AL78

If it were me, and trying not to result, I would want another diamond to bid 3NT on the South hand. The pre-empt increases the likelihood of bad breaks so gambling on a six card suit running opposite a small doubleton feels dubious to me. I have some sympathy with partner's bid, the lack of action by East suggests I don't hold a bust, so there is room for me to hold a couple of useful cards to generate a couple of tricks, if the diamond suit runs. I am not sure if my initial pass was optimal, but I didn't feel I had enough strength to voluntarily bid at the three level. I thought if partner had a hand where game was on opposite my 7 count, she would find another bid. I kind of had the worst hand for a pre-empt in front of me, a spade suit but not strong enough to bid it, so good chance of losing a 5-3 fit.

East doesn't think 4♥ is making, as they didn't bid it immediately, so why shouldn't I believe him?

MPs, I was West: [hv=pc=n&s=s82hk83dat8653ck3&w=s95hqt95dqcqjt954&n=st73hj64dj742ca82&e=sakqj64ha72dk9c76&d=n&v=n&b=5&a=p1s2dd3d4sppp]399|300[/hv] One off for a 25% score EW. Three others were going off in game, two stopped in 3♠, one made 4♠.

Here is a board from a local heat of the County mixed pairs, where partner and I played very well and ended up with a poor score (much lower than I expected given our play). Here is a hand where we got it badly wrong: [hv=pc=n&s=s873ha4dakq865c74&w=s42hqjt8762dtcaj8&n=saq965h53dj743c52&e=skjthk9d92ckqt963&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=1d3hpp3npp4hppdppp]399|300[/hv] I was North. It didn't occur to me that partner was gambling 3NT based on a long minor and a heart stop, so I went for a penalty. WRONG, 4♥ made +1 after I led the ♦3 and never got in again to make my ♠A. The best we can do is pass 3♥ out which gives us a slightly above average score. No-one else bid 4♥, so once they found it we are getting a near bottom. Others are in 3♥, 4♦-2, 4♠-2 and 5♦X-3. I'm not sure the South hand is quite up to a gambling 3NT opposite a silent partner, what do you think?

I'd be tempted with 1♠ on the East hand. It is the worst hand I would do it with, but at MPs in a competitive auction, you need to get your major fits established, especially if it is the boss suit. It would be a shame to pass and see South bid 3♦ passed round, then write -110 on the card when we could have gone one off in 3♠. East's 4♠ bid is awful, that is like tying a noose around your partners neck and pulling the rope. I wouldn't bid 1♠ if I had a partner that bids to the stratosphere at the slightest provocation.

If I decide to pass the first time I am certainly not going up to 5♦ at adverse vulnerability. That is asking to be doubled, you didn't bid the first time so you know you can't make 5♦, so why shouldn't the opponents believe you? I would probably raise to 4♦ the first time, then shut up. There are big fits both ways and evenly split HCP, so it looks like neither side can make more than a partscore, unless the opponents have beautifully matching hands. Raising the first time will probably be enough to silence LHO unless they have decent distribution along with opening strength HCP. If they do bid 4♥ or 5♣ regardless, let them have it, if you are feeling aggressive you might try a penalty double yourself. Note that even though the opponents have a double fit in the rounded suits, they are still losing the first four tricks thanks to the 3-3 spade break. Soft holdings in the opponents suits (e.g. QJx, KJx QTx) suggest defending rather than declaring. Qxx in opponents suit is useless when declaring but has a decent chance of taking a trick in defence through a failed finesse or attempt to drop. When holding honor cards in opponents suits not including the ace, the law of total tricks overestimates the number or total tricks.

I'm a bit late to theis thread, but I would expect 5+/5+ for a Michaels or unusual 2NT. I have been stitched up before when scratch partners have done it on 5-4 shape and I have ended up going off expensively at the three level because I thought we had a double fit. With conventions like this, whatever your agreement, there is a balance between precision and frequency. Restricting the shape means the hand is defined more precisely at the expense of frequency. Doing it on 5-4 shapes increases the freequency at the expense of less certainty of knowing how well the hands fit together, or if you have a fit whether it is right or not to bid over opponents (e.g. holding 3-3 in partners suits, if they are 5-5 it is likely right to bid on, with 5-4 it is less appealing).

It looks like East and South (partner) have decent hands, so I would be tempted with 3S (hearts + minor). It doesn't require that much from partner for 4H, or even 5C to make if we have a good fit. If I did that at the table, it would doubtless be one of those misfit hands where each one of the partnership both ways has the opposite two suiter to their partner, and I go for -800, but you win some, you lose some.

I've just noticed that 5♦ might make on the layout. Surprisingly the 4-0 offside diamond break actually helps declarer, as East has the singleton club but cannot ruff, and declarer can knock out the ace, cash clubs and set up a massive cross ruff. I'm not sure if West can lead trumps enough to get it down, maybe not if East is on lead. I might put it into Deep Finesse and check.

Here is an interesting hand not involving me with a NS novice pair against an experienced EW partnership: [hv=pc=n&s=sk97h8dkq765ct983&w=sathk73dj432cak75&n=sqj83hqt942d98cq4&e=s6542haj65datcj62&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=pp1cp1h2d2hppp]399|300[/hv] South throws in a poor overcall (I have since told her not to do that on such poor hands), which talks EW out of their 3NT contract which doesn't make, so they get a near top. I don't think West's 2♥ was right, but after the 2♦ overcall, she has a problem. She was going to re-bid 1NT (15-17) which she can't now, she is not good enough for 2NT, and a takeout double will result in a 2♠ bid opposite, then what? What should West do over 2♦?

It isn't MPs, it is IMPS.

This freak hand came up at the club random teams evening, against the strongest pair in the room (I was West). [hv=pc=n&s=saj63h7daq43ckt53&w=s72hk63dk962ca876&n=shat54djt875cqj94&e=skqt9854hqj982dc2&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=1cp1d1sp1np4hppdppp]399|300[/hv] This was 12 imps out when it went for 800. Teammates defended 5♠X one off (North didn't play South's heart lead as a singleton, so diodn't give her a ruff). How should this have gone at our table?

Quite a few people do play defences like Astro or Landy, I;'m not sure how many were on that evening. The 2♣ could be 5-4 either way, I took a chance she held a longer major. I maybe should have realised that holding a double fit, defensive prospects were not that great. I did expect a bit more for the overcall, a double figure HCP count at least unless very distributional, bearing in mind the vulnerability.

Yes I understand the concept of the pairs double, and that risking doubling them into game is worth it for the chance of getting +200 or +300 when it looks like we have been outbid. I have done souch doubles before, unfortunately rarely with success (they make their doubled contract usually). Here's one I completely misjudged: [hv=pc=n&s=sk865ha962da84ck3&w=sa4hjt743dkjt7c75&n=sq9732hqd52cqj962&e=sjthk85dq963cat84&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=1n2c2s3h3sppdppp]399|300[/hv] 2♣ showed hearts and a minor 5+4+ shape. I thought the balance of power was either level or our way, and I decided to go for the +200, thinking the room would be in 3♥ our way, and this is a pair who are notorious for aggressive bidding. It wasn't to be, this was a bottom when 3♠X made with two overtricks (should have been +1 but that is irrelevant). Most were in 2♠ undoubled, two found the game and one went off. If I don't double, we get a near average, or 71% if we defend optimally and hold it to 10 tricks, so my pairs double was quite expensive. This was with a different regular partner than the other hands I have posted. It was a rare win, just over 62%, and exceptional in that I declared 12 times out of 24 boards. My declarer play was 72%, my defence on lead (four times) 36% lol.

This was against one of the strongest pairs in the club: [hv=pc=n&s=sq952hkj62d93ct65&w=sakt86hq97dk876c4&n=sj4h5daqjt4ckqj82&e=s73hat843d52ca973&d=s&v=e&b=3&a=p1s2n3hppp]399|300[/hv] A bottom. We let through an overtrick but this makes no difference. Almost everyone else is in 3 or 4♣ going one or two down. One EW pair went down in 4♥. Theoretically 4♣ gets us back to the room, but only if we are allowed to play undoubled. Against this pair, the odds are against it I think (but we'll never know).

Here is one where I have to guess at the auction, it is the only way I can see we got there: [hv=pc=n&s=skj83hqtdq943cqt7&w=sq765hj842djtck62&n=s9hk63dak7652c543&e=sat42ha975d8caj98&d=n&v=e&b=9&a=1dd1s2hpp3dpp3hppp]399|300[/hv] We got it one off for a 33% score. Six other pairs. Four bid and made 2 or 3♦, two went off in 4♦.

Thank you, that is good advice. I will pass this on to my partner.

Fielding a psyche?

The field is very mixed, although I play on the two strongest evenings. The ability of the other pairs ranges from a bit better than the players on the beginners/improvers evening, to a pair of EBU grandmasters (who almost always come in the top three, so their superior skill overrides field variability).

I don't think I do take the attitude that bidding is for finding game, I tend to think that coming into an auction where the opponents are unlimited requires a fairly decent hand. The problem is, I mostly hold flat single digit point counts when the opponents are first to bid, and I can't see a way of getting into the auction if partner can't find an overcall or double. It is different if I have a long suit with some shape, or shortage in opponents suit, I will come in, but it seems it is rare I have those hands when LHO or RHO has opened. I think some people have hit on something, in that we do get screwed after one of us has opened a weak NT and an opponent comes in. We need to agree to play takeout doubles to try and avoid the -110 or -140 which is often a bad MP score (whilst not going over the top and giving them +200). Over the last 12 months I have defended 72.19% of the time according to Pianola. Some other statistics: Average score - 51.75% As declarer - 56.54% As dummy - 50.67% As defender on lead - 52.01% As defender not on lead - 48.74% This covers all sessions with all partners. I could pull off some statistics only including sessions with one of my regular partners, but that will take some time. It has been a bit of an eye-opener going back and looking at historical sessions. This started off as an enquiry about whether there was any meaning in defending well above half the hands over a year or two, and has evolved into looking at why my results are below par. Having looked at about a dozen sessions has brought up a few areas where I am leaking matchpoints: 1. Not being competitive enough (either myself or partner), and consequently letting the opposition get away with aggressive actions that we should either counter, or punish them for. 2. Defensive cock-ups. Lack of concentration, bad opening lead, or the situation where I work out there are two reasonable lines of defence, each of which is required on a particular feasible layout, but if I pick the wrong one, it will blow a trick or two, and I pick the wrong one. 3. The unique contract bottom. Opponents do things against us that aren't replicated around the room, and it happens to be right on the layout. One example was in a competitive auction, we had the hearts, the opponents had the spades, we bid to 3♥, the opponents bid to 3♠, I doubled as they were vulnerable and felt we needed to go for the +200 penalty and 4♥ had little to no chance. They make 3♠X, everyone else is allowed to play in 3♥=. Otherwise known as the pairs double. I will have a chat with one of my regular partners abouit competitive auctions and the need to get into the bidding and/or stop being owned by the opposition. Many thanks to everyone who has contributed with some very constructive input. :)

1♥ W 7 -80 (us) 2♥ N 6 -200 2♦ N 9 +110 2♥ W 4 +200 2♥ W 5 +150 1NT E 7 -90 2♥ N 8 +110 1♦ N 7 +70 2♠ S 6 -200 I'm sure there are hands where I did the wrong thing, I haven't found them yet. I am not deliberately cherry picking hands to make my partner look bad.

Some people at my club double on any opening strength hand.

[hv=pc=n&s=sk984h964d95cj532&w=st32hj732d2cqt764&n=sj75hakq8dqjt83ca&e=saq6ht5dak764ck98&d=w&v=n&b=12&a=p1ddp1hppp]399|300[/hv] I was North. 1♥ just made, we should have got it one down but that makes no difference matchpoint-wise, a 37% score.

With the partner on that evening, yes. I guess South could have bid 2NT followed by 3♦. If West then bids 3♥ we lose the board, but at least we would have given ourselves a chance to match the room.

[hv=pc=n&s=sk62h9dajt765cj94&w=s543hj72dk82cat87&n=saqj8hq53dq9cq652&e=st97hakt864d43ck3&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=pp1n2hppp]399|300[/hv] I was North. 2♥ made +1 for a joint bottom. One East played in 3♥, but the rest were in 3♦ by South.