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         For Less Experienced Players…and Others.

         Some Days it isn’t and Some Days it is!

That is the worth of King doubleton! Only a few days ago, we featured a hand with that holding, in the spade suit, when it proved to be a woefully inadequate holding to play in 3NT. Our left-hand opponent had bid the suit twice and could comfortably lose to our king but had a key outside entry and could real off plenty of spade tricks later in the play.

Yet, sometimes, we are just forced to bid no-trumps with that holding and await developments. Look at this hand:

 

 

We are playing Acol where our opening 1NT is 12-14. Had we been playing a 15-17 1NT opening, we might have chosen to open 1NT with high honours in both our doubletons. Today, we had to open our longer minor.

Partner’s double showed 4 hearts and enough high cards to compete to the 2-level, not necessarily that many, maybe as low as 6 hcp. What do we bid? We could bid 1NT but unless partner can help us in the spade suit or has a strong enough hand, we really want to look for an alternative.

We can bid clubs but not 2 as we are too strong for that bid. We have a better than minimum hand. So, we choose 3, not forcing if partner is really minimum but showing about the strength we hold. However, partner is not finished. They call 3 and we know what they want from us…a spade hold. Well, we have one, not a great one but we would now choose 3NT with our K doubleton. Will this be a good enough hold? We await dummy with interest.

We have to wait a little longer! The bidding did not go quite like that.

 

 

North had something to say! Their bid was a pre-emptive nuisance bid and for us, it was a real nuisance. We have not that bad a hand but do we have enough to bid?

Stephen Blackstock “Pass: 3NT/5m would be silly opposite say a 2434 six count. With better values, West will surely double again.”

Nigel Kearney “Pass: I need more than this to force the bidding to 3NT or the four level with no fit when partner could have 6HCP and four hearts. Partner is welcome to do something if they have extra values.”

Pam Livingston "Pass: You have a very nice minimum (a maximum minimum). Let partner make the next move. All partner has promised is four plus hearts and six plus points."

Michael Cornell “Pass: What? Bid now?  You must be joking! I am not sure I would have bid over 2. I have about a king more than a minimum opening bid and that king may well be under the overcaller’s ace. The problem can occur if partner reopens with a double but if we take action first, we are almost certain to get too high.”

It is not necessarily that straightforward since would your partner re-open over 3 with a flat 10- count? In reality, they may or may not but then our flimsy spade hold may not be enough for us to make any game. Passing out 3 may be the right action. We appear to have no fit and they are too high.

Bruce Anderson “Pass: It seems to me the only bid that might be considered is 4 in the hope that partner holds hearts and clubs. But can we make 4 (or 4) if partner has a flat(ish) hand with only 4 clubs? Possibly so but the Law of Total Tricks suggests otherwise. Partner is still there but it is likely they have already bid their hand. Also, partner playing in hearts means the lead is coming through  Kx. So, I am taking the view our best chance of positive score is to defend.”

That’s as close as we came to a bid! You just have to pass.

Matt Brown “Pass: We don't want to commit too hard by bidding 3NT or 4, and partner still has another go with a doubleton spade; if they pass, then we probably weren't making much anyway, and if they double, I can bid 3NT now.

Kris Wooles “Pass: While I have clubs, Kx is not attractive which devalues my 15 hcp.  Partner can still bid. “

Indeed they can and indeed they did.

 

 

So, partner has enough to compete and we have a choice. We cannot just bid 4 now. That would show a very minimum hand. We have to be more positive. We could pass for penalties, bid 5 or hope our K6 is a good enough hold for 3NT. Now, we can bid 3NT. Is our hold good enough? It’s time to find out.

 

 

Today is a good day, as long as you did not pass 3x. South would be able to ruff 2 minor losers in dummy and would lose four minor cards and one heart to be one down…+200.

As North, you might not have been able systemically or might have chosen not to bid 3 on the almost “pointless” North hand. Note, though, the power of shape, with 8 tricks available with just a combined 12 hcp. Indeed, if the defence fails to play trumps at some point, a third ruff in dummy would produce a much worse score for East-West, -730!

However, a nervy 3NT turns out to be the winner with East able to score 8 red suit tricks after that spade lead. Note South should lead A as they have a certain outside entry. That keeps East “honest”, ensuring they did not score a singleton K!

Say South led a neutral red suit. Then, East must play clubs themselves and just hope the ace is with South. As it is, East would then score two overtricks.

The same applies in 5, makeable because South has the A and because West is strong enough, even with the 4-1 club break with which to contend.

So, today Kx is a good enough hold in the enemy suit, as long as the hand with that holding is the declarer! And tomorrow? That’s why we keep playing: maybe “yes” and maybe “not”!

Is tomorrow such a “happy day”?

Well, all you have to do is to decide what you would do with this hand:

 

 

 

Systemically, you can open 2, showing 5 spades and 4+ of a minor with 6-10 hcp. You are playing Pairs.

No Kx this time. Indeed, a nice diamond suit on the side. So, over to you?

Richard Solomon

 

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