Which Strain – Bfame Hands -2
Here is the 2nd of the series, again from the 1st match.
At most tables typical auction was
From here, some bid direct 4♥ , some made a move but settled in 4♥ . Two diamonds were cashed on the lead and South lost one heart for +620. Well done.
For India, PS and SS made an additional move –
I apologize if I didn’t get the auction exactly right. After the diamond lead there wasn’t any way to avoid a heart loser – down 1. Unlucky? Aggressive?
Well, imagine hearts were QJxx with west. Now 4♥ would have no chance whatsoever. And 5♣ almost has top 11 tricks.
How come nobody got to their top tricks contract?
Perhaps it depends a lot on your reversing style. For me, when you reverse, your first suit ought to be excellent, though 2nd suit can even be a fake. Not ideal – but that’s just me.
Reverses with 5-4 hands are anathema to me. They all qualify for some range of no trump.
But it was surprising that with Kx in partner’s primary suit, no one suggested playing clubs!!
Well, would you find your way to 5♣ ?
1. 4C would be a cue bid so wouldn’t be taken seriously as suggesting an alternative contract.
2. One would be(N) looking at clubs as a source of tricks.
3. A spade lead would make one very apprehensive in a club game( double dummy)
4. Major game fixation 😉
5. I’ll post it as BWs, lets see….
To address concern -3, not really.
On S lead one can win, cash CA and K, and then play SA and K throwing the diamond. If this 3rd spade gets ruffed (S 5-2, and the person holding 2 spades also holding 3 or more clubs) you still make if H are 3-2, or Q or J singleton.
Only if S are 6-1 – so 2nd S gets ruffed, you need HQJ to drop. Figure out the percentages yourself.
If they cash 2 diamonds and then switch to spade, you need spades to be 4-3 or person holding 2 spades to hold 1 or 2 clubs. Maybe in this scenario H 3-2 (or Q/J singleton is slightly better)
I think in both contracts (4H/5C), diamond will be led and in 5C, finding a spade switch may not be very difficult. And as you have mentioned 4H will require hearts to behave which will be superior to 5C requiring spades to behave. Again a hand where practical bidding will lead to heart as the final strain.
I think this hand brings up few points in terms of reverses, slam try agreements. SS/PS play serious/non serious slam tries. Whether 3NT as non serious try applies here may be something that may not have been discussed as it may be a natural bid with the 2H reverse based on a 3 card suit. In my opinion, a 2H reverse should be 4 cards unless with spade support (some 3-3-1-6 hand) in which case spade support will be shown in next round. Other hands can find a 2D reverse (with even 2 cards) as opener can always bid NT in next turn or a 3D rebid showing strong single suiter hand.
So assuming both 3NT (non serious) and cue bids were available and yet partner signs off in 4H, is reason enough for north to subside. Even if 3NT (non serious) was not available, lack of a move by opener indicates some flaw (no diamond control or weak trumps or bare minimum reverse). While spade K & Q add to HCP count, they are most likely wasted cards in a heart contract. It would have been OK to make one more move if one of these were in the heart suit.
Maybe easier to analyze looking at hands in post mortem 🙂
So far.
4D 2 votes; 4H 11votes; 4S 20 votes.
1C 1S 2H 3H
4C ?
The bidding as posted by me. The query was for North’s third bid.
Even with South taking a 4C cue, there are significant numbers who are bidding 4H. You should have posted the query as 1C-1S-2H-3H-4H and then ask for North’s bid as over a 4C cue, 4S is still reasonable…
The comments so far.
– I have misgivings about this hand. Partner could have a very solid hand (x AKJx Qx AQJxxx) where we have no safety at the five level in hearts.
If forcing, I would far have preferred a 2♠ rebid.
– Not sure I understand why you want to suppress a 4-4 heart fit.
– Because a 4-4 fit is not necessarily Valhalla.
Try persuading partner that there are two better denominations when he holds Jx AKJx x AQJxxx.
– I think Richards point is that he will always go back to 4H over 3C or NT as many would not raise.on Jx. While most play 2S as forcing (ambiguous strength) it might be hard to convey such a good hand—and 6C or even 7C might play better than any number of hearts with Jx AXxx Ax AQjTxx, a reverse in my book. RKC then specific kings?
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North has: ♠AKQ84; ♥8742; ♦J5; ♣K7( as shown in the OP)
South had: ♠J; ♥AK109; ♦Q3; ♣AQJ962
– In my view, South should bid 4♥ over 3♥.
– You could lose 2♦ and 2♥, while 5♣ is almost cold.
That was the reason to post it.
– Yes, but that results from North’s 3♥ bid. And 5♣ is far from almost cold if they cash two diamonds and switch to a spade.
This is a clear case of needing better methods that overload additional meanings to bids. The ideal candidate is the 2NT rebid by responder, usually reserved for weaker hands, or hands w/o support. The additional meaning should include hands that are slam-ish, and playable in both the suits shown by the opener. An unexpected delayed support of opener’s second suit, or a cue-bid later will show this.
So, on hands such as SJx AKxx Q AQJxxx facing AKQxx xxxx Jx Kx, you can get to the Club slam with an auction such as:
1C – 1S – 2H – 2NT – 3C – 3S — the unexpected Cue, etc. to 6C.
Basically, it is too early in the auction for the responder to decide the strain the partnership belongs in. So, he needs an out from this position, and get partner involved in the decision. If partner later gives him the choice between the 2 strains, like he is likely to do on this hand, he can prefer Clubs without having understated his Hearts.
Yes, that could be played provided partner bids only 3C. Need clear understanding how to bid on other bids.
Many times partner will bid 3D fragment/natural with stronger hand. Now what bid will describe this hand? Still 3S or will it now mean not sure about 3NT? 3H/4H/4C?
When partner bids 3NT. 4C to describe this hand?
The hand where partner has a singleton diamond is not difficult to reach in natural sequence also. 1C-1S-2H-3H-4D-6C should convey a hand like this only. There are so many possibilities on this hand. Same south hand with Jx, AKJx, Q, AQ109xx, 6S may be the best contract – so even starting with a 2S rebid may work out better.
What I am trying to say is that there are some very special bids to handle special features such as splinter, Jacoby, mixed raise, Exclusion, etc. This support for two suits is also an important enough feature to warrant its own treatment. It is always possible not to play splinters, and somehow show the shortness in the bidding subsequently. But, the advantage of any negative inference is not possible if you do not have a special bid for the purpose, to start with. This negative inference is just as useful in some hands.
So, come-on guys, let us work creatively — and find a way to show this feature! Who knows, we may get to give it an Indian name for a change!
think all problems due to that reverse that does not look like one to me with 14 working hcp…..