HAND EVALUATION in SLAMS QUIZ (ANSWERS)

Transcription

1 HAD EVALUATIO in SLAMS QUIZ (ASWERS) The opening () hand is the same in the first four problems. Problem K A Q A S K Q 2 K Q 5 4 A T 6 s is the perfect hand for a splinter bid. It has a singleton in spades, enough strength to go for game and excellent support for partner s suit. A 3 response shows all the attributes of this hand and allows to evaluate his own hand in the light of s spade shortage. likes the 3 bid, because the only weakness he has is in spades and will be able to deal with that by ruffing. So should cue-bid, trying for slam and the full auction would be as shown above. ote that 4 and 4 are cue-bids showing the aces of the respective suit. After s 4 cue-bid, bids Key-card Blackwood; s response shows two key cards (key cards include the four aces and the king of trumps) and so goes for slam. 6 is an excellent contract, because s singleton spade means there is only one spade to lose. ote the difference if s diamonds and spades were switched: now the K-Q-2 would be wasted opposite the singleton and would sign off in.

2 Problem K J A Q J S K Q 2 K 6 A 3 This has a very different type of responding hand from the in Problem 1. Without the high-card point strength for game, you should not be trying for slam. Still, a count of s losing tricks will reach 7, but, since it is an ace-less hand, a half-loser should be added: 7 1 /2. Is it a good hand or a bad hand? Two jacks, one alongside a ten and both long suits headed by two high cards are features indicating that it is a good hand and thus should go to game. When you have a hand that should go to game, but has little chance of a slam, you should bid the game directly an immediate raise generally shows a weak hand with plenty of distribution. Over a response, the in Problem 2 will pass. Remember that a splinter bid promises at least 12 HCP. Problem K A Q A S K Q 2 Q A 3 3 This hand has 7 1 /2 losers. It also has isolated honours and no redeeming features, so it should be downgraded to 8 losers and a 3 response. ote that it is not suitable for a splinter bid because it does not

3 have enough high-card point strength. should simply raise to game. Problem K J 7 6 A Q A J 10 3 S K Q 2 K Q 5 A T 5 5 Here has a lot of high-card strength but a relatively flat distribution. With so many points he should not just leap to as there might be a chance for slam: he should take his time by bidding a new suit and then he can jump to game on the next round. is using a delayed game raise, which tells his partner that he has a hand rich in high-card points about So starts by responding 2. ow shows his 15 points by rebidding 2T; this is not ideal, because of his weakness in spades, but it describes the other features of his hand neatly: points, balanced, with at least four hearts. continues with his plan by leaping to ; this has to show four-card support (since partner might have only four) and, because it is a delayed raise to game, will know that has between 13 and 15 points. has a good hand, especially considering his holding in s suit, diamonds. He will hope that his king and queen will bolster s diamonds and help provide four or five tricks depending on the length of s suit. However, he is worried about his spades so Blackwood is no good; he needs to cue-bid to find out whether can stop the spades, and 5 is a slam try showing the ace of clubs. replies in turn, showing his ace of diamonds, but then bids 5. Can you deal with the spades? is what is asking and s answer is no so passes 5. With no spade singleton a slam cannot be made. ote that the hands in Problems 1 and 4 show the value of singletons when it comes to bidding slams. In Problem 4, actually has an extra two points, but, without cover in spades, - cannot avoid losing two spade tricks. In all of these first four problems should be

4 aware of his spade weakness and thus it is only after the splinter bid in Problem 1 that he can envisage the possibility of a slam. Problem 5 K J A Q A K Q 3 S A J A T 3 4T s 1T rebid showed a balanced points and then he showed his fifth heart by rebidding 3, but has continued to bid his suits. What does this mean? It should mean that he has ten cards between his two long suits. When you think that partner has ten cards in two suits, bear in mind that he only has three cards outside them. How many tricks will you lose in hearts and clubs on this deal? One at most, because partner has just three cards in them and you have the two aces. How many tricks are you going to lose in the other suits? If partner has the aces, then quite possibly none. Can you see how listening to the bidding can allow you to picture the two hands together? If has two aces, 6 will make, so bids Key-card Blackwood and when shows two key cards, can bid the slam. Twelve tricks are straightforward; in fact, on this layout, 6T also will make. has bid cleverly. Knowing from his partner s 1T rebid that he will have a fit in one of his suits (partner should have three cards in one of them), he counted just 6 losers which, combined with a better than minimum opener (about 6 losers), has a fair chance of a slam, so he persevered in his suits and was rewarded when was able to bid to 6.

5 Problem 6 K A Q K Q 9 2 S A 4 K 2 A T has raised to 3, so counts his losers: just 5. has no aces, but this is countered by his two extra trumps, honours together in diamonds and a high honour in partner s suit. Five losers is 4 better than responder s minimum and thus might have visions of reaching 7. That s perhaps excessive, but the LTC should certainly persuade to look for a slam. It seems as though his side has control of every suit and it is impossible to lose the first two tricks unless there are two aces missing. Therefore, bids Key-card Blackwood and, when partner shows three aces, he can bid 6 confidently. - have only 25 points between them, but the LTC has evaluated s distribution and pointed him towards an excellent slam. Problem A Q J 5 A Q J K Q 2 S K K Q has made a splinter bid, showing a singleton club and a game-going hand with four hearts. counts his losers: he has 6, but with two extra trumps, a jack and the queen of diamonds (not taken into account by the LTC), his hand seems to have slam potential. However, such ideas quickly

6 vanish when he analyses his holding in the club suit: his king and queen are wasted opposite a singleton, so, with one loser in clubs, needs to hold the ace and king of spades, the king of hearts and the ace of diamonds for a slam to be a good prospect. If has all of those along with his singleton club, he will bid on over a response. As it is, passes and a safe contract is reached. When you have wasted values in your partner s short suit, put the brakes on. The negative response to a splinter is simply to bid the agreed suit at the lowest level here,. Problem 8 3 A K A 3 K 8 A K S Q J T This hand is in stark contrast to the hand in Problem 7: this time there is no wastage in the short suit at all. It is unusual to agree a minor suit with a splinter bid, but has such distribution that he can be pretty sure that diamonds will make the best denomination and, with just 5 losers and an extra trump, feels confident of game. is very happy to hear about his partner s club shortage because that was the only weakness in his hand; so with 6 losers (2 fewer than he might have for a two-level response) he aims for slam, using Key-card Blackwood. Finding one ace, he settles for 6. The two hands fit together beautifully, with all the high cards in three suits and just one loser in clubs.