7 A pair of useful mottoes
Two mottoes that pack a punch, here they are:
1 If she didn’t, she couldn’t. (Or he, of course) You can learn as much from what is not said or done as what is. Just trust your partner to do what is right at all times and the rule works fine. Some examples:
- You bid 1H partner responds 1S. What didn’t she do? Bid 2H. (or more). Therefore she hasn’t got 4 hearts.
- You bid 1D, partner says 1NT. She hasn’t got either major.
3 You bid 1C, partner goes 1NT, what is her 4-card suit? I was going to say Answers on a postcard, but I won’t torture you. She has 4 clubs and a flat hand. Work it out. And try and think why I don’t say she should bid 2C.
Our wonderful motto works in all sorts of ways. Why didn’t she double? Because she couldn’t. Why didn’t the opponents overcall? Because they couldn’t. You get the idea. One of the best is noting that partner dealt and passed. How many points has she not got? Always note your partner’s passes at any stage.
And it works in play, too. Partner led a queen. So she hasn’t got the king, but she should have the jack. She took a trick with the jack, so she hasn’t got the ten. You knew this sort of thing already, didn’t you?
Here’s the other motto:
2 What does Pass ALWAYS mean?
I think the best wording is this: “There’s nothing I can do to improve the situation.”
This is serious. Don’t ever pass because “I hadn’t enough points, partner”. Shouldn’t you have given preference? Shouldn’t you have made a protective double? Shouldn’t you have made a weak take-out transfer? Shouldn’t you have redoubled?
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