Playing with the guys

Well I got to play with both my men today and the contrast was interesting.  Playing with Ray this really happened.  Once again before we started we agreed – no fighting or comments at all.  We were only going to play an eight board team match.  What do you think the chances were?  Never mind.  We actually had a pretty good set.

I thought this board was interesting and perhaps it shows the value of weak notrump.  You decide.

I held S KQ65 H J1032 D 964 C J7

Ray opened 1H which is 4+ and I bid 2H.  Ray now made a game try by bidding 2NT showing a balanced hand with probably about 17-18 HCP and I bid 4H.  He held S A932 H KQ97 D J10 C AK6 and 4H was easy on normal breaks.  I was thinking that if someone opened a strong notrump they would play it there.  However as it turned out our opponents were not playing strong notrump and they still missed the game.   Here is what happened

Ray’s Hand My Hand

1C             1D

1H             2H

2NT           3H

all pass

so in effect they had the same auction (2NT was alerted as forcing so I don’t know if it guaranteed a balanced hand) and my hand wimped out with a vulnerable game in the offing.

In the evening playing with Colin, all was quiet as it always is.  The discussion after the game was thoughtful and calm. We played against Paul Thurston and Jeff Smith and it was a lot of fun.  As always there was a fair bit of action.  Knowing Jeff Smith what do you think is happening on this hand.  Here is Colin’s hand S AK864 H AKQJ2 D – C KQ3.  All red, Jeff opens 1C (Polish) in front of you.  We haven’t discussed what we play over Polish club but if you can I think I would probably bid 2C Michaels.  Anyway Colin bid double.  Paul bid 1D which is a negative but shows better diamonds than clubs and now Jeff bid 1H which he alerted as could be as short as two.  What do you do now?  Colin doubled again.  Does that show hearts?  Anyway Paul bid 2H and this was passed around to Colin.  I think there is a case for making a double now a penalty double but that is certainly not clear.  What do you do now? 

Colin just bid 4S which was a decent spot.  I held S 1097 H 107 D KJ1083 C 1092 and no Jeff didn’t pysche (well sort of) He held SQ3 H 96 D A97 C AJ8654

How do you bid this hand playing standard?

S void H K109432 D K4 C AQ984

Colin opened 1S and I bid 2H (not a game force) and Colin bid 3S.  Don’t you hate that.  Well I already know that I can’t get clubs into the mix.  If I bid 4C it will be a cuebid for spades.  Even in standard I think 3S in this auction should show a really good suit.  4H now should be natural but it won’t  show any extra values (if partner has a few hearts, slam is still a possibility).  I bid 4C hoping Colin might bid 4H.  But if Colin does bids 4H is it an offer to play or a cuebid?  I am not sure.  In other sequence the bid of 4 of partner’s major is always an offer to play in the major so maybe it should be here too. 

So in retrospect, I should have bid 4H all along.  Over 4C Colin bid 4D and I bid 4S.  Colin had

S AKQJ43 H J D A62 C 653

We had reached the best spot, although on the lie of the cards Colin can and did make 6S.  In fact, almost all the field played in 4S which I found interesting.  Of course in 2/1 3S would have shown a suit like this and I suppose it is easier to get there then.  Noone seems to have rebid their heart suit.  But playing 2/1 Colin tells me he would have only bid 2S.  I wondered how the auction would have continued.

This also brought up an old discussion.  Should 2H promise another bid?  I think it should but that unless opener shows strength most followup bids by responder can be passed.  When I asked Ray he said nope.  Responder can pass a 2S rebid with S X H KJXXX D KXXX C KXXX or something like that fearing a misfit.  Maybe we can convince him otherwise.

Ekren did come up one time with Colin but it probably helped them by keeping them out of their 4-4 heart fit which was splitting 4-1.  So about a 1/2 point minus for Ekren so far.  ( But who is keeping score).