Oh oh, here’s another marginal hand with some different strengths and weakness. They say no two hands are ever the same, yet when it’s all said and done we only have two basic choices: open or pass.

Recall in our Monday quiz we briefly mentioned considering and contrasting our hand evaluation and bidding style to partner and the general Bridge community. This time we add a new wrinkle to the bidding poll, asking you whether you might be tempted to bid when you are playing with a conservative partner.

Okay, it’s time to “bid ’em up.” Sharpen your pencil and log your vote today. Right away you will see where you stand among hundreds of others who are making their selection.

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Sometimes we are dealt marginal hands leaving us “on the fence” deciding whether to open or pass. This week BridgeHands tests your mettle with several hands too close to comfortably call. When you stop to reflect on our bidding style, it frequently correlates to our risk/reward “flair” in real life. Strange game, this creation we call Bridge.

In these situations where it’s too close to make a comfortable call, perhaps the most important lesson learned is:

1) How does you style compare with your partner?

2) How does your style compare with the larger Bridge community?

3) How do you perceive others will vote? (right or wrong)

And that’s where our “Polling You” enters the picture. So log your vote and see where you stand among hundreds of others who are making their selection.

As this week progresses, we will build on this theme, looking at another marginal hand, finishing up with coordinated bidding.

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We finish this week with our same 2=5=4=2 hand. By this time, you are either getting to think of this hand as your old friend or ready to move on to one with better values.

As you will recall, on Poll #7 the opponents played in a 3 Notrump game, while on Poll #8 the opponents jumped up to a 6 Notrump slam. So let’s go the other way and finish this week with a competitive auction. RHO again starts with 1 Notrump and, no surprise, we pass as always. But this time Lefty makes a conventional 2 Heart call – a Jacoby Transfer requesting partner to bid 2 Spades.

However the fun has just begun! Now partner doubles the conventional 2 Heart call, certainly having something to say about opponents artificial bid. Next RHO freely bids 2 Spades and the bidding comes back to you. Will you continue to pass, having an idea what to lead? Or then again, based on your partner’s double, should you bid something yourself? (favorable vulnerability)

Okay, consider LHOs requirements to make a Jacoby Transfer – what do you know about Lefty’s length? What about LHOs strength? Consider what prompted partner to double – what’s that all about? Think about why opener RHO freely bid 2 Spades after your partner doubled – is RHOs bid mandatory or optional in some situations?

Thankfully, you do not have to answer all these pesky questions. However, you may want to ponder a deeper meaning before you decide on your lead… or make a bid over Righty’s 2 Spade call. Good luck!

 

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The auction starts peacefully enough with RHO opening 1 Notrump. With your 2=5=4=2 shape, you might even be tempted to bid if you held another primary honor and we not vulnerable. Next your LHO tries 2 Club, Stayman asking opener for a 4 card major. But then they do not find a major suit fit, surprise – surprise! The responder jumps up, up, up and away to 6 Notrump!

So with the opponents aiming to make 12 tricks, now is a good time to think about your long term plan to play and discard tricks.

When the opponents propel the auction to 6 Notrump, do we stick to our prior lead strategy or is there more to this auction than meets the eye? What’s going on with our lefty bidding 6 Notrump, eh? Ah, so many questions – so little time. Okay, everyone has their eyes on you – time to show your partner you’ve got the right stuff with your opening lead…

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The opponents bid 1 Notrump, 2 Notrump, 3 Notrump and you are on lead. Do you fire straight away using tried and true leads of rote?

Then again, maybe you like to throw a curve call.  Or are you one of those systematic types that goes through a rigorous pre-race checklist? Whatever your style, sooner or later it will be time to give it your best shot.  And as so often happens in Bridge, you only get one shot so use it wisely!   Remember, like in a vigorous trial proceeding, a good defense never rests!   Yes, we here at BridgeHands have our checklists and it goes well beyond those 13 cards we are holding…

To view our commentary and download an illustrative hand example (Zip contains PBN, LIN, HTM, DUP, BRI formats), please login to your FREE Membership Subscription – see you over at our “Scotland Yard,” Sherlock!

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Note: Due to the two day Thanksgiving Holiday in the U.S., we will not have a “Polling You” contest on 11/26/10.  We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend.

Self-Sustaining Suits are not only great when we are bidding on our own.  Self-sustaining suits, those long suits guaranteed not to lose more than 1 trick (even when partner holds a singleton) get even more exciting when our partner opened the bidding!  Of course its not uncommon to have a misfit with partner, making the bidding look like the proverbial married couple that can’t agree on anything (1S – 2H. 2S – 3H, 3N – 4H…)

But when our partner opens 1 Notrump and we have a long running major suit, we know the contract belongs in the major suit (always play in your long 8+ card major suit).  And since partner’s opening 1 Notrump bid promises at least a doubleton, with a 6+ card major suit makes it clear to play in that suit – i.e., “the golden fit.”  Okay, with that in mind let’s get ready to “bid ’em up” with that same lovely 7-3-2-1 shaped 17 HCP hand we held on Poll #5 back on Monday – but this time partner opened 1 Notrump!

So how high do we go? Yes, we know partner holds around 16 points, but how does that equate to tricks and what’s the best method to explore slam?  For more commentary, please login to your FREE Membership Subscription – see you there…

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Self-Sustaining Suits, whether or not you lust for fine clothes, all Bridge players seem to have a loving relationship with a long, strong suit. Okay, here’s your chance to not only try on a lovely suit but see how it wears when bidding the same hands in third seat. And what about when you’re bidding the same hands in third seat – should that matter? Probing deeper, does it matter if you are short in the Spade suit in the third seat? So many questions, so little time at the table. But here, take your time and consider the alternatives – we will be waiting…

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