What should I Bid? - Best enquiry for May 2006

The best submission for the month of May was made by Peter Hollands.

Hand: Partner is dealer at South at unfavourable vulnerability and I hold the North hand:

AKQ9  532  K76  875

108  AK106  AJ10854  10

Bidding:	West	North	East	South
				1
	Pass	1	Pass	2
	3	?

Comments: What should I bid over 3? I chose 3at the time but am not confident that this is the best choice. My partner and I are playing basic 4-card Acol. Double over 3is undiscussed.

And Peter’s Response:

Hi Peter,
Good question! Knowing what Double means in competitive situations provides the key to understanding what all the alternative actions mean. If double were either forward going or takeout, that is what I would bid. If partner Passed, converting to penalties, I would be delighted, and I'd know what to do over all other actions, including removing hearts to diamonds, thereby disclosing a hand that was too good to bid 3 immediately.

Not knowing what Double means (hardly a surprise!), I have to choose between a strong action and a competitive action; the invitational actions are missing. That's the importance of double!

Since I hold an opening bid which includes king third in partner's rebid suit, I think I should commit us to game.3 looks decidedly competitive to me and thus I would exclude it. That leaves us with 3NT, 4 (this ought to be forcing and slam going), 5 and something else (perhaps 3).

3NT looks silly so that is out.

4 is excessive. My hand is not that good (I need one more big card). So that's out.

5 looks about right on strength although it could fail miserably if partner is not short in clubs. (He does rate to be shortish. Nobody has owned up to the heart suit.)

The trouble with 5 is that it bypasses 3NT when 5fails.

So you see where we're heading. 3 is my choice.

If you reflect on what I observed about Double, you'll see this fits. If partner reverts to spades, I'll have a go at 4; if partner bids 3NT, I'll Pass; if more diamonds I'll bid 5; and if partner raises hearts (as most certainly will happen on this hand), I'll revert to 5.

The key to becoming a first class bidder is not in the use of a host of conventions, it lies in fully comprehending the meanings of four calls in whatever situation arises. They are (i) Double (including Redouble), (ii) Pass, (iii) the bid of a suit previously bid by the opponents, and (iv) the bid of the fourth suit. Integral to that understanding lies the inferences to be made when one of the above might have been used and was not.

Regards
Peter Fordham

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