RISK TAKING AND THE ROLE OF LTC IN THIS - Continued from 14/3

Most got this right but it's a good example how you can make game (and 12 or 13 tricks) with a joint HPC of just 22.  LTC suggests 13 tricks but be wary as it is much less reliable on whether to slam or not than it is on game decisions.

How could I leave this one out?  I was the only one in the room to bid and make 7NT.  It was a little risky but gave a very satisfying feeling when achieved!  W opens whatever your bid is for 8PTs - in our case 2C.  Over this we play "steps" and Richard calls 2NT showing 10-12HCP.  I begin to get excited as we've 30-32HCP and excellent distribution so I can smell a slam.  I ask for As and then Ks to which the reply is 2 and 0 but he has another 2-4 somewhere so I take the gamble as I've an assured 11 tricks and the room to put a squeeze on to develop more.  Luckily SJ was in a doubleton so I made all 13 with my eyes closed!

RISK TAKING AND THE ROLE OF LTC IN THIS

This is one that we got wrong but it's an excellent example of the power of LTC when you've an 8+ card fit - particularly in a major.  I, as W, opened 1H after S passes.  Partner assesses his hand and with only 8HCP knows he must bid.  He can see absolutely no chance of a slam or a contract other than in H where even game seems highly unlikely.  I might only have 12HCP so he sees even 3H as risky and raises me to just 2H.  With LTC6 I add this  his assumed LTC9 and pass.  But E has only LTC8 and should raise my 1H to 3H and with LTC5 I'll bid game.  OK 3H could be risky but LTC is more reliable than a feeling in the water!

This hand has lots of interesting features in both bid and play - starting with the fact that of the 6 pairs who plated it no 2 pairs were in the same contract  and 5 of those 6 went down while those who made it were not in the best contract either!  So let's take closer look.

At our table partner opened (I'm pretty sure) a weak 2H with (supposedly) 6H, 6-10HCP and NOT reaching the Rule of 20.  This left me with no option but to P as we may have just 16-20HCP, no H fit and my minors are too weak to mention.  However he  DID reach the Rule of 20 with 6H and 4C and should open 1H not 2.  This gets me interested as I've 10HCP, a void and 2 good 5 card suits but what should I bid?  2C is the lowest (presumably bid by the pair that made their contraact) but that creates it's own problems.  E is very likely, because of my void, to reply 2H with a 5-card suit and 12-15HCP  and I then cannot bid 3D as to support my C would take us to the 4-level.  Instead I overcall the expected 2H by 3C allowing E to do suit preference at the 3-level.  Unfortunately the only pair who bid 3C went down but they should not have done.

The play should be straightforward.  As soon as you get the lead take one round of trumps leaving 3+ C in both hands.  You can now cross ruff 3 times in either hand leaving whichever or both A's till later so you end up with a minimum of 6C ruffs,  2more C and 2 red A's.

Isn't hindsight wonderful but you can learn from it?

This week's Tip is very different in two ways.  Firstly not one pair got it right and only two pairs bid the makeable game but neither made it.  I played it our table - so I can't blame anyone else - getting 0% whereas , if I'd played it properly that would have been 100%!!!  Let's look at how it should be done.

Bidding - Playing weak twos W opens 2S  With 11HCP  and a 9-card fit E uses OGUST to explore further.  With 9HCP and SK/SQ W replies 3S (9-10 HCP and 2 of AKQ/S).  With AKQ assured E closes the bidding with 4S.
Play - The first thing declarer must do following the opening lead is to look at the lead and Dummy's hand to plan the play.  I think that I'm quite good at this but I wasn't here!  There are clearly at least 10 certain tricks - 6S/1H if you finesse HJ/2C  and 1/2 D ruffs in the short-trump hand.

I'll see you when I graduate from the Beginners' class!

 Stating the obvious.......

Most of what you need to improve as a pair or an individual appears on - line every week - either on our website and / or other clubs websites.

Find the time to look at some of the hands - together as a pair ( or by email ) or on your own.

If you can’t remember the bidding take a note-book when you play, then you can see it all before you and pat yourself on the back or otherwise. Bidding, the opening lead, planning the play by declarer and your defence as opposition. TERRY and I are committed to support you. If we are unsure we will find the answers to your questions.

Have a look at Interesting Hands ......

Peter

This week's Tip revolves around two conventions that I use with my various partners and their values are well illustrated by the board above.  I recommend that you at least have a discussion with your partner to see if either or both might improve your agreed system.  I refer to these conventions as Roman Catholic Brach Manager (easy for me to remember as I was brought up a Catholic and I spent most of my 28 years in IBM as a BM) and Intermediate Jump Overcalls.

RCBM geves an indication of which suit to open with those difficult 4-4-4-1 hands.  If your singleton is Red then open 1 Club, if Black try the Middle of the other 3 suits.  This means that as long as you play NEVER BYPASS A 4-CARD MAJOR you will always find a 4-4 fit in a major if you have one.  Here N opens 1C but S is not strong enough to bid anything.

After N's 1C E must bid because of his HCP and D holding - but at what level?  IJO suggests that with a (preferably good) 5-card suit and 6-10HCP you bid 1 of that suit.  If you need to go to the 2-level in a suit lower ranking than opener's then do so only with 9/10HCP.  With 11-15HCP you make an IJO bidding your suit one level higher than necessary.  With 16+HCP you double and make a strong (probably jump) bid on the next round to differentiate your bid from a normal take-out double.  On this hand E has an ideal hand for IJO and overcalls 2D.  After S Passes W has a pretty clear view.  He can see a combined 20-24 HCP with a very good fit in an 8+ card suit and so, with no chance of game he too Passes for what should be a Top.

                DON'T BE AFRAID TO PASS EVEN A VERY LOW BID IF NECESSARY

This Tip is well illustrated by the hand above.  After 3 passes W opens 1C and N again passes.  This leaves E in a rather difficult position.  He has a very weak hand with HCP3, LTC10 and only 2-card support for C.  What should E do?  The answer is simple - PASS!  Only 2 pairs took this route ending up with high scores beaten only by opponents entering the fray and going down.

Another look at hand 13

For all the reasons previously outlined there is / maybe a 90% reason for North to open 1NT- with constructive and preemptive intent....

11 points , 2 fair 4 card suits, intermediate cards and worth more than 11... The 10% reduction is because there is a small risk- you are vulnerable. So for me a favourable %....

Guess who opened 1NT ? After a transfer to spades and a pass from West? 2S is the contract...

 I very much welcome your feedback here because I think this may well be a “banging one’s head against a brick wall“ situation and without feedback will not be mentioned again.

TIP - be bold , be flexible , be modern......

Peter

           WITH GAME POINTS AND AN 8-CARD MAJOR FIT IS IT 3NT OR THE MAJOR?

The answer is contained in just one word - Judgement.  The above board illustrates this rather well.  S, with a balanced 20 HCP opens 2NT.  N reckons they've enough for game and, with a balanced hand himself, is very tempted by a direct raise to 3NT - but the alarm bells should be ringing!  Does S have H covered and/or 4 S?  That 3NT can wait while we find out more by a Stayman 3C.  The response of 2S says a lot as S has 4 S but only 2 or 3 H with their strength unknown.  Here it is much safer to run to 4S than a risky 3NT.

6 out of 10 made the correct decision - making 4S, most with overtrick(s) - but 4 pairs bid 3NT and went 1 off through not using that judgement effectively.

WHO WINS - HCP OR DISTRIBUTION?

This week's hand demonstrates how and when distribution can be more important than HCP.  At our table Richard (E) correctly opens 1D.  S overcalls either 1 or 2S (I can't remember which!).  I can now see that we almost certainly have a competitive auction with the disadvantage that our suit is a minor and theirs is a major.  So I try to make it difficult for the opposition / maybe end the bidding by bidding 4D as I have 5 of them and only 7 LTC despite having only 5 HCP. Richard can now assess the situation whether N bids or not.  He has only 6 LTC rather than the 7 he'd already promised so he can  comfortably bid 5D which makes for a straight top despite us holding just 19 HCP jointly.  The message is that when combined LTC suggests game and you've a powerful distribution and a fit in one or more suits then go for it.

Make that Intervening Bid !

Why?

1) Your bid may make it more difficult for your opponents to find their optimum contract
2) If you are in the second seat , your partner may have a stronger hand in seat 4 than your opponent in seat 3.
3) If you have overcalled with a good 5 card suit, your partners lead may defeat the contract OR reduce the overtricks. You will get a good score on this hand...

After 1S , bid 2H! If South is the declarer in 3NT , the correct lead of 10H trapping an honour in North’s hand , will result in the 2H bid being effective as above. Partner is grateful for the chance to make an effective H lead

BUT note: if North is declarer in 3NT the bid is not helping the defenders! 

That’s Bridge! Tip here is to be bold with a shapely 8 points and ignore the vulnerability!

A classic 3NT contract at every table!!


When all E/W pairs arrive at the same contract....OVERTRICKS  (without endangering the contract) are essential. The pair/s getting the most tricks score well, and the pair/s with the least (hoping that the result is the same at every table) get the opposite!!

In NT your planning is:

1) Count your guaranteed top tricks - here 5
2) Count the tricks you can promote by force - here 3
3) Look for opportunities by position - finesse and distribution
4) Decide in which order to play the 4 suits.

Here, you will have time to take the diamond finesse against the Q , use the Q of clubs as your entry for the established 5 card diamond suit and make 11 tricks for a top!!

Peter

Congratulations to Pauline and Sue for their top on Hand 1! When I saw that they were playing Richard and Terry (who had arrow switched)  my first thought (with a smile ) was, would they have bid 4H sitting N/S and then really mischievously the smile became rather more when I spotted the double....Bridge has to be ‘fun‘ to get the best from it....

So, Hand 1:
N - yes INT (How hard is that to overcall!!!), assume a pass from E, S transfer, W pass, what of N... with 4+ Hearts and a maximum 14  count, you must bid 3H - a game - invite.... Forget any negative “what if partner is weak/ really weak”- this is likely to mean that your opponents should be in a making contract, so you are obstructing / pre-empting. South accepts - 9 points / 8 losers but the 2 in hearts may well disappear.

On the K spades lead how do you make 11.. you look to have 2 spades and 1 D loser and possibly the K Hearts...
Well, as you have no where to park the S try holding up your Ace for a round....you have blocked the suit! The next play is not for the faint hearted though ...a club to the ace, and with a failing H finesse and there could be a S ruff by West.

The “key bids“ are 1NT and 3H by N but I suspect that most tables opened IH and that there was a IS easy overcall and a competitive auction....ending with 4Hx at one...
Richard and Terry would probably have opened IH, and this is clearly NOT WRONG..... it’s just a matter of player / partnership choice and what suits one hand may not suit the next. What is the “experts”( those who write books etc) % bid.............

Peter

                 WHEN TO STOP BIDDING

Let me begin by apologising to all my readers for not having posted a tip for several weeks due to non-bridge problems.  I hope that both of you missed me and are pleased to see me back!

Board 5

This week's hand is pretty straightforward to me but all other tables overbid in my view.  Let's look at that view and review what I believe should happen and why.  At our table Trudy as N correctly passes and after a pass by E then I, as S, open 1NT, which was passed out and made for a good score.  At every other table this didn't happen and bidding continued.  I guess this was mainly due to W with his 6 D so in some cases W may have bid on.  Why do I think this wrong?  If W analyses the bidding he can see that N has less than 12HCP with N at 12-14 so N-S bidding and making game is very unlikely and a sacrifice is a very risky and doesn't gain much if anything anyway.  Here he was very lucky to see E with Kx D so made it if left in.  Without that he'd be two or more down which, even if not doubled, would cost him 100+ points - more than letting us make 1NT for just 90.  If W doesn't bid N can see a total of 22-24HCP and should duck out fast.

The moral of the story is to analyse all the bidding before you decide.  By all means make a sacrifice if you believe it will obstruct the opposition but only do so if this is the case or you can see a benefit for you over what opponents may well bid.  If not and there is nothing / little to gain STOP BIDDING

                               Do you bid a slam in a minor or in NT?

My apologies to my regular readers for not having posted a Tip for some time.  I hope that you are both glad to see me back!!!

Board 23

I return to aspects of slam bidding.  Here S opens 1C (via the Rule of 20) and N responds 1S.  When S repeats C at the 2-level.  N assesses the situation and sees 33HCP and an 8+ fit in C and so a slam is the target.  As he has all the A's there's little point in asking partner how many he holds and to follow be asking for K's which would take you beyond 6C.  So he bids a slam direct but is it to be 6C or  6NT?  C is clearly their best suit but with a long, strong minor and enough entries to S hand he should seriously consider 6NT - for a Top - rather than getting a mid-ranking score with 6C.  At our table partner chose 6C whereas I much prefer the 6NT route.

               SLAM OR NOT?

This hand demonstrates how easy it is to miss a slam.  N opens 1H and S is already anticipating a game contract so replies with a holding bid  of 1S.  N assesses the situation and with 4S and the expected LTC7  correctly raises to 2S.  S now gets excited as he can see a joint 10+ S and that partner must have at least 9HCP in the red suits.  It's time to ask for As and when N shows both the missing pair he has no hesitation in bidding 6S.

8 of the 9 pairs made at least 12 tricks but only 3 pairs bid slam - it would have been 4 pairs if we didn't have the misfortune of sitting E-W!

This week's hand displays a number of interesting features.  My main message concerns when to favour NT over a minor but I'll touch on other points too.

7 out of 9 pairs ended in some sort of D contract below game and not making enough for game whereas the joint top two were in 3NT making an overtrick.  So, who decides and how, where you are headed?  At our Table I opened 1D as W.  There is a case for opening 2C or 2D if you play Benji or one of its derivatives - more of that later.  I decided on 1D followed by a jump bid as I thought that this would give us more space to look for a possible game if partner responded - and I'd be happy with 1D if he didn't.  Richard correctly bid 1H and I jumped to 3D as his 6+ HCP must surely be worth a trick somewhere.  The rebid was a correct but slightly risky 3NT but as things lie we can only lose 3S tricks and the rest are ours.  The key to this hand is that those 7D are worth just as many tricks in NT as in D and you make game with only 9 tricks.

Let's look at a "Benji" style opener. A response of 2H could be negative, a relay or a suit.  In all three you have problems as a jump takes you past 3NT but a bid of 3D might be passed.

Board 2 also exhibits some of the same.

Board 20

                       Let steps help your slam bidding

Hello again readers - if there are any!  My apologies for being absent without leave for a few weeks but I've been suffering major personal problems.  I'm sorry but I am back now.

The hand above illustrates how you can benefit from recent "extensions" to Acol. I, as W, opened 2C and standard Acol requires a 2D reply showing 0 to 7/8 HCP.  This leaves W with a difficult choice.  Does he look for a possible slam?  If E is maximum then there is almost certainly a slam on but, if minimum,  it will be a struggle to make game and asking for As with 4NT is dangerous so you duck out in game making overtricks.

At our table we play steps over 2C (2D = 0-3,2H = 4-6,2S = 7-9etc) so Richard reples 2H. I can see 30-32 HCP and we are missing at least one A but I can find out how many by 4C (Gerber) ducking out in 4S if necessary.  4H shows one A so I face a dilemna deciding whether or not to take the risk of a slam and, if so, in which denomination.  I decide to go for it and I note that those 5 lovely S will almost certainly make 5 tricks in NT as well as in S.  Hence 6NT for a top score.

This has been referred to before!! Not one North challenged the opening 1NT bid by West- with 14 points and sitting after the opener!! You should compete with even less points ( 8+ non - vulnerable) , as the weak INT has both attacking and defensive( pre- emp)  qualities.

Multi-Landy is now the method favoured by experts.

Here, you should USUALLY have  5/4 or 4/5 to bid 2H which shows hearts  and a minor but here with 14
Otherwise you are allowing East to ask partner to transfer to 2S. One off for a TOP!!

Tip: all players need a flexible ( agree with partner) defence to an opposition 1NT!! You MUST compete-get involved.

South can open 1H or 1NT. 5332 is a balanced hand! Which bid is easier for the opposition to overcall( with 5spades) ? Many experts now agree that 1NT is the better % bid with the previously sacred 5 card major holding. Many prefer not to repeat a 5 card suit unless you have to and here you avoid that by opening 1NT....
So, 1NT- 2c( stayman)- 2H- 3NT ( 11 tricks- 460) or 

1H- 1S- 2H( hate that bid?)-4H( a known 8 card fit) - makes 11- 450.

I did say the % bid... not every hand works better opening 1NT with a 5CM!

Tip: Give opening 1NT with a 5 card major some serious consideration!!

Peter

Getting involved , Competing in the bidding auction.


Let's look at hand 6:

East will open with a 12-14 1NT bid, the most common opening bid - the highest ranking 1 bid- making it the hardest to compete against BUT you must take every opportunity to compete. You need to agree a DONT ( disturbance of opponents 1 NT bid) method with your partner. Here partner, North has not had an opportunity to bid and you are not vulnerable. There are up to 18 points between West and North.
Probably , the best system (agreed by experts ) is multi- Landy , where in brief,

X is for penalties
2C shows hearts and spades USUALLY 5/4 or 4/5
2D shows a single suited hand USUALLY 6H or 6S( but a good 5332 ok)
2H shows hearts and a minor 5/4 or 4/5
2S shows spades and a minor 5/4 or 4/5
2NT shows both minors USUALLY 5+5+

But a simple Landy would be a start-the  first 2 bids above are the same and then other bids ( 2DH&S) are natural( 2NT still both minors)

So, here South has 10 points( and 3x 10's) enough for a 2/1 overcall and can get involved
and probably avoid the dreaded opening lead by getting involved- competing - by ignoring the USUALLY bit and bidding a Landy or multi- Landy  2CLUBS!! Yes ,with 4/4 in the majors! No one did......

Here you end up in spades for a probable top!! Conquer any fears and get involved- what's the worse that can happen.....

The writer immediately regretting no- bidding, sticking to the USUALLY rule of 5/4 or 4/5 and with an average opening lead saw 1NT make- good for the opposition and .......bad for North/ South.

There is a little more to it if anyone would like more!?

This weeks theme is : Get involved ; bid ; compete!

How much easier is it to play rather than to defend and find the damaging/ correct opening lead? How much harder is it for the opposition with more HCP high card points to find the correct contract after you bid and partner bids to the level of the fit( or higher)?

This is of course the primary purpose of the weak 2 bids - to make life more difficult for the opposition!

Look at hand 1:
You may not care to open with 9 points and 10 cards in 2 suits but if partner raises to 4 hearts, is it harder for your opponents to bid/ find the Slam? Consume bidding space when you are weak, go slowly when you are constructing .......

Deal 2: 6 spades , 4 hearts , 10 points= 20. Open 1 spade ( Rule of 20) . And find 4H.

Deal 13: North should open 1S ( Rule of 20) and then find 4S. Try not to rebid a 5 card suit - here there are 6 , so after suit bids S can be rebid.

Deal 16:  North needs to compete with 2C after the opening D bid and after South bids and repeats hearts ( 6 ) to compete, North with a singleton D could try game!

                                     Don't be afraid to be cautious!

This week's Tip includes 2 boards which both well represent the point of this week's Tip.

Board 5

At our table Richard opened 1S.  I prefer 1D (4 up/5 down) but I'd Pass that -  and it makes.  Over 1S at first I get excited.  I've 4S so an 8+ fit in a major.  But wait a minute!  I have just HCP5 and LTC10 - too risky to bid on so I Pass for a Top because Richard played it brilliantly to make 4S which no-one bid.

See below for second board:

Board 7

A very interesting hand!  W opens 1H and E has a problem - no H and HCP4.  What should E do:?  In my view the answer is Pass for a probable Top but no-one took this route.

This week's Tip is a bit different.  Since Peter "stole" (with my agreement) the best 2 boards I've decided to outdo him with not the usual 1 but 3 boards.

See below for comment on boards 11, 12 and 16.

In the bidding it's a difficult decision whether to bid 5D or 3NT.  3NT is usually the better option, but not here.  When I played with Debbie we agreed a "rule" that you only bid either 3NT or 6 of the minor. It didn't always work but what does?  On  the playing side you should make 1S.2H,5D (with the finesse),2C making at least 10 but not everybody got there.

At our table it was 1NT-2S - a bit risky but worth a try.  Only 10 HCP but it is always worth adding 1-2-3 for a doubleton-singleton-void but increase this to 1-3-5 if you've found a suit fit.  Here it worked well.

A interesting and variable hand.  Out of the 7 times played there were 4 different contacts in 3 denominations.  Tricks made ranged from 7 to 11.  Now let's look  at how I think it should be bid.

N must decide whether or not to open 2H.  The text book says "No"  as he only has 5HCP but with favourable vulnerability and a good H suit he might be tempted to take advantage of the pre-emptive value of the weak 2.  2H would be followed by a direct raise to 4H as S can see 23-27 HCP an LTC6 and a 10-card suit fit.

If N passes then S should open 1D - the lower of 2 4-card suit and too strong for 1NT.  N should bid 1H even though he has only 5HCP  S counts up and he has LTC6 and N will have assumed LTC7 so he raises to 3H. with LTC8 N does the same and with LTC8 bids 4H (8+6=14) for a JT.

Peter then commented as follows on this hand:

Yes Terry a very interesting hand! North should not miss the chance to pre-empt / interfere with a 6 card , 5 point hand. If not East will open 2S!! Then South will x for take-out and North will bid 4H( stop!)
For those of you who prefer to conform to Standard Acol........ if N& E were to pass , South opens 1H and using the LTC N (with 8 losers) will bid 3H, and then S with 6 (losers) will bid game! 18-8-6= 4.

This week's Tip is, to me, pretty straightforward.  E opens 1H as he is too strong for a 12-14 NT.  W can see a H fit and could be tempted to support the H immediately but only fools rush in.  W wants to know more about partner's hand before he decides where the final contact should be and so bids 2C. He knows that he'll have the chance to return to H as a change of suit is forcing for one round.  E now bids 2NT to show 15-16 HCP.  W can see 26-27 HCP and a H fit but does he bid 4H or 3NT?  As there is little chance of any ruffing he opts for 3NT.  It's often difficult to decide what to bid when you have a 4-4 fit in a major.  You need an extra trick in the major to outperform 3NT so ruffing potential should be high on your list in deciding,

This week's Tip is quite interesting. You'll have to decide  between 2 different routes.  I'd prepared my Tip before I'd read Peter Baines Interesting Hands. I'd chosen the same board but came to a different conclusion -  not unusual - and you  and your partner will have to decide which route to follow.
I chose this board because nobody in my view, including Richard and  I, bid the right contract.  I don't think N should bid with 11HCP and not passing the rule of 20.  S bid 1NT with 14 HCP and a balanced hand - always consider 5-3-3-2 as balanced but not with 5 in a major.  Richard was now faced with a choice.  Should he show his H or bid or bid 2S (our system over a 1NT opener is that 2S promises either
11HCP or a 6 card minor.  The replies are 2NT with a weak opener or 3C with a strong one allowing partner to P, bid 3D or 3NT.  In this case he'd have bid 3NT (1NT-2S/3C-3NT) for a clear Top.

Let me begin by offering an apology as I've not posted a Tip for a few weeks.  The reason for this is that I have had to deal with some difficult personal circumstances and so have been unable to comment.

Anyway back to bridge.  I'm glad to say that  Richard and I were top with 6NT bid and made. Richard opened 1H and I replied 1S - never bypass a 4-card major.  Richard bid 2NT showing 17/18 HCP so I can see 32/33 HCP enough to seriously consider a slam. I used Gerber to ask for As and Ks.  With 4A and 3K and at least 2Q I bid 6NT.

This week's Tip is around hand evaluation.  As S I would open 1NT - 12-14HCP and balanced.  With 10HCP or less and no outstanding suit/no 5-card major N should normally pass. With 11 points he should choose between Stayman - with at least one 4-card major - and 2S.  With 12 the choice should be between Stayman and 2NT.  Here N has no 4-card major and so bids 2NT.  S, with 13 HCP, can see 25HCP - just enough to have a punt at 3NT for game.

Only 1 pair - Lin and Mez - found 3NT for a straight Top.  Well done!

This week we have a difference of opinion between our "experts". Just showing that there are many ways to bid a hand and you have to decide which works best for you and your partner.

Terry's View:

This week's tip is very simple although only 3 out of 11 pairs found the right contract 

S passes with not enough HCP for a pre-empt and W opens 1D, the lower ranking of 2 4-card suits (4 up 5 down).  E replies 1S and W, with 15HCP bids 1NT showing 15/16HCP and a reasonably balanced hand. E can now see 25/26HCP and bids 3NT for a Top or near-Top.

So there are 3 messages in this tip:-

1. Four up, five down.

 2. Don't support partner's suit with 4 of them directly if you've another suit that you can bid.  Bid your suit as this forces him to bid again giving you valuable info to help with your decision (only 1X-1NT is passable).

3. Declarer rebids NT with a reasonably balanced hand - at the same level with 15/16, jumps with 17-18 and 3NT with 19+.

Peter's View:

 ACOL bidding  systems which the majority are playing or learning  are based on an opening weak 12-14 NT bid and the rebid of NT if you are balanced. If 2 suits are bid by the opener you are unbalanced- 5422( usually) , 5431 etc etc.

So, here with 15 points you open the higher ranking of 4's- 1 heart, intending to rebid NT at the lowest level to show a balanced hand with 15/16 (17) HCP.
After the 1NT rebid,  then - with 11 - partner raises to 3! In ACOL - you open the higher of 4's unless the suits are hearts and spades. If partner responds spades and you have 4, you are supporting if you raise in spades NOT bidding a 2nd suit.

Simple, straight-forward ACOL.

By agreement with your partner you can bolt either Intermediate or Weak Jump Overcalls to your system, and I rather like Terry's Intermediate way!!

See Terry's Tips for the last 2 weeks for more on Jump overcalls.

Last week's tip was about IJO's and I'm continuing that theme because I want you to see their value.  Let's look at how it affects the hand above.  E opens 1C.  S uses IJO to bid 2H (11-15HCP and a 5-card suit) and, after W passes, N assesses the situation.  He sees an 8-card major fit with 22-26HCP - enough to consider game but not enough to bid 4H directly.  So he bids an invitational 3H.  S has a minimum for an IJO and so passes leaving 3H as the final contract - an almost Top.  (Unfortunately this didn't happen at our table where I opened 2H  but one of us - not me! - bid 4H).

I'm still not telling you to use IJO's but merely pointing out their value but be aware, just like pre-empts, they can leave you in a contract that goes 1 or 2 off if partner has a weak hand.  Even then you may well have made it too difficult for opponents to find a makeable game.

This is an interesting hand because, of the 9 times it was played, there were 7 different contracts!  A large part of this may be down to the system of overcalls that you and your partner use.  We  operate with IJOs - Intermediate Jump Overcalls.  This entails a straight overcall (eg 1D-1S) with 6-10 points and a 5-card suit.  With 11-15 points and a 5-card suit you jump overcall (eg  1D-2S).  This has a preemptive value much like an opening 3 bid.  Let's look at how it works here.

N opens 1H which is followed by 2 passes.  W looks at his hand and decides it calls for an IJO so he bids 3C.  This makes it quite difficult for N/S to continue bidding with any degree of safety even though 6 of the 9 contracts were played by N/S and the IJO generated a Joint Top score at our table.

My tip this week is not that you use IJOs but rather to research and agree with your partner which of the several overcall systems to use.  Make sure that you both play the same one!!!

See "Interesting Hands" for a comment by Peter on this weeks hands.

 I'm covering (briefly) 2 boards this week as I won't be doing any for the next 4 weeks while I soak up the (hopefully) unbroken Portuguese  sunshine and the 80p per pint beer!  Before I do the actual boards I have to apologise twice!  My first apology is that I'm covering again tips that I've covered before.  There are two reasons for this.  Firstly I've been doing this column for 15 months now and I don't have that many tips in my locker!  Secondly  there is plenty of evidence that some of you have not yet got the message so repeated coverage is justified.

My second apology is to the only pair - Hugh and Jonathan - to beat Richard and I in this week's results but they got the first board wrong!    I'm not trying to enjoy this (hee hee!) but no malice is intended.  On board 1 they were the only pair not to end up in 4 or 5S making 8 times out of 9.  4S is the "correct" contract but I'll bet that many of you got there by other than the "correct" bidding sequence.  At our table N passes (though a weak 2H could be quite disruptive) and E opens 1S.  After S passes W can get excited as he has 12HCP and 4-card S support.  I'll bet that some (many) pairs decided that there was enough for 4S (perhaps after a "holding" bid of 2D in order to get more information).  I was W and I looked more closely and found that I had LTC8 so 4S direct is at best questionable.  I therefore bid 3S inviting partner to raise to 4S with LTC6 or less.  Thus we end up in 4S by the "correct" route but score no better than those who got there anyway.  It's part of bridge that doing things "correctly" doesn't always yield dividends but it's a game of probabilities and the better you bid/play the more likely it is that you'll benefit.

Now let us look at the opposite!  Here S opens 1S to which N replies 2NT with 12HCP and no S support.  S (that's me folks!) thinks that 25HCP and a good-looking S suit deserves 3NT and so bids it and goes down!  No-one makes 9 tricks so is 3NT wrong?  I don't think so and I'd do it again as the laws of probability says that over time this approach will win out.  You just have to accept that bridge is a funny old game!  I love it both for its intellectual challenge and the friendly social environment that you and fellow members provide.  Thank you!

On the surface this week's chosen board is about as uninteresting as they get with HCP split 22-18 and 29 of them in two hands but dig a bit deeper and I think you'll find a fascinating case of hand evaluation.  There were five different contracts bid by the nine pairs who played it. Only one pair - unfortunately against us! - bid the "correct" contract for a near-top.

It looks fairly straightforward at first as W opens 1S with 14 HCP and 6S.  N with 15 HCP and tolerance for the other three suits offers a double.  I don't think that there'll be much argument so far but what does E do?  His 4 HCP offers the possibility to Pass but why should he?  Partner's opener guarantees either 5+S or 15+ HCP as, with anything less, he'd bid 1NT or 1 of  a lower ranking suit if 4-4-4-1.  Being non-vulnerable he looks again.  They have a partnership 8+S and he has LTC9 and that lovely singleton so a raise to 2S is well-justified.  This is not only makeable but helps to shut out NS as S would have to enter the fray at a somewhat risky 3-level bid.  W now has no cause to get excited.  With 14 HCP  and LTC7 he has no more than he has already said and so passes to end the auction.

At other tables either W must have overreacted and bid on or S got into the auction - probably because that 2S "shut-out" never came.  That "shut-out" makes a valuable contribution to keeping NS out of game in 4H.

Take a look at the above board and plan out how you and your partner would bid it.  There were 5 different contracts with 3NT being the most popular but there were also 4,5 and 6C and the "correct" contract of 6NT.  I like to give a credit reference - last week Peter/Mez - when it is due but this week I'd like to give credit to Richard and Terry (!!!) for being the only ones to bid 6NT.  So how was it done?

Richard played E and opened 1C telling me 12+HCP and 4+C.  I assess the situation and already get excited for I'm sure that we have game on.  My 13HCP gives us a total of 25+ which may not be enough for game in a minor but, on the positive side, I've got 5C and LTC6 which together with Richard's assumed LTC7 says 5C is makeable and could be bid right now.  But wait, let's discover a bit more about partner's hand as he might well have 4H for a 2-suit fit strengthening our position considerably.  I bid 1H only showing 6+HCP and 4+H but, importantly, forcing him to bid again.

Now Richard bids 2NT showing 17/18 HCP and a (fairly) balanced hand.  I'm now even more excited than I was at his opening bid as a combined 30/31 HCP is on the verge of slam territory and since we use Gerber I can assess things without much risk of overcommitting.  I bid 4C asking for aces and get the message that he has two via a 4S response.so we are missing one ace.  Do I pull the plug and sign off with 4NT?  No way.  I ask for kings via 5C as I can always pull out in 5NT which should be OK with 30+ HCP.  His reply of 5S tells me that we have 4 kings with our 3 aces and 6+ HCP in addition - surely a queen or two in there and a very good C suit so I close off in 6NT.  Only one other couple even looked for a possible slam and they were down 1 in 6C.

Let's look at the play.  Unfortunately the 6C contract drew a H lead, won by A and the H return earned a ruff.  In 6NT life is so much more simple!  As long as HA is lost early in the play there are 2S,2H,3D,5C off the top generating an outright Top score.

I was torn this week between an analysis of overcall systems via board 22 (take a look at it and see how the system you play fares) and the one that I have chosen.  It's all about hand evaluation on board 16.  Only one pair arrived at the "correct" contract where "correct" as usual equates to my view!  Well done Peter and Mez.

W opens 1C (12+HCP and C the longest suit).  E replies 1H (6+HCP with 4+H).  There is no need to show all that strength YET as partner is forced to bid again and we'd rather gain more information than to use up (waste!) bidding space.  W now has a choice as he can show both his 16+ points and suit distribution with a reverse to 2S.  Alternatively he can just show his point count more precisely with a bid of 1NT as that HA helps to overcome the disadvantage of it being a singleton.  Let's assume he takes the 1NT(15-16 HCP) route.  E now gets excited!  They've 31-32 HCP - enough to be at least interested in a slam - so he bids a 4C Gerber asking for aces.  He follows the 4S (2 aces) with 5C asking for kings and gets a 5S reply (he had had room to pull out at the 5-level if the reply had been less).

E can now make a full assessment.  They have 7 of the 8 aces and kings and that H suit looks wonderful - worth 5 tricks if the missing ace is HA and 6 if not.  He decides to go for a small slam.  6H looks pretty comfortable but wait a minute.  The only real danger to 6NT would be if his DK were to be captured by DA but he'll be fourth player at trick 1 so this can't happen and so 6NT is the answer.  Both 6H and 6NT make but the latter generates just 10 points more - enough for an outright Top at duplicate.

Today's Tip involves a fairly straightforward hand but with several interesting features. Dealer E opens 1H by applying the Rule of 20.  S now has a choice.  He can overcall 1NT as he has (required for a 1NT overcall) 15HCP - some would say 16HCP - and his H holding sitting behind E gives significant added value.  Alternatively, as my partner did, he Passed.  I might have done the same if EW were vulnerable but not here.

Let's explore the Pass option.  W should bid 1S.  Some weaker players might try 2S to show opening points but this deprives the partnership of both bidding space and information.  1S forces partner to rebid supplyng some of that information and strength can be shown on the next bid. E can now bid 2D showing 5H and 4D with 12-15 HCP.  W closes the auction by bidding 3NT.

Did I say "straightforward"?  No pair followed this route!  2 pairs ended in 3NT but one was bid by E and the other, our opponents, who got there by a different route!  Isn't bridge such a simple game?

                                                PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

This week's tip is rather more intricate than most as it covers a number of aspects rather than the usual more simple single issue that I try to aim for.  My aim is to get across a single message that will help improving players to progress.  I didn't find exactly the right board for this this week but I did find the above board which I found intriguing so I'll explore it in some depth.  If it has a single message it is that you must have Partnership Agreement - more later.

Firstly let's analyse the scores that were achieved.  Out of 9 pairs there were 6 different contracts and play resulted in tricks ranging from 7 to 10 - quite a spread in both areas.  Only 2 pairs bid 4S which for me is the correct contract see below.  Richard and I were one and the rest of the Fountaine family were the others but they only made 9 tricks whereas we got 10 for game.  You'd think that we'd get a Top but no.  Elisabeth and Owen bid only up to 3S but were kindly doubled to give them the Top.

Let's look at the bidding.  Of course it depends on which systems you use (PA).  I'll just look at Acol and systems like Benji which utilise Weak Twos.  In Acol my view is that the bidding should go as follows - after 2 passes W opens 1C, N overcalls 1D (8-15 HCP with a 5-card suit) and E bids 1S with the equivalent of 11HCP counting 2 for each singleton as no suit fit has been agreed.  S knows that partner has 5+D so contributes a bid of 2D putting W in something of a quandary.  He can't rebid his C as his suit is quite weak and he'd have to go to the 3-level. H and D are definitely out and NT would be too risky with that singleton H but he wants to stay in the auction so he bids 2S as it is highly probable that E has 5+S.  Whatever N now does E reassesses the situation.  With an agreed suit those singletons are now worth 3HCP each giving a total of 13 opposite an opening bid.  There's nowhere else to go (but most of you found it!!!} but to bid 4S.

With a Benji - or similar - system E still opens 1C but N's bid depends on which overcall convention you use (PA}.  Many better players choose Weak Jump Overcalls but we prefer Intermediate JOs and will jump with 11-15HCP and a decent 5-card suit.  Here the D are just about good enough so N overcalls 2D.  E bids 2S, S 3D and W 3S.  E now makes a judgement and raises to 4S.

Analysis of the play is more difficult as there's not much evidence to go by.  At 5 of the 6 contracts the lead was DA - quite reasonable given the bidding.  At our table this was followed by a low D but this is clearly wrong!  S has 3D, knows that N has 5 and can see 4 in dummy so E has a singleton and the second D lead results in DQ being overtaken by DK which is ruffed leaving DJ a winner.  It still left E with a lot to do to make 10 tricks but bidding and making game with a partnership total of just 19HCP is very satisfying!

It was a daunting challenge setting this week's Tip as it was a SIMS event and many of you took away the booklet where the "experts" analyse each hand.  It took me quite some time to choose a board to analyse myself but, being of an awkward nature(!), I chose one where I profoundly disagree with those "experts"!  Board 19 surely begins with 1D followed by a 1S response but what then?  The "experts" suggest 2NT (showing 17-18 HCP) leading to a final contract of 4S but I wouldn't bid 2NT with no sign of a H stop.  Partner may have just 6 HCP and is therefore pretty unlikely to have much of a H stop either - those 6 HCP could well be SAQ or SAJ with an outside J.  I feel that a jump to 3D, showing 16+HCP and a good suit is much better.  Partner has 7 HCP and a void - worth another 5 once a suit has been agreed - so either bids 5D or rebids S ending in game somewhere.

Well who was correct - me or them?  Well it's obviously them isn't it as 3NT made 12 tricks but that was very fortunate in the defence's distribution.  On the lead of a small H by N there are 4 H tricks - possibly 5 if H split 5-2 not 4-3.  A C to follow the H tricks sets up a possible 5 extra tricks! W can now only win 5 (almost certain) D, 2S and 1C making just 8 tricks except for SQ being with N - a bit lucky.

So who was really right?  I'll leave you to judge but I'd welcome views on this hand from any of you - whatever your level.  My Tip is, as always, to analyse and re-analyse with every bid made and every card played but please contribute as I want to be an "expert" myself one day!

                                                          PLANNING THE PLAY

This week we're taking a look at play of the cards and not the bidding.  Board 3 looks quite uninteresting as everyone ended up in 3NT by one means or another.  Acol would suggest 2NT-3C(Stayman)/3D-3NT.  Richard and I arrived at the same end point but by a different route but we play a modified version of Acol.  Everyone also got a H lead so the hand looks even less interesting.  But wait!  Look at the end result.  Pairs all made the contract with 9,10 or 11 tricks and 11 tricks gives an excellent score.  How is it achieved?  Two basic approaches should be deployed - planning the play before you play your first card and looking carefully at every card played by opponents throughout the board.  Here you can see - with straightforward play - 1S, perhaps 2H, 2 or 3D and 4C provided they don't split 5-1 or worse so 9 or 10 tricks (depending on a D finesse) and your 3NT looks assured.  That H lead though significantly changes the picture as, if W is leading from the longest and strongest suit held, there is a very high probability that either or both HQ and HJ are sitting with W.  You play low from dummy and are delighted to see E play HQ which you take with HA.  Now you re-assess.  HJ is almost certainly with W as, if not, the opening lead would be from a suit headed by the 8.  This means that you can finesse H10 for a 3rd H trick but take your time - only fools rush in!  You can take that finesse later so first establish your C tricks by playing from K down.  Next play DA (in case DQ is a singleton) and cross to dummy with the H finesse and cash HK (it still leaves you with a H stop if W has DQ) and take the D finesse which works  So you end up with 1S,3H,3D and 4C tricks making 11 in all.

                                                    SLAM BIDDING

This week's Tip is a bit different as it involves some aspects of slam bidding - not an area where I'd expect to go with my intended audience of improving players (I don't feel that I'm good enough to teach our top players.  I do have a go in my monthly Quiz on the Rugby website but there It isn't limited to a board played in a single session).

Before we look at the board let's consider the pros and cons of going for a slam.  Some people are reluctant, thinking that we've got an almost certain game on and a slam might be dodgy.  Let's look at the maths. 4S/6S as a choice.  NV 4S making 11/12 tricks will give you 450/480 but 6S generates -50/980 for 11/12 so the balance is -500/+500 if you make 11 or 12.  So if you feel it's 50/50 or better go for it as there's always also a chance that opponents will "gift" you a trick by poor defence.   V calculations and those for grand slams are similar but I'll leave you to work that out for yourself.  Suffice it to say that in most sessions there are at least twice as many makeable slams as those that are bid.

Let's turn to board 1.  Is it a slam?  Or is it a grand slam?  Is it in H  or NT?  Well 8/10 bid slam.  So was it a grand slam and should it be in H or NT?  My view is that after asking for aces and kings you know you've all the aces and missing just one king so a slam is almost undefeatable but is it a small slam or a grand slam and is it H or NT?  Well you assess the odds.  There is a one in three chance that the missing king is DK in which case you've 13 tricks (2S,7H,1D,3C) off the top. If it is either HK or CK then there's also a 50% chance that it is sitting with W and therefore probably finesseable so the odds are in favour of making 13 tricks which every NS pair did.  When you look at those potential 13 tricks there is no need for any rough so 7NT is the correct bid found only by Alan and Judith.  Well done to them.  Those extra 10 points for 7NT v 7H ensure a top score.  This can be of vital importance at duplicate but is utterly irrelevant in teams!

This weeks tip covers hand assessment by comparing two boards which, on the surface, appear quite similar but in reality are very, very different.  They both end up with a contract by EW and both have EW with 21 HCP.  Let's look at the differences and why.

Firstly board 11.  After three Passes Richard sitting E opens 1S.  S rather boldly (a bit risky Pat but you weren't vulnerable) bids 2H. I've just 8 HCP so we've got a combined 20+ - not enough to go mad on - but I see the probability of a competitive auction following that 2H bid so I reassess my hand.  I've just 7 LTC and can assume that partner has 7 LTC too (actually only 6) because he opened the bidding.  18 -  (7+7) = 4 so a bid of 4S has to be considered but what about the shortage in HCP?  I always add distribution points to my HCP - 3/2/1 for a void/singleton/doubleton which increases to 5/3/1 if we've found a suit fit.  Adding 5 for my void means that we've 25+ points so I end the auction by going direct to 4S ending up with a Top for us.

Board 18 (see below) is very different.  E opens 1D to which W replies 1S showing 4+S.  E now bids 2C showing 12 to 14 or 15 HCP with 5+D and 4+C.  W's analysis now shows a combined HCP of 20 to 23 with just 1 distributional point to add on and a 9 LTC. Time to bale out as game is almost certainly not biddable so a suit preference bid of 2D ends the auction giving a straight Top.  Only one pair succeeded in finding and stopping in 2D - Well done Dick and Kate!

The overall message is that you should constantly reassess your holding in the light of information gleaned from bids by both partner and opponents.

Hand22.

Planning the hand by East in 6 hearts! With a look at the opening lead!

Before you play a card from dummy you should take a few minutes to plan the play.
First- count your non- trump winners. You have 4. Ace spades, AK of D, and the A of clubs.

Can you make 8 trump tricks.? Well , it is best to look to the shorter trump hand  usually- unless you plan a dummy reversal, and yes you can trump D X 2. So that makes 7 plus the 4- 1 trick short.

Next , you are looking to ' promote' a winner or winners and you can do this in spades or clubs. You can lose a trick to both black kings but not to both.

Your last option is to ' finesse' but this is a last resort and as you can see both ' finesses' lose! and if you play the hand carefully you will see that you do not need to try both ' finesses '.

Opening lead? 3 chose  a low club. If you (and you should ) play a low for like lead - please return this suit partner what is to like about your clubs! You should lead the 8 for 'hate'.
Under lead the K of spades! Not for me.
The 7D or the 8H look correct.

However, if you look at the hand carefully - no lead defeats the contract.

Give up a trick to the K of clubs early - you have 2c, 1s , 2d and 7 trumps( including 2 d ruffs- 1 'high'.

Give up a trick to the K of spades early- you have 1c, 4s, 2d and 5 trumps.

If we plan the hand in this way we will all get better results.

The bidding:
For me- 1h- 4d( 4 hearts and 0/1 in diamonds - a splinter bid slam try) . 4s- possibly wasted values in D but extra points-15- and an extra trump( a 5/4 super -fit) . So accept the slam try and cue- bid the A spades. West has extra points so bids 4NT and playing key- card Blackwood  shows 2 -Ace  spades and K of trumps.With 4 missing Kings West settles for 6h.

So much from 1 hand!

Terry doesn't have any tips for this week. Jenny does though. Don't miss the Christmas Party!

A bit different this week as I'm only offering half a tip and requesting half a tip from you in return!  I was flattered to receive an email from Alan Walker requesting my view on how he and Judith bid this hand as they got a straight Bottom.  Alan is a very good player (as I'm sure that you already know) so I took his request seriously.  He told me that he opened 1S, Judith raised to 3S and, based largely on LTC passed despite holding 14HCP.  His LTC is 8 (though partner will assume 7) and Judith, with LTC 8 herself correctly bid 3S Alan assessed the situation and with one more loser than "promised" decided to opt out while every other pair bid and made 4S.  I looked at the hand again and replied that I agreed with his analysis and had bid the same way.  The only difference at our table is that Richard is too cavalier to stick steadfastly to the rules and he raised to 4S, which is risky in my opinion.  So Alan and I got this one wrong while the rest of you got it right!

After Friday afternoon bridge Judith and I were both in the group that retired to the Bull in Clifton for much needed refreshment!  She had been thinking about this board too and suggested that a "holding bid" might have been a better option as with, say, 2C you are telling partner that you have 10+HCP and also forcing him to bid - giving you potentially useful information.  That is an excellent suggestion as you lose nothing (you can always go back to 3S on your next bid) and can gain quite a lot to determine whether game, or even slam, is on.  So that is half of my Half a Tip.  Don't get over-excited just because you found a fit in a major but think whether a holding bid might give you better information to work with.  Be careful though.  It will also give more information to opponents so only use it if you think that it might help.

I looked again at this board and, although Judith's idea is a good one, it wouldn't have helped much here.  Without the holding bid it goes 1S-3S followed by ??? - P or 4S.  With it it goes 1S-2C/2S followed by ??? - P or 4S. The second half of my Half a Tip is to repeat my view that LTC is not infallible - as here.  The half a tip want from you is to tell me how you bid this hand to arrive at 4S.

Last week I asked 2 questions (and requested a reply) about how useful you find Terry's Tips and where should I go next?  I expected a massive deluge of replies (!) but I didn't get any - partly my fault as my winesof.quality@virgin.net address was not included.  I'll ask again so please reply as, if I get the same response, Terry's Tips will be a thing of the past.

This week I'm talking about two issues on the same board.  They are the values of a very unbalanced distribution and the question of when you should duck.  On board 27 just three out of eight - unfortunately one of them against us! - bid and made 5D with just 22 HCP giving them a second Top (more about the Top later).  S opens 3D and my partner, Jane, replies 3H.  N assesses the position.  Partner has 6-10HCP and 7+D so they have a combined 10+D - almost certainly 6+ tricks with at least 4 more in outside suits?  This is enhanced by a possible S finesse and also a potential H ruff in the short trump suit so 5D is worth a go and it makes.  It might not always work but what in bridge does?  Well done to those who bid it.

Two other pairs ended up in 3NT one of them making a Top  with 10 tricks - well done Alan and Judith! - while an unnamed pair made just 6 (a vast difference!).  How could this happen?  In both cases the opening lead was QH so it's probably not an issue of poor defence.  I wasn't there (so I don't know) but my guess is that one pair (correctly) ducked and one didn't (sorry, former Chairman!).  N should say (to himself) that W must have at least 6 and probably 7H so there is a reasonable chance that the lead may be a singleton so it is better to duck (as AH will always make sometime) and see what the future brings as to take it early risks the probability of W getting the lead (AD) and taking 6 more H tricks.
Isn't bridge a great game?  I love it because, in itself, it is a great game but it also encompasses a very enjoyable social experience - particularly in DBC!

Not much of a tip as I didn't find a board worthy of introducing something different.  It is much more a repeat of ground covered in previous tips but needs review since 7 out of 9 pairs got the bidding wrong (in my opinion).  It is a fairly straightforward run-of-the-mill board.

S opens 1S.  W may or may not overcall 2C - I would.  N, in either case, bids 2D.  E may, or may not, support partner's suit with 3C - I wouldn't.  S assesses all that he knows together with his own values.  He hasn't enough HCP to now bid NT as 15+ are needed and with few (no) other options he rebids S at the lowest level available.  N now does his assessment.  As a pair they have 24+ HCP and at least 2 additional points for distribution (he has a doubleton himself and partner has 5S so there's a doubleton or less over there.  They have 8+S so his bid is "obvious" - 4S.  The LTC also supports this bid and suggests (correctly for once!) that 5S is makeable.

However 7 of 9 went somewhere else!  If you were one of them then please think carefully about the above which I also recommend to those of you who were not NS on this hand.

Transfers?

After an opening bid of 1NT , 2NT , a INT overcall by partner, or this sequence- 2c-2d-2NT( 23/24), and keeping it simple, you should really consider playing red suit transfers with a 5 card h or s suit.

So, a 2d response( announce) asks partner to bid hearts and a 2h response( announce) - bid spades. You may choose to jump a level with 4/5 ' super fit '.

Let's look at board 12.

South opens a weak NT . North has 10 points and great shape and their responsibility is to find whether game is possible in NT, H or S.Transfer is used with as few as 0 points!! Using transfer you can show the exact shape of this hand at level 2 (transfer has saved space ) and transfer MUST be used with a hand with a 5 card major( not stayman- which is for a 4 card major).

So, it should go - INT-2D-2H-2S-3S( fit found)-4S( 7 losers and a singleton!)

If North had 5s and 5h, they must transfer to the higher ranking spades first, intending to show hearts next bid- if bidding space allows.

The play?

If every pair bid to 4S your trick target becomes more than 10 ,to get a top or equal top.After the correct lead of Q clubs, plan the hand. Count your non- trump winners- 4 and aim for 7 trump tricks or 6 and establish a 5 th heart. Have fun planning this hand but the tip is not to draw trumps or too many and not to lose the lead- club losers!

I hope you all agree that looking back at the hands on- line is a fantastic extra.

A booklet on every deal would be really useful this week - so many great boards.

Board 7:

Rule of 14, Losing Trick Count, Delayed Support and planning the play.

South 1s, North 2d- 9 points plus 5 for a 5card suit =14. With less you must bid 2s or 1 nt. Over the 2/1 bid South with 15 points can force with 3c , then the delayed s support - 3s- which is also suit preference. With an extra s and 6 losers- South bids game.

On a heart lead win the trick, 2 rounds of trumps- it is usually correct to leave the opposition winner out- then set up the diamonds, keeping the k of clubs as an entry if needed.

On a club lead? - they may not have been bid- the 10 is correct- win in hand - proceed as above - keeping the k c as an entry if needed.

Board 20: Shape, the Losing Trick Count and Roman Key- Card Blackwood.

West has 11 points and 9 cards in 2 suits plus a void- opens 1 heart.

East has a massive 4 loser hand if a fit is found. They quietly bid 2c , supported by partner with 3c.East just quietly forces with a new suit at level 3 - 3d.West- again quietly bids 3s- a control for a possible NT contract? Not a bit of it! East has a hand that has not been fully revealed and with a club ' fit ' and a partner with an assumed 7 loser hand - must go on( 18-7-4= 7) , a ' grand slam ' is a possibility.

They need to know what controls/ key- cards partner has so bids 4NT- asking with clubs the agreed trumps. Partner's reply can show the 4 aces, the king of trumps and the queen of trumps. They have all 3 key- cards that partner needs - and over the reply of 5c( if playing 0314) or 5d ( if playing 1430) , East can bid the ' grand' - 7c!!

Playing regular Blackwood you will not know about the King of trumps. The reply will be 5 hearts- 2 aces.

Please ask if you would like more information about RKCB ( strongly recommended!) , that swept across the World of Bridge some years ago.

The Opening Lead.

This is often the most important card in the play of the hand. The making of a contract or the number of under tricks can hinge on the correct selection.

Board 3:

Assuming 1d-1h-1s-3d-3h-4h is the bidding sequence- 3D shows 16+ and 6cards , Is 5cards and enough for a non- vulnerable overcall, repeat of hearts-then good support.

There is only 1 correct lead! You want a spade from partner, clubs have not been bid, so this is the only likely entry to partners hand. The opposition have bid their suits twice- no time for messing , you have to get your tricks fast! The 5 of clubs is a low for like lead so incorrect , the 10c just shows the 9!You find partners ace c and a spade- the suit you bid is duly returned. You hold the declarer to 10! Look at the consequence of the wrong lead( the 5c is ok on this hand but incorrect).

Board 18:

West opens 1h - North is frozen out - East responds 1s! What now for West? 14 points and 2 10's and only 6 losing tricks( at best a rough guide!) . There is only one rebid - INT- the hand is clearly worth 15/16, so uprate and solve the rebid problem. East with 10 bids 3 (game) - but only 2 pairs did!

Board 21:

Forgetting or in this case ignoring basic principles! Don't try for a slam with 2 small cards( not Ace or King ) in an unbid suit! At best greedy , at worst a poker bid!!Yes- the travellers reveal all- it was I !

I'm pleased to tell my regular readers - are there any? - that I HAVE BEEN PROMOTED!  I was asked to start this column because there was a desire on the Committee to help our improving players so it is in that direction that I pitched it.  However last week I found myself trying to improve the pairing who got a Top on my chosen board.  This week I go even further by telling two of the top three on the night how they should (in my opinion) change their game for the better!

My main board is no. 10.  Our opponents got it right attaining a Joint Top - well done Margaret and Patricia! - so Richard and I can claim no credit for this one.  However 4 out of 6 pairs got it wrong with 2 in the wrong suit and 2 at the wrong level.  This is a little surprising as , for me at least, it is a pretty straightforward bidding sequence involving a number of techniques which are very useful.

1.  The first of these is  4 UP / 5 DOWN meaning that with two 4-card suits it is better to bid the lower ranking one initially whereas with two 5-card suits you should begin with the higher one.  So, after 3 passes, N opens 1D.

2.  S is pleased with the opening bid as they've already found a suit fit.  He might be tempted to show this (and his strength) by a response of 3D.  But wait.  What's the hurry?  If he bids a second suit then this forces partner to bid again so he can always return to D on the next round.  So he tries to find out more about partner's hand by making a HOLDING BID of 1S.

3.  Now it is time for N to be pleased.  He doesn't know about the D fit but he can see a fit in S so he utilises the LOSING TRICK COUNT.  He has "told" partner by his opening bid that he has an LTC of 7 but in reality his LTC is (arguably)  6.  With LTC of 7 he'd raise to 2S but now he lets partner into his LTC 6 secret by raising to 3S.  S is now more than pleased as he can see a double fit so he does his own LTC showing 8 and calculates 6 +8 = 14, and 18 - 14 = 4 so he ends the bidding with 4S.

There is no magical science in the above bidding - just simple HAND EVALUATION  and JUDGEMENT - but it does lead you to the right suit and the right level.  Majors are worth more than minors and even if you could make game in D (you shouldn't but one pair did) then 620 for 4S out-trumps 5D at 600.

Unfortunately their success must have gone to our opponents' heads on Board 11 (the next hand) as it also did to the other Joint Top and one other pair. They all went off in another 4S but, using the above techniques, the bidding should have been 1S-2C/2H-2S found by only one pair.  Well done Pat and Tony!

This week I'm not looking at any particular convention but hand assessment overall.  I've chosen Board 13 because, to me at least, the bidding is fairly straightforward whatever system you use but, nevertheless, 5 out of 7 NS pairs playing it got it wrong (in my opinion) including the pair who got a top!!!  That means it is worthy of review as the majority of you could find something helpful.

Let's start with old-fashioned Standard Acol playing strong Twos.  N opens 2S showing either 19+ points (which he hasn't but does have exceptional distributional values) or 8 Playing Tricks in S (which he certainly has).  After a holding response of 3C (to find out more about N hand) N would jump, probably to 4H.  S can now see a combined 35 (they haven't) HCP or 11 Playing Tricks.  It is time to go slam-hunting!  4NT asks for A's getting a reply of 5D.  This is followed by 5NT/6H and the next bid is ???

Next we'll move to weak Twos.  Most people play them only in the majors and they are usually accompanied by Benji.  Richard and I play Weak Twos in 3 suits so our strong hand bidding is different but on this hand all roads lead to the same place.  I've never played Benji regularly although I did play Reverse Benji with Debbie a few years ago.  Don't ask me what advantages we saw over Benji itself as I never found out!  Here N opens 2C showing the same values as above without defining (yet) the suit.  After a holding bid of 2NT the reply of 3S defines the suit.  Slam-hunting again either by Gerber or Blackwood or Roman Key Card or whatever.  Once S knows that N holds 1A and 2K the next bid is ???

??? is the key to this board and hand assessment is required to arrive at the correct bid.  With Standard Acol you are already at the slam level so the choices are limited - 6 or 7 and in which denomination? With Weak Twos and Gerber you have a wider choice as you are still at the level of 5H but what is the answer?  You, as S, know that you have all the aces and just two kings so two are missing.  You can see that partner has only 10HCP in aces and kings so he must have considerable values, either HCP or distribution for his opening bid.  You can also see that you must have a very strong S suit.  If the two missing kings are in the minors then you have the opportunity to finesse in both suits .  If not then the minor king that he does have strengthens that suit when put together with your holding and he'll almost certainly have QS which you can attempt to finesse.  So in either case you have two finesses to take on.  The probability of both of these working is 25% which, for me, rules out a grand slam but the probability of one of them working is 75% so a bid of a small slam is worthwhile.  In which denomination?  You clearly have very good S so 6S is on but you also have stops in the other 3 suits and no potential for ruffing in the short trump suit so I'd settle for 6NT as two pairs did.

In the end the play of the cards meant that all that I've said so far was completely irrelevant!!!  All made 13 tricks "off the top" but that does not negate the need to go through this sort of assessment.  I fully expect that some of you will hold a different view on what to bid when - that's life and different people make different judgements.  I'm not trying to impose mine on any of you but I do want you to agree with my view on the need for hand assessment and to practise it!

Terry

This week's tip involves board 5 and concerns hand evaluation and bid limitation.  I've always thought that the best way for most people to learn is by making a mistake and then having that mistake (nicely) explained to them.  That technique is not fully available to me when writing this column as you can all look to see who is involved and my pointing out of an individual pair's error gets close to public humiliation.  However I don't have such constraints this week because you all got this one wrong in one way or the other!

It involves a frequently occurring type of hand and nothing particularly complicated about the bidding.  I think that this should be

E opens 1H, the higher of his two 5-card suits having applied the Rule of Twenty.  That void could be very useful.

W has just 6 HCP so must bid and replies 1S.

E now thinks that his void may not be quite as valuable as he'd hoped and bids 2D to show his second suit and minimum points.

W assesses the strengths of the combined hands.  Placing E with 12-14 HCP he sees a total of 18-20.  It's time to bale out but to where?  They hold 6+H,7+D and probably no more than 7S.  Pass is the safest option and 2D is makeable.  Only one pair - playing against us - came to this conclusion but then spoiled all the good work by going two down - presumably by not ruffing H in the short trump suit.

Boldness be my friend! - and hand evaluation for potential slams.

The most popular contract (8/10 if you include 4NT) was 3NT but for me the correct contract is 6NT.  This was bid by Richard and I and by one other pair.  Don't worry folk - I'm not claiming to be the greatest as Richard takes all the credit for this one!  I don't know how the bidding went on your table but please look at how it went on ours as there are potentially things to learn. 

I open 1C ( too strong for 1NT) with 15 HCP and a balanced hand.

Response is 1D showing 6+ HCP - but not limited - and 4+D

I now reply 1NT to show 15-16 HCP

Richard assesses the situation. We have 31-32 HCP - on the border of a small slam, especially with a very promising looking D suit.  There's nothing to be lost in exploring a slam as 4NT is almost certainly on so he asks me for aces by bidding a Gerber 4C.  It took me a while to work out that my response was 4NT as you don't often have three aces in response to this request!

Encouraged by my reply Richard pushes on and bids 5C asking for kings.  Again there's a limited exposure as my three aces make 5NT highly probable.  I reply 5H  showing that I have the fourth king..

Richard can now see that we have all the aces and kings but he can also deduce that I have at most an additional jack as my 3A/1K are 15 of my 15--16 HCP.  So we are missing three queens  and 6NT could be defeated but there was no point going this far and then be timid!  From the very start of s slam-hunt he could work out that if l had all the missing aces and kings then there was no way that I had a queen  - I'd have bid 2NT not 1NT with 17-18HCP.  So he boldly bids 6NTwhich makes.  Well done Richard!

How should the hand be played?  Since 9 out of 10 made 12 tricks or more (13 were made 3 times but this was probably through N discarding a D on the Cs) there's not much for most of you to learn but it is worth examining the approach to be taken.  Before declarer plays to the opening lead he should have answered the following questions.  Where and how many winners do I have?  Where and how many potential losers?  How can I maximise the former and minimise the latter?  Here you can see 2S,2H,2+D,3+C winners giving 9+ overall.  There is an extra trick if the D finesse works and yet another one if D split 4-1 with an extra one if that split is 3-2.  So you can get the additional three tricks that you need if both the finesse and the split are ideal but this combination has a probability well below 50%.  In C you have a chance of two extra trick if the split is 3-3 but the probability of this is also below 50%.  So you combine the two playing C first and if this doesn't work switching to D hoping for the finesse and the 3-2 split.  Here fortune favours the brave as C do split 3-3 and this gives you the opportunity to play out C where opponents might discard a D from a 4-card suit to give you 13 tricks.

1) The bidding.

South will open 1c and partner - to conserve bidding space and because a jump to 2s should? show a weak hand with 6s - bid a suit to a suit 1s. Opener is assumed to have a 7 loser hand and responder has just 5! 7+5=12-18=6. Responder is thinking SLAM! Opener will repeat their club suit - 2c- and responder is now on catch-up to show the strength of their hand. Bid 3s!! - not a 4s limit bid .Even with a 6 not 7 loser hand- again opener will make the quiet bid of 4s- agreeing trumps and having the missing king.

North has still not bid to the hands strength and needs ( still thinking SLAM ) to know what controls partner has. Enter RKCB ( 4NT) which asks about 5 cards- the 4 aces and the King of trumps!! Partner responds 5h which is 2 key cards . So 1 is missing- it does not matter which - and North bids the slam. If partner had shown only 1 key card, North can sign off in 5! Note: normal Blackwood will not tell you about the King of trumps!!

2) The opening lead- very often the key card!

You may like to lead an ace v a slam but you do not have one! and in non- slam contracts you should have the King too! So it's a queen ( in the unbid suits) or the 2c in the 2x bid club suit. The low for like 2c is a clear singleton and may help declarer plan the hand. At our table the 2 was led , at table 3 who also correctly bid the slam the q of d was bid and with this lead the play was more difficult!- but still possible to make the contract.

3) The play.

Count your winners after the 2c lead! 2c- 2d-7s. 1 short! Where is this trick coming from? Trump a diamond in dummy? Set up the club suit? Play West for the ace of hearts?

The lead was helpful- if correct?- you have to win the lead, remove trumps, return to dummy with the King of diamonds , cash the other top club- throwing the losing diamond and play a heart! Bulls-eye and intriguingly difficult! Post mortem required !

No post mortem for this hand. A recognised and apologised for basic error by the writer!

4s by South or North. On the club lead and continuation there are 3 losers and an another possible loser in clubs! There was thought? but you have to ruff the 3rd club high!! If you promote a spade loser for the opposition, so what you were one-off anyway!

I hope you found interest in the above- they cost us 19 IMP'S!

This week's tip revolves around talking to/with your partner.  It involves board 3 which interestingly had seven different contracts bid ranging from passed out to 3NT!  How does a partnership arrive at the right/best contract.  I believe that talking to partner is a very important part of this.  At a recent lesson I gave to the Improvers I teach I suggested that before you make any bid ask yourself the following questions. 1. What has partner told me so far?  2.What have I already told partner?  3. What else do I need to tell him?  4. What else do I need to know from him?  5. Who is likely to be the one to choose the final contract?  Let's look at how this works on board 3.  The bidding at our table went as follows.

1H - it's one of those difficult 4-4-4-1 hands. We use a system called RCBM which I remember by Roman Catholic Branch Manager - easy for me because I used to be a Catholic and I was a Branch Manager in IBM for many years.  RCBM here stands for Red/Clubs Black/Middle i.e. if your singleton is red then open 1C, if it is black open 1 of the middle of the other three  suits. Partner has told me that he has 12+HCP and 4+H.

2C  if I'd only had 9HCP I would have bid 1NT but now I've told him that I have 10+ HCP and 5C.  More interestingly I've also told him that I do not have 4S as we never bypass a 4-card major.

2D  there's no point showing 4S as I don't have 4S, 2NT would show 15-16 HCP so 2D is the best option showing me 12-15HCP with 5H (a lie but not as big a lie as anything else) and 4D.

2H  we don't have enough HCP for game and we don't have a fit so it's time to bail out but where.  I can expect partner to have no more than 1C as he has 9 in H/D and, given my 6C and just 3S is likely to have more S than C.  This ruled out 2NT for me because we appear to have a suitable distribution and a long minor can be very useful in a NT contract but you have to have entries to the hand holding the long minor.  Here if partner has a singleton C (or void) your only entry back to C once CK has been taken is a risky HK.  3C is a possibility but we probably only hold 7C between us and we also have - or so I think - 7H between us so I settle for a simple suit preference bid of 2H as this generates the same score as 3C and is probably easier to make.

Richard brilliantly makes 3H with only 6 trumps  and we get a Top.  I don't know how the conversation went on your and other tables but I recommend you  consider the above approach,

Incidentally the approach "we never bypass a 4-card major" is illustrated even more clearly on board 23.  Partner opens 1H and with 9HCP  and a very weak 4S suit many would reply 1NT.  But we never deny a 4-card major so I bid 1S and pass partner's response of 2S for a score of 70%..

Interesting! West will open 1 C and North should overcall IS- the highest of their 2 5 card suits! Using the LTC East has 7 opposite partners assumed 7 , so 18-7-7 = a bid of 4 Clubs.South with an unbalanced hand , club void and 5 spades can easily justify- even vulnerable - a competitive bid to the level of the fit - 5+5 in spades = a 4 bid . West has one less than the assumed 7 losing tricks and can bid 5C.

North has to consider if this is making? With their excellent 2nd suit of diamonds they could try 5S . Not doubled fine, I off doubled fine , 2 off doubled is -500!!- not good. For me it's 5s......bid by North or South.

Just how often do you arrive in a contract that EVERYBODY should be in? Well if this the case, you must consider what your " trick target " should be . Making might give you an average score , plus 1 or 2??- may give you a top or joint top.

North 1H , South 1S - 2NT - 3NT. Straightforward at every table. Everybody gets the same helpful lead... A club. The 7 runs to the 10 and Q , the ace lead sets up 2 club tricks . Count your winners- 2 spades , 4 hearts , 2 diamonds . If you place the Q d with West you have your ninth and as you will place the ace of clubs with East, you will make 2 clubs for your 11 tricks....was that your 30 HCP trick target.......

Sometimes the writer will choose hands that are interesting and thought provoking, randomly, at other times those that have these qualities but are also a personal success. So, no apologies this week.
You may disagree with both tips - it's all about evaluation, judgement, being active or passive, probability, taking a well considered ' view ', but hopefully it's all about bridge and not stepping into the world of guessing .

Let's assume E opens 1C . What does a non - vulnerable South do? Are they active or passive? The text book will suggest - not enough points to double - but look at the perfect shape! Try X- active -at part- score level. W will ignore and bid 1H and then N- still at the 1 level can make the brilliant bid of - yes- X . I have support in both the other suits - you choose . Over 2H from E - 2S- 3H - 3S. If E/W bid 4H, S must X and this time it is for penalties as partner has bid. As a guideline - X is for take-out until partner has made a non X bid. So compete, be active.
Note : As East's second suit outranks his clubs , they may open 1NT!- yes with a 5542 shape and points in both doubletons. What now for South? Active or passive? This South would disturb opponent's No Trump and bid 2H which shows H and S........ And bid to 3S as above)

Your priority is to find out whether game is possible in 3NT, 4H/S .
S opens 1C - N 1D . With 16+ and 6C you could bid - Stop - 3C but this is non- forcing and could be passed. How about a bold 3NT? Your holdings in the majors offer some protection from the likely opening lead and there is a fair chance that neither opponent has a biddable 5 card major - there is plenty of bidding space.
Why settle for a score everybody should be in? Consider the bold approach .

This week I'm looking at board 24.  Richard and I got a high score here but for once(!!!) this was not due to my brilliance, or even Richard's.  It was down to a weakness in the opposition - Sorry girls.  It is a question of when to bid (on) and when not to.  Our opponents were E-W and rightly opened 1C to which a correct reply of 1H was made.  West then made the reasonable choice of 2C followed by 2S then 2NT going two down.  Can you see the problem?  Before you read on please take a detailed look and see if you can spot it.

Bidding is not about just rules and conventions but rather a conversation between you and your partner. The questions "What has he told me?" and "What have I told him already?" must be constantly going through your head.  Here the conversation is

1C 12+ HCP and 4+C, 1H 6+ HCP and 4+H, 2C 12-15 HCP and 5+C  What can E do?  Putting things together he sees 21-24 HCP so no game is on.  Partner has denied  both 4xH by not supporting the 1H and 4xS by bidding 2C bypassing a 4-card major.so 2S is a wasted raise.  Analysis of the conversation says that 2C is the most likely contact to make and it does.  This conclusion was reached by 4 of the 8 pairs who played it but 4 others didn't listen to the conversation.

This week I'm looking at board 22 both bidding and play

Almost all pairs ended in a Spade contract at the 2,3 or 4 level so that would seem the best place to be but at what level?  Losing Trick Count is the most useful approach once a suit fit has been agreed.  This hand is an excellent example of the power of LTC to help you make the correct bids.  West has 14 HCP and a LTC of 7 1/2 (2S,1H,2D,2 1/2C).  Partner will expect an opening bid to show LTC of 7 unless/until opener clarifies things by a later bid.  East has only 8 HCP  but has only 8 LTC (1S,2H,3D,2C)  so takes the partnership total LTC of 15 away from 18 to arrive at a bid of 3S inviting partner to go on if holding 6 LTC or less.  West is slightly weaker than so far described and so should pass leaving a final contract of 3S.

How should it be played?  North, on lead,, should in my view begin with his two aces and follow up with the two kings which will take a 4S contract one down..  At a couple of tables- including ours  - the ten of Spades was led.  This allowed me to take three rounds of trumps and switch to cashing my three top Hearts ending up in East.  Glory, gtory the Hearts split 3-3 so I'm able to cash the thirteenth Heart discarding  a Diamond loser from West.  I get a ruff of West's third Club by East and end up making 5S,4H and a C ruff - ten tricks in total.  Others made 8, 9 or 11.

This week's tip covers hand assessment, risk taking and probabilities.  Two boards are involved.

Not the frequently occurring type of hand that we analysed last week but a very interesting one.  At our table W opened 1S, my partner, Richard, correctly passed as he doesn't have the values for a bid at the 2-level.  E then bids 3C giving me (S) a bit of a problem.  I have 16 HCP, a fantastic distribution and an LTC of just 3 but what do I bid?  I can see 9/10 tricks in my hand alone - 8D,1/2H - so I only need partner to deliver me just 1 trick to make 5D if HK is sitting in the right place.  If he can provide more than 1 trick then I'm safe.  If he can't give me even 1 trick then opponents almost certainly have a biddable game (which they do in 5C) or even a slam if one of them is void in D so I'd like to make life difficult for them and bid 5D immediately.  The opening lead of SA - made at several tables - guarantees my contract as I can immediately see 11 tricks from 8D,1S,2H from A,Q and J..  Incidentally no one found the opening lead of a H which takes the contract down.

This one also helps demonstrate the advantages of weak 2's - 6 to 10 HCP with a fairly good 6-card suit - which not everyone plays.  Here I open 2H to which W overcalls 3C.  Now it is Richard's turn to show his mettle.  He can assume that on a weak 2 I have an LTC of 8 (which I have).  His LTC is also 8 so perhaps 2H is our upper limit.  But we have a 9-card suit fit, we're not vulnerable and 3C is highly likely to make (it does) so he bids 3H.  This is quite successful even though down 1 as it removes the possibility of them getting a top score in 3C and invites them to either pass or overbid.

So, as I've said previously, bridge is a game where judgement is often the all important factor.  Hand assessment, risk taking and probabilities are very much a part of  this but be careful!

This is a good test of how do you bid this frequently occurring type of hand. There were four different bids - 2NT,3NT,3S and 4S in the nine times it was played.   Do you bid game or not?  Do you choose NT or S?

 S or NT?  When you have a 4-4 fit in a major then playing in that suit is usually preferable to a NT contract especially if you have a short (doubleton or less) suit.  You only need one ruff in either hand to deliver an extra trick overall and a better score than the NT option.  For instance 3NT gets 400/600 whereas 4H/S delivers 420/620.  You hold a doubleton C so have a high probability of a C ruff.  On this hand you will make exactly 4 tricks from your S suit in NT but in S you will make at least 5 if the ruff is successful.  Go for S!

Game or no game?  W opened 1NT if you play 12-14.  You, as E, have a balanced hand and 12 HCP.  It is tempting to respond 2NT (especially if you use 2S to show 11 HCP) inviting partner to raise to 3NT if he is in the top half of the range for his opening bid.  If you do this W will pass on this hand. But hold on.  You have that doubleton C.  I add 1-2-3 to my HCP for a doubleton-singleton-void. (I increase this to 1-3-5 once we've found a suit fit).  So my point count is 13  including 1 for my doubleton.  That gives us 25-27 as a partnership so I use Stayman to explore partner's 4 card major(s).  His reply of 2S is enough for me to decide to call 4S giving us an equal top score.  Incidentally the Losing Trick Count comes to a different conclusion but LTC is more useful for unbalanced hands.  You can normally assume that an opener of 1 of a suit points to 7 losers whereas 1NT indicates 8,  which is what W has here.  As E you also have 8 losers so LTC suggests your limit bid is at the 2 level only.  I guess that's a major part of why bridge is so challenging.  You have to evaluate and weigh up many, sometimes conflicting, bits of information and then use your judgement to decide on your bid.

So many good hands to look at this week!

The main theme is about " Disturbing Opponent's No Trump Bid "  ==  "DONT". You should consider a system that shows a desire to compete , ( usually ) , at part- score level with a hand with 2 suits - 5/4 , 4/5 or 4/4.

See the hands below for examples:

East 1NT - South has 2 suits and shortage in 2! Ideal- bid 2c - alert . This shows clubs and hearts! Partner can bid h , over caller can show 5 and his shape by bidding an invitational 3 , North passes!

Interested in a full system  - Google or ask!       How do you compete with a 6 card single suit?

North opens 1NT- pass -pass-? Well easy? If you do not have an alertable " system ", West will bid 2s . If you do - 2s will show spades and a minor! Partner East has more than spade tolerance , so passes !   MUST NOT BID ON ( poker bid!). If spades were really poor and you have support for both minors , you bid 2NT asking partner to  bid their minor.

The same "DONT" theme!

DONT pass West's 1NT.  North with 2 suits - bid 2D - shows D and H. Partner bids 2H and the contract is stolen for a part- score top!

A different sort of hand but it needs some thought. North will open 1C and East will overcall 1D. South? Well with the opponent's D well stopped and the best game options being 3N or 4H / 4S  -  NT is the bid . 1NT is 6-9, so you must bid 2NT!  With 14 points and a 5 card suit opener bids game  = 3 NT.

Simple - but only 3 pairs got there!

Impossible to resist 2 more hands!

The correct bidding by ( E/W ) was perfectly explained at our table!

West opens 1NT and N overcalled 2D. Playing transfers East's bid had been "stolen". The correct bid is to double and then the opener bids hearts - thus completing  the transfer and the correct contract for E/W is reached!  

Returning to the "DONT" theme:  --  is 2D the best overcall with 2 suits?  Arguably not ! Bid 2S showing spades and a minor and N/ S then find the optimum , higher ranking contract of spades!!

Weak 2's and the "asking" bid of 2NT( 15+ points).  A new theme.

A perfect hand for this - if WEST ( indulge me!) opens a weak 2h , East needs to know how weak/ strong partner is . They bid 2NT- alert!

The suggested response is to use the LTC- losing trick count.

With 9 losers in hearts- bid 3c

8- 3D

7- 3H

6- 3S.

West has 7, so bids 3H, East has 4 so a slam may be on (18- 7-4 = 7 ). Check aces with 4 NT or bid 6H straight- away. But you have a missing ace! The LTC is a friendly guide only.The ' asker' will place the contract depending on the opener's response.

This hand neatly shows that distribution is often more important than HCP in ' modern ' ACOL bidding . It also demonstrates how the Rule of 20 , coupled with the Rule of 14 provided only one pair a top!

The Rule of 20 for opening - points plus no of cards in a 2 suited hand- is commonly accepted. But what about with 19?

Be bold bid . I spade makes it harder for your opponents to bid . On a bad day what is the worst that can happen - on the hand above......gold!

So North 1 s - higher of '5s'- enough for a 2/1 reply of 2c ( you need 5 hearts to bid 2h!) , re-bid is 2h- bulls-eye- a 8+ heart fit and partner opened and is known to be unbalanced ! A quick losing trick count check- you have 7! Partner is assumed to have 7 , so 18-7-7= 4 !! You respond to 2 h with a game call of 4h !! The losing trick count proves to be 100% accurate . Opener only has 6 losers in a heart contract- 11 tricks can be made.

'Modern' bidding? Do you always pass your partners opening bid with 5 points?

Do you always pass rather than open ,with a balanced 11 points?

I will assume that MOST pairs bid 2c , with either 23+ points balanced or with 8+ top tricks in a suit .( There is a good case for preserving bidding space and opening 1 ( particularly in a minor ) with a BSH - big , shapely , hand ).

So , West opens 2c and as this bid has 2 possible meanings- reply a quiet 2d- alert- a relay bid that has no meaning.

East now describes their hand .It is balanced, so with 23/24 bids 2nt but here with 25 bids 3nt. With the long club suit opposite at least 2 clubs and 7 HCP , just bid 6 NT! For a joint top.

With Terry being away on an extended break, Peter has taken over the duties of providing comment on the hands for the next few weeks. There is the play on 2 hands to consider for this evening. This week's theme is all about 'selecting 'the best contract! In the first hand (7) there is a clear choice between NT and diamonds . In the second hand (8) it is between NT and hearts:

This is how one pair and only one pair bid it:

1d-1h- 2c- 2NT - 3NT .  So ,2NT shows a spade stop and 3NT more than minimum HCP. Your priority is to try to find 'game' in 3NT , 4H or 4S.

You will note that at level 1 both opponents had the opportunity to bid 1 S with a 5 card suit!  So, assume/ hope for 4/4 , be bold and South should bid 3NT. Diamonds , even with an overtrick=130 , NT= 600!  Do this when playing "Teams" ????

Playing 4card majors- not ideal for this hand!- 1s-2h ( new major at level 2 shows 5)- now what?- 2nt? Ok - yes, shows extra values. Then , 3nt- enough for game , but then must correct and bid 4h!! There is a heart 8 card fit and probably a club stop. With Jxx you could pass , with Jx MUST bid the heart game!

Playing 5 card majors with a weak NT - Id-1h-1s-2h(5+)-3h(3)-4h.

Playing 5card majors with NT15-17- without transfers 1NT -3h(5+) -4h(3).

And with transfers- INT- 2d- 2h- 3NT( 27+ HCP)- pick a game partner- 4h- a known 8card fit and a weak suit!

Again only one pair played in the correct- 4h contract! One other got lucky in 3NT!

North opens 1D ANY system and South responds 1S . Playing with or without 'reverses' - bidding a higher ranked suit 2nd - North's distributional hand is now worth a 2H rebid. S correctly limits their hand and shows 5+ spades and bids 2S .What now?

North has 5H and a very powerful hand , so shows their 6D and 5H by a 3H bid- partner bids game 4H.

If the correct lead - a trump- is not made , 11 tricks are available!

Your main focus is to find out whether game is possible in 3NT , 4S or 4H!

This hand is useful because normal BLACKWOOD may not provide the answers needed to bid the SLAM!

The bidding will vary by players systems/ conventions.

Try this simple route :

West 1NT- 2C ( Stayman )- 2H-4NT. Using Blackwood you get 5D- I ace. What about the KQ ? It's now a guess .........

If you- strongly recommended- play ROMAN KEY- CARD BLACKWOOD (RKBC) , there are 5 key- cards . The 4 aces and the King of trumps! There's more ! , a reply of 5S here , shows 2 key - cards and the Q of trumps . So , you are missing one key- an ace or the k of trumps .Enough for 6- go back to NT for the extra 10 and a top/ joint top.

There is , of course , a bit more to it! If you have any questions or would like any more details on the LTC method of hand evaluation , " reverses " or RKCB , please do not hesitate to ask .

Terry also sets a quiz question each month for the Rugby Bridge Club. It is not aimed at the beginner/learner level but the more adventurous players amongst you may be interested in trying to solve his puzzle. The question is set one month's Bulletin and the answer appears in the following month's.

Click  here  to go to the RBC home page and then select Bulletins/Newsletters from the left hand menu bar. The question appears towards the end of the Bulletin.

HIGH CARD POINTS v LOSING TRICK COUNT

Which is the best way of judging whether game is on? Is it HCP or LTC?  The answer is BOTH!

LTC is very powerful at helping to determine what level of contract to play in once you have found a suit fit. It can be a more accurate measure than HCP – but not always.  Board 27 of December 16 illustrates this well.

Just ignore the competitive auction that took place at most tables and instead focus just on the NS hands. S opens 1C and you, as N, respond 1D.  When S bids 1H you get excited as you have four card trump support and LTC of just seven – enough for 4H (according to LTC) assuming N’s opener has an LTC of seven too.  But wait!  What else would you take into account?  Well S bid suggests 12-14 HCP and most probably just four hearts.  So we have 19-21 HCP and just eight hearts.  I would weigh this up together with LTC and not bid 4H but instead PASS!  Many “experts” will disagree with me but a contract of 1H making 3 would give NS a clear top.

Incidentally I would not pass with this hand after an opening bid of 1H because S has not limited his hand to either 14 HCP or just four hearts. Instead I am now genuinely excited and expect to bid to game but I’d first bid 2D to ask partner to further describe his hand.

So the moral of the story is that you should use LTC but combine it with HCP and any other information that you have before making a decision.