JoostJa online bridge

♠ A 6 5 3 2
♥ 5
♦ A 9 2
♣ A 8 7 5


South is the dealer and both sides are vulnerable
WESTNORTHEASTSOUTH

Pass
1 ♦ Pass 1 ♠ Pass
2 ♦ Pass 3 ♣ Pass
3 ♠ Pass ???

My bid was 4 ♠ and that ended the bidding.  

It is much better to bid 4 ♣ to tell West that you have ♣A.   You only have 12 HCP but you have a double fit with your ♦A92.   If West has ♥A you can count a possible 5 spades, one heart, a possible 5 or 6 diamonds and a club, totalling enough possible tricks to at least try for slam.  

West had ♠KQ4 ♥A97 ♦KQ10765 ♣6 so even 7 ♦ is the optimal contract for your side.   Diamonds play better than spades since the trumps can not break 4-1.  

The improved bidding sequence will now start with:


South is the dealer and both sides are vulnerable
WESTNORTHEASTSOUTH

Pass
1 ♦ Pass 1 ♠ Pass
2 ♦ Pass 3 ♣ Pass
3 ♠ Pass 4 ♣ Pass
4 ♥ Pass ???


Now what?  

4NT Blackwood makes no sense, we have all the aces, and we don't ask for kings with 5NT after 4NT or something like that.  

A 5 ♣ bid would be our convention "top honnors asking".   West would answer 5 ♠, meaning 2 of them.   East now knows that West has ♠KQ and ♥A and 5 or more diamonds, so the West hand looks something like ♠KQx ♥A(x+) ♦xxxxx(x+) ♣(x+), and West will have some points in diamonds for his opening bid.   Slam looks reasonable, East could bid 6 ♠ now.   Can East revert to diamonds as trumps?   It's all about ♦KQ with West.   What if East bids 6 ♦ after 5 ♠ from West?   After our 5 ♣ convention East would normally bid 6 or 7 ♠, so something else is vague.   Too vague, and there is a better solution: let West decide.  

The winner is 5NT.   5NT confirms all 1st round controls and asks West to bid 7 with extras.   After 5NT West knows East has something like ♠Axxxx(x+) ♥(x+) ♦A(x+) ♣A(x+).   West can now make the big bid of 7 ♦!   A 7 ♠ bid would also lead to good results on average.   6 ♦ by West is another possibility.   If West bids 6 ♦, East can bid 7 with his diamond fit and ruffing tricks in hearts.   But I guess 6 ♦ would suggest better trumps than West has.  

EAST: ♠ A 6 5 3 2
♥ 5
♦ A 9 2
♣ A 8 7 5

WEST: ♠ K Q 4
♥ A 9 7
♦ K Q 10 7 6 5
♣ 6



South is the dealer and both sides are vulnerable
WESTNORTHEASTSOUTH

Pass
1 ♦ Pass 1 ♠ Pass
2 ♦ Pass 3 ♣ Pass
3 ♠ Pass 4 ♣ Pass
4 ♥ Pass 5NT Pass
7 ♦ Pass Pass Pass

A grand slam with only 26 HCP in the combined hands. Will we ever be able to bid like that?

♠ Q J 7 4
♥ A 8 2
♦ A Q 10 7
♣ 9 2


East is the dealer and East-West are vulnerable
WESTNORTHEASTSOUTH

1NT (1) Pass
2 ♣ Pass 2 ♠ Pass
2NT Pass ???


(1) 12-14

We enjoy playing the 12-14 1NT openings, but we do need discipline.   My bid here was 3NT, and that was too much.   West has a limit 2NT bid promising 12 or a good 11 HCP.   The East hand has no extras, no 5-card suit and not much spot cards, so passing is best.   The small doubleton in ♣ is also a warning sign.  

West had ♠A65 ♥K975 ♦KJ98 ♣64 .  

Perhaps West should just Pass the 1NT opening.   True, you may miss a game occasionally, but the opponents generally do not like to let you play in 1NT and if North bids something they enter the killzone and you often hit the jackpot.  

♠ Q J 9 2
♥ A K 3
♦ A 10 9 7 5
♣ 3


South is the dealer and East-West are vulnerable
WESTNORTHEASTSOUTH

Pass
1 ♦ Pass 1 ♠ Pass
???

My bid here was 2 ♠ and that is not enough really.   You have 17 support points (3 extra for the singleton).   Looks like a lot of my bidding mistakes are from being too cautious.   If you bid 3 ♠ partner will often have no problems bidding game.   True, there is a small risk of going down in 3 ♠ opposite a real minimum, but it is more dangerous to miss a good game.   East had ♠AK1083 ♥654 ♦32 ♣876, that is about 9 support points for ♠, so plenty for game.

♠ -
♥ A Q J 9 8
♦ A K 7 3 2
♣ A Q 2


East is the dealer and they are vulnerable
WESTNORTHEASTSOUTH

2 ♣ Pass
2 ♦ Pass 2 ♥ (1) Pass
2 ♠ Pass 3 ♦ Pass
3 ♥ Pass 4 ♣ Pass
4 ♥ Pass ???


(1) Your 2 ♥ rebid is game forcing.

Do not Pass with this great East hand.   West does not have a minimum since his 3 ♥ is stronger dan 4 ♥ in that position in the bidding sequence.   6 ♥ should be okay.  

Can your bidding system find out about the ♥K and the ♣K?   In our simple system we can ask for the number of top-honnors (AKQ) in the trump suit with 5♣.   West would answer 5 ♥, meaning 1.   East can now bid 5NT, asking West to bid 7 ♥ if he has extra values considering the bidding so far.  

West had ♠ QJ62 ♥ K104 ♦ 64 ♣ KJ93 .

♠ 4 3
♥ A 9 4
♦ A 4
♣ A Q J 7 6 5


West is the dealer and nobody is vulnerable
WESTNORTHEASTSOUTH

1 ♣ 1 ♦ 1 ♠ Pass
???

You are playing 12-14 1NT openers, so bidding 1NT now would show 15-17

Another example where you have a good opening with a good 6 card minor suit.   My rebid was 2 ♣, and this hand is too good for that.   Again a 3 ♣ rebid is best.   A 1NT rebid, showing 15-17, may work too here, but East had ♠ AV87 ♥ 762 ♦ 876 ♣ H32 so your 3 ♣ makes it easier for East to bid 3NT.  

♠ J 4
♥ A K 2
♦ K 10
♣ K Q J 10 9 8


North is the dealer and they are vulnerable
WESTNORTHEASTSOUTH

Pass 1 ♣ Pass
1 ♥ Pass ???

We play 12-14 1NT openers, so bidding 1NT now would show 15-17

This hand is not suitable for rebidding 1NT, showing 15-17, like I did.   This hand is similar to BidBits 1.   It is another example where partner had a bad hand, 62 QJ73 QJ73 632 in this case, and 1NT is a poor contract and 3 ♣ is okay.   Much as I like to bid NT, I need to learn to rebid 3m on hands like this.  

♠ Q 9 8 7 5 3
♥ A Q 4
♦ Q 7 5
♣ 2


West is the dealer and both are vulnerable
WESTNORTHEASTSOUTH

1NT (1) Pass 2 ♥ Pass
2 ♠ Pass ???

(1) 12-14

Have faith, don't bid 3 ♠ but 4 ♠.   Take the responsibility, don't force partner to make the big bid.   Partner had J10 K65 AK64 J753 and even that is quite enough for 4 ♠.  

Defending against their MULTI is an often recurring theme for bidding problems.   In the USA the use of MULTI is restricted, in Europe we have to live with it everywhere.  


♠J 6 5 4
♥6 5 4
♦ K Q 7 5
♣K 5


South is the dealer and we are vulnerable
WESTNORTHEASTSOUTH

2 ♦ (1)
Pass2 ♥ (2) 3 ♣Pass
???

(1) MULTI COLOURED
(2) relay (opener may pass)

Do not Pass like the weasel I was, bid 3 ♦, natural, constructive, and forcing.   If you do, partner knows you have something, and can continue.   It was 5 ♣ opposite A8 A2 A2 QJ109862, and partner can bid that straightaway after your 3 ♦.

Can you find something to write about on a regular basis for a bridge blog?   Of course you can!   The game of bridge is so hard we will make several errors every match.   If you are like me, most of them will be ''not suitable for publication'' but at least some of them can be instructive and fun.   BidBits postings will present bidding problems, mostly based on errors I made.   There will be a button that shows the answer.   Hrmphff, give me a minute to get the javascript+HTML sorted out first.


♠K J 2
♥Q
♦ A Q 7
♣K Q 10 9 7 4


East is the dealer and they are vulnerable
WESTNORTHEASTSOUTH

PassPass
1 ♣Pass1 ♥Pass
???

Bid 3 ♣ here, it is a better bid than 3NT (the bid I made).   3 ♣ promises a good 6 clubs and it gives partner a chance to pass.   Sure, partner had a real dog.

De clubcompetitie is weer begonnen. Het begon met een parencompetitie over 5 avonden waarin we 5e eindigden, van de 18, met 52,92%. Keurig. Had meer in gezeten maar ook minder want paren is toch een malle wedstrijdvorm. Maar goed, dat hebben we weer achter de rug en nu zijn we bezig met de interne viertallencompetitie. Er doen maar liefst 11 viertallen mee, en dat is een behoorlijk aantal voor ons clubje. Toch zitten er nog een stelletje gewoon parenbridge te spelen, getuige dit spelletje van afgelopen maandag.
Ik had ♠8 6 3
♥9 5 4
♦ A V 8 6 5 3
♣4
en het bieden gaat:
N/- WESTNOORDOOSTZUID

pas1 ♥ ???

Partner heeft geen opening en ik heb maar 6 punten dus de kans is groot dat de tegenstanders een manche of misschien zelfs meer hebben. Met paren moet je nu misschien nog hoger bieden maar 3 ♦ leek me wel wat. In het verdere bieden zou ik me dan niet meer hoeven te laten horen en dat is prettig voor een beetje lui aangelegd iemand.
Nog wat bieden hoefde dan ook niet, maar ik moest nog wel wat doen want vervolgens werd ik opgeknoopt in 6.
N/- WESTNOORDOOSTZUID

pas1 ♥ 3 ♦
dbl5 ♦ 5 ♥ pas
pas6 ♦ dblpas
paspas

♣A uit en de dummy verschijnt:

	NORTH H 10 2 10 7 4 2 H V B 10 8 3
	SOUTH 8 6 3 9 5 4 A V 8 6 5 3 4

De tegenstanders zullen best wat kunnen maken in harten maar zometeen is dit 800 down. Zoiets hadden we al een keer eerder vanavond, maar nu heb ik wel een 6-kaart. O. Klaver door, niet getroefd rechts. Ik ben op tafel, neem de ruitensnit, die houdt en beiden bekennen. Claim! +1090! Het nevenpaar had 500+ dus dat was een bak IMPs. Met 15 punten samen, tralala! De clubcompetitie is weer begonnen!