Wednesday, January 18th 2012

Right-click here for hands.

Two-suited troubles:

Board 5: North opens 1C and East has 5-5 in the majors. Is this a Michaels cue-bid? It depends on your agreements -- and if your entire discussion consisted of "Michaels? Sure" you likely have none. There's no clear "standard" range for this bid; a popular treatment is a split range, either 6-10 hcp or 16+ (working high cards, either in your long suits or side Aces or Kx.) With the weaker hand you presumably make your cue-bid and don't bid again unless partner forces or invites you with something such as a cue-bid. (Bids in the majors are all considered to be preemptive.) With the stronger hand you cue-bid and then bid again. In between, 11-15 hcp, you overcall in spades and later bid hearts, possibly twice. However, Mike Lawrence has been running a series in the Bulletin where he clearly advocates using the cue-bid with any strength above some minimum (not sure he ever specified what that was), making it harder to clarify your strength.

The next issue is whether the bid always promises 5-5, or if 5-4 qualifies in some cases. Lawrence insists the bid always shows 5-5 or better; but when not vulnerable, I'm inclined to make the bid with a good 5-4 in the majors (a major suit cue-bid should always be 5-5 IMO.) "Good" means  8-10 hcp in the two suits. I would certainly discourage anyone from trying to play 5-4, any strength -- too much to  sort out after the cue-bid!

My partner on this hand suggested 6-12 hcp but I think that's an uncomfortably wide range. Watch what happened: with 2-2 in the majors, I selected my stronger one, which partner raised to the three level with five low trumps. Although he was at the top of his range (not one we had discussed or agreed), I think it's a clear error to raise with 5 trumps. Instead, to show extra strength, make an unusual bid such as 2NT, cue-bid, bidding the other minor, double, or redouble. Here, East might bid 2NT to show his maximum hand, and West can guess to pass. Although 3S theoretically makes, it's a difficult contract, and notrump also scores makes nine tricks -- West's length suggests North may have no more than 4 (this proved to be true) and the hearts split 3-3.

Playing the suggested split range, East overcalls 1S. The suit is unappealing, but with 12 hcp I don't worry about suit quality when bidding a major at the one level -- you are likely to win the hand and partner will be spared leading to your worthless suit. West, with 11 hcp, has a tough choice -- pass could miss a game. Again, the club length makes 1NT look like the best call -- this suggests something like 8-11 hcp in response to an overcall. East rebids 2H -- no need to jump, bidding two suits shows at least 5-4 shape and opening bid values. West does well to pass, but a 2S preference followed by passing East's 3H works OK today.

Key point -- if you've shown a 5-5 hand, don't raise partner's forced choice with only the expected five trumps! I've seen multiple disasters from ignoring that rule. Keep in mind that three card support does not make a 5-5 hand into a powerhouse -- declarer cannot pull trumps AND use them to establish the second suit. With four trumps, partner will typically be worth a preemptive jump, so you should view a simple, lowest level choice as unencouraging (and often not even a fit.)

Board 32: West passes, North opens 1S and East holds Q x AKQ10xx K9xxx . Time for an Unusual 2NT? Again, it depends on your agreements, if any. Using the same split-range treatment as discussed for Michaels, East's hand falls in the in-between 11-15 range, so East should overcall 2D and plan to bid club later.  If South passes West has no convenient bid, but North, short in diamonds, should reopen with a double or 2H -- partner may have trap-passed, and in any case it usually pays to contest the part-score when you are short in their suit. Now East can describe his hand well with a leap to 4C, and West has an easy raise to game. (Slam makes thanks to some luck in the trump suit.) No pair reached this excellent game; I suspect few had any clear agrements about the strength of 2NT.

Our auction was pass-(1S)-2NT; 3C-(3S)-4C. As suggested earlier, I don't think East should raise clubs with only the expected 5; also, raising partner should generally be based on extra shape, not high cards. If East-West have agreed on a range such as 8-12 (vulnerable), East can double 3S to show the top of his range.