Better Bridge in Barry County March 13 2014

Better Bridge in Barry County

By Gerald Stein

 

 

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

 

 

Dealer: Vulnerable: Lead:

South Neither 6♥

 

North   4♦ 6♦ Pass	East   4♥ Pass Pass	South 2♣ 4NT 6NT	West 3♥ Pass Pass

Slam bidding is always fun to bid and play. In today’s hand, there are two options for a small slam. Can you tell which is the better contract? Today’s South opened the bidding in first seat with a powerful hand; with 23 high card points, South opened the bidding with a 2♣ bid, a forcing bid for partner provided there is no interference from the opponents. In most cases, there is usually no reaction from the opponents except to pass quietly. Today, however, West with a seven-card heart suit and few high card points threw in a pre-emptive heart bid promising seven hearts and little more.

North, no longer forced to bid, since West had bid, with a long diamond suit, a void in hearts, and a good ace for partner, bid four diamonds, promising long diamonds and a few points. East knowing that the East/West partnership had eleven hearts between them upped the bid to 4♥. Here is where the bidding changed on a number of hands.

Some South players raised the diamond bid to 5♦, and North raised it to 6♦ for a try for a small slam in diamonds. Today’s South did not want to have his good hand exposed with all of the points showing in the dummy. South bid 4N, a good bid, inviting North to bid again. North jumped to 6♦, and today’s South raised to 6NT. The final contract was 6NT played by South as declarer.

West chose the lead, and led fourth down from his longest and strongest, as a proper no trump lead. He picked the 6♥. North tabled her hand, and South appreciating the fine bidding of his partner thanked her and prepared to make his plan. With stoppers in hearts, spades, and clubs, it was important to win the first heart lead and start on the diamond suit. Accordingly, South won the first trick with the A♥, and he promptly led the K♦ losing to the singleton A♦ in the East hand.

With the strong clubs and entries in both hands, and with the set-up diamonds, it was an easy hand to claim all the rest of the tricks, making 6NT. How well did South do against the rest of the tables who played the exact same hand? This South did very well, indeed. Most of the tables ended up in 6♦, not a bad contract, making a score of 920 including the bonus for a non-vulnerable slam. There were 32 tables that played this same hand, and 19 of them bid and made the diamond slam. Any time you bid and make a slam, you can congratulate yourself.

In today’s hand, however, South was aware of who would be the declarer, and having North bid the diamonds first would have made North the declarer, and not South. All of South’s mighty points would have been on display for the entire table to see. While it did not matter on this hand, still it is a good bridge practice to keep the big hand covered and let the opponents guess what is in your hand. South made the right choice and moved the contract from 6♦ to 6NT so that South would be the declarer. South had bid the NT first at 4NT.

This strategy paid off for the North/South team as only six of the 32 tables bid and made the 6NT contract. Each North/South team then earned a score of 990 for bidding and making the tricks in No Trump.

The takeaways for today’s hand are these two: when there is a choice to play in no trump or a minor suit, consider seriously playing in the no trump contract. There are more points available for that contract than a minor suit contract. The other takeaway is that it is important to keep the big hand hidden from the opponents. They will have to guess where the points are if they are hidden. If they are on display in the dummy, their defense plan has become that much easier.

Good bidding and play of the hand for today’s South player led to a top score of the 32 tables who played those same cards. Well done, South, bidding one extra bid by going to 6NT instead of stopping at 6♦.

 

Gerald Stein

March 5, 2014

Number of words: 892

 

Bridge Notes: Last Saturday’s Learn Bridge in a Day? Class at the Hastings Community Education location was a great success with nine students completing the class. With nine other bridge helpers, all felt that the day was fun and educational. Watch for another Learn Bridge in a Day? Program for Barry County on Saturday, May 3rd. Sign-up at the Hastings Community Education and Recreation Center at 948-4414.