October
06' ATE
Question
1 :
Jay Shah (Flight C)
No trump is bid by east over your
partner's suit bid and they end up in 3 NT contract. When
should you lead your partner's suit? Always, Sometimes or
Never ?
Panel's
Responses
Ken
Bland
Most
of the time the exception is (in the rare instance)
when you have a great hand of your own KQJ10x and an entry.
Tom
Kniest
1.
Lead his suit if you don't have a good lead of your
own, even if it's a singleton.
2. Lead his suit if you have 3+ card length or a powerful
doubleton...109, J10, 98 etc.
3. Lead your suit if it's a good one and might be set
up with one key card from pard. After all, he did bid
and could easily have a high card to help you. If you
have no entry outside your suit, you need a little better
suit to lead.
Mainly...use common sense. Never let some "rule"
override thinking for yourself. The rules are there to guide
your thinking, not make you a robot.
Roger
Lord
Sometimes
Tom
Oppenheimer
If
you have a very attractive lead of your own You should go
ahead and lead it. Don't play out of fear. If you don't have
a good lead, lead partner's suit.
Nancy
Popkin
Most
of the time, I lead my partner's unless I have a good sequence
of my own like QJ109 or something similar. I rarely lead a
singleton in my partner's suit, if I have a suitable alternative.
Even so, leading your partner's suit will rarely make you
look stupid in the post-mortem discussions.
Fran
Schiefler
In
bridge, as in life, I don't believe in "always"
or "never". Assuming "sometimes", then
when ?
When
you have almost no points and partner will be the one with
entries. Someone has to start his suit and it may as well
be you.
When
you have a few points and at least a doubleton in pard's suit,
but no decent suit of your own.
With
a singleton in pard's suit, a decent suit of your own and
some possible entries, it's usually best to lead your suit.
Ed
Schultz
The
answer is usually. Some of the decision is if partner opened
a major or minor and what position is his opener. I lead partners
suit unless I have a clear cut lead of my own.
Karen
Walker
The
answer is "almost always" if partner opened a major, and "usually"
if partner opened a minor. The exception would be when:
1. You are very short in partner's suit;
2. You have a long suit that offers some hope of becoming
established if partner has one honor (K10xxx, for example);
AND
3. (Best) You have an outside entry.
En
Xie
The
first decision to be made on defense is the opening lead.
There is no specific rule that applies to every deal. The
most important clue in choosing an opening lead is the bidding.
In general, if partner has bid a suit, lead that suit. Give
yourself good reasons when you decide not to lead partner's
suit. Holding short in partner's suit is a not good enough
reason. You might consider leading your own suit if you think
your suit is better than
partner's and you have entry to set up the suit.
Milt
Zlatic
I
tend to lead partner's suit, especially if it's a major, unless
I have a good lead of my own with a side entry. If nothing
else, it's good for the partnership.
I
never lead partner's suit when I am void.
Question
2 :
Mark Gilje
(Flight B)
IMP
scoring, Non-vul vs. Vul.
In
4th seat, you have:
Kxxx
Kxxx
x
Kxxx
LHO opens 1D, partner overcalls
2H (weak). At this vulnerability, partner may have just
about anything. RHO Passes.
(At this point in a 32 board match,
I believe we are ahead by 10 IMPs or so. Opps have shown
themselves to be steady at both tables.)
I bid 3H. LHO bid 3NT - P
- P - P. The contract made.
The
final auction: 1D-2H-P-3H
3N All Pass
- Was I right in only bidding
3H at my first turn?
2. Was my final pass correct?
Panel's
Responses
Ken
Bland
1.
No "bid em up" 4 Hearts first
2.
No-4H
Tom
Kniest
If
your partner had bid 2S, I could see bidding 3S, thus taking
the entire suit 3 level away from them...but I still wouldn't
sit for 3NT. Since partner over called hearts, I would
go right to 4, but would defend 4S. I would not have
defended 3NT in any event. Since partner can have "anything",
why not bid 4 and watch him make every once in awhile? He
could have a hand like J10 Qxxxxx xxx Ax and you're on a spade
finesse and a 2-1 heart break.
Roger
Lord
1.
Probably not. It might be better to make a direct preemptive
raise to four hearts.
2.
No. LHO probably has long running diamonds, and he may make
3N while you have a cheap sacrifice. Suppose, for example,
your partner has S Qx, H QJ10xxx D XX C Q10x. Four hearts
would be down only one.
Furthermore,
you stated that partner could have anything ---- does this
mean he could have an ace ? If he has S Qx H QJ10xxx D xx
C AJx, he might make 4H . and if your LHO has seven diamonds,
their 3N would be cold. In that case, you could score a double-game
swing.
Tom
Oppenheimer
I
am a firm believer in the law of total tricks. With 4 trumps
I am an immediate 4 heart bidder. In any case you cannot allow
the opposition to play 3NT with this hand. You may beat it
but you have to take out insurance and bid 4 hearts now. An
immediate 4 hearts would have put more pressure on the opposition.
Nancy
Popkin
I
would have bid 3D at my first turn, hoping partner could make
the right choice, even if LHO had passed over 3D. Letting
partner know that I have a limit raise and a singleton lets
partner in on the decision to bid 4H to make or over 3NT to
take the save.
Fran
Schiefler
I
would have bid 4H immediately. When I know we have ten trumps
I almost always contract for 10 tricks right away, unless
my distribution is 4-3-3-3. In this case, with favorable vulnerability
and a singleton in opener's suit, I would bid 4H immediately.
Ed
Schultz
I
would bid 4 hearts over 2 hearts, the four trumps are big.
I would not bid 3 three hearts and then 4 hearts. I wouldn't
say partner can have just about anything at this vulnerability.
You and your partner need agreement on the hands you open
with at the one level, two level and three level and the difference
position makes.
Karen
Walker
I
would have bid 4H rather than 3H, based on the "Law of Total
Tricks". I'm not a blind follower of "Law" recommendations
in these situations, but this hand is perfect for it - ten
trumps, shortness in their suit, optimum vulnerability.
In
the actual auction, though, I'd pass 3NT, treating this as
sort of a "dance with who brung you" situation. You
bid 3H in the hopes it would be enough to disrupt their auction,
so stay with the courage of that conviction. You've
forced declarer into a gamble, and if he guessed wrong, your
strategy will have paid off.
En
Xie
1.
Against weak opponents, 3H bid might be a good idea. You might
steal the contract. Against strong opponents, I doubt 3H would
work well. Your LHO would bid 3nt to test you or double to
show extra value and compete. I prefer to bid 4H immediately
to put maximum pressure on opponents. Also, with 10 card fit,
usually it's ok to play at 4 level. Besides, you have shape
and in favor vul.
2.
I would bid 4H. 3NT might or might not make. It largely depends
on the length and strength of the diamond suit. 3N would go
down if partner has stopper in D and reasonable H suit. Otherwise,
it would likely be made. It's unlikely 4h would go down 3
or more unless your partner is a very aggressive bidder (then
opponent would make 3nt). On the other hand, You might make
4H on a good day. Also, I think it's good idea not to make
a big swing on this hand, considering you are ahead.
Milt
Zlatic
The law says to bid 4 since you
have 10 trumps. LHO probably had long diamonds for his 3NT
bid. By bidding 4H you would have shut him out of playing
NT. At IMPs, take out insurance, especially at this vulnerability.
After bidding only 3H, you will get doubled if you bid 4H
now (not that a direct bid of 4H wouldn't). Was it correct?
Probably, yes. Was it right? No, they made a vulnerable game.
Question
3 :
Sasanka Ramanadham (Da
ATE Emcee)
Rosenkrantz's double - good or bad ?
Is
there a better use of the double after your partner's overcall
is followed by a bid by RHO ?
Panel's
Responses
Ken
Bland
Many
partnerships like Rosenkrantz doubles.
I
like to play the most frequently used conventions. Other doubles
in this sequence come up more than Rosenkrantz
Tom
Kniest
Rosencrantz
doubles and redoubles:
It can be a very useful bid - particularly the XX. That
way you can differentiate between a raise with a top honor
and one without. I have played reverse R XX's with one
of my partners - the raise shows a top honor and the XX just
a raise - useful when pard's overcall was J10xxx and you have
3 small. If you wind up at the 2 level, they can't draw
all 3 of dummy's trumps.
Roger
Lord
We
play double over a raise (such as 1H-1S-2H-X) as "responsive",
prepared for partner to bid one of the unbid suits or to rebid
his own. We play double over a new suit (such as 1H-1S-2C-X)
as "Snapdragon", showing five or more of the 4 th suit and
two or more of partner's overcall suit. These doubles can
be used more frequently and with better effect than doubling
merely to raise with an honor.
Tom
Oppenheimer
I
am ok with this bid but only if I do not have a raise of partner's
suit. I do not think a raise should deny one of the top honors.
Nancy
Popkin
1H-1S-2H-X
I believe that double should be responsive, meaning points
and usually the other two suits.
1H-1S-X-XX
I like the redouble to show the ace or king of partner's suit
and I may or may not have a fit. I do not like it to show
the queen because that encourages partner to lead the suit
even when he has an unprotected ace.
Fran
Schiefler
The
Rosenkranz double/redouble is one of my favorite things. One
of it's major values is when defending. You know it's safe
to underlead AQxxx or KJxxx when partner has doubled or redoubled
to show a raise with a top honor. For offensive purposes,
showing an honor may help partner count possible losers.
Ed
Schultz
Rosenkrantz
is fine. I play the double shows the fourth suit with some
tolerance for partner's suit. You just need agreement and
for the right situation to come up.
Karen
Walker
Bad,
especially when partner has overcalled in spades. A Rosenkrantz
double or redouble (to show a raise with a high honor) may
help partner on opening lead, but if you have support, you
should be hoping to declare rather than defend. A raise uses
up a level of bidding, interferes with your opponent's auction
and improves your chances of buying the contract.
If you do decide to play the Rosenkrantz double/redouble,
you should agree that it promises just the ace or king. If
you play it shows ace, king OR
queen (as the convention was originally written), partner
still won't know what to lead when his suit is headed by the
ace.
A better use for the double is responsive if RHO raised his
partner's suit (1C-1S-2C). If RHO bid a new suit (1C-1H-1S),
some play a double called "snapdragon", which shows values
(and/or length) in the unbid suit and tolerance for partner's
suit.
A better use for the redouble (after 1C-1S-DBL) is to show
cards and defense - 10-11+ points, usually with a doubleton
in partner's suit. It communicates a "this is [probably] our
hand" message and suggests penalizing the opponents.
En
Xie
I
like Rosenkrantz double, but I don't think it's a convention
every one has to have. Actually, I don't play it. The idea
of Rosenkrantz double is by telling the strength of partner's
suit to help partner more accurately judge and evaluate his
holding. Sometimes, it also might help our side on defense.
You might try Snap Dragon or other conventions if you are
tired of Rosenkrantz Double.
Milt
Zlatic
On
an auction such as 1C-1D-1S-DBL or 1C-1H-1S-DBL, you can use
the double to show the unbid suit and a tolerance for partner's
suit.
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