AUGUST 05' Ask The Experts Forum

Question 1 :   Arbha Vongsvivut (Flight A)

Partner's hand:

S xx

H Kx

D AQJxx

C 9xxx

Your hand:

S AKxx

H Axx

D 10xxxxx

C Void

You open 1D - P - 2D (inverted minor by partner) - P

How should the bidding go to get to 6D ?

Panel's Responses

Ken Bland

Many partnerships use key card auctions

A) 1D - P - 2D - P
     4D (key card)

B) Exclusion auctions
    1D - P - 2D - P
    5C (key card excluding clubs)

C) how about my preference
    1D - P - 2D - P
    4C (splinter) - P - 4D - P
    4H - P – 5H - P

Tom Kniest

 Even if exclusion RKC were available to me, I don't think this hand should use it.  I'm never stopping lower than 5D, so I would start cuebidding with 2S - my style in a cuebidding auction is to cue the higher of touching controls; it often saves a level of bidding later on.  Partner would bid 4D; 4H by me, 5D by partner.  At this point, I think 6 becomes a pretty good bet since partner did not cue a club control.  Since I have a club void, he should have some length there and has at least 4 diamonds, so therefore has some major suit shortness. 

Roger Lord

This is a tough one.  With a combined 21 HCP, slam depends on precise fits in distribution and honor cards.  Try this approach:  Opener 1 D - Responder 2D - Opener 2H - Responder 3H - Opener 3S - Responder ?  Until we bypass 3NT the side suit bids show stoppers.   Responder's next bid is key.  I would jump to 5D.

Rather than be discouraging, as advocates of the principle of fast arrival (which I abhor) might opine, I believe this jump should signify excellent trumps and a good playing hand. Now, in the absence of a bid of clubs or NT, opener can deduce that no primary cards are duplicated, all are working, and she can guess to bid 6D

Nancy Popkin

I would bid 5 clubs -- Exclusion Blackwood.   How many keycards do you

have excluding the club suit?

Fran Schiefler

Depends upon your system.   If 2S denies a heart stopper and 2H denies a spade stopper, 2NT would show stoppers in both, but that's a bit uncomfortable with

the club void.   3C is certainly forward going and should show first round control, reserving information about the majors until later.   If 2S is just natural,

it would elicit further information from partner.

Ed Schultz

An easy road to 6D after 1D-(P)-2D-(P) is for you to show shortness with

4C, it should be easy for partner to get you to slam.

Karen Walker

The hands are a perfect fit (not one wasted card), and I really doubt that many pairs would get there.   The key to the slam is partner's two doubletons, and unless you're playing a very sophisticated (and aggressive) relay system, you aren't going to be able to get this information.

One approach to finding the slam in a Standard-ish system would be for your hand to make a super-aggressive 4C splinter bid over 2D.   Since your partner has a dead minimum with nothing to cuebid, you would have to follow with yet another overbid (4H or 4S over his 4D).   If partner can muster up the courage to go past 5D and cuebid his heart king, you'll be propelled into the slam.   I really don't think partner should do that, though, as for all he knows, you're looking for an ace in the major you didn't cuebid.

The other alternative is an immediate 5C (exclusion Blackwood) over 2D, but that's fairly pointless, as all you'll learn is that partner has the diamond ace or king, and unless you play 1430 responses, you'll be past 5D with his response.   This would be a disaster on most hands, as an inverted-minor response usually has its outside high cards concentrated in the other minor.   That becomes even more likely when you're looking at a void in that suit.

En Xie

Without special conventions such as 3C as artificial bid or 4C as splinter

showing void, I would like to suggest the following bidding process for the hand.

       1D   2D

       2H   3D

       3S   4H

       4S   4N

       6D

   2H: shows stopper in H;

   3D: no extra;

   3S: shows stopper in S, game forcing;

   4H: Cuebid, usually denies first or 2nd control in club;

   4S: Cuebid, slam try;

   4N: I don't have C control, but I like my hand, implying ruffing value in

the major(s).

   6D: Thanks, partner. 6D is good for us for now. We will discuss it later

how to explore for 7D.

        (7D is firm if partner holds : xx Kx AKxxx xxxx )

Milt Zlatic

The first part of the auction that Tom Oppenheimer and I discussed was this: 1D-2D-2S-3H. At this point, you know that partner doesn't have anything of value in clubs since he didn't bid no trump.  Looks like his points have to be in diamonds!  If you bid exclusion Blackwood now, partner would really like his hand--four small clubs opposite a void. He only has 10 points, a bare minimum invert, but what a great 10 points. He knows that the most points you can have in diamonds is 3, so there should be no losers in the major suits. You're getting to at least 6D now. Whether you want to bid seven on a finesse is up to you.

Question 2 :   Andrew Carver (Flight B)

White vs. White, East Dealer

West hand

S K1098x

H AQx

D Kx

C Kxx

The bidding goes:

1N (East) - 2D (for the majors by South - W ??

E/W are playing Lebensohl

Ken Bland

By agreement double is to penalize one or both opponents suits - let's start with a double if opponents land in hearts or spades you will not have to bid a close slam plus 1100 is possible.

Tom Kniest

I would double - I assume that says I want to defend one or both of their majors.  I don't think partner is in a position to overrule me.  If I'm on lead against hearts, I'll lead a small trump; we might get to pull 3 rounds right away.  If they play in spades, we'll need a calculator to add up the penalty.  We'll only lose to the souls who bid 6NT and MAKE it - no guarantees there.

Roger Lord

DOUBLE.  When the overcaller's suits are known, this double is penalty oriented for the suits overcaller shows.  You are prepared to double a spade bid or to pass opener's cooperative double of hearts  (or of any other  bid).

Nancy Popkin

I would double saying I want to penalize one or both of south's suits. If you don't want to double you could play Swander.   In this convention, a 2H cuebid says I want to play a part score in the other suits or notrump; a 2S cuebid says I want to play game in the other suits or notrump.

Fran Schiefler

Any time an opponent's overcall shows two suits, a double promises at least ten HCP and the ability to double at least one of those suits. I would start with a double.

Ed Schultz

I would double and lead a trump in whatever suit the opponents land in.

At equal you should be able to beat hearts the amount of your game.

Karen Walker

Unless you have some special toys in place, the Lebensohl auctions that revolve around stoppers are usually "off" after a two-suited overcall.   Here's one set of agreements that can help you handle these overcalls:

    If the overcall shows a major and a minor, the Lebensohl auction focuses just on stoppers in the major.

    If the overcall shows a known and an unknown suit, the Lebensohl auction focuses just on the known suit.

    If the overcall is 2C (both minors, or clubs and another suit), use "system on" at the two-level (2D & 2H are transfers, double is Stayman).

    If the overcall shows both majors, a 2-level cuebid of a major is forcing and shows a stopper (2S shows a spade stopper and denies a heart stopper).   An immediate 3NT denies a stopper in either suit.   The "long" Lebensohl auction (2NT, then 3NT) promises   stoppers in both suits.

    With the hand you held, I would go through the 2NT-3NT sequence.   Since we have a maximum of 32 HCPs and my 5-card suit is unlikely to run, I have no aspirations for slam.

En Xie

There are two reasonable choices: double (value) and 4NT (quantitative).   I

slightly prefer double in the MP games. The chance for us to beat them three

or more is great if they land in 2H or higher.   Two things I would be worried about if I double. They would stop in 2D or we might have slam.   Against an expert pair or if I am quite ahead in the game, I might refuse the gift and go ahead bidding 4NT.

Milt Zlatic

The range of the NT bid was not stated so I'm assuming 15-17. Also, what would a double mean here? Does it show diamonds or willingness to penalize the opponents in a least one of the majors (like Michaels) or is it a negative double? Playing the rule that all good hands start with a double is probably the best. I don't think you have a slam since you're on a 15-point hand and your 5-card suit isn't splitting (and the minors aren't splitting either).  If the double is anything but penalty, I would bid 2NT followed by 3NT to show the stoppers. If it is penalty, you're going to cart them out. Shoot partner if he doesn't lead a trump.

Question 3 :   Mark Gilje (Flight C)

Playing in a IMP tournament online on OKB, nobody VUL,

S A942

H AKJ2

D 9873

C Q

I open 1D, and the bidding progresses:

1D - X - P - 1H

P - 1S - P - P

What do I do at this point?   At the table, I chose to bid 1NT, figuring I

would not get X'ed.   Upon further reflection, I think I like Pass best.

What do the experts say?

Ken Bland

One no trump at this point is a good hand (18 or 19 points).

If you trust your partner the opponents have made a big mistake (they have close to game going values)

Modern "Bid Miesters" respond over take out doubles naturally (ie; partner should have less than a minimum 6-8 pts)

PASS!

Tom Kniest

Bidding is crazy.  However, change my spades and clubs, and I'd reopen with a double - I have a great hand for partner's presumed clubs.  My hand won't be a disappointment on defense if he was trapping over 1S and passes.

Roger Lord

Pass is proper and prudent.  This hand appears to be a misfit for both sides.  If partner has length in diamonds, she must be nearly broke of high cards, else she would have raised you.  If she is short in diamonds you can expect a penalty double of any contract you land in.  You'd better let the opponents try to make one spade.

Alan Popkin

Pass.   They have my suits.   I'm outta there!

Fran Schiefler

I would pass, and upon further reflection, I would still pass :-)

Ed Schultz

Pass!! I would not think that I would be able to make any contract. My whole hand is in the opponent's suits. I also would not assume that I would not be doubled as the opponent who doubled and bid 1S has shown a great hand and may easily be able to double 1NT.

Karen Walker

Pass, and make a note to thank partner for not walking in with his ratty club suit.   There's a big hand on your left, you and partner have less than half the deck, you have no source of tricks, you know the hand isn't breaking well and, best, the opponents are bidding your suits.   No matter how many high-card points you have, all that is bad for notrump and good for defense.

En Xie

Pass.   The hand has some defensive values but not too much offensive values.

1NT is likely to get doubled. Even without double, it's likely to go down.   Partner has passed twice. LHO has made a take-out double then bid 1S, showing a strong hand. Those are bad signs for you to compete again.

Milt Zlatic

I hate to bid NT when partner can't keep the bidding open and I don't have a source of tricks. LHO has a good hand for doubling and bidding and he's bid a suit in which I have length. Don't bid thinking that you won't get doubled because you will. The opponents know that you don't have a source of tricks since they are looking at all the diamond cards.