Better Bridge in Barry County July 31 2014

Better Bridge in Barry County

By Gerald Stein

 

 

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

 

 

Dealer: Vulnerable: Lead:

North Neither 2♦

 

North 2♣ 2♥ 3♦ 4♠ Pass	East Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass	South 2♦ 2♠ 4♣ 7♠	West Pass Pass Pass Pass

Today’s hand is a bridge player’s dream hand. With a powerhouse in the North hand, and two long suits in the South hand along with key aces, what is there not to like about playing at the seven level in a Grand Slam contract? The fact is that there are three places to play this hand. Can you spot the other two possible contracts?

North with 22 high card points opened the bidding with the artificial 2♣ bid promising a big hand and forcing South to bid until either game or slam had been reached. South responded with the 2♦ bid, a waiting bid, asking partner to show her main suit. North showed the solid five-card heart suit, and South responded with a positive 2♠ bid, promising five spades and at least eight high card points. This bid was also a forcing bid, requiring North to bid game in no trump if that sounded attractive.

North had bigger plans in store for the partnership, and she next bid 4♦, promising a four-card diamond suit as well as the five-card heart suit. South had a good count of North’s hand at that point, knowing nine of the thirteen cards. South then bid 4♣, letting North know that she had five spades and at least four clubs. Now North had a good count of South’s hand, knowing nine of her thirteen cards: five spades and at least four clubs.

When North bid 4♠, letting South know that she had three spades, South had a complete count of her partner’s hand: five hearts, four diamonds, three spades, and therefore, by default, only one club. With the A♣ poised for help, South placed the contract at 7♠, and all passed.

With the lead of the 2♦, it was just a matter of winning the first trick with the A♦, and then drawing three rounds of trumps. Playing the A♥ from the short side, and then all of the hearts, with the last two hearts promoted as winners, it was an easy matter of claiming all thirteen tricks and a fine score of 1510.

While 1510 is a fine score, and earned 10 declarers an 81% game, two declarers managed to achieve a 98% score. Do you know how they did it? Of course, they bid 7NT instead of 7♠, and the extra 10 points propelled them into the top bracket for this hand with a 1520 score. What was the other contract that was possible on this hand? If you said, “Seven hearts,” you would be absolutely correct. However, only one declarer managed to find the 7♥ contract.

All in all, 13 declarers were in the right contract with a 7NT, a 7♠, or a 7♥ final bid. What about the 27 others who played this same hand? Most made it to 6NT or 6S, and then bailed out, evidently feeling that a bid of seven was beyond the scope of their ability. One unlucky declarer bid the 7♠ contract but so bungled the play of the hand that he went down three tricks. So much for our golden opportunities.

What are the takeaways from a dream hand like this one? Because a hand that can make seven is a rarity, when it does come up, give it a shot! You certainly will not do as poorly as the bridge player who went down three on a cold hand. You will remember those hands where you bid and made the seven hearts or the seven spades or the seven no trump. Go for the sevens, and roll yourself a winner.

Bridge Notes: Do you want to feel comfortable bidding and making a Grand Slam Contract? Do you think you could use some help on your play of the hand when you are the declarer? Do you want to learn how to count the number of cards in your partner’s hand to help you arrive at the best contract? If yes is your answer, look for the “Play of the Hand in the 21^st Century” bridge class slated to start on Tuesday, September 9, 2014 at the Kellogg Community College Technology campus on Hill Brady Road in Battle Creek.

 

Gerald Stein

July 25, 2014

Number of words: 811

Better Bridge in Barry County July 24 2014

Better Bridge in Barry County

By Gerald Stein

 

 

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

 

 

Dealer: Vulnerable: Lead:

West Both 2♠

 

North   1♦ 2♦ 3NT	East   Pass Pass Pass	South   1♠ 2NT Pass	West Pass Pass Pass Pass

As a bridge player, are you just content to make your contract and consider that enough of a challenge? Or are you becoming more and more competitive as you play more bridge in your circle of friends? Are you trying for overtricks to get the most out of each hand? Let’s take a look at today’s hand and see if you are content with nine tricks, ten tricks, or even eleven tricks in today’s no trump contract.

With North opening the bidding with a show of strong diamonds and fourteen high card points, South as the Captain of the partnership knew that game was the place to be. But what game? Being in a minor game never really appeals to those who have played bridge for a while. It is too difficult to take eleven tricks in a minor suit to arrive at a game contract. A better choice is always to consider the major suits first and then no trump.

When South realized that her partner was not interested in the majors and had bid the diamonds twice, the logical spot seemed to be no trump. South invited her partner by bidding 2NT, and North readily accepted, placing the contract at 3NT with South as the declarer.

West chose a passive lead of the 2♠ even though South had bid spades. Was there a better lead than into South’s spades? Probably there was, but that was the lead. South looked at the dummy hand put down by partner North and began to make her plan. Needing nine tricks as a minimum, South counted five sure tricks: the A♠, the A♣, the K♣, the A♥, and the A♦. Which suit looked to bring home extra tricks? If you said, “diamonds,” you were thinking overtricks right from the play of the first card. That is where you should begin planning for overtricks. On the first lead from your opponent, take your time and look for ways to pick up extra tricks.  

Only missing the K♦ to set up the diamond suit, South began with the J♦ and let it ride after winning the first trick with the A♠. When the J♦ won, South continued with the 7♦ and won the trick in the North hand with the 10♦. Unblocking the K♣ came next, and then the A♦ was played dropping the K♦ finally. With the diamonds set up, South was able to count on five diamond tricks.

South next led a spade from the dummy, and East pounced on the trick with the K♠. A return of a spade saw South win with the J♠. The 10♠ was a promoted winner for three tricks in the spade suit to go along with the five diamonds. Two club winners were used as well as the A♥ for a total of eleven tricks taken, making the 3NT contract with two overtricks.

And how did South fare with two overtricks in this tournament played with 44 tables? Nine South declarers found the two overtricks for a 91% average, a top score in any bridge player’s book. Five declarers who made one overtrick claimed a 72% average, still not too bad of a score. Three players who made just the 3NT contract received a 58% score, considerably down from the top players. All others finished well below average with some not even getting to 3NT.

What are today's takeaways? Overtricks in bridge are important whether you play social bridge, Chicago bridge, marathon bridge, or duplicate bridge. Adding up those extra points is like adding ice cream to the birthday cake. You can have your cake and ice cream and eat them too.

Where do you start considering the overtrick possibilities? Before you play one card as declarer, look to see how you will play the hand. Are there opportunities to gain an extra trick or two? Work hard with a partner, encouraging her to try for overtricks as well. You will be surprised how those extra tricks turn into extra points on your tally sheet.

 

Gerald Stein

July 20, 2014

Number of words: 848

 

Bridge Notes: Beginning in September at Kellogg Community College, there will be a bridge class that will help you gain more tricks in a hand of bridge. “Play of the Hand” is the second in a series of American Contract Bridge classes that offers techniques on how to make the bridge contract as well as to work for those elusive overtricks. Stay tuned for more information.

Better Bridge in Barry County July 17 2014

Better Bridge in Barry County

By Gerald Stein

 

 

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

 

 

Dealer: Vulnerable: Lead:

South Neither 3♥

 

North   2♣ 3♦ 4♦ 5♦ 5NT Pass	East   Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass	South 1♦ 2♠ 3NT 4NT 5♥ 6♦	West Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass

After a long and complex auction, North and South arrived at a tenuous 6♦ small slam contract. With only 25 high-card points between them, North and South certainly were in over their heads at this contract. However, did you notice the distribution? Ahhh, the saving grace for bridge players is to find a wild distributional hand that can be used for your advantage. Let’s see how South managed to pull out the tough diamond slam.

First, the bidding: South began with 1♦, a convenient minor, promising opening count and at least three diamonds. North with six ratty-looking clubs bid them at the two level, a forcing bid promising 11+ high card points. South bid his four-card major spade suit, a new suit and also a forcing bid to Partner North.

North raised the bid to 3♦, another forcing bid to South, instructing South to bid 3NT. South bid the 3NT and was content to play there with the long diamonds. North had other ideas and bid 4♦, promising six clubs and 4-5 diamonds. At this point, South recognized a slam invitation when he heard one, and bid 4NT, Roman Key Card Blackwood, asking North for the number of key cards she held. North’s response of 5♦ promised one key card.

South continued the investigation by asking North if she had the Q♦, the trump queen. North responded that she indeed had the Q♦, but no lower king (the K♣). South signed off at 6♦, and all passed.

West tabled the 3♥ for the lead, and South graciously thanked his partner and prepared his plan. The hearts looked good for two tricks. The diamonds were solid and would be adequate to do the job. The singleton A♣ was in the right spot for South. It was the spades that worried South the most. Where was the A♠?  How could South get rid of three spade losers? Was this small slam makeable?

South won the first trick in his hand with the A♥. A small diamond to the A♦ on the board revealed that East had no diamonds and that West had two more diamonds. Drawing West’s last two trumps first would be a disastrous plan for South. Instead South called for the 9♠, and East, fearful that she would lose the A♠, took the trick immediately and led out the top of the club sequence with the K♣.

South pulled in the trick with the A♣, and led the 8♠ trumping it on the board with the 2♦. A small club from the dummy was trumped high with the K♦. No use taking any chances at this point. The last losing spade, the J♠ was led next and trumped on the board with the 4♦. Now was the time to draw the rest of the diamonds and finish the contract. South led the Q♦ from the North hand, and West played one of the two remaining diamonds that she had. South led another small club and trumped it high again to get back into his hand. The 10♦ drew the last trump out of the West hand.

The 9♦ was a good trick, the K♠ was another, and the K♥ on the board was the twelfth and final trick for South. Making this diamond slam had not been easy. Realizing that the spades were losers and needed to be trumped before drawing the outstanding trumps was the most important part of South’s plan. Finding East with the A♠ was also a lucky move. Sometimes good play and good luck go hand in hand for a good score.

The takeaways are several on this hand: only one South declarer found the right play of the hand and succeeded in making the small diamond slam. The fact that there were only 25 high-card points between them did not deter North and South from reaching the small slam in diamonds. The distribution was right for South to use the singleton spade to trump the loser spades away. Without the singleton, South goes down to defeat. It bears repeating that sometimes slams can be made on fewer than the requisite points of 33 or more. Distribution will make up for those missing high card points.

 

Gerald Stein

July 11, 2014

Number of words: 922

 

Bridge Notes: Ready to try using the Roman Key Card Blackwood System? Here are the basics:

1.      There are five key cards: the four aces and the king of trump.

2.      After an invitation to slam with a 4NT bid, the responses are as follows:

a.       5♣= 0 or 3 key cards.

b.      5♦= 1 or 4 key cards.

c.       5♥= 2 key cards without the queen of trump.

d.      5♠= 2 key cards with the queen of trump.

3.      Give it a try with your favorite partner and see how you like using Roman Key Card Blackwood.

Better Bridge in Barry County July 10 2014

Better Bridge in Barry County

By Gerald Stein

 

 

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

 

 

Dealer: Vulnerable: Lead:

West North/South 8♦

 

North   1♦ 2♠ Pass	East   Pass Pass Pass	South   1♠ 4♠	West Pass Pass Pass

After a routine auction between North and South, a final contract of 4♠ was reached easily. It was South as Responder who knew the most about both hands, and, with a fit in spades, South placed the contract in the major suit. The play of the hand, however, was a different story on today’s hand.

West chose the top of a doubleton as her lead, tabling the 8♦. South appreciated the hand that Partner North placed on the table, and she mentally began to make her plan for taking the ten tricks needed to reach the 4♠ contract. While the trumps looked especially strong, there is always that underlying fear that the opponents may have a trump split that is not helpful to a declarer. In this case, South planned to use the dummy trumps to remove losing cards from her hand before drawing trumps.

With the lead of the diamond, South was assured of at least one diamond trick, two club tricks, one heart trick and four spade tricks, leaving her three tricks short of the goal of ten tricks. Drawing trumps on this hand was not the way to take ten tricks. Those who failed to make the contract began by drawing all or most of the trumps. When they ran into the West hand with a four-one split in spades, the results were not pretty. Four spades should and will make with the right play of the hand.

South won the first diamond trick with the Q♦ when East elected to play the J♦. The chance to use the A♣ and the K♣ and then trump one of the club losers with a low trump was South’s first move. All played to the first two rounds of the club suit, and South led the 4♣ next and trumped it with the 7♠. That left the dummy with all high trump cards, a useful strategy to remove the other losing club in the South hand.

South used the 10♠ to draw just one round of trumps and exited the board with the J♥ letting it ride and losing to the West’s Q♥. A savvy West would have been smart to play a small trump from her hand removing two for the price of one, but that did not happen on this hand. Instead, West led the 7♦, hoping for a diamond ruff later in the play. East won the trick with the 10♦, and then she played the K♥. South won in her hand with the A♥.

At this point, South was assured of her contract, as she had two high spades on the board and two high spades in her hand. Leading the 8♥ from her hand, she trumped it high on the board with the A♠. A small diamond back to the South hand was trumped high with the J♠. Another club was led from the South hand and trumped with the remaining K♠ on the board.

Trying for an extra trick, South played the 5♦ from the board and trumped it low with the 4♠. West had finally prevailed and overtrumped the 4♠ with the 5♠, making the diamond lead pay off after all. The final trick, however, went to South with the Q♠ making ten tricks and a score of 620.

What is today’s message regarding this hand? Drawing trumps right away was a bad decision as there were too many losing cards in the South hand. This South declarer made good use of the high trumps, effectively removing club and heart losers and not bothering to draw all of the trumps first. Those fourteen declarers who drew trumps first regretted it as soon as they realized that the trump split was 4-1. While that split is uncommon, a 4% occurrence, still it does happen from time to time, especially when you are least expecting it. The more common 3-2 split is what most bridge players expect and hope for, but that does not always happen that way. Running out of trumps can be disastrous especially when the defenders have control of the other suits.

Those players who tried for a small slam in spades were disappointed too when that effort failed. While one clever declarer did make five spades on this hand, the norm was a 4♠ contract bid and made. For those of you who enjoy no trump, this hand also makes 3NT for a positive score as well. The takeaway? Use good judgment when drawing trumps. Even though many bridge students are taught to “get the kiddies off the street,” sometimes it is better to wait and pay attention to that yellow caution light!

 

Gerald Stein

July 2, 2014

Number of words: 883