Articlesβ€ΊDuplicate Tournamentsβ€Ί09/15/2023 Friday Game Post-mortem Session

09/15/2023 Friday Game Post-mortem Session

59 minutes

Fri, Sep 15, 2023Mine UsluelDuplicate TournamentsNews

Thanks for playing in the Wolpert Bridge Duplicate game. We hope you enjoyed the game. 

For further info about the topics mentioned in the post-mortem video, take a look at the following lessons:

Board 4: Dealing with Overcalls 1     Dealing with Overcalls 2 

Board 5 and 6:  More NT Interference  

If you have any questions about the hands you have played in these games, use the Q&A section below to ask your questions.

When asking a question, please reference the deal number. You can also go to BBO, and chose the deal you have played, and from the menu choose 'Export', 'Handviewer link', and copy the link and paste it in the comments together with your question.

Comments

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Catherine ColburnAug 31, 2024

Board 3, 25:30 On this board, you emphatically state that dec should choose the H suit to set up and not the D. Why? Thanks very much in advance, Catherine

Gavin WolpertTeacherSep 1, 2024

Because of the AK of hearts, you need to ruff fewer hearts to make them good than diamonds. If the diamonds break 4-2 you will need to ruff 3 of them which may be tough to handle.

John FrizzellSep 16, 2023edited

on Board 2 if the bidding goes: (4β™₯) p (p) dbl (p) 4nt What would 4nt be saying?

Gavin WolpertTeacherSep 16, 2023

Its pick a minor. When we double 4β™₯ we are often in a bind and dont have perfect takeout double shape. So when responder wants to bid 5 of a minor. EG. x xxx Kxxx Jxxxx they would bid 4NT so they dont end up in a 5-2 club fit instead of a 5-4 diamond fit. (it can and has happened). In general those 4NT bids mean two places to play. After 4S X P 4N could be any two suits... In modern day, the new thing is to play (4β™ ) X (P) 5β™₯ = slam try in hearts, and with a bad hand you go through 4NT and then bid 5β™₯ We have just added that: (4β™₯) X (P) 5♦ = slam try in diamonds along the same idea. Our teammates had a disaster on this auction because they didn't have this agreement in the 5th set of the match we lost.

John FrizzellSep 17, 2023↳ replying to Gavin Wolpertedited

So no way to signoff in 4nt by North? As you said in the video 4β™₯ is a destructive bid.

Gavin WolpertTeacherSep 17, 2023↳ replying to John Frizzell

It is pretty rare that you would want to bid 4NT to play in a spot like this. You have the option of passing them in 4M X, usually when you have their suit well stopped you are happy with that route. I don't consider "not being able to bid 4NT to play" as a major reason why 4H openings are effective.

George MansourSep 16, 2023

Board 3... I decided to take the low road as North and not force to game immediately. It seemed like it could be one of those misfit hands that can't make anything. Over my 1β™  response my partner judged well to show a medium 16-18 raise to 3β™ . Now I considered bidding 3NT serious to catch up my values, but remembered some rule about it not applying before a game force is established. Do I have that right? Should 3NT be an offer to play, or something else?

Gavin WolpertTeacherSep 16, 2023edited

When you say "not force to game immediately", I hope you realize that you cannot game force later. You are choosing to treat this hand as an invite. The idea is that when you bid 1β™  and then make a game forcing bid with a second suit that you promise 5 spades. EG. 1β™₯-1β™ -2β™₯-3♦... this promises 5 spades. 1β™₯-1β™ -3β™  is not a serious 3NT spot, nor is it needed. Partner has shown a very well defined range of 16-18, so when we make a slam try they are going to be evaluating where they are in that range. I play a nice tool with my partners 1x-1Y 3Y- 3Y+1 asks for shortness over which we answer None, Low, Hi in the first 3 steps. Identifying opener's shortness (and hand type) is really useful in this spot when you are looking for slam.

John FrizzellSep 16, 2023↳ replying to Gavin Wolpertedited

are you saying 1♣ 1β™₯ 3β™₯ 3β™  3β™  is asking for shortness? think I am misreading this, 3β™  would be a control?

Gavin WolpertTeacherSep 16, 2023↳ replying to John Frizzell

You aren't misreading it. Thats what I play with all of my expert partners, first step says "do you have shortness?" So 3β™  in that auction would say do you have shortness and opener's answer is 3N = no, 4♣ = shord diamonds, 4♦ = short spades

mark bloomSep 15, 2023

Hi Gavin, question on 6--I had the west hand and started as you said, heart transfer, 2S, passed to me. I bid 3D and partner misunderstood thinking I had more values, which is fine--but later I kicked myself for not using the leb. 2N relay to 3C and then bidding 3D to show the weak 5-5. So you're saying experts don't bid that way anymore, but just use x for 8+ and a natural bid for less? Thanks.

Gavin WolpertTeacherSep 16, 2023edited

Lebensohl is only in one specific spot. We open (or overcall) 1NT, the opponents overcall in the direct seat, and its the respponder's turn. If you are applying lebensohl in other auctions you are totally on your own. Would this be a terrible place to play lebensohl? maybe not, but that would require a special agreement. So "experts don't bid this way anymore" isn't accurate, since experts never bid lebensohl in this spot. 2NT would just be 8-9 points. I will cover it next week in the lesson.