VULNERABLE VERSUS NOT, SHOULDN'T THERE BE SOME SUIT QUALITY STANDARDS

#12	7			W	N	E	S
W	AJ8752			P	2D	P	2N
N-S	T85			P	3C	P	3N
	QT3			P	P	P
653		984
43		KQ6		P	2H	P	2N
KJ743		Q92		P	3H	P	6H
J74		9852		P	P	P
	AKQJT2
	T9
	A6
	AK6

ELEVEN EASY TRICKS IN 3NT. SADLY, WITH HEARTS MISBEHAVING, JEC LOSES

13 IMPS FOR, IN MY ESTIMATION, MAKING AN UNDISCIPLINED PREEMPTIVE OPENING BID (BASED ON VULNERABILITY)

#3	9			W	N	E	S
D: S	Q5			-	-	-	P
V: E-W	QJ5432			1C	P	2H	P
	QJ53			3H	P	4H	P
Q875		AKJ32		P	P
AJ62		T987
AK7		86		-	-	-	P
T6		92		1D	P	1S	P
	T64			2S	P	3H	P
	K43			4D	P	4S	P
	T9			P	P
	AK874

 

ON THIS DEAL, THE 5-4 SPADE FIT PLAYS MUCH BETTER THAN THE 4-4 HEART FIT. 13 IMPS TO JEC FOR HIS TEAMMATES GETTING TO THE SAFER CONTRACT!

GRAND SLAM – SMALL SLAM SWING 13 IMPS

 

 

#4	K 3			W	N	E	S
D: W	A K J 9 6			P	1H	P	1S
V: ALL	K			P	2C	P	2D
	Q T 9 7 3			P	3C	P	4C
9 4		8 6 5 2		P	4D	X	4N
Q T 8 7 5		3 2		P	5C	P	5D
J 7 5 3		Q T 9 8 4		P	7C	P	P
8 2		5 4		P
	A Q J T 7
	4			P	1H	P	1S
	A 6 2			P	2C	P	2D
	A K J 6			P	3C	P	6C
				P	P	P

 

THE PLAY OF THE HAND, OF COURSE, IS A TRIVIAL MATTER

IF YOU'RE GOING TO OPEN LIGHT IN 3RD SEAT,

THEN 2S HAS LOTS MORE GOING FOR IT THAN 1S

10 IMP GAME – PART-SCORE SWING

#9	Q J 7			W	N	E	S
D: N	J T 7 3			-	P	P	P
V: E-W	T 9 6			1D	P	P	P
	A 8 6
K		8 6 5 3		-	P	P	1S
A Q 6		K 9 2		X	2H	P	2S
A K 8 7 2		4 3		X	P	2N	P
K Q J 9		T 7 4 2		3S	P	4S	P
	A T 9 4 2			5C	P	P	P
	8 5 4
	Q J 5
	5 3

 

QUITE CURIOUS, BUT IF SOUTH PASSES AND WEST OPENS 2NT, NORTH JUST MIGHT LEAD THE SPADE Q FROM Q-J-X TO SET 3NT!

DOUBLE DIGIT SWINGS WITH JEC - ONE OUTRIGHT MISPLAY OF LAYDOWN 3NT; DOUBLING 2S WHEN YOU CAN MAKE 4D IS NOT WINNING BRIDGE

 MISPLAYING 3NT CREATES AN ELEVEN IMP LOSS

DLR: W                   S: A T 9 3 2                     W    N    E    S
VUL: N-S                H: 4 2
                                D: 6 5 3 2                         P    P     2S   P
                                C: K 2                              3D  P    3N   P
J                                               K Q 8 7 6 5     P     P
9 3                                            A Q J
A K J 10 7                                4                      P    P    1S    P
9 8 6 5 4                                   A J T               1N  P    3S    P
                                4 3                                   P    P     
                               K T 8 7 6 5
                               Q 9 8
                               Q 7 3


AS THE CARDS LIE, 3NT BY WEST (A VERY LOGICAL CONTRACT) OUGHT TO MAKE 10 TRICKS VIA FOUR SPADES, TWO HEARTS, TWO DIAMONDS, TWO CLUBS. 


IN THE CLOSED ROOM (WHERE 3NT failed BY THREE TRICKS, DECLARER PERMITTED HIMSELF TO BE SEDUCED BY A NICE SWITCH NORTH FOUND, THE CLUB KING FROM K-X, TO CREATE AN ENTRY FOR THE SOUTH HAND.




MISSING PARTNER'S TAKEOUT DOUBLE THINKING IT IS FOR PENALTIES CAN'T
EVER BE RIGHT WHEN THE OPPONENTS HAVE BID AND RAISED A MAJOR SUIT.
DOUBLES OF TWO LEVEL CONTRACTS (BY THE PASS OUT SEAT) ARE OF
NECESSITY FOR TAKEOUT.


BUT A MORE PRAGMATIC PREPARED OPENING BID BY EAST COULD AND SHOULD
HAVE SAVED THE DAY. INSTEAD, A DISASTROUS TWELVE IMP SWING OCCURRED




DLR: N                  S: 9 4 3 2                        W      N      E      S
VUL: E-W              H: Q J T 6 2
                               D: 4 2                              -        P      1C   1S
                               C: K Q                            X       2S     P      P
A 6                                          T 8                 X       P       P      P
A 9 8 5                                   K 4
J 8 7 5 3                                A K Q 9           -       P      1D    1S
9 3                                         J T 8 7 4         X       3S    P       P
                                K Q J 7 5 4                   x        P      P      P
                                 7 3
                                10 6
                                A 6 5 2




BETTER BIDDING ALL THE WAY AROUND BY JEC TEAM – ESPECIALLY THE E-W PAIR:
              THE ONE DIAMOND OPENING PERMITS THEM TO FIND THEIR DIAMOND FIT                   
               FROM THE GIT-GO


              NORTH REALLY CHURNED UP THE WATERS WITH THE VALUE-BASED 
              RAISE DIRECTLY TO 3S


               FOUR DIAMONDS IS AN EXPERT CALL, WHICH REALLY OUGHT TO BE              
               AUTOMATIC (GIVEN THAT EAST OPENED ONE DIAMOND, RATHER THAN  
              ONE CLUB)

Arriving at a stellar 3NT contract

#2                  k q 5                                        w      n      e      s                                
v: n-s             a j 9 2                                       -       -       p     1d    (S could also open 1NT, i would)
d: e                5 4                                           p       2c     x     3d    (right on values, 
                      j 8 4 3                                     p        3n                   wrong on shape)
j t 6 8 2                       9 8 4
q t 7 3                         8 5
k j 6                            T 7
2                                 a k 9 7 6 5
                    a 7
                    k 9 4
                    a q 9 8 3 2
                    q t

GETTING TO A VERY NICE 6C CONTRACT

AS IF THEY BOTH KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING:


K J                     A Q 4
A K                    Q 8 5
A 6 4 2               9 3
A K J 9 2           10 7 4 3 2


2C                      2D (WAITING)
3C                      4N (REGULAR BLACKWOOD - ACES ONLY)
5S                      6C


6 NT MAKES ALSO, BUT I LOVE 6C

THIS PISS ANT 3NT CONTRACT OUGHT TO BE SET SEVERAL


 VUL: BOTH       T 2                                          W      N      E      SVUL
                            8                                              1D    2C     2S    P         EAST HAS CLASSIC X
                            A K 7                                       3N    P       P      P         WEST BIDS IMPECABLY
                            A Q 9 7 6 4 2
Q                                                 A J 8 6             THIS ABOMINABLE CONTRACT OUGHT    
A J T 2                                        Q 7 6 4             TO BE SET TWO ON THE NORMAL CLUB LEAD
Q J T 8 4                                     9 6
K J 5                                            T 8 3                AND AFTER THE CLUB ACE OPENING LEAD
                             K 9 7 5 4 3                              THE CONTRACT OUGHT TO GO OFF 3
                             K 9 5 3                                    WHEN WEST FAILS TO FIND THE UNBLOCK 
                             5 3 2                                        IN THE CLUB SUIT
                             - - -




                             Q J 2                                        W      N        E           S
                             A J 9 5                                      --      1N      SS          P
                             A 8                                           P       P      
                             K J 6 3
K T                                             A 9 8 7 6 5
T 8 7 6 4                                      K Q 2
5 3                                               J Y 9 7
A Q 9 2                                        - - -
                            4 3
                            3
                            K Q 6 4 2
                            T 8 7 4 2
DECLARER PLAY HERE IS VERY WEAK

MY DREAM GIRL FRIEND - MS PRIMAL PEPPERMINT SCHNAPPS

RANDOM HANDS ILLUSTRATING INSTANCES IN WHICH ONE OUGHT TO BE APPLYING THE LAW OF TOTAL TRUMP

V: E-W       S: 8 6              W   N   E   S

                  H: K Q 4 2        -    -    P   P

                  D: Q 5             3S  P   P   P

                  C: A J 9 8 6

S: A K T 9 5 3          Q 7 4 2            East's pass is very dangerous.

H: 8                         A T 6 3            With (assumably) eleven combined

D: T 9 7                   K J 3 2            trump, E-W are “Law Protected” to

C: Q 7 2                  T                     the 11 trick level. PASS risks missing

                                                      a lay down game. And especially at

                   S: J                             equal vulnerability, East must go to

                   H: J 9 7 5                    game lest N-S are permitted to back

                   D: A 8 6 4                    into the auction and find their own

                   C: K 5 4 3                   game

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

V: E-W        S: 8                              W     N     E    S

                  H: J T 8 2                      -       -      -    2D

                  D: T 9 7 2                     2S    5D    X   P

                  C: A T 4 2                    P      P

S: A K J T 9 4 3         Q 7 6 5 2            WEST'S SIMPLE TWO SPADE OVERCALL

H: A 7 5 3                  K 9                     IS ENTIRELY INADEQUATE. FOUR SPADES

D: 3                           K J                     IS NOT PREEMPTIVE, BUT SHOWS A VERY

C: 5                           K J 6 3               STRONG PLAYING HAND (8-9 TRICKS)THAT

                                                           NEEDS NO TRUMP SUPPORT.

                  S: - - -                               FIVE DIAMONDS WAS AN INSPIRED BID

                  H: Q 6 4                           THAT WAS AMPLY REWARDED.

                  D: A Q 8 6 5 4                   DOUBLE HAS NO MERIT WHATSOEVER.

                  C: Q 9 8 7                         WITH AT LEAST A 10-CARD FIT, THE HAND

                                                          BELONGS IN SPADES. THE K-J OF DIAMONDS 

IS A RED HERRING. SURE, THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO BE DEFENSIVE CARDS, EXCEPT THAT THE DIAMOND BIDDER IS BEHIND EAST, AND THUS THE K-J MAY WELL BE ENTIRELY WORTHLESS. PASSING 5 DIAMONDS WITH A 7-4-1-1 (7-4 BIDSOMEMORE) CANNOT BE WINNING BRIDGE EITHER.

KUDOS TO N-S FOR THROWING UP SUCH A SHIT STORM OF INTERFERENCE.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

V: E-W              S: A 9 7 5                            W       N       E        S

                         H: J 8 7 3                            P       P       1D       P

                         D: A J                                1H      P       1NT     P

                         C: T 8 3                             2D      P       P          P

S: 3 2                             K 8                      THE FIRST PASS WAS COWARDLY

H: A 9 6 2                       K T 5                      - VULNERABILITY IS FAOVRABLE

D: Q T 5 4                      8 7 6 2                    - SPADES IS THE BOSS SUIT

C: Q 7 6                         A K J 8                   - DIAMOND KING LOOKS TO BE WINNER

                                                                  THE SECOND PASS WAS WORSE

                     S: Q J T 6 4                             - WHO WANTS TO DEFEND 1NT?

                     H: Q 4                                  THE THIRD PASS IS EVEN WORSE

                     D: K 9 3                                   - THEY HAVE A FIT, SO DO WE

                     C: 5 4 2                                    - NORTH HAS 4 SPADES