Practice 3S01 Main

Slam Bidding Judgment

by Richard Pavlicek

West

2 NT
3 NT
4 ! NORTH
Pass
Pass
Pass
All Pass East
1
3
4 South
Pass
Pass
Pass Board 1 K J 10
A 9 6 5
3
Q 9 6 5 4 Trick
1 S
2 S
3 E
4 N
5 E
6 W
7 E Lead
Q
10
5
J
2
4
6! 2nd
3
4
3
A
9
4
7 3rd
6
5
Q
8
K
A
2 4th
2
4
K
2
3
7
10 W L
0 1
1 1
1 2
2 2
3 2
4 2
4 3
Q 2
K 8 4 3
K 5 4
A K J 2 Table A 9 7 6 5 4
2
A Q 10 6 2
3
Bidding

Play Opener’s third bid
Simple preference bid
West is discouraged by
heart and club kings
Throw-in play Play

8 3
Q J 10 7
J 9 8 7
10 8 7
4 East 9 top tricks North is endplayed made 4 -420

West

Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass North

1
2 NT
4 !
6 EAST
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
All Pass South
1
1
3
4 Board 2 K 3
A Q J 9
7 5 4
A 9 7 2 Trick
1 E
2 N
3 W
4 N
5 N
6 S
7 N
8 N Lead
3
4
4
A
2
4
A
Q 2nd
2
6
9
4
5
5
6
7 3rd
10
J!
5
3
K
K
7
9 4th
J
Q
8
6
10
2
6
8 W L
1 0
1 1
2 1
3 1
4 1
5 1
6 1
7 1
Q 8 6 5
10 4
Q 10 2
Q J 10 6 Table J 10 2
7 6 5 3
9 6
K 8 5 4
Bidding

Play Opener’s third bid
Control-showing bid
North is encouraged by
ideal club holding
Seven-card trump fit Play

A 9 7 4
K 8 2
A K J 8 3
3
6 North 9 top tricks Win the rest made 6 +1430

West

1
3
6 North

Pass
Pass
All Pass East

3
3 ! SOUTH
Pass
Pass
Pass Board 3 7 5
Q J 10
K J 8 5
7 4 3 2 Trick
1 N
2 W
3 W
4 E
5 W
6 S
7 W
8 E
9 W Lead
Q
A!
5
7
2!
5
7
10
Q 2nd
2
5
2
6
7
K
J
9
3 3rd
3
4
8
10
K
10
6
J
K 4th
A
2
3
8
A
4
6
J
3 W L
1 0
2 0
3 0
4 0
4 1
5 1
6 1
7 1
8 1
J 8 6 2
A K 8 7
A
Q J 10 5 Table K Q 4
4 2
10 7 4
A K 9 8 6
Bidding

Play
Follow up minor raise
Strength-showing bid
West is encouraged by
East’s spade strength
Ruff in short hand
Keep trump control Play

A 10 9 3
9 6 5 3
Q 9 6 3 2
—
6 West 8 top tricks Draw trump and claim made 6 -1370

WEST
2
All Pass North
Dbl East
4 South
4 ! Board 4 K 8 7 6
7
Q 8 3 2
A K 5 3 Trick
1 W
2 W
3 S
4 S
5 S
6 S
7 N
8 S
9 S
10 W Lead
A
Q
Q
J
10
6
3!
K
7
8 2nd
2
7
3
2
5
2
9
4
Q
A 3rd
5
3
6
7
8
K
J
8
3!
J 4th
4
A
4
5
7
4
2
8
9
10 W L
0 1
1 1
2 1
3 1
4 1
5 1
6 1
7 1
7 2
8 2
5 3 2
Q J 10 6 4 2
A
Q 8 2 Table 4
9 8 5 3
K 10 9 7 5
J 9 4
Bidding

Play
Combat weak two-bid
Resp to takeout double
South is cautious with
strength in enemy suit
Lead toward honor
Avoidance duck Play

A Q J 10 9
A K
J 6 4
10 7 6
4 South 9 top tricks Win the rest made 5 +650

Practice 3S05 Main

Top Slam Bidding Judgment

Slam Bidding Judgment II

West

Pass
Pass
All Pass NORTH
2 NT
4 !
5 East
Pass
Pass
Pass South
3 ¹
4 NT
6 Board 1 A Q 10 4
A Q
A Q 5 4
K 5 2 Trick
1 E
2 N
3 N
4 N
5 S
6 N
7 S
8 S
9 N
10 S Lead
2
A
Q
10
8
2
K
4!
5
10 2nd
5
3
9
J
6
8
9
7
J
2 3rd
J
5
6
K
Q
A
4
K
7
5 4th
A
2
4
3
3
6
7
9
10
J W L
1 0
2 0
3 0
4 0
5 0
6 0
7 0
8 0
9 0
9 1
2
J 9 6 4
8 7 2
Q 10 7 6 3 Table J 9 3
10 7 3 2
K J 3
J 9 8
Note 1
Bidding

Play Jacoby transfer bid
Key-card Blackwood
Jump to 4 shows max
with 4+ trumps
Ruff/discard endplay Play

K 8 7 6 5
K 8 5
10 9 6
A 4
6 North 11 top tricks East is endplayed made 6 +980

West

2
3
4 NT
6 NT! North

Pass
Pass
Pass
All Pass EAST
1
3
4
5 South
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass Board 2 9 8
Q J 8
A Q 10 3
10 9 8 6 Trick
1 N
2 W
3 E
4 E
5 E
6 E
7 W
8 W
9 W
10 W
11 W Lead
10
5
A
Q
J
2
A
K
Q
J
9 2nd
4
8
3
5
7
7
9
3
10
Q
A 3rd
2
10
5
8
4
A
3
6
9!
10!
6 4th
K
2
6
8
9
8
3
4
6
7
2 W L
1 0
2 0
3 0
4 0
5 0
6 0
7 0
8 0
9 0
10 0
10 1
A K Q J 5
A 5 4
K 9 8 5
K Table 10
K 10 9 6 3 2
J 6
A Q J 4
Bidding

Play
Key-card Blackwood
South wins! (at poker)
Untangle tricks
Delayed-duck squeeze Play

7 6 4 3 2
7
7 4 2
7 5 3 2
6 NT West 11 top tricks Win the rest made 6 -990

West

Dbl North

5 East

Dbl! SOUTH
2
All Pass Board 3 8
10 6 5 3
A 10 3
K 10 7 5 2 Trick
1 W
2 E
3 E
4 E
5 N
6 W
7 N
8 S
9 S
10 S Lead
K
K!
A
7!
2
Q!
5
Q
J
Q 2nd
8
4
7
3
6
10
3
4
4
K 3rd
A!
2
2
10
4
6
8
7
10
A 4th
2
3
5
6
8
5
J
9
9
6 W L
0 1
0 2
0 3
1 3
1 4
2 4
3 4
4 4
5 4
6 4
K Q 10 4
2
K 7 5 4 2
A J 8 Table A J 9 7 6
A K
J 6
Q 9 6 3
Bidding

Defense
Combat weak two-bid
Combat sacrifice bid
Overtaking play
Force dummy to ruff Play

5 3 2
Q J 9 8 7 4
Q 9 8
4
5 × South 5 top tricks Lose 1 more trick down 3 -500

WEST
1
3
4 North
Pass
Pass
Pass East
2
3 NT
4 NT! South
Pass
Pass
All Pass Board 4 K J 10 5
10 5 2
10 6 5 2
9 8 Trick
1 S
2 E
3 S
4 N
5 W
6 W
7 E
8 S
9 W
10 W Lead
6
Q!
8
9
Q
J
9
7
A
4 2nd
3
A
9!
J
2
5
J
A
8
6 3rd
10
3
10
Q
7
K!
2
5
5
8 4th
K
2
6
K
3
4
5
4
6
2 W L
1 0
1 1
1 2
2 2
3 2
4 2
4 3
5 3
6 3
7 3
A Q 9 4 3
3
Q J 4
A K 3 2 Table 6
K Q 9 8
A K 9 8 7
J 5 4
Bidding

Play
Shape-showing bid
Slam decision
Go after sure trick
Overtaking play Play

8 7 2
A J 7 6 4
3
Q 10 7 6
4 NT East 8 top tricks Claim the rest made 4 -630

Practice 3S09 Main

Top Slam Bidding Judgment

Slam Bidding Judgment III

West

3
Pass
Pass NORTH
2
3
5
6 NT East
Pass
Pass
Pass
All Pass South
2 NT
4
5 NT Board 1 A K Q J 9 3
8 2
A 6
A K 9 Trick
1 W
2 N
3 N
4 N
5 N
6 N
7 N
8 N
9 N
10 S
11 S Lead
Q
A
K
Q
J
9
3
A
6
Q
10! 2nd
K
7
5
4
5
5
3
4
9
Q
A 3rd
3
2
6
8
10
3
2
7
K
9!
2 4th
2
4
4
7
5
9
8
8
J
10
6 W L
1 0
2 0
3 0
4 0
5 0
6 0
7 0
8 0
9 0
10 0
10 1
4
A Q J 9 7 4
8 5
Q J 10 8 Table 7 5
6 5
J 10 9 4 3
6 5 4 3
Bidding

Play
Opening 2 & response
Bid of 5 in a major
Placing enemy cards
Delayed-duck squeeze Play

10 8 6 2
K 10 3
K Q 7 2
7 2
6 NT South 11 top tricks Win the rest made 6 +990

West

1
3 North

Pass
Pass EAST
1
1 NT
3 NT South
Pass
Pass
All Pass Board 2 6
J 8 7 5 3
A 10 9 8 7
6 4 Trick
1 S
2 E
3 W
4 E
5 W
6 W
7 W
8 E
9 N
10 E
11 E Lead
10
2
2!
9
A
K
3
Q
10
A
6! 2nd
2
5
7
10
5
7
6
4
J
9
7 3rd
4
J
K
Q
2
4
J!
3
5
Q
K 4th
K
6
3
3
5
7
8
A
4
9
8 W L
1 0
2 0
3 0
4 0
5 0
6 0
7 0
7 1
8 1
9 1
9 2
K Q J 4 3
A K Q 10
2
Q 3 2 Table 9 2
9 6 4 2
K Q J 6
A K J
Bidding
Play
Slam decision
Lead toward honor
Throw-in play Play

A 10 8 7 5
—
5 4 3
10 9 8 7 5
3 NT East 6 top tricks North is endplayed made 5 -460

West

Pass
Pass
Pass North

2
4
5 East

Pass
Pass
All Pass SOUTH
1
3
4 Board 3 2
A K J 9 4 3
7 2
A K J 2 Trick
1 E
2 E
3 W
4 N
5 N
6 S
7 N
8 S
9 N
10 S Lead
A
5
7
A
2!
6!
3
8!
J
K 2nd
J
Q
A
7
4
9
4
10
9
Q 3rd
8
K
8
2
A
9
10
4
Q
2 4th
2
7
3
6
3
5
5
7
8
10 W L
0 1
0 2
1 2
2 2
3 2
4 2
5 2
6 2
7 2
8 2
Q 10 9 3
8 6 5
K 8 6 3
7 6 Table 7 5 4
7
A 10 9 5 4
Q 10 9 8
Bidding

Play

Defense Control-showing bid
Bid of 5 in a major
Combine chances
Set up dummy’s suit
Choose lead at suit Play

A K J 8 6
Q 10 2
Q J
5 4 3
5 North 10 top tricks Win the rest made 5 +450

WEST
Pass
1
4 NT
6 North
Pass
Pass
Pass
All Pass East
1
4
5 South
Pass
Pass
Pass Board 4 8 7 3
4
8 6 4
K 10 9 8 5 4 Trick
1 N
2 W
3 E
4 W
5 E
6 W
7 E
8 W
9 W
10 W Lead
4
4
3!
6
5
7
2
9
6
5! 2nd
5
3
J
5
J
8
3
8
9
10 3rd
8
A
A
Q!
A
K!
10
7
10
6 4th
Q
J
4
2
4
Q
7
3
Q
? W L
1 0
2 0
3 0
4 0
5 0
6 0
7 0
8 0
9 0
0 0
10 9 6 5 4
Q 2
A 9 2
A 7 6 Table A K Q 2
A K 7 6 5
10 7 5
3
Bidding

Play
Slam decision
Key-card Blackwood
Read enemy lead
Use trumps as entries Play

J
J 10 9 8 3
K Q J 3
Q J 2
6 West 10 top tricks South is squeezed made 7 -1460

Practice 3S09 Main

Top Slam Bidding Judgment