Diary of a Bridge Pro, #13

Springfield, late March - after a mostly mild winter, the weather is turning warmer here on the Central Plain - in the 40's already when I scurried across the street to the house where they do the 12 step meetings at 7 each morning - 
  Today I just sat outside and soaked in the uplift - I felt the power of thirty or forty people forming  a circle and engaging in group prayer. Often I like to be part of it, but other days it's enough for me simply to be nearby - I almost feel as if it’s too much light to be exposed to if I actually go inside, stay the duration, and fully participate in the circle.
   I'm aware that it's possible that I often feel things stronger than other people.
  I’m recruiting additional bloggers to supplement my own, I’ll take a stab at ghostwriting a blog for Joe Grue:
  JG: Home for two days since the nationals. Tried to console John about losing the Vanderbilt Final - also tried to get ice for margaritas. 
  No luck with either one.
  Headed to South America for bridge and golf next week, after the NY GNT District Finals Friday - same opponents we lost to in the Finals last year. Last year we didn't really want to be the squad for Chicago, this year we do want to be the team in Toronto.
  The chance of those four guys playing well for eight segments in a row (four last year, four this year) - is about the same as me holing a five-iron from 75 yards.
  It could happen, but not very likely.
  Note to Self: Buy some new sunglasses for Cartagena.
  Later This Spring: Gatlinburg Regional, April 14-21.
  *****
  BG Again: Here's another interesting deal from the Platinum Pairs - the play was interesting too, but we’ll just discuss the bidding right now.  

First position, vul against not - QJxx, KT9x, KJx, Jx - 
  My own standards dictate: With balanced hands, it is only in very rare cases that I will pass a 13 count, or open a 10 count. With 11 or 12, I’ll choose. Not vul, I’ll open 90% of 12 counts, and maybe 70% of 11 counts - vulnerable I’ll have slightly sounder standards, and I’ll open 80% of 12 counts, and around half my 11’s.

  So to me, the hand above is a clear pass:
  In evaluating whether to open, I’d consider the plusses and minuses:
  Plusses:

1. 4-4 in the majors - not a huge factor, but a factor
   
2. Good heart intermediates
   

Minuses: 
      1) No Aces
      2) Ace-to-jack ratio really bad

1. Unprotected honor in clubs
   
2. Unappealing obligation to open 1D with three
   

  In second position, NV vs. Vul, you hold: x, AJx, AQxx, KTxxx. Some theorists prefer to open One Diamond, in order to prepare a rebid of 2C if partner responds One Spade. 
  Personally, I consider this to be a really bad idea. But let’s go with it.
​  Sitting over the One Diamond Opener, at favorable vulnerability, Marshall Lewis held A987x, x, xxx, QTxx - light, but justifiable, givien all the circumstances - After a One Diamond Opening, the overcall of One Spade, vulnerable, with A9xxx, x, xxx, QTxx - I can live with it, but I don’t like it. If the opening is One Club, not One Diamond, then I think a One Spade overcall, vulnerable with only 6 HCP - bad idea all around.


  Let’s swivel back to the problem of responder. KTx, Q87xx, Txx, Ax - your partner opens One Diamond in second seat, and the next player overcalls One Spade. What do you bid?


  If you play 2H as non-forcing on that sequence (do you?) would that change your bid?


  At the table, South went with a Negative Double - the popular choice, I expect.


  Back to West: This is a really bad 11 count - No aces, three jacks, a doubleton jack of clubs and the king-jack of diamonds in front of the One Diamond Opener.


  After reflecting on the question, I think a simple raise to 2S is a stick-out here, though I'll admit I didn't realize that at the time, kibitzing the hand in Kentucky early on that Sunday evening. With the benefit of time for reflection, I now see this hand as the worst 11 count ever, with partner and both opponents bidding - no hope for a double fit - best to "go low".


  *****


  The bidding began (P) 1D - (1S) - Double - (2C) - in the system favored by Xu - Lewis, this bid shows a cue-bid raise of spades - a 3 or 4 card fit and 10-11 HCP (could be more if an unpassed hand, but - when all four players are bidding - it’s rare that you have this much, even rarer to have more.


  This deal is a good illustration of The Law of Unintended Consequences: By choosing the (transfer) cue-bid of 2C, rather than a direct raise to two or three spades, West leaves N-S room to find their heart fit.


  When you have a hand where, as here, you are subminimum for your previous action, it is natural to want to pass over 2C, but there was a cost attached: 


   Then, East compounds the damage - he passes the double - this allows South to get his hearts in at the two level. Much more effective for East to simply raise to Two Spades - he could be forgiven for raising to three. If he does elect the transfer cue-bid, West needs to bid 2S after the double of 2 Clubs - gotta take the two level away from the bad guys.


 *****
 
  I just got an email from Zach Grossack, he agreed to help me conduct a Master Solvers Club type bidding contest for WBS - maybe this is a good hand to start with:


  A987x, x, xxx, QTxx - Favorable vulnerability, they open 1D in front of you. Pass, One Spade, or Two Spades?


  I’m super-stoked about conducting an MSC type feature with Zach - everybody loves that type of bidding contest, popularized in Bridge World Magazine many decades ago. Problems are posed, the panel answers and comments - the audience answers as well - they love to comment, too, if they’re allowed to - and even if they’re not.


  Blog #14 to follow. But first, one more bidding problem for you - this hand was held by Ralph Katz in the second to last round of the Platinum Pairs, played shortly after the previous deal:


  AQJxxx, AQx, AQx, x: We’ll impose the majority choice of One Spade upon you as your opening bid.  Partner responds One No Trump. What do you bid now?