Here's more hot air from your favorite story teller.

TO BID OR NOT TO BID - THAT IS THE QUESTION

Let’s face it - we all overbid. We open 11-point, 9 cards in two suit hands with something called the “rule of 20.” We raise partner’s opener on the skimpiest of values. And we make overcalls that couldn’t pass a simple test: would you want your partner to lead that suit against any contract? Yes, we all overbid except for the really good players who know that discipline is not a four-letter word. One of those people is Charlotte Kartsonis and the following is a prime example of disciplined bidding. I have the greatest respect and admiration for the way Charlotte and Marion bid and play and they form one of the toughest pairs you will ever face anywhere.

One Wednesday in New Port Richey a few years back, I didn’t have a game, so after running some errands, I dropped in at the local bridge club. I grabbed a cup of coffee and pulled up a chair behind Charlotte. I love to watch excellent players in action and Charlotte didn’t disappoint.

Sitting North, in third seat, both vulnerable, Charlotte held: -Axx, -Jxxxx, -Kxx, -Ax.

Marion dealt and passed and RHO opened 1.

Without hesitation, Charlotte passed and LHO bid 1.

Marion passed, RHO bid 3, and LHO took the invitation and raised to 4.

Charlotte tabled the red card [Double. ed] much to everyone’s surprise - except me of course.

I’m so brilliant when I kibitz.

Marion dutifully led a and the dummy showed a 14-point hand with 4-4 in the red suits.

Declarer finessed the queen; Charlotte won her king and promptly led a trump.

No matter how declarer squirmed, she was bound to also lose a trump trick and both black aces.

Plus 200 was a cold top.

Why? Because every other E-W pair were in 3NT making 4.

Why? Because everybody in Charlotte’s seat overcalled 1. LHO doubled, RHO bid 1NT, and LHO went to 3NT. The only tricks for the defense were the king of diamonds and both black aces.

Now you know why Marion and Charlotte are so successful. They are both Gold Life Masters and it shows. In the postmortem, I asked Charlotte why she passed. Four simple answers:

1) they were vulnerable, partner had passed, so game was out of the question.
2) she held a very weak trump suit.
3) any bid identifies where the missing points are located.
4) her hand is better suited to defense.

Any questions?

So, anytime you and your partner do well against Marion and Charlotte, consider it a great day.

Sincerely, Jim Somma
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