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NO PERFECT BID.

Yes, it can happen quite often. It happened in this feature only a few days ago. We found, then, that bidding was better than passing. Is that going to be the case with today’s problem?

 

We are playing Pairs with 1 promising at least a 5- card suit. What do you bid as South?

As per our last bidding problem, I consulted our Panel of some top New Zealand players. To the Panel, I added Pat Carter who has helped give so many New Zealand players a current bridge interest with twice daily on-line bridge competitions. Patrick is a bidder:

Pat Carter “1NT: While a trap pass is possible, I prefer not to with this strength when my hearts are so good. If you exclude pass, then the only sensible call is 1NT.”

Yet, is Pass simply a trap pass, hoping partner might re-open with a double or is it one’s choice because others would lead to a poor score? Matthew has no regard for 1NT as an option:

Matt Brown “Pass: I would pass without really giving it much consideration. A passed partner means game is unlikely (and partner might act anyway if we should be in game and he is short in spades). -200 at Pairs is a bad score whether or not we got doubled.

 If I had to pick a second choice, it would be 2 but it is not close at all for me.”

Michael Cornell is another for whom this is no problem:

Cornell “Pass: Sorry - cannot see the problem. I pass in my sleep. There could be a problem on the next round but one thing at a time!”

True, we cannot yet predict the later bidding, or lack of it!. It looks like Pat Carter is not getting much support for bidding. He got just a little here on some days but not this one:

Peter Newell “Pass. If the opponents weren’t vulnerable, I would probably bid 1NT.  Pass seems right to me as I’m happy to defend 1 vulnerable. We are likely to go plus and there is no guarantee we can make anything.”

While bidding 1NT seems the only way to find a heart game, Peter exposes one flaw in making this bid (the diamond holding is another):

Newell: “Yes, we could go well in hearts if partner has good ones, but if I bid 1NT, partner will often pass with four hearts anyway…and 1NT may not play well on a minor suit lead. “

and Peter also expands on Patrick’s trap pass theory:

Newell: “If I pass and West passes, and partner can’t reopen with a double with spade shortage, then we are unlikely to be missing game, and we may get 200 off 1 which will beat part scores…when we don’t get 200, it may not be easy to get to a making part-score….”

There was a making part-score for our side but not in a contract you are likely to find. If you want any more criticism about taking action here, then Nick Jacob offers it loud and clear:

Jacob “Pass: I don't think this hand is particularly close to acting. Of course, we could be frozen out of the auction but anything else is too misdescriptive. If we were vulnerable against not opposite an unpassed hand, I would consider overcalling 1NT but only at Teams. The risks of going for a minus are worth trying for +620 instead of +150 under those conditions.

However, I firmly believe acting at any position/vulnerability playing Pairs is a losing proposition. Doing so at all vulnerable is particularly egregious. Doing so opposite a passed partner is even worse. A normal result is going -200 instead of +200.

I think anyone who bids 1NT has forgotten how to play match-points in this modern world of IMPs! Obviously 2H and DBL are also nonsensical.”

Matt Brown did begrudgingly mention the 4-card heart overcall though Nick, alone, refers to double, a perfect bid when partner does have heart support. Alas, your partner and mine will usually bid the other red suit if asked. The singleton diamond is no great asset in 1NT, either.

It must be time to look at all 4 hands:

 

What would happen

North was never going to get the chance to reopen 1 with a double (not that they would this time) as West’s slightly off-beat “please do not rebid spades, partner. Please!”1NT won the day.

There would be no + 200 this time. Indeed, unless North led a major, there would be no plus at all! Can North find a spade lead? Peter Newell thinks they should:

Newell “ I think partner should often lead a spade on the auction anyway as he must know I have quite a lot of points and so must have spades...”

There is the possibility of doubling their 1NT. This was mentioned twice:

Newell: “It does get a bit more awkward if West bids 1NT, (I will pass) but I will double into the auction if East bids 2.

Cornell: “When 1NT comes back to me, I double and obviously expect partner to lead a spade. Then if they run to diamonds, I double for take-out.”

And when your partner runs to diamonds, Michael? Would you find the only making 2 level contract for your side….2?!

So, leading a spade against 1NT is a possibility. The defence can also survive a  heart lead and an immediate spade switch (or South putting North back on lead after 4 initial lead). Of course, South must duck the first spade assuming declarer plays a high honour. The defence can then take 4 hearts, 2 spades and the A.

What, though, if you, South, had bid 1NT? A likely bidding sequence would be:

West              North            East                South

                        Pass             1                   1NT

2                   2             All Pass

If West chooses to defend 1NT and leads a club (and why not, with no spades…and an outside entry), South can only manage 6 tricks which is the same number of tricks they will manage in 2…-200. It looks like, this time, the passers won the day. Thanks for their input.

And a play problem for Tuesday:

 

Buoyed on by your potentially useful card in partner’s second suit and partner’s probable singleton or void club, you reach 4. Were you to see dummy before the opening lead, you would encourage West to lead the unbid suit so that you could ruff some club losers in dummy.

Alas, West was not listening or certainly was not obliging! A low spade is led. East will follow with another low spade. What’s your plan for tricks 1,2 and the rest of the hand?

See you with the answer tomorrow.

Richard Solomon

 

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