Test Your Bridge Skills #32

Best Answer: Pass

Double here (after a preemptive bid) has only 1 meaning: Penalty!

The purpose of the preemptive bid is to disturb opponents and coerce them into making the wrong decision. This can often put opponents into a bit of a dilemma as they deliberate over whether to bid or not, and exactly what to choose if they opt for a high level bid. They don't know yet who holds what, so bidding against a preemptive bid, might get themselves into a bad contract. We should take advantage of that situation by bidding double. If they decide not to bid, they might miss game or even more.

Also, as preemptive shows a 1 suiter, double by partner cannot be negative. It can't be asking for another suit because you’re likely to be short in other suits, given you showed your hand with your first bid. So now you need to Pass and respect your partner's decision.

Don’t bid 3NT because partner might not have Clubs and your hand might be a wasted. And don't bid 4♣ or anything else - just Pass.

Don’t panic just because you don’t have Spades. Partner probably has some. A possible hand could be:

You can see that after a Club lead by partner, the defense can take 2 Clubs, 2 Diamonds, 1-2 Hearts, and probably 4 Spades, bringing the contract down 4-5.

3NT is likely to go 1 or 2 down.

Note:
a. When partner opens a weak 2 or preemptive and opponent overcalls – Double by you is penalty.

b. Another penalty double by responder is on a 1NT overcall:

Doubling here is Penalty, telling partner we have the points.

However,

Doubling here is a negative Double and shows Hearts.

c. But, Double on a preemptive by opponents, is a negative double:

Double here is negative, shows points and probably 4 cards in Spades. It could also show something like ♠AKx ♥xx ♦Q10xx ♣KJxx, when not able to make a stronger bid.

Hand 3

Contract is 5♣.

Sitting West, you lead your singleton, the ♠4. Dummy plays low, and partner wins with the ♠A (declarer follows with the ♠Q).

Partner continues with the ♠9 at trick 2. Declarer ruffs with the ♣Q. What will you do?

Best Answer: Discard ♥

Contract is 5♣.
Sitting West, you lead your singleton, the ♠4. Dummy plays low, and partner wins with the ♠A (declarer follows with the ♠Q). Partner continues with the ♠9 at trick 2. Declarer ruffs with the ♣Q. What will you do?

You have ♣K102. Your partner wins the 1st trick and declarer ruffs the 2nd with the ♣Q. All you need to do is discard anything and declarer is sure to go 1 down as your ♣10 will be promoted as the setting trick. If declarer plays ♣A, you’ll still have ♣K10 over their ♣J9 and if they try a Club finesse to the ♣J, you'll win with the ♣K. Escape your hand with Heart or Diamond and retain your ♣102 over their ♣A9 be sure of making another Club trick.

Note that your Vulnerability helps you see that partner is likely to be very weak and that declarer must have a really good hand for bidding to the 5 level against a preemptive bid in a vulnerable position. It’s best to not get greedy and content yourself with setting 1 down.

Note:
a. A 4 level preemptive bid shows 8 cards without opening points. If you’re not vulnerable (and even more so if your opponents are), it can also be done with 7 good cards, or with a weak hand as East has here.

b. A promotion is a technique for the defense to develop a trick in the trump suit.
Here are some other examples:
There are two ways that you can promote. You can let partner ruff high, forcing declarer to overruff, and by doing so promote a trick in your hand. Another way is possible when either you or partner play after declarer so that if they ruff low, one of you can overruff; and if the declarer ruffs high, a trump trick will be promoted in either yours or partner's hand (as with ♣10 on this hand).

A couple of examples - contract in Hearts:

It seems that the opponents (NS) have all the trump tricks, but after leading ♣AK and playing the 3rd Club, partner ruffs with the ♥J. Declarer will overruff with the ♥Q and your ♥10 will be promoted.

As before, your opponents seem to have all the trump tricks, but after leading a Club to partner's ♣AK, a 3rd Club from partner promotes your ♥10. If the declarer ruffs low, you can overruff. And if declarer ruffs high, your ♥10 will be promoted.

Hand 4

Sitting South, you play 4♠.
West leads the ♣J and East follows with the ♣8. How will you play?

Best Answer: ♣K and ♥ to the ♥Q

Sitting South, you play 4♠.
West leads the ♣J and East follows with the ♣8. How will you play?

You have 4 losers, 1 in each suit. If you try the Spade finesse and it fails, West will continue with another Club and you’ll end up losing 4 tricks, as opponents will be able to develop their Club before you have a chance to get rid of it.

If the Spade finesse works, then you manage to make contract, but the Spade finesse is only going to work 50% of the time - and you can try it later on.

Win the first trick in hand with the ♣K, and play a Heart to the ♥Q. If the ♥K is in West (50% chance) then you’ll promote your ♥Q, and will later be able to discard a Club loser on the ♥A.

If West wins trick 2 with the ♥K and continues with another Club, you should win it with the ♣A, play ♥Q, return to hand through the ♦A and discard your Club from dummy on the ♥A. This way you'll be able to ruff the Club loser later.

Now you can continue with the ♠Q and try the Spade finesse for a possible overtrick. If it fails, you still make 10 tricks, avoiding losing a Club. Doing this improves your odds of success to 75% as you only need 1 of 2 finesses to work. If the ♥K is in East, you'll still make if the Spade finesse works. You'll fail only if both finesses fail.

Note:
a. It does NOT work if you try Spade finesse 1st; if you do and it fails, opponents will continue in Clubs and you won’t have time to try and develop your Hearts as you’re sure to lose to the ♥K and to the 3rd Club.

b. Expass (playing to a card finesse) before Impass (a normal finesse). As with playing to a card finesse you have a sure loser in that suit, even if the finesse works you'll lose a trick in that suit before promoting another. While if a normal finesse works, you'll have no loser as you overcome the missing honor. But, as playing to card finesse works, you'll have no need to test the normal finesse.

c. Playing to a card finesse is done in situations like:

1. xx vs Kx = play low to the K
2. Axx vs Qxx = play low to the Q (or Ace and low to Q)
3. AKxx vs Jx = play low to the J

d. A normal finesse is done in situations like:

1. xx vs AQ = play low to the Q
2. Axx vs QJ10 = play Q
3. AKJx vs xx – play low to J (or Ace and later low to the J)