By Val Rhead
Opener bids One Heart. Opponent passes. Partner passes. Second opponent passes. The opener cannot bid again. The lead is made. The dummy comes down. The contract makes four for a measly 170. “We’re vulnerable. We should have made 620!” opener exclaimed. “I had 19 points.”
“Sorry partner. It was such a crummy hand. I just thought it wasn’t worth bidding.”
“But you had six points.You should have bid!” opener exclaimed.
Bidding at Bridge is a conversation. When opener makes a bid such as One Heart, she is telling her partner that she has as few as 12 points or as many as 21 points. There has to be another round of bidding to limit opener’s hand. To do this, responder should bid even with a bare minimum of six points. If opener’s bid was a weak opening bid, she will tell that to her partner on her second bid as follows: rebid her Heart suit, raise her partner’s suit or rebid One No Trump. Responder is then free to pass. Even if opener’s second bid is a new suit, at the one level or at the two level without a jump, responder is not forced to bid again. He has to wait for that second bid that will limit her hand. Then he can pass with his horrible six-pointer.
Opener will know when partner responds that he has at least six points. Mentally she will add his count to the count in her own hand of 19. This is a total of 25 which is enough to have a play for a game. She will either bid the game, or make a forcing bid such as a strong jump shift in another suit that will allow her to explore further to find the best place to play the game.
The moral of this story is that if you always respond when you have six points, you will never again have to deal with your partner’s frustration when you put down a six point hand that you have passed because you considered that it would make a crummy dummy.
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.
HUNTSVILLE DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB
Games at the Huntsville Club are Tuesday 7:15 start, Trinity United Church 33 Main Street. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time. For partners and information call Jan Roberts 705 635-2522 or email [email protected]
The following winners are for Tuesday, Nov 21 with 10 pairs playing a Howell movement. 1. Betty Fagin and Brian Brocklehurst; 2. Fay MacDonald and Helen Pearson; 3. Liz Graham and Dorothy Russell; 4. Jim Smith and Ralph Mitchell; 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 20 with 15 pairs playing a Howell movement. 1. Betty Fagin and Brian Brocklehurst; 2. Liz Barnes and David Bryce; 3/4. Gerry Flaherty and Ralph Hair; 3/4. Kel Andresen and Jim Smith; 5. Frank Vagnoni and Gerry Lawrence; 6. Mary Mitchell and Susan Maddocks; 7. Art Insley and Don Evans; 8. Lynda Mochrie and Wayne Mochrie
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