Jeff Lehman

Distributional Disclosure

I was dealer at unfav vul (Monday club game, Board 21) with this hand:  –, AT85, AQJ6, QJ864

Although I am generally reluctant to open 1 with four diamonds and five clubs, opening 1 here seems to be the best choice: I am too strong to pass in hope that I can better describe my hand later, my hearts are too weak to begin a prepared auction by opening 1, and I am reluctant to rebid my poorish club suit over the expected 1 response should I open 1.  Reversing to 2 is, of course, out of the question.  I am not going to enjoy hearing a second round preference to 2 by partner after 1-1-2, but that seems the least of evils for the moment.

Over my 1 opening, partner unexpectedly responded 1NT.  Now RHO overcalled 2.

At my disposal now is a huge amount of distributional information.  By bypassing a response of 1 or 1, I know that partner has no more than six major suit cards.  Hence: (1) we must have at least an eight card fit in one of the minor suits; and (2) the opponents have at least a ten card spade fit.  Accordingly, I bid 3 over the 2♠ overcall.  LHO chose to pass and partner preferenced to 3.  Now my choice to open 1 might come back to haunt me, as partner might be 3=3=3=4 with enough values so that he wanted to give me a chance to make another call.  Still, having bid a lot for owning a 14 count, I felt I had to pass and hope that partner had at least four diamonds.

Now LHO, who had passed 3, chose to bid 3 in the balancing seat.  When 3 was passed to me, I had an opportunity to better describe my hand by bidding 4.  Partner passed and a view of dummy disclosed that he did in fact hold more clubs than diamonds and we had reached our better trump suit.

 

Dealer: N #21
Vul: NS
North
   —
   AT85
   AQJ6
   QJ864
 
West
   AKJ97
   K63
   872
   K7
East
   QT852
   J92
   T53
   92
  South
   643
   Q74
   K94
   AT53
 

 

West North East South
1 P 1NT
2  3  3 
P 3 
P 4 All pass  

A spade was led and a dummy reversal soon produced eleven tricks in the form of three spade ruffs in hand, one heart, four diamonds and three of dummy’s four clubs.


1 Comment

Steven GaynorFebruary 1st, 2012 at 8:33 pm

Very good. My Sweet & Lovely Bridge Playing Wife and I also get to a club contract with our form of mini-Roman:
2D – P – 2H (non-forcing) -2S –
X (non minimum w/spade shortness) – P – 3C (I like clubs better than hearts)….

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