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What should I Bid? - Best enquiry for June 2004 The winner for the month of June was Ian Docker.
Comments: Partner's double showed hearts and clubs and, being a passed hand, less than 13 HCP. I ruled out pass and 2NT, and bid 2H. At the end of play the Director (sitting South) ruled that partner should have alerted my bid since it could have been made with less than a 4-card suit. What should I have bid? What are the laws involved? I have had this problem before when, after partner opened 2H (weak), I have bid 4H with: AKxxx, - ,Axxx, AKxx. And Peter's Response: Hi Ian, I'll deal with the issues you raise but, since I am not an expert on the relevant ABF regulations, I can only comment to the best of my knowledge. First the bidding judgment issue. 2H seems a reasonable selection of bids provided your motivation is to keep the auction as low as possible, and you recognise that you are probably about to play in a four-two trump fit. (Partner probably does not hold five hearts as they would have overcalled 1H on the previous round.) However, there is a strong possibility that partner has five or more clubs and did not feel their hand was strong enough to bid 2C on the first round. I would therefore bid 3C expecting it to be the best spot, amongst a number of rotten spots. Doubling in this position to describe the hand you suggest partner will hold, is looking for trouble. If you aren't strong enough to overcall on the first round then it is just too dangerous to enter the opponents' uninterrupted live auction, subsequently. Now the alerting issue. You can find the ABF alerting regulations on the System Cards section on the ABF website. I was staggered to hear that the director thought your bid was alertable. The 2H bid was a natural call (refer paragraph 2.2.1 of the above-mentioned regulations) intending to play that contract. Partner asked you to bid something sensible (most likely some number of hearts or clubs) in the knowledge that the opponents were bidding diamonds and spades and that partner had hearts and clubs. You bid hearts, to play. Other parts of the regulations that refer to suit length as a reference point for a bid being natural are just not relevant to this sort of situation. Every bridge player on the planet beyond beginner level would understand that you might not have four hearts here. The same principle applies to your thoughts about raising partner's weak-two opening. In any event no bids above 3NT are alertable. There are however some natural bids, including some raises, which need to be alerted. Paragraph 3.2.2 of the regulations sets them out and I commend you to read them. Regards Peter Fordham |
