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Interesting Hands - #4. Play the system - don’t lie to partner!

North (South is Dealer) N/S are Vulnerable, E/W Non-Vulnerable;

		ª	A J 9 x x x x
		©	K J x
		¨	x
		§	9

This hand illustrates the principles of valuation of a hand and communicating accurately with partner. After two ‘Passes’, what do you open?

You have 9 HCP and a 7-card major. Who has the rest of the points? Well there is a
good probability that LHO has something to say since S and W have ‘Passed’.
If you play ‘Benji’ then because of the vulnerability you might want to open 2ª but will
that keep East quiet? Because of the favourable vulnerability, East is likely to bid so
you will then have to decide whether you should have bid at the 3-level anyway.

What you should do is open 3ª.

This hand is virtually a classic pre-empt hand - so show it!
There is a trend for some players to open light, (Because I have a good suit), so
this hand was bid at one table at WBBC 1ª .
As a result East, who had a GOOD hand and a void in spades, ended up in 6¨
and made it! To make matters worse E/W got pushed there because having opened at
the one level, the N/S pair was unable to stop bidding.
No complaint against South who must have expected more from North, (it is a
wonder S did not X the final contract) but North committed three errors.

1. Lied about the values in his hand. Partners expect more than a 9 count for a one
level opening.
2. Had a pre-empt hand but did not bid it – so abandoned the system. (Once you
start doing this then you leave partner continually guessing the strength and
distribution in your hand every time you play bridge).
3. Made life easy for the opposition!

One of the essences of competitive bidding is to make life difficult for the opponents
and a classic example of that is to use pre-empts. Even the experts admit that there
is no easy way to play against 3 level opening bids. On the hand above after 3ª
even if East does bid, South can make a decision based on accurate information.
At my table East “X” for takeout and partner with the A§, good spade support and a
singleton diamond bid 4ª. Poor old West did not know what to do and E/W never
found their diamond contract.

Lessons: Make life difficult for the opponents and bid - (the system!) - as you have agreed with partner.

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