From: Jeff Ehrlich To: Gary Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2007 4:35 PM Subject: Hand 15 --7-8-07 afternoon I had AQTxx spades and ATxxxx hearts, with a singleton diamond and club. After S passed I could not count enough to open a heart with the expectation of bidding a spade in the next round (reverse) after my partner bid the expected minor suit. So I opened a spade, partner (who had AKJxx diamonds xxx spades and Qxxx hearts) responded diamonds, and north-south discovered their clubs. I was able to bid 3 hearts but after a jump to 5 clubs by n-s my partner bid 5 spades. I never heard about his hearts and went down. Maybe I should have been less fearful of the reverse and started with hearts even though I did not have count for the expected reverse to follow (an expectation that would not have materialized here if my partner heard hearts first). ?? Jeff Tuesday Afternoon, August 7, 2007, hand 15 You were certainly right to want to open the bidding with 5-6-1-1 distribution and 10 HCP including two aces, and you were right that opening a heart and then bidding spades would be a reverse. However, when you open a spade with this hand, it is not likely that you will ever be able to convey to partner that you have more hearts than spades. If you open a spade and then bid and rebid hearts (auction permitting) partner will take you for 5-5 or 6-5 in the majors, not 5-6. I would open a heart with your hand. Over partner's response I would either reverse (6-5 distribution and suits this good make up for the absence of some high card points) or rebid my hearts, which would only be bad if partner had three decent spades and a singleton heart (if partner has 4 spades he should show them at some point). Note here that 5 hearts will go down after the lead of the ace of clubs - likely when the opponents have bid them. Note also that if partner doubles 5 clubs it will be down 500 and you will have a top. For partner to compete to 5 spades with three small and to ignore both the possibilities of doubling and beating the opponents two tricks at favorable vulnerability, or supporting hearts when holding honor-fourth (a suit which you have bid freely at the three level), strikes me as ill-advised, and partner, in my opinion, must shoulder most of the responsibility for a bad result. Still, I would have opened your hand one heart. That's my opinion - thanks for asking. Gary |
From: Janice To: Gary Schecter Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 8:18 PM Subject: take out double response GARY IF YOUR LEFT HAND OPPONENT OPENS THE BIDDING WITH 3S --ALL VULNERABLE--AND YOUR PARTNER MAKES A TAKEOUT DOUBLE AND YOUR RIGHT HAND OPPONENT PASSES, DO YOU JUMP A LEVEL WITH A GOOD 10 OR MORE POINTS TO SAY 5H???? DOES VULNERABILITY MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE??? THIS HAPPEN TO ME AT A TOURNAMENT AND I BID 4H WITH 11 POINTS--GOT A BAD BOARD AS EVERY ONE WAS IN SLAM Joe, When your partner doubles an opening 3 spades, she is forcing you to bid at the four level even if you have nothing. This is not to say that your partner has to be positive of making a 4-level contract before doubling three spades, but it does mean that partner can't double with some routine minimum opening hand. Partner is entitled to play you for some points, but if you have a good ten, you have to take some action other than a minimum bid in a suit. Whether the proper action would be to jump to the 5 level depends on the hand - maybe it would be right to cuebid (bidding four spades probably should ask partner to bid her better minor), or to bid notrump, or it might even be right to pass even if you don't have great spades. Partner should pretty much guarantee four or more hearts (or else she has something else in mind and will know what to do over your bid). Five hearts should show a good hand, but real doubts about slam. |
From: Janice To: Gary Schecter Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 7:56 PM Subject: pre-empt gary-- IN FIRST SEAT HOLDING THIS HAND--NOT VUL. VS. VUL. AX Q KJ10987XX XX WHAT SHOULD MY BID BE? 1D? 4D? 5D? It is a lot easier to bid hands like this if you can see all the other hands at the same time. However, as this is not possible, having three cards in the majors argues for a preempt, and an 8 card suit with three of the top five honors is often opened at the four level. But the hand does have 10 HCP, 6 of which are outside the long suit, and it doesn't take much from your partner to construct hands that are cold for 9 tricks in no trump, or 10 tricks in spades. Slam in diamonds is possible too, of course. I would probably open this hand with a pass, and wait to see what happens. I would be truly amazed if the hand got passed out, and even if it did it would probably belong to the opponents. If the opponents bid strongly, you can preempt in diamonds when it gets back around to you. If your partner shows some stuff, you can bid constructively. Opening with a preempt in diamonds is a unilateral decision on your part that the hand belongs to the opponents, and there is really no evidence to support this position. My second choice would be to open one diamond. |
From: John & Peggy To: Gary Sent: Friday, July 06, 2007 12:17 PM Subject: transfer or stayman? GOOD MORNING GARY. I HAVE PEOPLE ASK THIS ALL THE TIME ... WHAT IS YOUR TAKE? PARD OPENS 1NT ... I HAVE 5-4 IN THE MAJORS ... AND ENOUGH POINTS TO ASK FOR A MAJOR. DO YOU STAYMAN, OR TRANSFER FIRST, THEN BID THE OTHER SUIT? THX ... PEGGY |
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