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Mismatch

When you and partner find a fit, you can happily explore which level you wish to play. However, when you have no apparent fit and each partner has their own good, long suits, finding the right denomination in which to play can be tough. We tend not to look beyond what we can see.  No -trumps might not be right but what is? And then there is the level! 

It is never great when partner opens your void suit and then jumps again in that suit. Oh, you have 2 rather good suits of your own. What next?

Our Panel have divided themselves into two camps with one maverick making a practical “this is what I have got” bid. However, let’s start off with those who see this problem as no problem because they just bid what they have at the next level:

Stephen Blackstock “4: I don’t quite understand the “problem”. Would anyone consider not showing the second suit with this length and quality?”

Kris Wooles : “4: I’m hardly going to keep them secret. I’ll next bid 4 if able. Still looking for at least a partial fit on what could be a misfitting hand.”

Bruce Anderson :”4: possibly this is a misfit but rather than give in to feelings of paranoia, I am going to show my second suit. Bidding in this way must show either two very strong suits and/or great playing strength. The hand has so much playing strength that opposite a yarborough with  xxx and a singleton club, 4 is a good chance.

In fact, partner will have some values on this auction and if he does fit clubs and has A, I would expect to hear 4 on the way to 5. After all, I have forced him to make his next bid at either the four or five level.”

Peter Newell “4: seems reasonable to bid my unbid 6 card suit. We could belong in spades, hearts or clubs. So, let’s bring another option into the picture, as I don’t want to guess yet.   I can bid 4 next time over 4 and possibly over 4 to show good spades.”

That’s all very true in an ideal world where one can change the meaning of every bid to suit the hand you hold. I believe that when partner jumps to 3, the chances are slim that clubs will be trumps. It seems much more likely that you will have a hand to fit hearts and want to explore slam in that suit. Hence, I am in the camp of the following:

Matt Brown “ 3: Natural and (obviously) forcing. Whibley and I play 4 agrees hearts here so 3 is the only real option; plus, my spades are most likely to be strong enough opposite a singleton. Nervously await developments about whether to slam or not (most likely yes!).

Nigel Kearney “3: Probably 4 is a cue bid agreeing hearts but even if not, I want to emphasise my good spade suit as the most likely final contract is 4. Over 3NT, I can continue with 4.

It may be hard for partner to believe your actual shape when you bid 4 but assuming you do, then they are certainly aware of your spade length.

Pam Livingston “3: This is forcing.  Would like to bid my clubs but 4 would be a cue for hearts.  If partner raises, all good and off we go.  If partner bids 3NT, then I bid 4 natural and forcing.  If partner bids 4 then they must have a long self -supporting suit and I will wheel out key card.  Partner could also bid a four card minor they had chosen to overlook earlier.  If they bid 4, I am going to give up and just bid 4 as my suit is pretty solid.”

I grew up with the belief that after partner showed a 6-card major and 15-17ish hcp that 4 of a minor was indeed a cue-bid. I can also see little merit in 5 of a minor being natural. Therefore, I have no objection to the approach Michael Cornell chooses below. After all, it appears our partner has 6 heart cards and 7 which are not hearts… and slam seems a good place to be:

Michael Cornell “6: There is no way to agree one of my suits and investigate sensibly ( 4 is a cue, 5  Exclusion Key Card ). So, I bid what I might make.

Opposite the wrong hand, I may have trouble making 5 of a black suit and opposite the right hand i.e. A and some black honours 7 can be cold but this is not likely. Most of partner’s cards should be in hearts.(but AQ109xx  and a 16/17 count is a 3 bid,isn’t it ?)

This offers the choice of our two suits at a level where we anticipate we would like to be. It also leaves hearts open as the trump suit if partner really does have solid hearts.

The key may be to know how your regular partner would interpret 4. If you were to sit down opposite 4 of our Panel, it would be a cue-bid whereas the other 4 say it would be natural. My casting-vote (!) would be for the cue-bid. 

So, what would have worked at the table?

 

Mike Cornell’s South would convert back to 6 anticipating that North’s second suit would not need setting up. Over 3, South may reluctantly choose to raise ignoring their one-loser heart suit. However, Key Card from North would produce just a 1 or 4 response…and North would expect the “one” to be the A making a spade slam less attractive. A 5 cue-bid over 4 would get a better 5 cue-bid response though it would be hard for North to picture their partner had everything needed for grand-slam. So, 6 it would be.

And after 4, natural? Again, 4 may be South’s response with much the same coming now from a Key Card ask as refered to above.

So, getting to 6 of a black suit was a very good idea, finessing twice for the overtrick. A club lead should defeat 6 which needs the spade finesse to make after other leads, rather than for the overtrick.

Exploration might or might not have worked this time. The 6 jump ensured that a slam would be reached and at the right level.

YOUR CALL?

 

Well, if you pass, that will end the bidding! That is certain. Is that a good idea?

If you double, the words of a Pete Seeger song made famous by Peter, Paul and Mary…”Where have all the diamonds gone?” OK, we have substituted “diamonds” instead of “flowers”… may ring in your ears.

So, pass, double, or bid. Only 3 options!

Richard Solomon

 

 

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