Archive of Hand Evaluation Lessons 1-5

Sunday, 06 August 2023 by Sherry Kinkopf

Lesson one:

At a recent tournament, this hand came up. I am sharing it because my partner and I missed the best contract. This is a wonderful example of hand evaluation and re-evaluation.   

 

 DLR: S

Vul: no one

North
♠ 7 3

♥ Q 6 3

♦ A 10 7 6

♣ J 7 5 4

  

West
♠ Q 9

♥ A K 8 7 5

♦ K 9 8

♣ A Q 8

  

East
♠ A K J 10 5 4

♥ J 10 4 2

♦ —

♣ 9 3 2
 

South
♠ 8 6 2

♥ 9

♦ Q J 5 4 3 2

♣ K 10 6

  
 

Bidding: Pass, 1H, pass, 1S, pass, 2NT, pass, 4H.

Why was this wrong? What should East have done?  Let’s explore options.What did West's second bid of 2NT show?  Five hearts and 18-19 points.

Now look at East's hand again:  Only 9 high card points, but…… Let’s re-evaluate what we know. How many hearts does the pair have between them?  9  How valuable is the spade suit in East's hand? How valuable is the void?  I would argue that in this scenario East just has to go for it and bid 6H. Why? Nine card fit: plus one point. Void in diamonds: plus three points. Six card spade suit: plus two points. Now East has the equivalent of a 15 point hand combined with 18-19 from West! 

How else could the bidding have gone? Have you heard of splinters? Even with nine HCP, this hand is very valuable. A  splinter bid says to partner, "I have an opening hand and four card trump support, with a singleton or void in the splintered suit."

Bidding auction then goes: pass, 1H, pass, 4D, pass, 4NT: Answer of one key card and an easy 6H bid by West.. But even in the above actual auction, it is important to remember to re-evaluate your hand after your partner shows such a strong hand. 

Another scenario if you do not play splinters could be: pass, 1H, pass, 3H, East could choose to use the limit raise immediately. 9-11 HCP and four card trump support. Now it is West's turn to get excited. Bid 4NT and asks for key cards, or cue bid aces. This actually works really well.Here, it goes: pass, 1H, pass, 3H, pass, 4C by West (showing ace of clubs), pass, 4D by East (first round control diamonds), pass, Possibly missing one ace, West can just bid 6H. He has second round control of diamonds and a nine card trump suit. And what a pleasant surprise the spade suit will be in East's hand.

If using the traditional key card asks, still possible.

It's not the handling of difficult hands that makes the winning player. There aren't enough of them. It's the ability to avoid messing up the easy ones.

-S. J. Simon 

 

Lesson Two:

I like to think I learn from my mistakes. Bridge has provided me many learning opportunities. I am pulling another hand from a recent tournament. 

 

 DLR:S

EW:vulnerable

North
♠ 9 5 2

♥ J 10 5 4 2

♦ J 4

♣ 9 7 6

  

West
♠ A J 8

♥ K Q 9

♦ 8 4 2

♣ K Q 8 2

  

East
♠ Q 9 4

♥ A 8 7

♦ A K 10 9 7 6 3

♣ 
 

South
♠ K 7 6 3

♥ 6 3

♦ Q

♣ A J 10 5 4 3

  

 Bidding: pass, 1 NT(15-17) , pass, 3NT

 Why is this wrong? Let’s look at East’s hand. 13 HCP and seven diamonds to the AK. West  has to have two diamonds to bid no trump. What do we know? 9 card diamond fit with the top two honors. Void in clubs. In a suit contract, this is very powerful. Outside ace.When evaluating this hand: 13 hcp, plus one for 9 card trump fit in diamonds, plus three for void: Now worth 17. Partner has defined their hand as square and 15-17. “Don’t try and get scientific,” to quote my brother. “Just bid six diamonds.“

Suppose you only have six diamonds. We play that with this same hand and maybe six diamonds and a singleton club instead of void. Bid three diamonds over partners one no trump to show slam interest in diamonds. 

 

Learn from the mistakes of others. You won't live long enough to make them all yourself.

-Alfred Sheinwold

 

Lesson Three:

 Getting to the optimum contract can be quite challenging sometimes, especially during overcalls or after interference . This is probably where I struggle the most. Maybe some of you do as well. If I open or my partner opens, we usually get to the right place. Here is an example of a missed game on my part. 

 DLR: N

Vulnerable: both

North
♠ J10

♥ KQJ94

♦ Q1074

♣ A4

  

West
♠ AQ843

♥ A 7

♦ AJ6

♣ K93

  

East
♠ K652

♥ 532

♦ 85

♣ QJ107
 

South
♠ 8 7

♥ 1086

♦ K943

♣ 7652

  

Bidding: 1h, pass, pass, double, pass, 1 sp, 2h,  3s,  pass, pass , pass

Where did I go wrong? I am west. What should I have done? What can I infer from the bidding? North opens. Does not rebid hearts, so does not have a six card  heart suit, most likely. My partner bids spades from the take out double. South’s first pass is my clue to the points. I have 18. North has 12 -14? South has less than six with the pass. That leaves 8 - 10 unaccounted for, My partner must have the balance with South’s pass at first opportunity. I should just go to four spades with a nine card fit and the majority of the Aces. My jump to three spades implied only a four card fit and maybe 16-17. My hand is better than that once my partner chooses spades.

What else could I have done? Cue bid their suit. That shows a really good fit in spades with my partner and a monster hand. I underbid . I needed to stop and think about the first pass South made. 

The difference between genius and stupidity at the bridge table is that genius has its limits. 

Lesson four:

 The fight for the par scores is critical to every game played. How to know when to stop. Let’s examine the bidding.

 

 

 DLR: East

EW: vulnerable

North
♠ 7 5

♥ Q J97


♦ A J83

♣ 962

 

West
♠ AJ98

♥ 82

♦ 10654

♣ KJ10

 

East
♠ K10432

♥ 103

♦ K92

♣ AQ5

 

South
♠ Q6

♥ AK654

♦ Q7

♣ 8743

 

Bidding: 1s,2h,2s,3h,3s,4h, 4s. Results: Down 1 for minus 100.

Without interference the bidding would have gone: 1s, pass, 3s, pass. East looks at the hand with 12 HCP and square  distribution and passes. Result: 3s making 3 for plus. 140. How can you reach the same result with interference? The cue bid. We examined this concept in lesson three. In this sequence the cue bid of the opponent's suit tells your partner that you have a limit raise or better: ( four card trump support and 9-+ points) . The cue bid forces your partner to bid. 

Let’s look at what will happen: 1s, 2h, 3h. Look at North’s hand. Four card trump support, but only 7hcp, not enough for game. So the North hand  will pass. Now East has to evaluate their hand.  Again , 12hcp and square distribution; not enough for a game with only a limit raise, so East should bid 3s. South now passes without encouragement from their partner. West just has the limit raise and not a true opener so should pass. If West actually had an opening hand, or other extras could raise to game. The cue bid effectively stops the interference and allows North/ South to stop at the correct level. Of course, East also should pass the three heart bid by north.  East has a minimum hand with no extras. The two spade bid by West does not show extras. Play defense. North / South can only make one heart with the way the cards lie. Double them for a top board. 

 

 

Dummy apologizing for getting the partnership too high says: "I was hoping you had a second suit."  Partner says: "I didn't even have a first suit".

 

 

Lesson Five:

Dealer: East

Vulnerable: Both

North
♠ AKQxxx

♥AQxxx

♦x

♣ x

  

West
♠ x

♥ x

♦ KJxxxx

♣ AQxxx

  

East
♠ xx

♥ Kxx

♦ AQ98

♣ Kxxx
 

South
♠ Jxxx

♥ J10xx

♦xx

♣ xxx

  

 

 Sometimes you get it right. Playing online in a virtual club this hand came up. I am east. My partner opens the bidding 1 D. North uses MIchaels and Cue bids 2 diamonds. 

What should the East hand do? With 12 points, King of hearts behind Michael’s hand,  four clubs,and diamonds with my partner,  I chose to show strength and bid three clubs. South can see a double fit with their partner and jumps to four spades.

 

What should the West hand do now? My partner had opened the hand with only 10 HCP, but used the rule of 20 and opened at the one level knowing she could rebid clubs over whatever I said. But then the opponents get in on the fun. I had the audacity to show strength in a new suit . She bids 5 clubs. Opponents pass and the hand makes easily. 

 

Note the opponents can make four spades ,but not five. We end up with a top board. Opening hands with shape is important to finding good fits and games that make without a lot of HCPs. 

 

North also has a shapely hand. North and South bid beautifully. My partner; however, had chosen to open her hand first seat at the one level. With opponents showing majors, My King of hearts , partners diamonds, and a nice club suit helped me to make a forcing bid at the three level  for a good shot at a game. My partner got excited and chose to correctly put me in the game. 

 

What if I had just chosen to support her diamonds. That bid is competition and not as strong. She would most likely pass over four spades.

 

 Remember strength of playing hands is in fits and length of suits. She can go to five clubs knowing she has a great fit with me in clubs, shortness in the majors, and a pretty side suit in diamonds. She doesn't even know the bonus of our diamond fit. 



I favor light opening bids. When you're my age, you can never be sure that the bidding will get back around to you again.

 

Oswald Jacoby at 77. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                             

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