March 2004

BIDDING

Studying daily bridge column deals in your local newspaper is a good way to sharpen bidding and playing skills.  For the most part, bidding presented in these columns is sound, standard practice, but not always.  So you should not view every bid as gospel.  Look at the following example from a recent “Bridge Club” column.

SOUTH HAND
S)  K Q J 8 4
H)  9 6
D)  K J 8
C)  J 7 6

North opens 1 heart and East overcalls 2 diamonds.  South has the values for game but it is not yet apparent where to play.  She has a biddable spade suit and good diamonds behind East.  She bids 2 spades and partner raises to 3 spades, opponents passing.  So far so good.  

Now what should she do?  In the column, South calls 3 notrump, presumably to show diamond stoppers, and North continues to 4 spades.  The full bidding is:

North         East          South          West        
1 H            2 D            2 S             Pass
3 S             Pass          3 NT          Pass
4 S

The article goes on to describe how a clever defender analyzes the bidding and sets the contract with a line of play that is not readily evident. South’s 3 notrump call was not the best choice. Already North’s spade raise sets the trump, and South has the strength for game but not for slam.

The obvious and best action for South is to call 4 spades rather than 3 notrump. Then the defense would not have the information they need to find the killing defense. (And there would have been no point to the article!)

GIVING UP BRIDGE

LAST VERSE

But I’m giving up bridge - tonight’s my last night.

Farewell to conventions - I give up the fight!

So I leave with few words but some that are true,

Bridge is a game not for me but for you.

So be kind to your partners and don’t mind their cheek

For it’s only a game - oh! And see you next week.

(This poem was published in the Bridge Bulletin -ACBL, submitted by Sue Stokes of Southlake TX)

BridgeSnaps newsletter is produced by John S. Thomas, author of Standard American 21.