Hand
of the Fortnight
Theme:
When
to ignore a game invitation by partner. (Similar to No. 2)
South is Dealer. You are sitting East.
The bidding has
started:
/
1D
/
1H
/ 3H / ??
H:
K 9 7 6
C:
Q 5 2
Decision:
Pass!.... (assuming your system’s 1D was 12-18).
Main
Points:
1) Even if your partner has 18 HCP, you have only 6 HCP.
2) You have no Diamond honour to help your partner.
3) Your CQ and SJ could be useless
West should have at least 16 HCP and something like this to jump raise:
S:
K 8 4
H:
A Q 8 4
D:
A Q T 6 4
C:
J
Further
Reasoning
(for declining the invitation
to 4H):
1) Even if the DK falls nicely, what about the DJ? You could lose to both the DJ and DK ....
plus 1 Club loser and at least 1 Spade loser.
2) The
more balanced your hand is, the MORE LOSERS you have.
With this hand, 4H is worth considering:
H:
K J 9 7 6
C:
5 2
It’s got only 1 more HCP but
(i) you have 1 more trump (= 1 less loser)
and
(ii) you have an honour in partner’s 1st bid suit
3) If I was West and heard my partner respond 1H (as above with the original East hand),
and I had 5 losers in, say
S:
A 8 4
H:
A Q 8 4
D:
A Q T 6 4
C:
J
I would go straight to 4H leaving partner to investigate slam if interested. Partner knows I don’t
have 19+ HCP (no 2C opening and that I would have included distribution in assessing my bid).
* * * * * * * * * *