Better Bridge in Barry County February 28 2013

Better Bridge in Barry County

By Gerald Stein

 

 

	North ♠ 7 ♥  10 9 2 ♦  9 8 7 6 ♣  K 10 9 4 2
West ♠  Q 9 5 3 2 ♥  J 8 4 ♦  J 10 ♣  A 5 3		East ♠  K 6 ♥  Q 6 3 ♦  Q 5 4 3 2 ♣  J 7 6
	South ♠  A J 10 8 4 ♥  A K 7 5   ♦  A K ♣  Q 8

 

 

Dealer: Vulnerable: Lead:

West None 3♣

 

North   Pass 2♦ 3♣ Pass	East   Pass Pass Pass Pass	South   2♣ 2♠ 3NT	West Pass Pass Pass Pass

 

Today’s column continues with Number Six in the Eight Common Conventions You Should Know. The past five columns have explored the Stayman Convention, the Jacoby Transfer, the Take Out Double, the Negative Double, and Weak Two Bids. Number Six is the Strong 2♣ Artificial Opening Bid, popular as far back as 1929 with David Burnstine (1900-1965). Let’s look at how the Strong 2♣ bid works in today’s column.

Bridge gurus knew that the strong hands came up seldom in a round of bridge. Using 2♦ as a strong bid with diamonds, 2♥ as a strong bid with hearts, and 2♠ as a strong bid with spades did not make much sense. A better use, as we saw last week, was putting 2♦, 2♥, and 2♠ as a new convention, the Weak Two Bid. That left the 2♣ Bid as a Strong Artificial Opening Bid to cover all of the suits. The 2♣ bid said nothing about clubs, diamonds, hearts or spades.  It said simply, “Partner, I have a big hand. I have at least 22+ points, and I am expecting us to get to game. Bid, Partner, bid.”

With a partnership agreement of playing a strong 2♣ bid, the responder is not allowed to pass. Instead, most modern players have adopted the artificial bid of 2♦ called a “waiting bid.” Responder essentially says, “Tell me more, Partner. I am waiting to hear more about your hand.” A 2♦ bid says nothing about diamonds or any other suit. It just gives the partnership time to explore the best place for a game or slam contract.

In today’s hand, that is exactly what happened to the North/South team. After three passes, South opened the bidding with 2♣, the Strong Artificial Opening bid, promising 22 or more points and a force to partner North to reach a game contract. Opening 2NT here is not wise, as a 2NT opening bid is not forcing, and North would probably have passed. The two doubletons in the South hand also suggest that a 2NT opening bid is not a good idea. One doubleton, yes. Two doubletons, no.

After the waiting bid by North, South did show the five-card spade suit. North must continue to bid and may not pass. North selected the 3♣ bid to deter South as much as possible that North’s hand is very weak and that there is not much help there. Undeterred, South bid 3NT and the contract was set there.

With the 3♣ as the opening lead, probably not the best lead, low from North, J♣ from East, and the Q♣ from South, South paused to consider his options. Needing nine tricks to make the contract, South could count six including the first winner in clubs. Where would the other three tricks come from?

South wisely led the 8♣ from his hand, and West ducked the trick. South had just picked up one of the three missing tricks when he won the trick in the dummy with the 9♣. Abandoning clubs was a smart idea, as South knew he could never get back to the club winners once the A♣ was knocked out. Instead, South played the 7♠, planning to use the J♠ for a finesse. West won the trick with the Q♠ and led the 4♥. East put up the Q♥ and South won with the A♥. South continued the hearts with the 5♥, with West winning with the J♥. Back came a heart, and while the trick was won on the board, the A♣ was still out. South had won another needed trick but still needed one more trick to make 3NT.

A small diamond from the dummy to South’s K♦ won that trick as planned. South next played the A♦, and then he had to make a huge decision. While South guessed that the K♠ was in the East hand, would it be a singleton at this time? Resolutely, South plunked down the A♠ and to his happy delight, the K♠ fell on the trick. The 10♠ won next, as well as the K♥, and South was home free with nine tricks. West captured the last two tricks with the 9♠ and the A♣.

With 22 points and an unbalanced hand, a Strong 2♣ Artificial Opening Bid gives out a lot of information to your partner. Game is always uppermost in the opener’s mind, and the Responder must do her part to keep the bidding going. Using just the 2♣ bid as the strong artificial bid helps the declarer and the responder to work together to arrive at a game contract. The responder does not need a lot of points to help declarer arrive at a no trump or major suit game. By the way, this hand, if played in hearts, makes a game of 4♥.  A part score in 4♣ would be a very disappointing score for the North/South team as 4♣ also makes on this hand.

Use the Strong 2♣ Artificial Opening Bid for all strong hands, and use the 2♦, 2♥, and 2♠ for the Weak Two Bids. You will have a winning combination. Use both conventions and see how effective knowing both conventions can enhance your bridge game.

 

Gerald Stein

February 15 2013

Number of words: 1031

 

Local Bridge Class News: Another Learn Bridge in a Day Seminar will take place on Sunday, March 17, 2013 at the Kalamazoo Bridge Center in Kalamazoo from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM. If you know of those who have always wanted to play bridge, send them to the www.kzoobridge.com site for more information.