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A cheerful farmer about to go home and play a game of bridge

Nearly there!

Hand evaluation--Phase 2

1.6 HONOURS IN PARTNER'S LONG SUIT

You hold the 16-point hand shown below and partner bids a minor suit.

S K 3
H K Q J 9 3 2
D K J 3 2
C 2

 Study the difference between partner holding clubs or diamonds.

(a)

 S A Q 4 2

or

(b)

 S A Q 4 2
H A 4 H A 4
D 4 D Q 8 7 6 5 4
C Q 8 7 6 5 4 C 4

   Which would you rather have?

Answer

Deduction: Your hand improves if your honours are opposite partner's long suit and deteriorates if they are opposite partner's shortage.

 1.7 LONG-SUIT HONOURS

Consider the following four hands, all with 14 points, two aces and two kings, all with 5-5-2-1 shape with length in the majors.

(1)

 S A K 4 3 2  

(2)

 S K 5 4 3 2
H A K 4 3 2 H 6 5 4 3 2
D 3 2 D A K 
C 2 C A

  

(3)

 S A K 4 3 2  

(4)

 S A K 4 3 2
H 6 5 4 3 2 H A 5 4 3 2
D K 2 D K 2
C A C 2

On all the above you would open one spade. Suppose partner responds two spades. Which hand would you rather have?

Answer

Before we draw our deduction, let's prove it conclusively by giving partner the likely responding hand shown below, and consider how the hands would play, taking the best and the worst of the four hands above.

(a)

 S A K 4 3 2

#

 S Q 8 7 6
H A K 4 3 2 H Q 8 7
D 3 2 D Q 6 5
C 2 C Q 4 3

 

(b)

 S K 5 4 3 2

#

 S Q 8 7 6
H 6 5 4 3 2 H Q 8 7
D A K D Q 6 5
C A C Q 4 3

You can see that in (a), unless you have a terrible break in hearts or spades, you will have no trouble in picking up ten tricks from five spades and five hearts. The situation in (b) is very different and you could easily lose two spades and three hearts---two light!

Deduction: Honours in your hand are more valuable in a long suit than in a short suit.

 1.8  SUMMARY OF FACTORS WHICH IMPROVE YOUR HAND

 1. Opponents bidding on your right.

 2. Possession of intermediates (9's and 10's).

 3. A five-card suit (or longer).

 4. Honours working together (KQ's or QJ's).

 5. Honours in partner's long suit.

 6. Honours in your own long suit.

 1.9 QUIZ

Place the six hands below in order of strength.

(a)

 S K J 4

(b)

 S A 10 4

(c)

 S J 10
H K Q H Q 6 H K Q 9 8
D K 6 5 3 D Q 10 6 D K Q 8 3
C J 8 4 2 C A J 10 9 3 C Q 10 8

 

(d)

 S K Q 9 4

(e)

 S Q 8 3

(f)

 S K J 9 4
H Q J 8 3 H A 4 H J 8 5
D K 6 4 D A Q 6 D K Q 10 3
C Q 10 C J 9 8 4 2 C K 6

Answer
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 Serendipity

What do you score at duplicate for making two hearts, doubled and redoubled, vulnerable, making two overtricks?

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