Duplicate bridge results and tip: Bidding slams in a major suit

By Val Rhead

PARTNERSHIP ASSETS LOOK PROMISING – BIDDING SLAMS IN A MAJOR SUIT

Recently, we have reviewed how to bid game and part-score contracts in major and minor suits. An even more exciting part of Bridge bidding is finding and bidding slams.

Entire books have been written on the subject. We can’t hope to cover all the facets of slam bidding in this short column, but we’ll go over some of the basics.

Accurate bidding between the two partners is essential. You are looking for a combined total of approximately 33 points. That will give you enough points to have a good chance of making a slam.

So, if your partner opens with a strong Two-Club bid, you know that you may be in slam territory. If your partner opens One Heart, and after your One Spade response, he rebids Three Clubs, he is showing 18 or 19 points. You may be exploring for slam again. The search for a slam can begin early in the bidding if your partnership’s combined assets look promising. The first objective is to find what suit you would want to play in.

Once you have settled on the suit, let’s say at Three Hearts, and with a distributional hand, start making cuebids to show first-round controls in a suit (Ace or void). A cuebid is a forcing bid in a suit in which the bidder does not wish to play. You must notify your opposition. (Encyclopedia of Bridge, 7^th Edition, p.203) The Captain might make a Three-Spade cuebid to show the Ace of Spades or a void in the Spade suit i.e. first-round control. If the Captain does not have the Spade control, the Captain will go up the line and perhaps skip to a Four-Club cuebid for first-round control in that suit. If one partner does not have first-round control in Spades then perhaps the other partner does. The next cuebid might be Four Diamonds to show a first-round control in that suit. When a partner has no more controls to show, the partner makes the cheapest game bid of Four or Five Hearts.

The Captain may settle for game or the Captain may bid a slam directly. Sometimes, the Captain will start bidding second-round controls (protected King or singleton) to achieve the objective. It is possible to bid and make a slam if the team is missing an ace but maybe not two Kings. Cuebidding helps you to find out the nature of your combined assets.

If the contract is in a suit and cuebids are not available, the Blackwood convention of Four No-Trump will be used. But more about Blackwood on another occasion.

Good luck!

If you wish to promote an activity in your bridge group or ask a bridge question, send the information to [email protected] and I will try to include it in this column.

CANADIAN FEDERATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN (CFUW) MUSKOKA “BRIDGE FOR BURSARIES” FUNDRAISER

The fall lunch and games party, Friday, Nov 2, 2018 at the Gravenhurst Senior’s Centre welcomed 96 participants. The event raised about $960 towards the Charitable Trust bursaries for the higher education of Muskoka’s young women. It was a great opportunity to enjoy lunch, bridge or other games, companionship and also support young women. Thank you to all who participated.

NEW SOCIAL BRIDGE GAME IN HUNTSVILLE

Games are at the Acitve Living Centre on Thursdays at 7 p.m. in the multi-purpose room 2^nd floor (elevator) at the back entrance of the Canada Summit Centre.

Just come – with or without a partner. For information, please contact Donna or Peter Tikuisis at 647-471-1774 or [email protected].

For now, this game will be played following Chicago Rules (allowing both fast and slow games). You will keep your same partner for the entire evening. Cost is $1.50 per person. Parking is outside the North Entrance opposite Heritage Village Railway Station.

PORT CARLING SOCIAL BRIDGE CLUB

Games for the Port Carling Social Bridge Club are Monday afternoon 1pm at the Port Carling Community Centre, 3 Bailey Street. Please arrive with your partner at least 10 minutes before game time.

For information during November, contact [email protected]

Winners for Nov 12: 1. Louise and Joan, 2. Kathy and Jim, 3. Els and Peter

HUNTSVILLE DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB

Games for the Huntsville Club are Tuesday evening 7:00, Trinity United Church 33 Main Street. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early. Contact Jan Roberts 705-635-2522 or [email protected] for information and partnerships.

The following winners are for Tuesday, Nov 20 with 9 pairs playing a Howell movement. 1. Vern Foell and Rod Dixon; 2. Liz Barnes and David Bryce; 3. Mary Simonett and Kel Andresen; 4. Joanne Garvey and Liz Graham; 5. Mary Hogarth and Albert Eatock

MUSKOKA DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB (Bracebridge)

Games for the Bracebridge Club are Mondays 7pm, Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Taylor Road. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time. For information or partnerships, call Brian at 705-645-5340 [email protected]

The following winners are from Monday, Nov 19 with 16 pairs playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Fay MacDonald and Helen Pearson; 2. Betty Fagin and Brian Brocklehurst; 3. Mary Luke and Donna McIntosh; 4. Kel Andresen and Jim Smith; 5/6. Betty Rintoul and Hazel Bowes; 5/6. Mary Hogarth and Albert Eatock; East-West 1. Liz Barnes and David Bryce; 2. Kathy Kent and David Kent; 3. Art Insley and Don Evans; 4/5. Ann Cassie and Bruce Cassie; 4/5. Gerry Flaherty and Ralph Hair

Looking for more bridge tips? You’ll find them here.

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