Club 2/1 Lesson 11-24-07 grizz: ok, let's get started then grizz: i have couple interesting hands that came up earlier this week grizz: first is a bidding problem grizz: what should W do here? dkgrab: think east opens beryl8: yes.... dkgrab: is a reverse bheri: 6 LOSERS Y bheri: 2 D dkgrab: 3nt grizz: first question: E shows 17+, does W have enough to force game? dkgrab: yes grizz: game in what strain? !C? !D? NT? dkgrab: no fits nt club2over1: theoretically not in a minor I thought tough without a fit grizz: without a fit, NT is the only logical game grizz: and very dangerous with a misfit dkgrab: doesnt mean it will make but seems to be right contract grizz: hot potato is now passed to E grizz: 3NT? 4!C? Pass? grizz: believe it or not, the best bid here is Pass grizz: watch what happens in 3NT dkgrab: 3nt is dead from either side grizz: disaster grizz: minor kings are offside dkgrab: i dont see how east can pass (even if it is best) grizz: and played from the other side, !h lead is a killer too grizz: in real life, E couldn't find the pass either grizz: losing a !c, !d and !h grizz: making only because N never got on lead to push a !h through grizz: and good for -.1 imp, on a board with scores all over the map grizz: most pairs bid 3NT grizz: for down several grizz: and maybe on most hands like this 3NT would be the bid of choice grizz: but i put this one up to show that even with game strength, sometimes game is a poor prospect grizz: and with misfit hands, it's good to go slowly dkgrab: yup it happens grizz: notice one other interesting feature of this hand grizz: E and W are both short of good middle cards grizz: aces and spaces grizz: terrible recipe for NT huber225: who is it that said: "if you don't fit.... quit" (Bergen)? grizz: great advice! grizz: give the EW hands some of those 8s, 9s and Ts, and NT looks better bheri: if !d8 is led he plays the Q! dkgrab: but vul u must be in game as the whole field will be as well and 3!D promises an honor + or the bid is 2nt bheri: after the ace on round 1 ..... club2over1: would it have been better for east to bid !s instead of 2 when west bids !d? grizz: yes, i think 1!S is better here grizz: even though it's an underbid, it caters to this kind of hand grizz: no fit, poor suit quality grizz: besides grizz: if W doesn't have the !sQ, there are no entries to dummy! grizz: and defense turns into a massacre grizz: without good middle cards, there is no source of tricks grizz: so grizz: i am not saying that this auction will always win grizz: because sometimes 3NT will roll, with overtricks grizz: but when you have a void in pd's bid suit, be VERY careful huber225: too big of a hand grizz: better to underbid a little, than to overbid and risk a big set grizz: any other observations about the hand? grizz: ok, let's look at another hand in the same vein grizz: wait, i will save it first so you can retrieve it bheri: 4 cl make grizz: y, lose !c, !d and !h, makes only because N never gets in to push a !h through Chat log of Bridge Base Online session for grizz starting at: Sat Nov 24 16:54:17 2007 grizz->Club: Grizz is back, BBO crashed grizz: hi, thx for returning grizz: bbo froze up grizz: anybody think E should bid here? and if so, what? grizz: EW plays capp kenberg: I wouldn't grizz: me neither grizz: bad shape, poor suit quality grizz: and 2!c won't slow down a good pair if they have anything going grizz: what about West? grizz: if W Xes, isn't E sure to bid !d? kenberg: I pass these but maybe I'm a wuss grizz: that is how this one should go playing strong NT grizz: at the table in real life, NS played weak NT, 12-14 grizz: now what? grizz: look for a major fit? E has not suggested anything in the majors grizz: and the first rule of bidding on misfits is the same as the first rule for getting out of holes grizz: stop digging! grizz: sidebar here: grizz: i had the W cards, and tenuki was N grizz: so NS were playing weak NT grizz: and i play weak NT a lot too, and I expected in this auction that N had 15-17, or 18-19 grizz: and would rebid 1NT or 2NT grizz: so W made a savvy pass here grizz: and E can't bid the same cards twice grizz: so what should E lead and why? huber225: j of sp grizz: that's easy to see when all the hands are visible, but is it sound defense? huber225: probably not. I am terrible at defense :) grizz: remember, N has not denied 1 or both majors grizz: ok, back to NT defense basics grizz: long suits are where the extra tricks are in NT grizz: and outside entries allow you to cash them, after they are established grizz: so here is what E should think: grizz: that !d suit sucks, but it IS 5 long grizz: there are 2, maybe 3 entries in !c, maybe one in !s or !d grizz: so there are enough entries to set up long !ds grizz: if i don't burn the entries first grizz: ok, dummy hits the table, and EW start to salivate like Pavlov's dogs grizz: why? grizz: dummy is broke grizz: N will have to play this one completely out of his hand grizz: and give up a trick every time he leads away from a tenace grizz: UNLESS grizz: defenders do his work for him, by getting too busy grizz: this is a textbook case for Passive Defense grizz: don't do anything to help declarer out grizz: see how hopeless this hand is for N? grizz: what should he do now? grizz: original 5th best, showing pd his count grizz: 5 is the biggest !h that W can signal with grizz: there are a lot of ways to play the hand, but good defense is always worth down 2 vul, for 200 grizz: what if W got greedy and Xed for penalties? whiz->Club: why nox instead 1nt with 4 3 majors grizz: in this case it was a system bid, showing a strong NT hand whiz: ok grizz: back to my question: what if W Xes in passout seat? grizz: if you are E, do you leave it in? grizz: i play this X as takeout, do you? grizz: have you discussed it with your regular partner? whiz: talk to me ? grizz: anybody whiz: oh ok grizz: i think most Es would rebid 2!d or 2!s on this auction whiz: not because l have just beginning weak nt grizz: and wind up playing in their own misfit grizz: so there are several lessons on this hand grizz: when your hands don't fit, be very cautious grizz: when playing against a good weak NT pair, and they open any suit, be cautious - grizz: it means either they are not balanced, or not minimum, or both grizz: because if you have a misfit, odds are that ops do too grizz: so get out early in a misfit auction, look first to defend trafalgar2: the !d overcall doesn't take up bidding space and E/W are vul so E has hcp therefore W's X could be taken for penalties? grizz: could be grizz: but E is on a guess grizz: and if he guesses wrong, turns a big plus into a smaller plus, or maybe a minus grizz: without solid partnership agreement, most players would take X as takeout grizz: so another lesson from this hand is that by trying to make a killing with a X, you might kill your own chances of a plus grizz: OR WORSE, grizz: tell declarer where your stuff is and let him make the hand grizz: by making anti-percentage plays to cater to the auction club2over1: could you explain the thinking behind that (the X meant as takeout)? I never understand what p wants in this situation, I have already told my suit grizz: the whole point is that X is ambiguous here grizz: and here, as so many times, experts make more imps with the pass card than advanced players do with the X grizz: another lesson: grizz: when defending NT, look to set up a long suit it you have outside entries grizz: and finally, when declarer is on the ropes, LEAVE HIM THERE!!! grizz: let him struggle, don't give him any help by breaking new suits, or leading into him grizz: Passive Defense when dummy is broke will always be best whiz: ok ty grizz: ok, any more questions about either of these hands? bmr65: why didn't N open 1nt ->bmr65: hiya! NS were playing weak nt grizz: no? then happy holidays, and i'll see you again Jan 5 trafalgar2: thx wyoming33: happy holidays to you too - :) deniseb: merci !h club2over1: thanks so much & have a really nice holiday season :) grizz: we started at 4:30 PST grizz: and will reconvene at that time on Jan 5 grizz: thx all, merry christmas and happy new year