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Firesides
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BORIS & SORIS Doubles
Hand of the Week, No. 1
BORIS Doubles,
from the 03-01-2002 Fireside
| Game: MPs
| | Vul: Both
| | Dealer: South
|
|
 Q 8 7 4
|  K 7 6 2
|  K 3
|  K 9 8
|
|
| K 2
| | A 10 3
| | J 10 8 5 4
| | 10 7 5
|
| |
| 10 9 3
| | Q 8 4
| | 9
| | A Q J 4 3 2
|
|
|
| A J 6 5
| | J 9 5
| | A Q 7 6 2
| | 6
|
|
| West | North | East | South
|
| |
| 1
|
| Pass
| 1
| 2
| ??
|
If playing
Support Doubles,
North-South might be in trouble over 2
♣ here.
This is especially true, if North-South play that South
must Double 2
♣ with 3 Hearts — i.e.,
passing 2
♣ would
deny 3 Hearts
here. If South is not allowed to Pass to show here a minimum here,
North-South may be heading either for game or, (since a
Support Double
doesn't suggest the unbid major) for a 4-3 Heart fit, rather
than for the ideal 4-4 Spade fit.
Regardless of whether we decide to play
Support Doubles, then,
we should
never agree that Opener
is
forced to bid with
3-card support
and a
minimum.
| West | North | East | South
|
| |
| 1
|
| Pass
| 1
| 2
| Pass
|
| Pass
| Dble
| Pass
| 2
|
| Pass | Pass | Pass
|
If South is free to Pass here, North can balance with a Double,
and N-S will stop at the two level — maybe even
in 2
♠. North might
Double 2
♣ with 3-5 rather
than 4-4 in the majors, so South may baulk at 2
♠.
But, at the very least, N-S
will stop
at the two-level, when South can Pass 2
♣ and show minimum.
On a good day, the auction might go as above.
Let's add
♠K to the South hand and take away a third Heart:
| North (Responder)
| ♠Q 8 7 4
| ♥K 7 6 2
| ♦K 3
| ♣K 9 8
|
|
|
| South (Opener)
| ♠A K J 6
| ♥J 9
| ♦A Q 7 6 2
| ♣6 5
|
Over 1
♦-Pass-1NT-2
♣,
South would feel far less comfortable to Pass 2
♣.
South would
like to act, but
cannot risk 2
♠, in case North-South
do not have a fit there.
Notice how
"inconvenient" Spades
are here.
Bidding them commits us past possible stops in 2
♦ and 2
♥.
If only Double were Takeout
without
suggesting 3 Hearts ! We could Double and still stop in 2
♦, 2
♥, or in
2
♠ as appropriate.
A
Support Double would certainly not help
here !
Standard praxis is to play a Double here as Penalty.
That isn't helpful either.
If we Pass with this fine hand, Partner may not balance,
may balance and then pass 2
♠, or may
balance and raise 2
♠ to 3
♠,
only to find us with the original
hand:
| Opener
| A J 6 5
| J 9 5
| A Q 7 6 2
| 6 5
|
BORIS Double (Inconvenient Suit)
| West | North | East | South
|
| |
| 1
|
| Pass
| 1
| 2
| Dble
|
So, we
need the Double of 2
♣ here to show extra values and,
usually, 4 cards in that
"inconvenient" Spade suit.
But, what if the 4th suit were the next suit along ?
BORIS Double
(Penalty)
| West | North | East | South
|
| |
| 1
|
| Pass
| 1
| 1
| Dble
|
|
| South
| ♠A K J 6
| ♥J 9
| ♦A Q 7 6 2
| ♣6 5
|
|
If we had Clubs, we could simply bid them and still stop
in 2
♣, 2
♦, or 2
♥ as appropriate.
Clubs, then, would be a
"convenient" suit to bid here.
Since we don't need the Double to be Takeout here, it can retain its standard meaning:
"business" (=penalty).
This leads us to the
BORIS Double here:
"Business OR Inconvenient Suit".
In other words, unless the unbid suit is the very next one
up the line, Doubles of the third suit by Opener are Takeout.
SORIS Doubles
Some pairs don't feel the need to have a penalty double at the one (or two) level here.
Instead, they will play a double as Support — but only when the unbid suit is the next
one along (i.e.,
"convenient") and only with extra values.
| West | North | East | South
|
| |
| 1
|
| Pass
| 1
| 2
| Dble
|
This Double would be
(1) Penalty, if playing
BORIS Doubles
(since we could easily bid 2
♦ here),
(2) But it is a
Support Double
showing 3 Spades, if playing
SORIS Doubles.
Hand of the Week, No. 2
|
| A 8 4
| | A 9 5
| | 8 4
| | A J 10 7 2
|
|
| Game: MPs
| | Vul: E-W
| | Dealer: West
|
|
| K 6 3 2
| | 8
| | Q J 6 2
| | K 9 6 5
|
| |
| Q J 10 9
| | K J 6
| | A K 9 3
| | Q 3
|
| |
| 7 5
| | Q 10 7 4 3 2
| | 10 7 5
| | 8 4
|
|
|
| West | North | East | South
|
| Pass
| 1
| Dble
| 1
|
| Pass
| 2
| Pass
| Pass
|
| Pass
|
|
Some have expressed interest in Kaltica's
"Ward Rules",
numbered as they are, counting down to the best known,
Ward Rule #2:
"Behave politely, bid obnoxiously."
But some have asked: "What is Ward Rule #1?"
Actually, there are
three Rule #1's, notably:
-
Ward Rule #1 of the Game:
"Never play bridge with anyone more sober than you are."
-
Ward Rule #1 of the Play:
"Partners are there to be endplayed."
-
Ward Rule #1 of the Bidding:
"Never psyche a Heart when a Spade will do."
On this
hand
from a recent
OKBridge tourney,
Moogal — yes,
Moogal,
not
Kaltica —
bid not the unimaginative 1
♥ over 1
♣-Dble,
but the full 1
♠!
Kaltica, no golden-glove
fielder, raised to 2
♠. The opponents didn't
care to double this, so N-S managed to steal it for 2
♠, down many,
when 4
♠ makes for E-W.
| West | North | East | South
|
| Pass
| 1
| Dble
| 1
|
| Dble
|
To counter this, Advancer (West here) must
double 1
♠ for penalty
to expose the psyche. Remember: any double of a new suit
opposite Partner's takeout double is penalty.
Hand of the Week, No. 3
No Fourth-Suit Forcing at the one level,
from the 10-12-2001 Fireside.
| Game: MPs
| | Vul: None
| | Dealer: North
|
|
| K J 9 3
| | Q J 9 7
| | A
| | Q 4 3 2
|
|
| A 7
| | 10 8 6
| | Q J 9 7 5 3
| | 9 5
|
| |
| 8 6 4 2
| | K 5 3 2
| | 6 2
| | 8 7 6
|
|
|
| Q 10 5
| | A 4
| | K 10 8 4
| | A K J 10
|
|
| West | North | East | South
|
|
|
| 1
| Pass
| 1
|
| Pass
| 1
| Pass
| 2
|
| Pass
| 3
| Pass
| 4
|
| Pass
| 4
| Pass
| 4NT
|
| Pass
| 5
| Pass
| 6
|
| Pass | Pass | Pass
|
After 1
♣:1
♦:1
♥,
South had to accomplish two things: force to game, and discover if North has 4+ Clubs rather than, say, 4=4=2=3.
1
♠ here would be natural.
It would be the fourth suit, yes, and it would be forcing, but it would not be
"4th Suit Forcing".
Confused ?
"4th Suit Forcing" is a convention — albeit one which is an integral
part of
SAYC,
SARC,
2/1-GF, and any other approach-forcing system.
The
"4SF" (i.e.,
"Fourth Suit Forcing") bidder might be void in the bid suit.
Since Responder (South) doesn't have 4+ Spades here, South can't bid 1
♠.
Instead, we see an immediate 2
♠.
But, what if Responder
did have 4+ Spades, and
wanted to show them and
then force to game ?
Easy.
Responder bids 1
♠, and then 2
♠.
In other words, after 1
♣:1
♦:1
♥, 2
♠ will force game,
regardless of whether or not it is prefaced by a natural 1
♠.
Responder's first task is accomplished.
Game is forced.
Now South needs only discern if North really has 4+ Clubs.
2
♠ tells Opener that there is no 4-4 Spade
fit.
(1) With any flat hand (e.g., 4=4=2=3), Opener will now bid
(1a)
2NT (strong, since 2
♠ forced game), or
(1b)
3NT
(weak, according to the Principle of Fast Arrival).
(2) 3
♠ by Opener, then,
must be a patterning-out bid, showing 4=4=1=4.
This allows Responder to settle trumps with 4
♣, leading to an
easy 6
♣.
Simple game, bridge.
Why complicate it ?
Hand of the Week, No. 4
So you play Jacoby ?
by Bob "Bridgboy" Lavin.
| Game: MPs
| | Vul: E-W
| | Dealer: North
|
|
| J 4 3
| | Q 7
| | A K 8 6 5
| | A K 9
|
|
| K 7 6 5
| | J 9 5 4
| | Q 2
| | 6 4 2
|
| |
| 10 9 8 2
| | 2
| | J 10 4 3
| | J 8 7 3
|
|
|
| A Q
| | A K 10 8 6 3
| | 9 7
| | Q 10 5
|
|
| West | North | East | South
|
|
| 1NT
| Pass
| 3
|
| Pass
| 4
| Pass
| 6
|
| Pass
| Pass
| Pass
|
We all know that Jacoby transfers are the basis for most of our notrump structure.
However, it is not full proof.
There are some valuable times when we should avoid it.
Playing in a regional Open Pairs, you pick up the South hand,
and hear Partner open 1NT.
Fortunately, your methods allow you to bid 3♥ as a slam try in Hearts for such a hand rather than some other conventional treatment.
After you get a return 4♣ Cuebid
from Partner, you bid to 6♥.
The opening lead is ♣4 .
Looks easy.
But looks can be deceiving.
So, just to hedge your bets, you win in hand, preserving dummy's entries, and try to cash your trumps.
The 4-1 split off-side is troubling, but not fatal.
Next, because of your planning, you have the extra entries to the dummy to set up the Diamonds, which are 4-2.
So you don't have to rely on the Spade finesse.
All those Jacoby fans are playing this slam from the wrong
side of the table, and are failing on a Spade lead.
So you are rewarded for good bidding and better declarer
technique of using the side suit to throw your losers.
Well done !
Hand of the Week, No. 5
| Game: MPs
| | Vul: E-W
| | Dealer: South
|
|
| 6 7
| | K 6 4 2
| | J 7 3
| | Q 10 4 3
|
|
| A K Q J 9
| | A Q 10 9
| | A Q
| | J 6
|
| |
| 3
| | J 8 7 5 3
| | K 10 8 6 5 2
| | 7
|
|
|
| 10 8 5 4 2
| | —
| | 9 4
| | A K 9 8 5 2
|
|
| South | West | North | East
|
| Pass
| 2
| Pass
| 2
|
| 3
| 3
| Pass
| Pass
|
| Pass
|
When the opposition opens 2♣,
they often want to show a strong but not quite
game-forcing hand by bidding and rebidding a suit, or by rebidding 2NT
(22-24 HCPs, flat hand).
We can often prevent them from doing this with
a quick, well-placed overcall of our own, as South did here
with 3♣.
At this point, the opening side must
remember that they can stop short of game, only if Opener does one of two things:
(1)
Bids & rebids a suit (e.g., 2♣:2♦:2♠:any:3♠)
(2)
Rebids 2NT.
Here, then, 3♠ was forcing.
Responder should rebid 4♦, and hope
that Opener's finds a subsequent 4♥ rebid.
This may not be as easy as it looks;
Opener may be worried that Responder will have 1-2 in the majors.
If so, 5♦ might be a better contract.
Just as Responder cannot pass Opener's 3♠ rebid here,
Responder could not pass out
South's 3♣ !
Hence, Opener could and
should pass the 3♣ overcall.
This allows Responder room to bid 3♦.
Then, Opener will rebid 3♠.
Responder might then wonder why Opener bothered to pass 3♣,
shrug hir shoulders and conclude that Opener
must be interested in a Heart suit.
This
would lead Responder to rebid 4♥,
ending matters there.
After 2♣, or 2♣-Pass-2♦,
then, All Doubles by the opening side
are penalty, except those by Opener in the pass-out seat.
To illustrate, these three doubles are penalty:
|
|
|
| 2♣
| Pass
| 2♦
| 2♥
|
| Pass
| Pass
| Dble
|
|
But this one is
Takeout:
Hand of the Week, No. 6
| Game: MPs
| | Vul: E-W
| | Dealer: South
|
|
| Q 7 5 3 2
| | 8 6 4
| | 9 6
| | J 10 8
|
|
| A
| | A K 9 5
| | A K 10 8 4
| | A K 9
|
| |
| 10 8
| | Q J 3 2
| | 5 2
| | Q 6 4 3 2
|
|
|
| K J 9 6 4
| | 10 7
| | Q J 7 3
| | 7 5
|
|
| West | North | East | South
|
|
|
|
| Pass
|
| 2
| Pass
| 2
| 2
|
| 3
| 4
| Dble
| Pass
|
| Pass | Pass
|
When the opponents open 2♣, we often find that they have done so on a hand with considerable distributional values.
While many novices quake in fear of their adversary's 2♣ openings, experience will show us that getting into the auction early — especially when they are vulnerable — pays off.
Here, North's 4♠ call made it extremely
difficult for E-W to proceed.
Or did it ?
Over 2♠, a Pass by the 2♣ Opener
would be forcing, looking for a fit in
one of the unbid suits.
A Double by Opener in direct seat, then, would be Penalty.
Here, the 3♦ bid instead of a "Takeout Pass"
suggested that Opener was only interested in Diamonds.
As we'll soon see, this is the exact opposite of what Opener should wish to imply.
"What does the Double of 4♠ mean here ?"
"A stack of Spades ?"
No.
That would be impossible on this auction.
"Wasted values in Spades ?"
Not quite.
The Double here says that East wants to stop, because he has
heard something that he doesn't like.
Since no one ever minds Partner opening 2♣,
it must be the 3♦ call that East disliked.
East could have passed 4♠, of course, but that might imply that East wants to hear more from West.
With soft values and nothing in Partner's Diamonds,
East wants to stop the proceedings in 4♠.
The critical point came over 2♠.
Opener had to Pass here.
This would tell Responder that the pair has a fit.
Over 4♠, then, Responder
would Pass —
another "takeout Pass",
expressing some interest in hearing Opener bid again.
While the "noise" from N-S may not allow
the E-W to find a grand slam, the "takeout passes"
of 2♠ and 4♠
should allow them to reach 6♣ or 6♥.
Hand of the Week, No. 7
What 5NT means.
| Game: MPs
| | Vul: Both
| | Dealer: South
|
|
| A J 9 7 2
| | J 7 6
| | A J
| | K J 2
|
|
| 10 6 4
| | 10
| | 10 8 7 4
| | Q 10 9 6 4
|
| |
| Q 5 3
| | Q 4 3
| | K 9 5 3 2
| | 5 3
|
|
|
| K 8
| | A K 9 8 5 2
| | Q 6
| | A 8 7
|
|
| South | West | North | East
|
| 1
| Pass
| 1
| Pass
|
| 3
| Pass
| 4NT
| Pass
|
| 5
| Pass
| 5NT
| Pass
|
| 6
| Pass
| 7
| Pass
|
| Pass | Pass
|
Here, 3
♥ was a slight
overbid,
but the alternative 2
♥ was
underbid.
North launched into Blackwood but, over 6
♥,
had to guess whether South was maximum or minimum.
Should North bid 7
♥,
hoping for South to have
♥Q or a seven-th Heart ?
Or, should North pass 6
♥ ?
What tools does North have at hir disposal to make this decision ?
Actually, North
does have a hint here.
The question becomes:
What does 5NT mean ?
Many assume that 5NT is nothing more than a simple request for Kings.
Not so ! In fact,
5NT expresses interest
in a grand slam, while guaranteeing possession of all the
Aces (or 5 Key Cards, if playing RKCB).
This being the case, the player responding to
5NT is licensed to go to the seven level with
"a source of tricks".
This may mean a good running side-suit, extra trumps (after promising 6 Hearts with 3
♥) or a number of supporting Queens and Jacks to comprise a maximum.
In essence, any hand with significant extras can drive to a grand slam,
when their partner bids
5NT.
The fact that South co-operated with the King request,
and bid only 6
♥ suggests that
South does not have a maximum.
Hence, North could have comfortably passed 6
♥ here.
What are the Firesides ?
The Fireside Bidding Practices are exactly what the name suggests:
a table where students of the game can come and brush up on their bridge bidding skills.
After each hand a qualified commentator goes over the
auction, highlighting bidding themes and suggesting alternative
courses of action.
The students are free to play the system of their choice.
After a number of hands (usually three) the four bidders are
replaced by another foursome drawn from the onlookers in the
Spectators Loft.
These Firesides are supported on a voluntary basis by the
attendees.
All are welcome ! See you there !
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FireSide Bidding Practice Schedule
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