Bidding Quiz – August 2004
The Kibitzer is Shirley Wright
Bidding Quiz: August 04
Jon Shuster
I am a keen observer of the bidding and play, but I will break with the usual format to quiz you on three hands that came up recently at Gainesville Clubs. Don’t look at the answers until you have made up your mind.
- As South, with both sides vulnerable, you are the dealer and hold:
S-K82 S-AQJ73 D-K532 C-6
(a) The bidding at Table 2 went:
West North East South
- – - 1H
3C(1) 3H(2) P ?
- (1) Preemptive
- (2) Invitational by partnership agreement
(b) The bidding at Table 4 went:
West North East South
- - - 1H
2C 2H P ?
2. As South, again with both sides vulnerable, you hold with North (your partner dealer):
S-52 H-J10764 D-K74 C-A62
The bidding at Table 2 went:
West North East South
- 1S 2NT(1) P
3D P P ?
- (1) Minors
3. This time, you are West with NS vulnerable. South deals and you hold:
S-J8754 H-986 D-109 C-743
The bidding at Table 3 went:
West North East South
- - - 1NT (15-17)
P 3NT P P
P
What is your opening lead?
Solutions
I will first provide the solutions, then discuss “Unauthorized Information” and a players ethical responsibility under Law 16.
1(a) You should raise your partner’s 3H to 4H. You have only 13 HCP but they are all working, and your singleton Club is a big asset, making your hand worth about 16 points.
1(b) You should pass. Partner’s 2H bid can be based on 3 card Heart support and as little as 5 points. Don’t punish your partner for being supportive. In competition, expect partner will shade values upward to take the pressure off.
2.Pass. (Double is a close second choice.) You have no reason to expect a Heart fit. Remember that West is forced to bid a minor, and may have a nasty Heart stack. You are vulnerable and could easily go for -200, even undoubled. You have excellent defensive prospects with two likely defensive tricks and shortness in partner’s suit. You do not have quite enough to double, as an opening bidder figures to produce 2-3 defensive tricks, so you seem to have 4-5 total.
3.It is a close amongst the S5, the H9, and the D10. I would lean slightly toward the H9. I would eliminate the D10 because North did not try Stayman, and so has at least 7 cards in the minors. I hope to hit partner’s suit, since this is probably the only time I will be on lead. I would not view a low Spade as incorrect, however.
Unauthorized Information:
A brief explanation of unauthorized information and Law 16 can be found at
http://www.acbl.org/documentLibrary/about/atozguide.pdf . Scroll down to the U’s.
Now let us look into the real story!
- As South, with both sides vulnerable, you are the dealer and hold:
S-K82 S-AQJ73 D-K532 C-6
The bidding at Table 2 really went:
West North East South
- – - 1H
3C 2H/3H P ?
The 2H call was insufficient, and was corrected to 3H. As mentioned above, the NS players play 3H as invitational in that sequence. South, therefore, is in possession of UNAUTHORIZED INFORMATION.
South knows that North has a hand worth only a 2H raise of 1H (5-9 points), and not the invitational hand that a bid of 3H promises.
Here is how Law 16 applies to the South player. Without the unauthorized information, there are two logical bids, that differing percentages of players would take: Pass and 4H. The unauthorized information suggests that pass will be better in the long run, and that means you cannot pass. You have to make the call that goes against the unauthorized information. Therefore, 4H is the mandatory call. If you pass, the director can and should adjust the score, perhaps to 4H down one, instead of 3H making.
In theory, the ethical action of 4H is not only the ethical call, but it best protects the NS interest. If you make nine tricks in a contract of 3H, the director will adjust this to a -100 (4H down 1 vulnerable). But if you make 10 tricks in 3H, you get +170 instead of +620 you would have earned by bidding 4H.
2. As South, again with both sides vulnerable, you hold with North (your partner) dealer:
S-52 H-J10764 D-K74 C-A62
The bidding at Table 2 went:
West North East South
- 1S 2NT(1) P
3D P(2) P ?
- (1) Minors
- (2) North hesitated for an extended period (15 plus seconds) before passing
In this example, South bid 3H. The hesitation provides South unauthorized information. Logical calls without the hesitation are Pass, Double, and for a few brave souls 3H. Since the long hesitation clearly suggests that acting will be more successful than passing, Law 16 demands that South Pass. The director should give an adjusted score.
If you are a player who makes a lot of hesitations (you are allowed of course), you put tremendous ethical pressure on your partner. Notice that partner cannot make his or her own preferred bid, but has to make a call that goes against the strategy suggested by the unauthorized information. You are not required to make a totally illogical call, however.
3. You are West with NS vulnerable. South deals and you hold:
S-J8754 H-986 D-109 C-743
West North East South
- - - 1NT (15-17)
P 3NT P(1) P
P
- (1) East hesitated a long time before passing.
What is your opening lead?
A low Spade is the only lawful lead. East was obviously considering doubling 3NT, which in Standard American, would call for an unusual lead from partner. It says if you hit my long suit, I can beat 3NT. Even if you had decided to lead the H9 or D10 the moment North bid 3NT (before the hesitation), the unauthorized information guides you toward a non-Spade lead, and to comply with law 16, you must not make any lead suggested by the unauthorized information. Since a Spade lead is a logical alternative for some bridge players, you are required to lead a Spade, even if that goes against your personal style.
Conclusion: We all hate to call the director about unauthorized information. You, as a player may have a hard time making a choice, and therefore hesitate. There is nothing illegal or unethical in hesitating. But you need to recognize that when you do hesitate, your partner is at a disadvantage over a situation where you make your call in tempo. In essence, partner must often take the action that appears to go against the best interest of the pair or face the consequences of Law 16.
Advice #1: If you are an experienced player, playing with less experienced players, and a situation of unauthorized information comes up, let it go the first time but quietly advise the newer players to read up on Law 16 (or tell them to read this article on the gainesvillebridge.com website). If a second incident occurs, involving either of the same players, either the hesitator or the partner of the hesitator, call the director. This is not sinking in.
Advice #2: If you habitually hesitate, then make yourself consistent. Write on your card that you bid slowly, and always take about 10 seconds to make your call, whether you have a problem or not. Give yourself a 10 second time limit on the tough ones too. That should be plenty of time. Your partners and opponents will be grateful.