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The Six Point Rule
(This, and articles like it can be
found at
andrewrobson.co.uk.)
The reason why you must
always respond to partner’s One-of-a-Suit Opener with six+ points is
that
partner can have 19 points. 19 + 6 = 25: game (well, 3NT, 4♠ & 4♥ -
5♣/5♦
require nearer 28, 29 and
should generally be avoided).
However if the opponent
sitting on your right bids, you no longer have to bid with
six-seven-odd
points, for partner now has another bid.
Exercise:
Partner, South, opens 1♥ What would you do as
North
if West passes?
| Hand A |
Hand B |
Hand C |
♠ J 7 4 2
♥ 7 4
♦ A 9 5 2
♣ J 5 2 |
♠ 9 7 3
♥ K 6
♦ J 7 4 3 2
♣ K 5 2 |
♠ 4 3 2
♥ 7
♦ K J 7 4 3 2
♣ Q 7 3 |
A). Respond 1♠, showing four+ spades and six+ points.
B).
Respond 1NT, the “Dustbin One Notrump”, showing 6-9 points in a hand
that cannot bid anything else ie not four spades and not the strength
to respond in a new suit at the two-level [**use the Rule of 14:
respond in a new suit at the two-level when your points added to the
number of cards in your long suit reaches 14].
C). Respond 1NT. This
does not show a desire to play in 1NT (as you see) merely a hand that
has to bid (six+ pts) with no other bid.
However say West bids 1♠, the auction going 1♥ from partner, 1♠ on your right. Does that change things?
You
bet they’e different! When West bids, the pressure is taken off you, as
partner now has another bid. Your 1NT bid remains as nominally 6-9,
although in practice nearer nine than six, but you are actually
expressing the opinion that you want to play 1NT. It is not some
nebulous dustbin bid any longer.
A).
Pass. If you bid 1NT, you are saying you wish to play that contract. Do
you really want to do that with this barren six-count? I don’t really
think so.
B). Pass. To bid 1NT after an overcall guarantees a
stopper in the overcalled suit. You do not have the vestige of a spade
stopper.
C). Pass. Not 1NT as you have no spade stopper, nor a real desire to play in 1NT. And not 2♦ as you fail the Rule of 14 (see ** above).
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Common Bidding Mistakes
Good
news! Opener has supported
your change-of-suit response. This means that trumps have been agreed
and it is purely a question of level. By showing the strength of his
hand with his supporting bid, that issue too is almost resolved.
Assuming you (responder) are unbalanced, use the Losing Trick Count
(LTC). Follow these steps:
- Ask yourself how many Losing Tricks
(LTs) opener has taken you for. A one-over-one responder will be put
with nine LTs; a two-over-one responder will be put with eight
LTs.
- Count up your LTs.*
- For
each
LT you are better than advertised, bid up a level.
*Calculate LTs as follows:
Assume the ace takes the
first round of a suit; the king the second; the queen the third. How
many of those do you lack, up to the number of cards held?
Exercise:
the auction has begun 1 ♠-2 ♥-3 ♥.
What next with:
| Hand A |
Hand B |
Hand C |
♠ 8 5
♥ K J 6 4 3
♦ J 8 6 4
♣
A 7 |
♠ 5
♥ A 9 6 4 3 2
♦ K Q 4 3
♣
Q 9 |
♠ 6 3
♥ A
Q 7 6 3 2
♦ A
Q 6
♣
A 3 |
- A) Pass. Eight Losing Tricks (♠AK, ♥AQ, ♦AKQ,
♣K)
as advertised.
- B) 4 ♥,
Six
Losing Tricks. (♠A ♥KQ, ♦A, ♣AK)
Two better - but silly to bid 5 ♥ (no man's land). Play Safe and bid 4 ♥ (this weeks mistake).
- C)
6♥.
Five Losing Tricks (♠AK, ♥K, ♦K, ♣K)
North
Deals
E-W
Vul |
| ♠ |
A
J 9 7 6 |
| ♥ |
K
8 7 5 |
| ♦ |
A |
| ♣ |
8
7 4 |
|
| ♠ |
8
4 |
| ♥ |
J
10 |
| ♦ |
10
8 6 |
| ♣ |
A
K 10 5 3 2 |
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|
|
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|
| ♠ |
K
Q 10 3 2 |
| ♥ |
Q |
| ♦ |
J
9 7 5 2 |
| ♣ |
J
6 |
|
|
|
| ♠ |
5 |
| ♥ |
A
9 6 4 3 2 |
| ♦ |
K
Q 4 3 |
| ♣ |
Q
9 |
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
1 ♠ |
Pass |
2 ♥ |
| Pass |
3 ♥ |
Pass |
5 ♥1 |
| Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
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- Mistake. When the LTC tells
you to bid 5♥/♠, you
should bid 4♥/♠. What’s the point in bidding
Five? None.
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What happened
West led ♣A,
East encouraging with ♣J
(“throw high means aye”), and
West
followed with ♣K
and ♣10. East
trumped with ♥Q and, although declarer
could
overtump with ♥A, West’s ♥J10
was promoted into a trick. Down one.
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
1 ♠ |
Pass |
2 ♥ |
| Pass |
3 ♥ |
Pass |
4 ♥ |
| Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
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What should have happened
As above - but in 4
♥. Game made.
If you
remember just one thing...
When the Losing Trick Count tells you to bid 5 ♥/♠,
settle safely for 4 ♥/♠.
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| Column
of the Month - for the more Experienced |
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(This, and articles like it can be
found at andrewrobson.co.uk.)
This was a big-swing board from the 39th annual Lords-Commons match,
held at
the Palace of Westminster and sponsored jointly by Stephen Perry and
Lord
Kalms, won by the Commons.
Aggregate Teams
East
Deals
Both
Vul |
| ♠ |
A
K Q 10 9 |
| ♥ |
10
4 |
| ♦ |
7
5 |
| ♣ |
A
10 8 4 |
|
| ♠ |
8
5 3 |
| ♥ |
K
J 8 7 2 |
| ♦ |
— |
| ♣ |
Q
9 7 5 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
| ♠ |
J
7 6 4 |
| ♥ |
A
Q 9 |
| ♦ |
Q
10 3 |
| ♣ |
K
J 6 |
|
|
|
| ♠ |
2 |
| ♥ |
6
5 3 |
| ♦ |
A
K J 9 8 6 4 2 |
| ♣ |
3 |
|
Table
One
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
1 N |
Pass1 |
| 2 ♦2 |
2 ♠ |
3 ♥ |
5 ♦ |
| Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
|
- Reasonable Shot. Perhaps the
opponents will remain in
notrumps and South can unleash eight running diamonds (should the ♦Q
drop).
- Transfer to hearts.
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Table Two
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
1 N |
5 ♦1 |
| Pass |
6 ♦2 |
Pass |
Pass |
| Pass |
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- No softly-softly tactics for
Table Two's South.
Arguably 4 ♦ is the right pre-emptive level given that South is
vulnerable and the suit has a hole in it. Buth there is no doubt that
5 ♦ could bring home the bacon.
- Hoping that partner either has
hearts covered, or for a
non-heart lead.
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At
Table One West led a heart v 5 ♦, his partner having
supported his transfer
bid. East won the ace, cashed the queen, then very brightly led a third
heart
(little point in leading a black suit and you will see - every point in
leading
a third heart).
Declarer
ruffed in dummy and hoping for the three remaining trumps to split
2-1, led to his ace. West discarding was a fatal blow and he could only
concede
a diamond to East's queen. 5 ♦ one down.
Things
were rather different at Table Two where the pugnacious North-South had
bid 6 ♦.
With a blind lead, West reasonably selected a club.
Declarer
won dummy's ace and led a diamond to the ace. West discarding was but
a minor inconvenience (unlike at Table One) because dummy still had a
trump
with which to take the second-round marked finesse against East's
queen.
Declarer
crossed to the ace-king-queen of spades, discarding two hearts, then
led a second trump to the (ten and) jack. The king felled East's queen
and just
one heart was lost at the end. 12 tricks and 6 ♦ made. The slam succeeded
whilst
game failed.
Should
declarer have taken a first round finesse at Table One? Probably. It is
just possible East has 12-14 points (for his 1 NT opener) with West
holding the
queen of diamonds (singleton as East has to have at least two).
Unlikely
though.
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