Advanced Lesson 3F by Richard Pavlicek
Advanced Lesson 3F by Richard Pavlicek
Revalue Your Hand
| Start with your original point count, which includes distributional points for shortness. |
| After a raise you may count shortness even in a suit bid by partner. |
| Add 1 point for a fifth trump if you did not promise five. |
| Add 2 points for each trump card over five. |
| Add 1 point for each side-suit card over three if you have at least five trumps. |
1. 
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 K J 10 8 4 A K J 5 Q 8 3 3 | ![[W - E]](t.gif) | A 9 5 7 3 5 4 2 Q 9 7 6 2 |
| West 1 3 | North Pass Pass | East 2 Pass | South Pass |
West counts 14 HCP, 2 for the singleton and 1 for the fourth heart = 17 points. The fifth spade was promised and so does not count. 3 invites game and East rejects. Some players would rebid 3 , but experience has shown that this helps the enemy more often than it improves the contract.
2.
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| A 3 K 9 7 6 5 4 A 9 7 4 2 — | | J 8 4 Q 10 2 8 3 K J 7 6 4 |
| West 1 4 | North Pass Pass | East 2 Pass | South Pass |
The power of distribution! West counts 11 HCP, 3 for the void, 1 for the doubleton, 2 for the sixth heart and 1 each for the fourth and fifth diamond = 19 points. East does not have an ideal dummy so West will need a little luck to make 4 .
3.
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| A Q 9 4 K J 3 A 8 7 4 4 3 | | K J 7 6 Q 9 5 10 6 2 A 9 2 |
| West 1 2 | North Pass Pass | East 1 Pass | South Pass |
East has 10 HCP and nothing else. He knows that West’s range is 13-15 points so it is impossible to reach 26 points.
4.
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| 9 8 3 K 9 7 3 A K 9 4 A 3 | | A K 6 2 Q J 10 6 6 2 7 6 2 |
| West 1 2 4 | North Pass Pass Pass | East 1 3 Pass | South Pass Pass |
East has 10 HCP and 1 for the doubleton (after the raise) = 11 points. The fourth spade is not counted because East has only four trumps. East invites game and West accepts with 15 points.
5.
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| A 8 6 4 A K 9 7 4 8 2 4 3 | | K Q 9 5 3 2 A 7 6 3 9 7 5 |
| West 1 2 | North Pass Pass | East 1 4 | South Pass |
East counts 9 HCP, 2 for the singleton heart (after the raise), 1 for the fifth spade and 1 for the fourth diamond = 13 points. Note the excellent chance to make 4 even though West has a bare minimum.
After a Minor Suit Raise
| Rebidding the raised minor indicates no interest in an alternate contract and no interest in slam. |
Why did you rebid your minor after I bid 3 NT?
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| A 8 4 2 K Q J 8 2 K Q 8 4 | | 9 2 Q J 4 A 9 7 4 3 7 6 2 |
| West 1 3 | North Pass Pass | East 2 Pass | South Pass |
West counts 15 HCP, 2 for the singleton, 1 for the unpromised fifth diamond and 1 for the fourth club = 19 points. 3 invites game in diamonds (not in notrump). East with 8 points is in the middle of his 6-10 range and uses good judgment to pass.
7.
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| A K 8 7 2 A 3 9 2 Q 9 7 2 | | Q 3 9 7 4 4 3 A K J 10 8 6 |
| West 1 3 5 | North Pass Pass Pass | East 2 4 Pass | South Pass Pass |
East counts 10 HCP, 1 for the doubleton diamond, 1 for the fifth and 2 for the sixth club = 14 points. 4 invites game in clubs and West accepts with his excellent 15-point dummy. Note that East cannot pass 3 after a two-over-one response.
Natural Bidding
| After a minor-suit raise, a bid of 2 NT, 3 NT or a suit previously bid by your side is a natural bid to suggest an alternate contract. |
8.
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| A K Q 2 K 3 Q 10 2 K Q 8 5 | | 4 3 Q 8 2 K J 4 J 10 9 7 3 |
| West 1 3 NT | North Pass Pass | East 2 Pass | South Pass |
With a balanced hand (too strong to open 1 NT) West opts for game in notrump. It would be pointless for West to bid spades because East denied a four-card major.
9.
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| K Q 8 4 J 5 2 4 3 A Q 8 7 | | 2 A 10 9 7 4 A 8 6 K J 9 4 |
| West 1 1 3 | North Pass Pass Pass | East 1 3 4 | South Pass Pass |
After the 3 raise (forcing) West raises his partner’s heart suit. This shows exactly three cards (with four West would have raised previously) and it does not commit East to play in hearts — it is a suggestion. East happens to have a five-card heart suit so he carries on to game.
10.
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| K Q J 8 2 4 3 A K J 4 8 2 | | 10 4 9 7 Q 10 9 3 A K J 7 5 |
| West 1 2 3 | North Pass Pass Pass | East 2 3 4 | South Pass Pass |
East’s raise to 3 is invitational. West’s bid of 3 suggests a strong five-card suit or a poor six cards (with six good spades West would rebid 2 over 2 ). East has tolerance for spades, so he raises to reach an excellent contract.
Showing a Stopper
| If there are at least two unbid suits after a minor-suit raise, a bid in an unbid suit below 3 NT shows a stopper. It is forcing. |
11.
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| A K 2 4 3 A Q J 8 4 A 10 8 | | 4 3 K 8 K 10 6 2 J 7 5 4 3 |
| West 1 2 3 NT | North Pass Pass Pass | East 2 2 NT Pass | South Pass Pass |
West is worried about hearts so he shows his spade stopper. East has a stopper in the remaining unbid suits so he bids 2 NT, and West raises to game. Note the advantage of East being declarer.
12.
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| 4 2 A Q 8 6 5 K J 4 K 10 4 | | Q J 9 4 3 8 2 A Q J 9 8 2 |
| West 1 3 3 NT | North Pass Pass Pass | East 2 3 Pass | South Pass Pass |
Over 3 East lacks a diamond stopper so he shows his own stopper in spades. This is just what West needed to know, and the best contract is reached.
13.
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| 4 3 K Q 8 A 5 4 K J 10 7 5 | | 5 2 A J 9 K J 10 A 9 8 3 2 |
| West 1 3 5 | North Pass Pass Pass | East 3 4 Pass | South Pass Pass |
West shows a heart stopper. East cannot bid 3 NT without a spade stopper. The raise to 4 is a suggestion showing three good trumps (he denied four). West might pass 4 if he held four, but not this time.
| If your hand pattern is 4-3-3-3, do not search for stoppers. Just take your chances in notrump. |
14.
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| 8 4 2 A Q 2 Q J 5 2 A 4 3 | | 7 3 K J 3 A K 10 8 3 Q 8 2 |
| West 1 3 NT | North Pass Pass | East 3 Pass | South Pass |
West’s shape is so flat that he bids 3 NT without a spade stopper. This will succeed if the spades divide 4-4 or without a spade lead. Observe that 5 has no chance.
| If there is only one unbid suit, a bid in that suit shows the ace and no desire to declare notrump, or shortness (singleton or void). |
15.
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| A Q 6 3 2 A 5 2 2 Q 8 6 4 | | 10 7 6 4 K 8 4 A K J 9 3 2 |
| West 1 3 3 | North Pass Pass Pass | East 2 3 3 NT | South Pass Pass |
After East indicates a diamond stopper West might bid 3 NT, but this is unwise with a singleton. Instead he bids 3 to show the ace and East bids 3 NT.
16.
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| 2 K 8 4 K Q 8 4 A K 10 9 5 | | 9 7 3 A Q 7 A J 10 9 6 4 2 |
| West 1 3 3 4 | North Pass Pass Pass Pass | East 1 3 3 NT 6 | South Pass Pass Pass |
3 shows a stopper and 3 shows the ace or shortness. East assumes the ace and bids 3 NT, but West does not pass because 3 was based on shortness. 4 indicates club control, and East bids slam knowing that West also has spades controlled.
| What is a Stopper? |
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| For practical purposes a holding of at least the Ace, K-x, Q-x-x or J-x-x-x is considered a stopper at notrump. |
Copyright © 2007 Richard Pavlicek. All rights reserved.