All News

In your bidding.

Aces go Places!

An ace is worth more than 4 hcp which means two must take you in or towards double figures. Throw in a side-suit singleton and four cards in partner’s weak 2 and it looks like we have a pretty good hand.

 

2 is a 2- way Multi which, by your partner’s 2 bid  is confirmed as a Weak 2 in spades. East’s double is described as “take-out style, not necessarily more than a minimum opening hand.”  

It is your turn. What now?

“What now?” For some of our Panel, our previous action, or lack of action, attracts criticism. East’s double tells us that our partner has a Weak 2 in one of the majors.

Andy Braithwaite “I would have bid 3 initially which should be pass or correct to the major- and then bid 4 over 3.”

Nigel Kearney “We should have bid 3 last time to make it harder for them and have been lucky to get away with the feeble 2.”

Or starting with a constructive enquiry (2NT):

Michael Cornell “Unless our multis are seriously weak (5?), I would certainly have started with an inquiry.”

The next question is had we bid as above as to whether 3 now is invitational or pre-emptive. There are differing views:

Peter Newell “3 should be invitational.  Firstly, if South wished to pre-empt, he could have bid 3 pass or correct on the first round.  Secondly, West has passed twice, and East has passed over 2, so seems very unlikely that he is going to bid over 3.

Finally, hands which are invitational in spades but not suitable for hearts need to bid this way. You cannot start with a 2NT enquiry if you want to invite in 1 suit, but don’t want to in the other major.”

Michael Cornell “Clearly invitational. Who are we trying to pre-empt? West could not bid over 2?”

Maybe their silence was because they held hearts?

Andy Braithwaite “3 should be pre-emptive not invitational as I would have bid 2NT with many invite hands to see if partner was max or min.”

Bruce Anderson “I would treat 3 as obstructive, not invitational.”

Nigel Kearney “2NT would be invitational in spades and 3 pre-emptive.”

2NT is certainly available as in invitational spade raise though it does seem to give the opponents just a little extra space to remain in the bidding. However, before you next raise your partner to 3, be clear as to what they would expect from the bid.

So far, there have been some differing views but not so when it comes to what we should bid now.

Michael Cornell “4: It’s big odds on opposite Axxxxx xx xxx xx, isn’t it?”

Andy Braithwaite “4: mine is a really good hand.”

Kris Wooles “4: with this fit, shape and pointy high cards I would never bid anything less. “

Nigel Kearney “4: I am worth an invite but prefer to just bid 4. It might make even opposite a minimum, e.g. AJxxxx xx xxx xx. I also don't have a lot of defence against 4.”

Pam Livingston “4: Only 11 hcp but sharp cards (i.e., aces and kings) and a singleton as well as a 10-card fit.”

Bruce Anderson “4: The way my hand is made up, 4 card support, 2 aces and a singleton, means so long as partner has a decent 6 card, suit game will be unlucky to go down. It is unlikely partner has garbage (QJxxxx and out) as our opponents have subsided so quickly. Even if partner has a 6322 shape, we may get the club suit going if there is no heart lead; it more likely partner has 3 or 4 diamonds, rather a hand with 3 clubs. 3 would be insipid.”

A little doubt but the same conclusion from:

Stephen Blackstock “4: But only in the vacuum of not knowing who partner is and what agreements/style/standards the partnership has for weak 2s. If they may be quite weak with a five card suit only and partner will accept an invitation aggressively, then 3 (invitational) may be enough. However, four trumps, aces and a shortage will make game opposite so many hands that bidding less than 4 in the present context would be very conservative.”

and I would say Peter is really advocating 3 ¾ spades!

Peter Newell “3 or 4: This depends on your partner’s style. Is the range 8-10, 6-10, or 2-8?  Can the bid be made on a 5-card suit?  Opposite a “normal strength” weak 2, I think it is worth an invitational 3 bid and a 4 bid if partner opens sound weak 2s.

Let’s say partner has:

AQxxxxx

xx

Jxx

xx

 

4 is very good yet partner has a fairly average hand (and the Q is somewhat unnecessary) but two useful doubletons (more likely to have length in partner's longer suits). If partner had the or K  or Q, it would be good even opposite shapes like 6322 or 6223.  So, 3 or 4 depending on your partner – it looks like the opponents can make 4 of 5 which is a good reason to pre-empt on the first round and is another plus to 4, though it looks like they are not coming into the auction.”

Michael Cornell gave us a 4-count with 10 tricks a near certainty. North below would surely have accepted an invitation and would kind of want to accept a pre-emptive 3 but with the power of our own hand, why give them the chance of turning you down?

 

Go Back View All News Items