Interesting Hand 21
Take heart if you've really gone totally wrong in the bidding. Even the experts at Welwyn Club can go completely off the rails as this hand sent to me by John Howes shows
You are South, both sides vulnerable, as dealer you are dealt
void 
AKJ54
8
Q1087653.
You are surely going to open the bidding!
So what do you bid? Would you open differently as 3rd in hand
after 2 passes? If W doubles your opening bid, and s
are bid by E what might you then do?
Replies
1.Well do I open it a Lucas two,(a Lucas
two shows 5 card major, with another 5 card suit of lower rank, weak 5-10pts,
and is alertable!) I think too good. Therefore should open 1 club. The other
option is to pass, which I favour and come in with a 2 suiter and keep pressing
as I am prepared to play in 5 clubs
If I open 1 club I have to reverse in hearts and am giving partner a strong
hand, but this hand is strong in distribution not points so never interested
in taking penalties on the basis of a reverse by me, hence I want to go softly
2.Open? No problem, I am going to open the longest suit so 1 club. If I was third player after two passes I might well open 4 clubs to stop a game in spades. If I club is doubled and they bid diamonds I am going to repeat my club suit even at the 4 level
3. I wouldn’t open 3C because I want to show my hearts and there might not be enough bidding room left. I’d open 1C and reverse into hearts if/when doubled/diamonds bid - with that sort of distribution 1C is not going to get passed out. I know it’s only 10hcp and so not theoretically suitable for a reverse but on the other hand it’s only 4 losers, so on that basis, very suitable. I’d do the same in 3rd seat, no point in pre-empting against partner. I’ll be intrigued to see the outcome!
4. I think I would have committed to 3 clubs
pre empt expecting overcall in diamonds or spades. If only diamonds are bid
at 3 D and my partner has passed I can see the temptation to offer a 3 Hearts
bid. Clubs Suit quality says only go to 2 level? so really want partner on
board. Worst thing would be getting left in 3 Hearts probably doubled.
I can imagine the opponents competing with spades and/or diamonds so doubt
we could push clubs much higher.
5. I simply don't know. With 10 points and
4 losers I think that I would simply open 1 club with a view to seeing what
transpired.
If W doubled and E bid 1 diamond I would infer that W also had hearts and
that partner had nothing to respond with, also that E hadn't much as there
was no jump response, just a forced one. I would then rebid my clubs and see
what West does. Even if partner has 4 or more spades it is likely that EW
have a spade fit. I would find it sensible to conceal my heart holding at
this stage of the auction.
6 I would open the bidding 3 clubs
7. I would open with 1 club, but after the double and a pass from partner, I am going to bid my hearts over a diamond response to the double. The shape of the hand is so good that despite the lack of points we could well have a game in hearts .
What happened
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Deals |
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The bidding was bizarre
S
1C Dbl P 1D
2C 2S P P
3C 3H 4D P
5C 5S Dbl
The result was: down 4 for1100 to N-S a top! Other results were 5C doubled down 3, 800 to E-W, 4C doubled down 2, 500 to E-W and 4D also 500 to E-W. However N-S scored when E-W also played in 4S doubled for 800 to N-S , and amazingly 4H by E-W undoubled ,down 5; also 2NT down 3 by E-W. This is supposed to be an above average field of some of the county’s better players!