the reasons why the Panel shies away from 3NT. North did not have the Q but the 9-trick game was a grave-yard for those who tried it. Our Panel preferred an Action Double:

Stephen Blackstock “Double: No simple one-liner available here! Too much is about judgment based on limited information, and much relies on partner to understand that you are conveying information and consulting rather than making the final call for the partnership.

I double, not comfortably or happily! The options appear to be 3NT, 4, double and pass. 3NT looks wrong with no aces, no suit ready to run, and only one spade stop that you can’t hold up (North is likely to hold the missing cards anyway).  4 has more control but risks being forced off if hearts are 4-2 or worse; there may also be a fatal defensive spade ruff.

 So, neither of these games is especially promising on the information available to East, and even if one makes, will we guess which? Yes, 3x may make, but down one is a reasonable estimate, and +500 far from unlikely. I would like to pass, forcing, but I want partner to know I have a spade trick so he can judge what to do: if his tricks are ready to run, he is welcome to move, likely to 3NT. Double is merely a suggestion, hoping that if I tell partner my hand type, he will be better placed than me to make the final decision.”

Bruce Anderson “Double: an ‘action double’ saying I am too strong to pass but have no sensible forward going bid. I am not bidding 3NT given partner has not indicated anything more than an average opener; therefore, that contract must be precarious.                   

4 might be considered but partner would probably have raised with 3 and a 5/2 fit could come to grief on a spade force. The lack of aces and diamond support indicates game is anti-percentage unless partner does have three hearts but wanted to show a strong diamond suit first; then we play 4. Otherwise, penalizing 3 may be our best result.”

Peter Newell “Double: It Is not clear where we are going and I don’t really want to commit.  Double suggests defending and as we have no fit and a trump trick, I think they are very unlikely to make and we may not make game, and we may not bid to the right game if there is one. 

3NT doesn’t look great on this type of hand as with only one spade stop, the chances of taking 8 more quick tricks looks odds against to me.  Even if partner has 7 solid diamonds, partner needs another ace as well.  4 has slight appeal with the good suit but given partner has 2 or less, we will probably get tapped off.  Don’t like 4 much with a semi-balanced hand.  So double for me.”

Nigel Kearney “Double: 4 seems to be the most likely game and I will bid that next, but I'm happy if partner is able to pass the double or bid 3NT.”

Michael Cornell “Double: which is 100% take-out – would love to hear 3NT, though I suspect unlikely. I cannot bid 3NT myself with one stop. I cannot see an immediate 8 more tricks!

If partner bids 4, I will bid the obvious 4 that will not play well if there is a bad trump break.”

So, there seems to be a variance as to what the double means but most think it leaves the decision to the opener rather than a command for partner to pass.

One of our Panel had this problem:

Matt Brown: “4: I had this exact auction at the table so I can tell you I bid 4.I don’t like 3NT because with only one spade stopper and no aces, we highly rate highly to be going down after they knock out my stopper and still have ace(s). A take-out double might be superior because partner should bid 4 over that with a doubleton, or 3NT with Qxx, but I bid 4 hoping that my good trumps and spade hold are enough to prevent me being forced off in that.”

And they were, Matt, but had you doubled, you would have, this time, heard 4 from your partner:

3NT was a comfortable 3 down on a spade lead while 4 can be made if declarer plays a diamond at trick 3. It is not hard to place A with North. If North takes their ace, and plays a third round of spades, declarer must ruff in dummy with A, draw trumps and get to 10, actually 11 tricks, by playing on diamonds.

If North ducks the A at trick 3, East can draw trumps and play on clubs to secure 10 tricks.

3x is close but there are 5 losers for the defence to take a rather relieved +200. So, the action double seems to be the winner with West choosing between +200 or +620/650 but avoiding -300.

For Less Experienced Players

A problem for our less experienced readers for tomorrow.

What would you bid?

Richard Solomon

 

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