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 is very simple and revolves around two very similar boards -13 and 15 - that we didn't play as we were on sit out.  It is just a reminder of the values needed by opener to bid NT with his second bid after a suit opener and a suit response.  These are

15-16 HCP needed to bid NT at the same level eg 1H-1S/1NT or 1H-2C/2NT.

17/18 HCP for a jump in NT eg 1H-1S/2NT.

19+ HCP for a raise from a 1-level response to 3NT.

Both of these boards (should) involve the second of the above "rules".  On board 13 my view is that the bidding should be 1C (remember RCBM?  With a Red singleton open 1 Club,  With a Black one try 1 of the Middle suit).  Response is 1D with 6+ HCP and 4+ D.  Now the above rule kicks in to generate a bid of 2NT with a reply of 3NT with a combined total of 25-26 HCP and both hands fairly balanced.  Only 4 pairs found 3NT - and 1 of those by a different route as N was declarer - so 3 out of 7 didn't.  Even more interesting is the play of the hand as everyone is in NT at some level but the trick yield varied from 5 to 11!!!

Board 15 should go with W opening 1D (12+ HCP and 4+D) with a reply of 1H (6+ HCP and 4+ H).  Once again 2NT (17-18) HCP followed by 3NT (26-27 combined HCP).

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 continues the Losing Trick Count theme.

Playing 4 card majors the correct opening bid is 1H by South.Then IS (N) and then what? Cautious 2S , bold 3S . Extra points and only 6 losers .Try 3 -it is not forcing . Partner is minimum in HCP but UNBALANCED with 8 losers , so bid 4 for a top. 18-6-8=4!

The conditions for using the LTC are UFO.

U = unbalanced

F = fit

O = open.

F and O yes, U did not apply for South's rebid but did for North's !

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.

 THERE'S ONLY ONE RULE IN BRIDGE!

I wasn't there so I haven't played the hand but board 1 has interesting features  Take a look, prepare your bidding strategy and then read on.

Bidding was pretty varied but two pairs ended up in a 4S game contract with both going one down.  Since they finished 1st  and 3rd on the night they can't be all that bad!  I can only guess what went wrong.  N's pass is followed by 1C from E or at least that would be my choice as I use a system called RCBM or ROMAN CATHOLIC BRANCH MANAGER!!!  It is easy for me to remember as I used to be a Roman Catholic and my job in IBM was Branch Manager.  It applies only to hands with 4-4-4-1 distribution where many people worry about which suit to open.  RCBM solves this by indicating if the singleton is Red you open Clubs, if Black you open the Middle of the other three suits.

S now presumably overcalls with 1H if playing basic Acol (or 2H if one of the newer conventions).  Let's assume it's 1H.  W has 5D but not the 10+HCP needed for 2D so he bids 1S and N passes.  What does E think and what does he do?  I guess he looks at an 8-card fit in a major and LTC of just 6 (or 6 1/2 if you count Qxx as 2 1/2 not 2) versus the LTC  of 7 which he has declared by his opening bid so he goes for 3S.  After S's pass W looks at his LTC and puts 2 and 2 - or rather 6 and 8 - together making 14.  18 - 14 = 4 so he bids 4S.  Is this bidding wrong and if so how?

Let me begin by saying that I would almost certainly have done the same but I now have the benefit of hindsight!  I think that any error lies with E's rebid of 3S.  He must use JUDGEMENT!  His 12HCP is absolutely minimum and opponents have bid.  His LTC is a very flaky 6 so, while retaining an interest in game, it might be better to be more cautious. (After all they did bid game with just 19HCP and a 4-4 trump split.)  There is no glaringly obvious answer but a bid of just 2S intending to bid 4S if partner shows strength by bidding again is probably best.

LTC is a very useful tool - but a tool not a rule - when assessing the contract level with a suit fit agreed - but it is not infallible.  I'm not claiming that my analysis of this hand is perfect although I hope you found it useful.  I do claim that it's an excellent example of my main message which is THERE'S ONLY ONE RULE IN BRIDGE.

I do some of the lessons for both Beginners and Improvers in Rugby Bridge Club.  I've told them both that THERE'S ONLY ONE RULE IN BRIDGE and that is that there are NO rules in bridge!  Please bear that in mind.

This week's tip is as much about people as it is about deals, bids and play.  It covers several aspects of board 23.  Take a look at it and read on.  Everyone is in game - 7 out of 10 in S - with no-one bidding a slam although 4 out of 10 made 12 or 13 tricks  So let's look at whether it is better in S than NT and should it be a slam.  I see NT as the better option as I play a "system" called TRUST YOUR PARTNER and then used that approach that I often refer to called JUDGEMENT.

At our table I opened 1S and partner, Paul, correctly replied 2D.  I'm now more than interested in game as I place him with 10+HCP so I jump to 3S to show 16+HCP and a good suit.  When the reply is 3NT I face a small dilemma.  My S are very strong and I don't have a NT style of hand.  But wait.  Partner's bid should mean at least one stopper in each of the other three suits.  It's time  for me to use TRUST YOUR PARTNER  as this would make 3NT a viable option.  I now ask myself if my S are worth more tricks in the suit or in NT.  My answer is "No" as they are worth six tricks in both.  It's  time for JUDGEMENT and I pass.

The three pairs in NT made 11, 12 or 13 tricks but how?  Unless a C is led (it wasn't at any table but should be if the slam had been bid) the analysis done before dummy's first card is called for suggests 6S,3H,3D tricks with little opportunity to develop more.  At our table partner won the opening lead and then took the top 5 S tricks.  He then switched to D leaving. 4S unplayed and unmade before losing the last two.  The only way that I can see 13 tricks being made is by weakness in defence (Sorry girls it's not a swipe at you!).  Two D must have been discarded by E on the spades when N's bid gives a strong likelihood of him holding both K and Q of D and possibly more.

Finally the decision whether to slam or not.  Asking tells you that you're missing one ace so bidding 6 when vulnerable is at best risky.

UNLUCKY FOR SOME!

This week's tip involves board 13 - unlucky for some including me!  Take a look at it and think about how you would bid the S hand before reading on.  I was S and I used a convention which you may not all know - don't worry I'll explain it - called Michaels Cue Bid.  As you can see 7 out of 8 pairs ended up in a S contract with 3 of them in 4S and 4 in 3S.  It should make 10 tricks (5S,1H,4C) so 4S is a good bid but how should it be achieved?

At our table E opened 1H.  I was sitting S and used Michaels Cue Bid to call 2H.  This is a convention where, following opponents'  bid of 1 in a major suit, a bid of 2 of that suit shows 8+HCP and at least 5 cards in both the other major and one of the two minors.  My 17HCP is well above the 8 needed and my S and C fit the requirement perfectly.  My partner, Richard, with 3 cards in both S and C correctly chooses and bids 2S.  I am now faced with a dilemma.  My HCP are good but I know nothing about partner's HCP as my 2H forced him to bid - much like a take-out double.  I need to tell him that I'm stronger than I've already said as game may be on.  I was torn between 3S and 4S and I wrongly opted for 3S which partner quite reasonably passes.  I didn't use that JUDGEMENT that I talk about as well as I should have.  I should have thought "the opposition didn't bid again which means E is not super-strong and W can't have that much".  This puts me with a view that partner must have some HCP  but as we've got an agreed suit fit, I can add 1HCP for my doubleton and 3HCP (only when you've got a suit fit - otherwise 2) for my singleton.  Hey, I've got the equivalent of 21 HCP, a major suit fit and partner has a few HCP too.  No issue!  I bid (a slightly risky) 4S.

My disappointment is further compounded when I see the results at the end!  We finished 2nd of NS pairs losing by just 1 imp.  If I'd only used that judgement correctly then we'd have been clear leaders.

There is more to Michaels like "How do I know which minor?" and "What does it mean over opponents' bid of 1 of a minor?".  If you want to learn more - and I recommend that you do - then just Google Michaels Cue Bid and all will be revealed.

I didn't find a board this week with stand-out new features suitable for these tips so I'm covering in more depth an issue that I've touched on before - LTC  or the Losing Trick Count.  It is a very useful indicator of the level to which you should bid once you've found a suit fit.  Take a look at board 4 and see how the bidding and the contract result emerged.  All pairs are in a H contract of either 3 or 4.  So what is the correct contract and how is it bid?  Incidentally 4 out of 9 bid 4H - all going down - and 3 of those 4 finished in the top half so are presumably better than average players.

At our table I was S and, after 3 passes, opened 1H.  My partner, Richard, correctly (as usual) in my view bid 3H using, I assume, LTC.  He has a LTC of 8 from 3S,2H,1D,2C and assumes that I have, as a normal opening hand, a LTC OF 7  making 15 combined and by subtracting from 18 justifies the 3 level bid.  My initial reaction is positive as I now know that he has 4 card H support and 8 LTC.  I have 5H - one more than I've told him so far so game has to be considered but wait.  I do have a LTC of 7 from 3S,1H,2D,1C and I've only 13 HCP with no special distributional values like a void or a singleton.  Partner doesn't have 12 or more HCP as he didn't open but probably has 11.  I'm tempted but resist and pass

So how did LTC work out in play?  Partner's LTC in D was just 1 from Kx but there are in fact the predicted 3 losers in S plus 2 in D because AQ are sitting over the K.  As it turned out I was one of the few to make 9 tricks as I managed to throw a losing S on the fourth C after drawing the trumps so ended up losing only 2 in S.  I'd like to claim that this was down to sheer brilliance on my part but the reality is that Lady Luck was a better player than me on this hand as opponents didn't find the 5 tricks in S and D which they can make before I get a look in if they deduce or stumble across the winning line of defence.  Still a Top is a Top!

The moral of the story is that LTC is very useful but not infallible in an agreed suit fit but please combine it with HCP, any other information that you've gleaned and, as I've said before, JUDGEMENT.  Some of you may not know or understand LTC.  If this includes you then please feel free to ask me to deliver a 20-30 second lesson prior to next Wednesday's play. 

THE TAKE-OUT DOUBLE

This week's tip involves a very interesting hand - board 3 - which not only involves my main message today but also incorporates several other interesting features.  Please take a look at it and plan your bid sequence before you read on.

The main message is that you should always give serious consideration to 3NT before bidding five of a minor.  Here S's pass is followed by 1H from W then N's 1S.  Sitting E you have 10 High Card Points (HCP) which is just enough to speak at the 2 level so you bid 2C.  W now gets excited as he has 18 HCP and knows (from your bid) that you have 10+ so HE knows that you have enough for game.  He also knows that you don't yet know this and so he must communicate this to you to avoid the possibility of you passing his rebid.  He therefore bids 3H showing 16+ HCP (or a very positive distribution).  As E you now know that you have 26+ HCP so you want to go on to game but is that game in a suit or NT?  Well it's probably not in H (and anyway partner can rebid 4H if he has a particularly long and strong suit).  It's not worth exploring D even though you have four and haven't yet shown them as partner would have bid 3D not 3H with four D, and S are a certain no-no.  So it's C or NT.  Do you show that you have five C hoping for three from partner - which he has?.  To do so needs a bid of 4C ruling a contract of 3NT out altogether.  I'd bid 3NT now.  My S and D are not too strong but the lead (almost certainly a S) will be coming from my left so my Ks are a stopper and partner's 16+ HCP have to be somewhere!  As you can see 5C makes but 3NT+2 give you a top.  Even 3NT just making is equal in value to 5C and you only have to make 9 tricks not 11.

That's the end of my basic tip but the hand also shows some interesting features of a system that I play called IJOs or Intermediate Jump Overcalls.  Don't bother reading on if you feel this is not of interest as I'll cover it anyway in one of my tips in a few month's time.  If I were sitting N then I'd overcall 2S not 1S.  This shows 11-15 HCP and a 6 or good 5 card suit.  At many tables this would be passed out and I'd play in 2S going (probably) one down for a Top with -50.  Even if I were to go three down it's still a Top at -150.  At other tables opponents would re-enter the bidding but in an environment where their bidding space has been severely curtailed making it more difficult for  them to find the best contract.

I welcome feedback on my tips in person, by phone 01788-890556 or email @ winesof.quatity@virgin.net. 

Terry

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.