Double Game Swing
During our match last night we had one hand that I knew was good at our table but I didn’t realize how good until I got the hand records and we compared with Rhonda and Samantha. Here was the hand and exactly what happened at our table. We were not vulnerable against vulnerable opponents.
| Dealer:
Vul: |
North | ||||
| ♠ | 1083 | ||||
| ♥ | AQ10642 | ||||
| ♦ | Q9 | ||||
| ♣ | AK | ||||
| West |  |
East | |||
| ♠ | A9764 | ♠ | KQ52 | ||
| ♥ | J7 | ♥ | K9 | ||
| ♦ | 5 | ♦ | A10842 | ||
| ♣ | QJ1097 | ♣ | 84 | ||
| South | |||||
| ♠ | J | ||||
| ♥ | 853 | ||||
| ♦ | KJ763 | ||||
| ♣ | 6532 | ||||
Sylvia opened 1♥ and I ventured 2♥ . Sylvia now made the aggressive bid of 2♠ . We are very aggressive with game tries but perhaps not vulnerable this would not be everyone’s choice. We play long suit game tries but if we don’t have a useful holding in the suit requested we show good holdings in higher ranking suit below the trump suit. So very often you might start with spades in a heart auction hoping that partner will show you something useful somewhere. My tablemate who did have spades asked me about the bid and I explained that while it was a long suit game try she might not have a very long spade holding and may be just groping for game. But in any case once they had passed on the first round they were not coming into the auction now because I bid 4♥.
Well, I wasn’t happy about it. While I had only one spade I also had only one trump and not much of anything else. For all I knew after showing spade length Sylvia could have a stiff diamond. I actually apologized when I put down dummy saying that if this was a bad result, it was my fault. Sylvia got the lead of the ♠ K and then a club shift. This allowed her to make 4♥. I thought we had a good result for getting to game. I didn’t realize they could defeat the contract on a diamond ruff and I especially did not notice that they could make four spade their way which is exactly what happened at the other table. I don’t know what the auction was at the other table but it seems odd that East-West decided not to join in at our table. Perhaps the vulnerability made it difficult for West to bid over 2♥. East does have a slightly difficult call over 1♥ but still …
Subscribe to our feed
Bridge-related
Hi Linda,
What it shows is what is talked about by some for 24/7. All levels of bridge have always been a bidder’s game and if this hand does not show it, I do not know what does. For East to not either double, bid 1 spade, or 2 diamonds the first round of bidding defies what the game is all about. Bidding anything enables the partnership to explore its possibilities. Merely passing is like surrendering during wartime.
Probably the answer has to do with, even when bidding could be dangerous, the opponents have to walk a very narrow line to be able to penalize defensive bidding. Especially with the proliferation of doubles having so many meanings and not often penalty, has directly contributed to why one, if faced with any choice, is wise to get in the bidding.
Obviously you made a serious overbid when you jumped to 4 hearts, but what do you know, it was a decent contract and it made. If bridge was now being invented I would be in favor of the penalties for down tricks be double what they now cost, if only to take away the immense advantage now present to always contest auctions if possible.
Even now, some otherwise talented excellent players, never come close to realizing their advantages by being way too conservative and not getting in the bidding. One day, all good players will see the game in prospective and when they do, unless the scoring system is changed (very difficult to do since so many have been playing this way for so long), everyone will be bidding at almost every turn.
Goodness! This is a perfect 1H by N, 2H by East “Top and Another” cuebid in the Advanced American system. South is hosed, and when West bids 3S N-S are out of the auction. East bids 4S being at the top of his 9-11 (or bad 12) range. Gotta put this one in book 4.
Hi Chris,
Right on except for a baby mistake. I think West with his 5-5 (and good texture in his minor suit)should immediately jump to 4 spades, not leaving it up to partner to complete the coup.
Continuing, I think if West doesn’t take the bit in his teeth, East would be circumspect to not raise to game, otherwise he would be discouraging partner from coming in on lesser hands in the future. Getting the right mix and feel for competitive bidding is one of the more important qualities in developing a partnership. It is often hard to guess exactly how each partner should go about it, only critical that they mesh together.
Yes, be aggressive, but some discipline is required and on this hand IMO it should be West to make the decision. Coincidentally a jump to 4 spades makes it more difficult (as it almost always would) for his opponents, especially the one on his left.