The kid is back

Colin and I had are first session in a while and we are going to be playing regularly now.  It is so different playing with Colin than with anyone else.  Interesting things happen, questions arise.

When the opponents stepped out we chopped their head off.  Here is an example.  Do you like Colin’s bids on this hand.  He held

S 7653 H K10 D QJ1052 C 65.  West opened 1D and I doubled.  East bid 1H and Colin bid 1S.  East bid 2C and I bid 2S.  East now bid 3H and West raised to four. 

Would you take the axe now on Colin’s hand.  He did and it was good for 500.  I thought it was good aggressive bidding.  Colin thought it was obvious.

Several undiscussed auctions happened.  What do you play over 2C (strong) double?  Colin thought that pass should show the negative, redouble for play and 2D should be natural.  I suppose so.   Do you have an agreement here?

In fourth chair everyone vulnerable what do you have for a weak two bid?  This was my hand and I thought it was pretty normal.

I held S J3 H KQ108532 D KJ C Q9

What do you think?  Colin bid 2S now.  What does that mean?  Is it forcing?  Does Colin promise a heart fit?  We agreed it does need discussion and we definitely were on different pages tonight although we did escape without much pain.  I think this might have been my first time ever opening a “weak 2 bid” in fourth chair.

Here’s a hand evaluation deal for you.  I held SQ104 H KJ82 D K754 C 53.  Colin opened 2C and over 2D he bid 2NT showing 22-24,  I bid 3C which asks for four card suits up the line.  Colin bid 3S which usually shows 4-3-3-3 but he could have a five card spade suit and be 5-3-3-2 although with good spades he might have bid 2S over 2D.  Do you like 6NT, 4NT or something else? 

I thought with two such flat hands I just didn’t want to force to slam so I bid 4NT.  Colin passed and eleven tricks is the limit of the hand on the usual club lead.  Colin had S AKJ6 H AQ3 D A109 C A92.  So this was a pretty good score.  But actually the right place on this hand was 6S.  Colin can trump a club in my hand for his twelfth trick.  This contract basically needs a 4-2 spade break or better. 

It is interesting because I am working on a bridge book based on Larry Cohen’s 52 favourite bridge hands and there is a whole section on playing on 4-3 fits.  Maybe I should have got this one right.  I actually thought about it.