Look & Learn

23 June 2000

Hand Evaluation Part VII
by Brian Senior

Partner Makes a Game Try

Last month we looked at opener's requirements to make a game try after she has opened one of a major and been raised to two of her suit.
Now it is time to move round the table and look at responder's decision whether or not to accept the try.

(a) Firstly, let us assume that partner makes her try by rebidding 2NT. So the sequence might be 1 - 2 - 2NT. By bidding 2NT, opener has said that she has a fairly balanced hand and does not need help in one particular sidesuit. As she is balanced, all our high cards may be valuable, even queens and jacks, so really all we have to do is count points and decide whether we are in the top or bottom half of the range we promised with our initial response. With a maximum, we should bid game, while with a minimum we should settle for partscore. But it doesn't end there. Sometimes we will have raised with only three cards. Partner has only promised a four card suit, indeed, the 2NT rebid will be based on precisely four cards far more often than not, so it is not clear that we want to play in the agreed major.

Take these examples after the start 1 - 2 - 2NT:

(i)		J 6
		Q J 8 4
		A 7 6 5
		10 8 3

Bid 4. We have a maximum, four card trump support and a ruffing value. Though we are both balanced, there is no reason to think that 3NT will be a better spot than 4.

(ii)		K 9 8
		K 10 4
		6 3
		Q 9 7 6 5

Bid 3NT. Again we are maximum so must accept the game try but this time we have only three trumps and cannot commit our side to game in a 4-3 fit. The 3NT bid tells partner that we have only three card support but it does not necessarily end the auction. Partner will remember that we started by raising her suit so can go back to 4 if that seems appropriate.

(iii)		Q 7 6
		K 9 8 3
		J 7
		9 8 7 4

Bid 3. We have four trumps so should want to play in hearts but the rest of the hand is quite poor with only 6 HCP and two unsupported minor honours so to bid game would be over-ambitious. Very occasionally, the fact that we promise the fourth trump will enable partner to go on to game herself.

(iv)		6 4
		K 8 3
		J 9 7 5
		Q 8 6 4

Pass. Though we have a small doubleton, the reason why we bid 2 rather than 1NT in the first place, we have only three trumps and would prefer not to commit our side to a 4-3 fit at the three level. Even if partner has five hearts, the long suit may prove helpful in the play of 2NT.

(v)		8
		Q 8 6
		Q J 9 6 4 3
		10 4 2

Bid 3. This is not some convoluted return game try showing values in diamonds. Rather it shows a long diamond suit, normally six cards, and only three hearts. We expect that partner will normally pass 3, though she may go back to a 5-3 heart fit or, with good enough diamonds to hope to run the suit, may gamble on 3NT. In either case, we will respect partner's decision.

(b) Now suppose that opener's game try is in a second suit. She is saying that she wants us to evaluate our hand with particular reference to our holdings in her two suits.
With a maximum, we should accept unless we have the worst possible holding in the second suit - three small cards. Don't worry about only having three trumps. A good rule is to say that if opener's game try is in a second suit she guarantees five trumps - that solves all the awkward problems about whether we can afford to jump to game with only three card support.
With a minimum we need good cards to bid game. With a balanced hand we need two key cards in partner's suits; with four trumps plus a singleton in the second suit we need one top honour in trumps or any ace or king; with four trumps and a doubleton any ace, the trump king, or another king plus the trump queen. With only three trumps plus a singleton in the second suit there is less chance of getting all the ruffs we need so we should be looking for an ace plus a trump honour or two kings; with three trumps and a doubleton we need an ace and a king or a king plus two trump honours.
After 1 - 2 - 3:

(vi)		10 7 6
		Q 8 6 3
		J 9 4 3
		A 8

Bid 4. We have four trumps, the right ace plus a trump honour.

(vii)		Q 5 3
		Q 9 8 6
		Q 8 6 5
		8 3

Bid 3. We have four trumps, a doubleton club and a trump honour but it is unlikely that both side queens will be useful as partner rates to be short somewhere so we are well short of a game bid.

(viii)		9 7 5 3
		Q 10 6 4
		K 10 9 4
		7

Bid 4. Four trumps, a trump honour, a side king and a singleton club. Plenty to accept the try.

(ix)		6 5 3 2
		Q 10 2
		A 10 7 6 5
		9

Bid 4. Only three trumps this time but a side ace, a trump honour plus the right singleton. Were the A changed to the king, the lack of a fourth trump would suggest signing-off in 3.

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

Bid 3. This is a return game try. You are maximum but have only three trumps and a poor club holding. Show diamond values and let partner decide.