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Hand Evaluation Part V

We move along now to hands containing a seven card suit. How would you rate these three?

(a)		A J 10	(b)		K 7	(c)		K J 7
		J 6			J 6			A
		K Q 10 8 7 4 3			K Q 10 8 7 4 3			Q 10 9 8 7 6 5
		6			Q 8			J 2

You are probably way ahead of me by now.
Hand (a) is the best of the three. The main suit is good but also the 3-2-1 shape of the sidesuits is superior to 2-2-2 as in (b) for all the reasons we have seen before. And the honour combination in spades is also a big plus feature.
(b) has the same main suit but two serious weaknesses; the poor sidesuit shape and the collection of unsupported honour cards. Though (b) has a better diamond suit, hand (c) is the better all round hand. It has better sidesuit shape and one useful honour combination.
Give yourself even more extreme distribution such as 7-3-3-0 or 7-4-2-0 and the hand's potential goes up even more though, as always, the degree of fit with partner will be crucial. The hands with the better sidesuit shape will not always produce extra tricks, they merely give you a better chance of getting lucky.
Before we go on to look at a new area of bidding, let's try a few examples, just to check that we are on the same wavelength.

(i)		A Q 4
		8 5 3
		A J 10 9 7
		10 2

Partner opens 1NT (12-14); what is your response?

(ii)		A J 10 8 6
		K Q 10 7 4
		8 6
		3

You are dealer at Love All; pass or bid?

(iii)		5
		Q 8 4 3
		K 6 5
		K J 5 4 2

Partner opens 1; your response?

(iv)		Q 6
		8 4 3 2
		9 7
		A Q J 8 3

Partner opens 1; your response?

(v)		J 8 6 4
		K 8 3
		A J 2
		Q 9 5

Partner opens 1NT (12-14); your bid?

(vi)		K Q J 9 7 6 5
		8 2
		J 10 9 8
		-

Your opening bid at Love All?

(vii)		K
		Q J 6 3
		A J 8 7 5
		Q 8 2

Your opening bid at Love All?

(i) 3NT. True, you have only 11 HCP but imagine its potential opposite as little as three low cards in partner's hand - and the spade honours are also working well in combination. No guarantees, but this hand is likely to be as useful as a flat 13 HCP and should raise to game.

(ii) Open 1. Only 10 HCP but the shape is good and not only are all the high cards in the two long suits but they are backed up by the two tens. If you find any sort of a fit at all, the hand should play very well and produce far more tricks than the raw point count might suggest.

(iii) Bid 1NT. 9 HCP and a five card suit qualifies for a two over one response in Acol but there are a number of negative signs which suggest downgrading this collection. The singleton spade is bad news, suggesting a possible misfit with partner, and note that she will frequently be obliged to rebid a five card spade suit over a 2 response yet be able to pass a 1NT bid from us (surely a better option). Also, there are no intermediates in any suit and both red suits feature an unsupported honour card. All in all, best to take a cautious view of what was always a borderline 2 bid at best.

(iv) The same 9 HCP and five card suit as in (iii) but this hand is well worth a 2 response. The main suit is a good one and all the honours are well placed, the Q, the only unsupported honour, being in partner's suit where you can hope to find it combining well to establish tricks.

(v) Pass. Yes, you have 11 HCP so there could be 25 between the two hands, but will game be such a bargain even then? You have the worst possible shape, no intermediates, and no good honour combinations. Unless partner has good suits on which to play, where will you find nine tricks when your own hand does not contain a single combination, would you be happy to attack?

(vi) 4. The 7-4-2-0 shape makes this hand too good for a three level pre-empt. Consider that you would be very happy to open 3 if two of the diamonds were turned into clubs. Even without finding any help in partner's hand, you can expect to make at least one extra trick from the diamonds, while on a good day a fitting honour could provide two or three tricks. It is winning bridge, in the long term, to pre-empt to the limit immediately. Under-pre-empting means the opposition have less pressure to overcome and so are more likely to judge correctly.

(vii) Pass. 13 HCP but three of those are a singleton king which should be downgraded. Also, while there are two honour combinations in the long suits, there are no useful intermediates to back them up. For all that, some players would open this hand. It is unsound to do so and the crucial factor for me is the order of the suits. Say you had five hearts and four diamonds and the same hand; now you could open 1 and have a convenient 2 rebid to describe your distribution. With the actual hand, you must open 1 and frequently rebid 2, overstating the potential of the diamonds and leaving part of your story untold. Better to pass for now and judge whether to get involved later - you will hardly miss a game if there is no later.

Next month The Game Try