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What should I Bid? - Best enquiry for May 2005
The best submission for the month of May was made by Joe O'Flynn.
Hand: At all vulnerable and dealer West.
| Bidding:
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West
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North
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East |
South |
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1 |
P |
1 |
2 |
| |
3 |
P |
? |
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Comments: We are
playing SAYC (short club). The cue bid asks for a stopper.
And Peter’s Response:
Hi Joe,
When you say you play SAYC (short club), I assume you open 1 with
4 cards there, so your 1 opening may be on a doubleton when
exactly 4-4-3-2 shape, otherwise you'll have three or more clubs. My
answer is based on that assumption. (I don't play on the net, so I have no
detailed exposure to SAYC.)
In order to know what the best bid is, it is important to understand
the bidding to the point that you need to make your decision. So let's
examine the position.
You've currently promised no more than about a six count with 4+
spades, so partner must have a big hand for the 3 bid. What hand
types can partner have?
(i) a good hand based on a running club suit
that expects to make 9+ tricks provided you can stop diamonds, and might
expect you to contribute a little bit (but not much) else.
(ii) about
a nineteen count lacking the capacity to raise spades, bid NT or double
for take out to get hearts into the picture.
We know, from looking at our cards, that it is not the first hand type.
So it is about 19, with two or three spades, hearts and diamonds but which
is unsuitable to bid no trumps. Sounds to me like a 2-3-3-5 or a 3-3-2-5
pattern is most probable with partner's intended jump rebid in no trumps
thwarted by having no diamond stopper.
Additionally, having driven the bidding so emphatically, 3 must
be game forcing. Thus, whatever we bid is forcing. I expect the best bid
is 4 (tell me more cue bid) but I would not dream of making that bid
in any but the most practised of partnerships.
That leaves us with 3 This will leave room for 3NT from
partner (in which case expect partner to have the short ace of diamonds)
or 4. If I bid 3, I would follow up with 4 over
3NT as at least one of 4 and 5 will be excellent,
whether or not 3NT makes.
If I bid 4 and partner follows with 4, I would Pass. If partner bids 4, I
would risk bidding 4 despite my heart control being
second round, because I want to encourage partner in slam ambitions. If
partner bid 4 , on the other hand, I would not
be encouraged at all. If I expect partner to know 4 is only an "offer
to play" I would make that bid, otherwise I would bid 5.
I don't think there's much theoretical difference between the two bids,
but bidding 4 should at least put partner's mind at rest as to a trump suit
and may get us to 6 if partner has something like Kx, AQx,
Ax, KQxxxx; might even get us there if partner has AK, Qxx, Ax, KQxxxx.
Regards
Peter Fordham
Joe replies:
Hi Peter ,
What a great service ! Thanks for your answer to my query . To complete
the picture, the hand submitted was my partner's, and I held:
A73
AJ76
A
K10953
Everything was right and 13 tricks made . I must take the blame for
passing 3.
Regards,
Joe
Hi (again) Joe,
The problem arose because you trapped yourself. The 3 bid with your
hand was an overbid. Picture partner with an ordinary 7-8 count and not
only will game not be on, but partner might have nothing sensible to bid.
Double (takeout) is best with your cards, but if you insist that double
would be penalty here (not best in my opinion), then bid 2, a reverse, which
with the partial spade fit will not leave you stranded if partner's only
sensible continuation is to rebid spades.
Regards
Peter Fordham
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