What should I Bid? - Best enquiry for February 2007 

Robert Ashman made the best submission for the month of February.

 Hand: Vulnerable, dealer East, the partnership held:

J654  765  A10865  Q

K  AK9  KQJ7  KJ1084

Bidding:	West	North	East	South
		Pass	Pass	1
	Pass	1	Pass	3
	Pass	?

Comments:    Dear Peter,
I feel this is almost a beginner's question, but it appears to me to be a grey area in decision-making. Playing Standard American, better minor, the raise shows 16+ HCP. My hand did not impress me although the singleton Club Queen might be valuable even if partner holds only a 4-card club suit. I thought the prospects for game were poor, and passed. We lost only the two aces, for an ordinary score.

Could you comment on the situation in general, and on my action?

Peter's Reply:

Hi Robert,

All the modern natural systems play raises as limit bids. Thus, 3, while suggesting 16+ means about 16 -18 support points and is droppable.

The South hand is much stronger than that. Whichever way you look at it, either the spade King counts in its own right making the hand a 20 count, or, the singleton spade is worth three support points for diamonds and the hand is worth 20 points. So 3 is inadequate.

South's best bid is 3, a "splinter" bid, instead of 3. This shows the high card values for the jump re-bid plus a singleton in the suit bid.

North knows that South has at least five clubs when South did not bid 1 and shows only one spade. North's principal cards are pulling full weight. North can now bid the game with reasonable confidence in a successful outcome. When South bids only 3 Pass by North is reasonable. 5 is a long way off and 3NT looks unlikely.

Regards
Peter Fordham

What to Bid | Home