Misc World Wide (!) Pairs Game
Friday Evening, June 1, 6 p.m.
Entry Fee: $8, includes book by Eric Kokish
You must sign up at Club, so we can order books
No Afternoon Game, Friday, June 1
 Discipline: Not a 4-Letter Word |
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| Jim Somma | ||||||
| Thursday, September 25, 2008 | ||||||
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In my first column (Here,Ed.) I noted the benefits of disciplined bidding (especially with weak trump suits), citing a deal played by Charlotte Kartsonis and Marion Ellingsen. That round was played on Wednesday. In Wally Klugiewicz’s Thursday matinee, I was the beneficiary of a weak overcall that resulted in a cold top for my partner and I instead of a cold bottom.
I n fourth seat, both vulnerable, I held: S-Kx, H-AQ10xx, D-Jx, C-Qxx. LHO passed and partner opened 1 Diamond. As I started to reach for the bidding box, RHO overcalled 1 Heart. I passed as smoothly as I could, and after LHO passed, partner bid 1 Spade. a reverse - I thought. RHO passed and I bid 3NT. You think partner doesn’t have a club stopper with 17+ points? LHO leads the HK and dummy shows up with: S-AQJx, H-x, D-KQxxxx, C-xx. Oh, oh, no 17+ HCP and where are all the clubs? I win the HA and lead the JD, RHO wins the ace and I get ready for the club shift. But RHO returns a heart and I insert the 10 which wins. A diamond to the dummy accounts for five more tricks. A spade to my king, cash the HQ, and a spade to dummy’s good spades allows me to take 12 tricks. Back to the bidding sequence. If RHO passes, I will bid 1 Heart, partner will respond 1 Spade, and I will jump to 3NT. LHO, who has five clubs to the KJ, will lead his fourth best. RHO will win the ace and a club return will net the defense five tricks plus the DA. There’s an old sports axiom: I’d rather be lucky than good.I am relaxing with a cup of coffee at one of Wally’s Thursday games, doing my usual superb job of kibitzing - I always get a top. I am sitting behind a North player who holds in fourth seat (red-on-white): S-xx, H-xx, D-AKx, C-KQxxxx. After three passes, North reaches for the bidding box. Silently I scream NO! Don’t open a minor without some major suit values, you’re never going to buy the contract for less than three. North opens 1 Club, followed in quick order by 1 Spade, 2 Clubs, 2 Spades, and 3 Clubs - see, I told you. North loses four tricks in the majors plus a diamond and the CA. Down two vulnerable is a cold bottom. If the deal is passed out, N-S get a cold top. Discipline - discipline - discipline!I n a STAC game, I hold: S-Axx, H-Axxx, D-Ax, C-J10xx in fourth seat. They are red, we are white. LHO deals, mulls her options, and passes. Partner opens 2 Diamonds (weak) and RHO passes. I ponder a 2NT bid (Ogust) but decide game is out of the question so I pass. Now, LHO who is a passed hand (no 6-card suit, no opening count) bids 2 Hearts! I lick my chops envisioning the next series of bids. After two passes, I bid 3 Diamonds and wait for the inevitable 3 Heart rebid - it comes and I double. Down two is +500 for us and a cold top! I n fourth seat, white-on-white, I hold: S-Qxx, H-Kxxx, D-xxx, C-Qxx. LHO opens 1 Spade and partner bids 1 NT (15-18 HCP), I bid 2 NT and LHO bids 3 Spades (only the foolish or possessed would make that bid). Partner looks at the vulnerability, doubles, and leads the ace and king of clubs. The dummy has no spades and no points. Partner holds: S-J10xx, H-AQx, D-Axx, C-AKx. We take nine tricks for a nifty +1,100. LHO carps that we are cold for 3NT - right and I know a bridge you can buy cheap. Discipline - discipline - discipline?Sincerely, Jim Somma {easycomments}
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