[Walddk]

Scoring: IMP

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Scotland v Mike Lawrence All Stars (teams) a couple of days ago. Let me give you the auction first (North is dealer, you are South).

1♣ - 2♣
2♠ - 3♦
3♠ - 4♣
4♥ - ??

2♣ is inverted, 2♠ natural (doesn't promise extras), 3♦ values, 3♠ 5-5 or 5-6 in the blacks, 4♥ cue bid, no diamond 1st or 2nd round control.

You have the agreement that with 5-5 in the black suits you open 1♣ with 11-14 and 1♠ with 15+. Since partner must now be 5-1-2-5, 5-0-3-5 or 5-0-2-6 on the auction so far, which action do you take now?

You can choose between 4♠ kickback and 4NT spade cue bid if you don't want to sign off in 5♣.

Maybe it's worth noting that you rate to be around 50 IMPs down with 6 boards to go. You are also the anchor pair in a *star* format where you have to score up with two others pairs of team-mates sitting in the opposite direction.

So what are the two Scottish NS pairs going to do with your hand do you think? You need a major swing somehow, do you not? Finally, try to give North a hand that will justify your approach whatever that may be.

Roland

[Walddk]

Jlall, on May 24 2005, 11:06 AM, said:

i'll bid 4S. If pard shows 2, ill make whatever bid asks for kings and let him decide whether or not to go to 7.

KQJxx
Ax
x
Axxxx

He will bid 7 obviously. Hopefully even if the spade J is the 2, since we need a swing. if he has KQxxx Ax x AJxxx we need 3-3 spades or 2-2 trumps and spades no worse than 4-2.

He can't have that hand Justin. Remember that the auction reveals that he has no diamond control. But he could of course have the same hand with A and xx in the reds.

If he really had

KQJxx
A
xx
Axxxx

you want to be in 7 (dummy's 3 diamond losers go away on spades). BUT, would he perhaps not have upgraded this to 15+ and have opened 1♠?

Roland

[cherdano]

Were you serious with suggesting 5♣? Partner could still have KQTxx - xx Axxxxx. With that hand he could not possibly make a move over 5♣, but 7♣ is a good shot (spades 3-3 or ♠J doubleton).
I have difficulty constructing hands where 6♣ is down. I guess ♠KJTxx x xx AJxxx would do and would be an opening hand, but even that looks like an acceptable contract given the state of the match.
I think I would bid 4NT and raise 5♣ to 6♣, but try for a grand opposite a 5♥ cue bid (which would show a heart void or ♥A singleton).

Arend

[Walddk]

cherdano, on May 24 2005, 11:37 AM, said:

I have difficulty constructing hands where 6♣ is down. I guess ♠KJTxx x xx AJxxx would do and would be an opening hand, but even that looks like an acceptable contract given the state of the match.

Arend

I don't think you mean that Arend, because then you need spades to come in for 5 tricks (Qxx), or Qx on side only, because you are going to finesse)).

Could be one of my slams though, I agree

Roland

[cherdano]

Walddk, on May 24 2005, 05:50 PM, said:

cherdano, on May 24 2005, 11:37 AM, said:

I have difficulty constructing hands where 6♣ is down. I guess ♠KJTxx x xx AJxxx would do and would be an opening hand, but even that looks like an acceptable contract given the state of the match.

Arend

I don't think you mean that Arend, because then you need spades to come in for 5 tricks (Qxx), or Qx on side only, because you are going to finesse)).

Could be one of my slams though, I agree

Roland

Ok I thought it's closer to 30% than the actual 20% or so. I suppose a 30% slam would be ok given the state of the match?

Arend

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

I would bid 4NT, showing the spade control,
which should be a top honor, because I am
still looking for slam.

It should also promise a diamond control,
because partner denied one.

I am not going to bid over 5C from partner,
but I will make a last effort.
And I let partner make the final decision,
so I dont need to visualize partners hand ...

With kind regards
Marlowe

PS: Regarding the state of the match:
Marty Bergen tells a story in "Points Schmoints", with
the final sentence, if you to undertake desperate measures,
dont be surprised, if you still loose, most of the time they
wont work.

He made a psych bid, opps did not find 6S and went down in 3NT,
-2, but the complementaries reached 7S.
They won 2-3 IMPs on the board.

[Walddk]

Scoring: IMP

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I chose 4♠ (kickback), and after partner showed 1 ace, I hoped that his spades were good enough to provide three diamond discards, so I raised to 6♣.

He didn't quite have what I was hoping for, but all is well that ends well. There was of course nothing to the play on this layout. A pretty poor slam but probably good enough given the circumstances.

At the other two tables the Scots played in 5♣ and 3NT (I'd rather be in 6♣ than 3NT by South!), so we gained 21 IMPs on the board. From then on it was one-way traffic, and we won by 4 IMPs in the end (42 boards).

Never give up!

Finally: It was a great honour to be in a team with 3-time world champion Mike Lawrence. Nice man, great player and author.

Roland