| Slam Bidding on Minimum Values |
Show Detail |
One of the questions I have frequently been asked is how to bid a slam with relatively low high card points (HCPs). Such hands often have voids and/or singletons with a good trump fit, so that a lot of ruffs can be taken. It is advantageous therefore if your system incorporates splinter bids. Correctly evaluating hands with voids and singletons after the trump fit has been found is the next step. And then finally you need to ensure there are adequate controls to avoid two quick losers.
This week's hand comes from the green point event sponsored by Devon CBA. Although there are only 25 HCPs, a small slam in spades is a very good proposition. As 2♥ would have been a reverse and forcing, the jump to 3♥ is not needed to force and was employed by the partnership as a mini splinter bid promising the values to jump raise to at least 3♠ as well as a void or singleton in hearts. This is excellent news for West as he can see all of his values are working with partner's hand and it looks as though his losing hearts to a large extent can be ruffed out.
At this stage of the bidding sequence East has promised the equivalent values of at least 16 HCPs. In fact Bergen's hand evaluation method, which I highly recommend, calculates East's hand to be worth the actual HCPs plus 4 points for the void once the spade fit has come to light, plus 1 point for the five card club suit plus 2 points for holding three of the top five honours in both the club and diamond suit. That is Bergen rates this hand to be actually worth the equivalent of 20 HCPs! Did you? East has a little in reserve for his bid.
Now let's look at West's hand. After the mini splinter what is the equivalent HCP for his hand.using Bergen's method? He has 12 actual HCPs. Bergen adds 4 points for the void, 1 point for three of the top five honours in the spade suit, and 2 points for the fifth card in each of the major suits. The hand is worth the equivalent of 19 HCPs! However the void is in partner's side suit which may not be good news, so downgrade by say a couple of points.
The combined count is actually 37-39 and suggests a small slam at least should be on and possibly a grand slam if adequate controls are held. As you can see Bergen's evaluation method works perfectly for this hand.
So far West has only shown a minimum of around 6 HCPs in the bidding, so has a huge number of undisclosed values. With at least 16 opposite he should be able to see that a small slam could be on. He initiates a control bidding sequence, suggesting slam is a possibility.. Note he doesn't show his void control in clubs Only bid first or second round controls in partner's side suit if you hold either the King or the Ace of partner's suit. He will then be able to properly evaluate his side suits true trick taking potential.
Once the diamond control is shown, East knows that there are not two quick losers and launches into Roman Key Card Blackwood. The response shows 2 of the 5 controls with the Q♠. Note the responder correctly did not show the club void by bidding 5NT as it is in partner's side suit..East now bid the small slam suspecting he may have a problem with not losing a club trick.
Seeing all four hands, it is easy to make all 13 tricks. But not knowing about the favourable breaks in all of the suits, how should West play the hand after a heart lead? He decided to reverse dummy by ruffing out the clubs. So ruff the heart lead, cash the A♣ and ruff a club. Cross to the K♠ and ruff another club.The contract is now cold provided a safety play is employed. Can you see what it is? Declarer now crossed to the K♦ and played another club and discarded a heart. However the remaining clubs or spades broke and provided South did not have a singleton diamond, the contract was now guaranteed. After winning the return from North, and drawing the remaining trumps, the loss of the club meant the final club was established in dummy and a fourth trick would not be required from the diamond suit.
Michael Whittaker
17 April 2012
.
.
|
|
|
|