Our website is www.pattayabridge.com Club News Sheet – No. 318
Our blogsite is www.pattayabridge.wordpress.com
My home phone is 038 422924 and my mobile number is 083 6066880 14th Dec 2008
It is best to use my home number to contact me unless I am at the bridge club.
My e-mail is or
My MSN messenger ID is
Mon 8th N-S 1st Jean W & Hans 73% 2nd Arnt & Terje 58%
E-W 1st Bob S & Dave 58% 2nd Derek & Gerard 57%
Wed 10th N-S 1st Bengt & Tom 66% 2nd Guttorm & Olaf 64%
E-W 1st Arnt & Johan 61% 2nd Lars G & Lennart 54%
Fri 12th N-S 1st Janne & Lard B 61% 2nd Lewis & Paul Q 61%
E-W 1st Arnt & Bob P 60% 2nd Dave & Royd 55%
Bidding Quiz Standard American bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.
Hand A Hand B What do you open with Hand A?
♠ AK ♠ 102 With Hand B everybody is vulnerable. Partner opens 1♠ and
♥ A62 ♥ 73 RHO overcalls 2♥, what do you do?
♦ A1052 ♦ A9752
♣ 5432 ♣ AKQ5
Hand C Hand D With Hands C and D everybody is vulnerable. LHO opens 1♣
and partner overcalls 1♥ and RHO passes, up to you: -
♠ 10654 ♠ 10654
♥ Q8653 ♥ Q8653 What do you bid with Hand C?
♦ K7 ♦ A7
♣ 84 ♣ K4 What do you bid with Hand D?
Hand E Hand F With Hand E RHO opens 1♥, what do you bid?
♠ AQJ109 ♠ Q7 With Hand F partner opens 1♥ and you bid 2♣. Then …
♥ J2 ♥ AJ2 (a) partner then bids 3NT, what do you bid?
♦ AK ♦ J8 (b) partner then bids 2♠, what do you bid?
♣ AQJ10 ♣ AQJ1075
Hand G Hand H What do you open with Hand G?
♠ 82 ♠ AQ
♥ AK876542 ♥ AK876542
♦ 82 ♦ 82
♣ 6 ♣ 6 What do you open with Hand H?
The Club Championships
Here are the latest standings in the club competitions.
Gold Cup = Best 30 / Silver Plate = Best 10 / Bronze Medal = Best 51
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 / 1902.7 Hans Vikman
1846.0 Sally Watson
1844.5 Dave Cutler
1840.5 Lewis Berg
1829.9 Janne Roos
1812.1 Lars Gustafsson
1806.6 Bob Pelletier
1790.3 Ivy Schlageter
1772.5 Derek & Gerard
1727.5 Jan v Koss / 683.5 Hans Vikman
663.6 Sally Watson
661.8 Dave Cutler
661.1 Jeremy Watson
653.4 Lewis Berg
651.0 Lars Gustafsson
643.6 Ivy Schlageter
642.9 Janne Roos
640.6 Derek & Gerard
639.0 Tomas Wikman / 352.6 Hans Vikman
342.3 Dave Cutler
341.1 Jeremy Watson
341.1 Sally Watson
339.7 Lars Gustafsson
335.8 Lewis Berg
335.3 Ivy Schlageter
329.9 Derek & Gerard
327.4 Tomas Wikman
326.2 Bob Pelletier
Christmas Day Party
Paul Quodomine has kindly invited all Club members and visitors to a Christmas day multiple teams-of-four combined with an afternoon lunch/party. Approx 12.00 to 18.00. All food and refreshments will be provided free of charge, as will transportation to/from the Bowling Green. Alternatively you can make your own way there – it’s in Jomtien and Paul will provide maps/directions.
Obviously Paul needs to know the numbers (he is hoping for 6-8 tables) in advance, so please sign up before Dec 22nd at the latest. Sheets are on the Bowling Green notice board. Wives, husbands, girlfriends, boyfriends etc are also welcome; there’s a large swimming pool and guests can easily find other activities if they don’t play bridge.
It’s up to you to organize your team-mates, any (multiples of 4) left over will be made into a team. Because of the nature of the event, only a multiple of 4 for playing bridge will be acceptable unless a team chooses to have more than 4 members. So sign up and organize your teams early as late applicants may well not get a place in a team.
Editorial
1) We do have a club dress code, in particular vest-type T-shirts or string ones are not allowed. If somebody comes along unsuitably attired I politely ask then to wear a sleeved T-Shirt next time. That has always been no problem but the following terse conversation took place on Wednesday:
Me: Could you please wear a T-shirt with sleeves next time you come.
Visitor: If you don’t like the way I dress then I won’t come again.
Me: OK.
Ours is a civilized (most of the time) bridge club and not a gymnasium.
2) Will players please take their cups/glasses/bottles with them when they move, and in particular do no put them on the floor or the side-tables where they can be easily broken.
When to devalue for a 1NT opener Board 8 from Monday 8th
Most balanced hands with 15 points should be opened 1NT, but there are exceptions for some hands that need to be devalued. 4333 type hands should deduct a point. Also, AK, KQ and AQ doubletons are bad holdings – points belong in long suits. The following deal from Monday demonstrates this latter point extremely well.
Dealer: ♠ 10632 Table A
South ♥ 874 West North East South(A)
E-W vul ♦ KJ84 - - - 1NT (1)
♣ AQ pass 2♣ pass 2♦
pass 3NT (2) all pass
♠ 87 N ♠ QJ954
♥ Q1093 W E ♥ KJ5 Table B
♦ 763 S ♦ Q9 West North East South(A)
♣ 10986 ♣ KJ7 pass pass pass 1♦ (1)
♠ AK pass 1♠ pass 1NT (3)
♥ A62 pass 2♦ (4) all pass
♦ A1052
♣ 5432
Table A: (1) What did you open with this South hand A in this week’s quiz? 6 out of 8 opened the ‘obvious’ 1NT but that’s not my answer.
(2) The ♣AQ are bad, but the ♠10 makes this just about worth a raise to game.
Table B: (1) Two players got the answer to question A right, 1♦. This hand is not worth 1NT – the AK doubleton is bad and the fact that eight(!) cards are no higher that a six makes it terrible. The redeeming features of three aces and a ten are not enough to offset the very bad features. I am fully aware that 95% of ‘experts’ may well open 1NT and then gracefully accept the -50 or -100. My abilities go beyond adding up to 15. I will open 1♦ and will end up in 1NT or 2♦ and collect +90 or +110.
(3) 12-14, which is what this hand is worth.
(4) If East’s opening promises 4+ ♦’s (as when playing a short ♣) then 2♦ is best here, playing better minor pass is best.
And what happened? 3NT (as at table A) was bid 5 times; -2 four times and -1 once. One player elected to bid only 2NT at (2) and scored well for going only one down (perhaps he knew that partner opens 1NT on poor hands like this South one? Or else he recognized that ♣AQ were poor cards). The two players who sensibly opened 1♦ played in 1NT= and 2♦+1 for the two top scores.
N-S both have balanced hands with 25 combined points, so why is 3NT going two down? Because of the terrible South hand and the poor ♣AQ doubleton in the North hand.
The bottom lines: -
- AK and AQ doubletons are poor holdings – it’s a waste of ‘7 or 6 points’; points belong in long suits. And these holdings are especially bad in NoTrumps, which is likely to be the final strain when opener is 2344 shape with just 5 cards in the majors.
- Also downgrade hands with no intermediates.
Puppet Stayman Anyone? Board 24 from Monday 8th
Most players reached 6♠ on this deal.
Dealer: ♠ AK1082 Table A
West ♥ K6 West North East South
Love all ♦ J85 pass 2NT (1) pass 3♣ (2)
♣ AKQ pass 3♠ pass 5♠ (3)
pass pass (4) pass
♠ J64 N ♠ 9
♥ J108 W E ♥ 97542
♦ Q743 S ♦ A6 Puppet Stayman Auction
♣ J76 ♣ 108542 West North East South
♠ Q753 pass 2NT (1) pass 3♣ (2)
♥ AQ3 pass 3♠ (5) pass 6♠ (6)
♦ K1092 all pass
♣ 93
Table A: (1) This must be the best opening bid. It is well established that a 2NT opening may well contain a 5-card major.
(2) This Pair play normal Stayman over 2NT.
(3) South only knows of a 4-4 ♠ fit and so decided to bid an invitational 5♠.
(4) North has only 20 points, but with a 5-card ♠ suit I think that he should accept the slam invitation.
Puppet: (2) Puppet Stayman asks for both 4-card and 5-card majors over 2NT…
(5) … and this response guarantees a 5-card ♠ suit…
(6) … and knowing that partner has 5 ♠’s makes it easy for South to take the pressure off partner and bid the slam.
And what happened? Everybody made 12 tricks but two pairs did not bid the slam
The bottom lines: -
- Puppet Stayman is used to locate both 4-4 and 5-3 major suit fits. I don’t like it over 1NT as you need at least invitational values, but it’s great over a 2NT (or equivalent) opening.
- It’s described on the website: Conventions > Section 1 > Puppet Stayman.
The Negative Double Board 23 from Monday 8th
I believe that East at table A got confused over the ‘automatic’ re-opening double.
Dealer: ♠ J763 Table A
South ♥ AK1054 West North East(B) South
Both vul ♦ KJ3 - - - pass
♣ 4 1♠ 2♥ pass (1) pass (2)
dbl (3) pass pass (4) pass
♠ AK854 N ♠ 102
♥ Q8 W E ♥ 73 Table B
♦ Q10 S ♦ A9752 West North East(B) South
♣ J986 ♣ AKQ5 - - - pass
♠ Q9 1♠ 2♥ dbl (1) pass
♥ J962 3♣ pass 3♥ (5) pass
♦ 864 3♠ (6) pass 4♠ (7) all pass
♣ 10732
Table A: (1) What did you bid with this East hand B in this week’s quiz? With 13 points this pass is terrible; 3♦ or a negative double are the sensible options.
(2) A ♥ raise looks right to me.
(3) Automatic
(4) I’m not sure if East mis-understood the re-opening double or if he actually thought that defending 2♥ doubled was the best option with this hand.
Table B: (1) This is a very reasonable answer to question B, a negative double promising values in the minors. The alternative of 3♦ takes up too much bidding space in my view.
(5) Asking for a ♥ stop.
(6) This denies a ♥ stop.
(7) East opted for the 5-2 ♠ fit in preference to 5♣.
And what happened? Despite their 25 points, the lack of a decent fit meant that 4♠ went down, as did 3NT bid at two tables. Two East’s successfully stopped in a partscore and 2♥* made exactly for the N-S top.
The bottom lines: -
- Do not (effectively) double a two-level contract with two small trumps just because you know your side has the balance of the points.
The Unassuming Cue bid Board 20 from Monday 8th
Dealer: ♠ 83 Table A
West ♥ AJ1094 West North East South(D)
Both vul ♦ K105 1♣ (1) 1♥ pass 3♥ (2)
♣ AJ2 pass 4♥ (3) all pass
♠ KQJ9 N ♠ A72 Table B
♥ K W E ♥ 72 West North East South(D)
♦ 32 S ♦ QJ9864 1♣ 1♥ pass 3♣ (1)
♣ Q108763 ♣ 95 pass 4♥ (3) all pass
♠ 10654
♥ Q8653
♦ A7
♣ K4
Table A: (1) The ♦K singleton is a poor card, but the hand is 21 for the rule of 20 and with the rest of the points in the long suits a 1♣ opener is fine. Note also that the hand has a good rebid (1♠ over a red suit and 2♣ over 1NT).
(2) What did you bid with this South hand D in this week’s quiz? I play 3♥ here as a pre-emptive raise and this hand is far too good. I wonder what this South would have bid with Hand C?
(3) But this N-S pair play the 3♥ bid as invitational and so North accepted.
Table B: (1) This pair sensibly play that any ♥ raise is pre-emptive. 2♣, an unassuming cue bid, would show a sound raise to 3♥ with three card support and this jump unassuming cue bid shows a sound raise to 3♥ with 4 (or in this case 5) card trump support.
(4) Knowing of a good hand with at least 4 trumps opposite, North has an easy accept.
And what happened? All but two N-S pairs played in 4♥ making 11 tricks.
The bottom lines: -
- Opposite an overcall, it’s best to play that a cue bid of the opponent’s suit shows a good raise and any direct raise is pre-emptive.
- The Unassuming cue bid is described on the website:
Conventions > Section 1 > Unassuming Cue Bid.
Dave’s Column Here is Dave’s input involving the bidding.
North South You are North, declarer in 4♠ after West had opened 1♥.
♠ AQJ109 ♠ 82 East leads the ♥3, West wins with the ♥Q and cashes the ♥A
♥ J2 ♥ 964 followed by the ♥K. You ruff and East follows. Plan the play.
♦ AK ♦ Q652
♣ AQJ10 ♣ K653
Dave’s Column answer Board 24 from Wednesday 10th
Dealer: ♠ AQJ109 West North(E) East South
West ♥ J2 1♥ dbl (1) pass 2♦ (2)
Love all ♦ AK pass 2♥ (3) pass 3♣
♣ AQJ10 pass 3♠ pass 4♠
all pass
♠ K743 N ♠ 65
♥ AKQ107 W E ♥ 853 (1) What did you bid with this North hand E in
♦ J108 S ♦ 9743 this week’s quiz? The hand is too strong for
♣ 8 ♣ 9742 a simple overcall and so double first and then
♠ 82 bid on. An alternative is to bid 2♥, a Michaels
♥ 964 Cue Bid to show ♠’s and a minor and then
♦ Q652 bid again to show a strong hand.
♣ K653 (2) 2♦ is better than 2♣ here, the reason being
that if partner bids again you can then bid ♣’s.
(3) This cue bid, having doubled, shows a very strong hand.
East leads the ♥3, West winning with the ♥Q and cashing the ♥A followed by the ♥K. You ruff and East follows. Plan the play.
West is marked with the ♠K for his opening bid, so there is a temptation to cross to the ♣K and take the trump finesse. However, that line fails here because when West wins the 3rd round of trumps with his ♠K, he forces you again with another ♥, establishing his long suit while he has the outstanding trump as an entry.
Instead, you must utilize the power of dummy’s ♠8. At trick four, lead the ♠Q from hand.
If West takes the trick and tries another ♥, you can ruff it in dummy, cross to hand with a ♦, draw trumps and claim. If West ducks the ♠Q, cross to dummy with a ♣, finesse the ♠Q, cash the ♠A and keep leading winners until West ruffs with his remaining ♠K, you still have a low ♠ to get back in with.