Hi William, I can see your argument about not opening a 12 count with a singleton Q, but I am of the opinion that if you have 12 points (or a rule of 20) you open the bidding. I like to keep it simple if I can haha! Dom
The 19-point hand might well go for a small slam opposite an opening bid . Would not be the worst slam but doesn't make as Hearts are not 3-3 and there is no miracle Spade position. One player overbids by not downgrading his Singleton Queen and the other underbids with a very decent 19-count , so you end up in the right contract . Much more logical if the 12-pont hand doesn't open.Downgrading for singleton honours or QJ Doubleton is as important as upgrading for a 5-card suit or holding 2 or 3 '10s'....!
Hi William, As I commented below when you suggested not opening this 12 count with a singleton Q a few months ago - I just don't like it. If you have 12 points, you should be opening in my opinion. I can see your argument that the Q 'isn't worth it's full weight' but I believe this kind of tinkering overcomplicates the idea of when to open and gives too much flexibility to 'how you feel' about a hand. You have to stick to basic rules and structure when bidding as it is a language, and you cannot afford to step too far away from your agreed language with your partner, otherwise you will not communicate well and will end up the wrong contract too often. I also don't think the 19 point hand (North) has underbid. They could not find a fit so the only real possibility of a slam was in NTs, and without a long suit 'running' between the two hands, you will usually need in and around 33 points for 6NT (as you will have heard me say in the video). Given that the opener has limited their hand in the auction, and no fit has been found, I think North's approach to take the safe game is a perfectly reasonable one. Yes, 6NT could make but without a fit and without 33 points, it won't often. Hope this helps, Dom
I agree with everything up to bidding 3nt. I'm optimistic with a 3/4 fit here, to find something. I would bid 4clubs, hoping my partner understand that spade is trump, please cue bid. If my partner bids 4sp directly I'm just passing, but if my partner bids 4d, I'd try for game in 4nt, hoping he understands it's in Spades as you agreed to a 4-3 fit there. If we got both the ace and queen of trumps, I'm going to atleast 6 spades!!!
Hi Kimii, Firstly, 4C to me does not look like it agrees spades, it looks like you are looking for a slam with clubs as trumps. Secondly, it will very rarely/never be right to play in a 4-3 fit when playing in game or higher. 6S is an INCREDIBLY lucky contract to make on this hand. You need the JS finesse to work (a 50% chance) AND you need a 3-3 spade break (a ~36% chance). You also need no ruffs available to the opponents, so no 5-1 diamond or heart break. All in all, your chances are around 15% or so to make 6S. Not AT ALL a slam you want to be in. 3NT is definitely the correct contract on this hand. Dom
Another feature I dislike about bridge. No Trump should score more. It should be 40 points for each trick bid and made. 3 NT is worth 120 just like 4 in a major. NT only scoring 10 more points than a major suit is bizarre to me. Also, 5 NT should have a bonus. Say, half the bonus for 6 NT.
@@learnmodernbridge101 I'm just a dabbler in bridge but I feel that NT not running the gamut of losing a trick to some ruffing out of the offing does deserve the points according to the rules. - Is tennis fair?
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Thanks.
I could bear to pass that 12-count as Dealer with a singleton Queen ...
Hi William,
I can see your argument about not opening a 12 count with a singleton Q, but I am of the opinion that if you have 12 points (or a rule of 20) you open the bidding. I like to keep it simple if I can haha!
Dom
I agree. Your partner has a 44% chance of holding one of the higher honors and an 11% chance of holding both. That's 55% holding at least one of them.
The 19-point hand might well go for a small slam opposite an opening bid . Would not be the worst slam but doesn't make as Hearts are not 3-3 and there is no miracle Spade position. One player overbids by not downgrading his Singleton Queen and the other underbids with a very decent 19-count , so you end up in the right contract . Much more logical if the 12-pont hand doesn't open.Downgrading for singleton honours or QJ Doubleton is as important as upgrading for a 5-card suit or holding 2 or 3 '10s'....!
Hi William,
As I commented below when you suggested not opening this 12 count with a singleton Q a few months ago - I just don't like it. If you have 12 points, you should be opening in my opinion. I can see your argument that the Q 'isn't worth it's full weight' but I believe this kind of tinkering overcomplicates the idea of when to open and gives too much flexibility to 'how you feel' about a hand. You have to stick to basic rules and structure when bidding as it is a language, and you cannot afford to step too far away from your agreed language with your partner, otherwise you will not communicate well and will end up the wrong contract too often.
I also don't think the 19 point hand (North) has underbid. They could not find a fit so the only real possibility of a slam was in NTs, and without a long suit 'running' between the two hands, you will usually need in and around 33 points for 6NT (as you will have heard me say in the video). Given that the opener has limited their hand in the auction, and no fit has been found, I think North's approach to take the safe game is a perfectly reasonable one. Yes, 6NT could make but without a fit and without 33 points, it won't often.
Hope this helps,
Dom
I agree with everything up to bidding 3nt. I'm optimistic with a 3/4 fit here, to find something. I would bid 4clubs, hoping my partner understand that spade is trump, please cue bid. If my partner bids 4sp directly I'm just passing, but if my partner bids 4d, I'd try for game in 4nt, hoping he understands it's in Spades as you agreed to a 4-3 fit there. If we got both the ace and queen of trumps, I'm going to atleast 6 spades!!!
Hi Kimii,
Firstly, 4C to me does not look like it agrees spades, it looks like you are looking for a slam with clubs as trumps. Secondly, it will very rarely/never be right to play in a 4-3 fit when playing in game or higher. 6S is an INCREDIBLY lucky contract to make on this hand. You need the JS finesse to work (a 50% chance) AND you need a 3-3 spade break (a ~36% chance). You also need no ruffs available to the opponents, so no 5-1 diamond or heart break. All in all, your chances are around 15% or so to make 6S. Not AT ALL a slam you want to be in.
3NT is definitely the correct contract on this hand.
Dom
Another feature I dislike about bridge. No Trump should score more. It should be 40 points for each trick bid and made. 3 NT is worth 120 just like 4 in a major. NT only scoring 10 more points than a major suit is bizarre to me. Also, 5 NT should have a bonus. Say, half the bonus for 6 NT.
The scoring is indeed strange in bridge, but it is what we are stuck with (pending any rule changes!).
Dom
@@learnmodernbridge101 I'm just a dabbler in bridge but I feel that NT not running the gamut of losing a trick to some ruffing out of the offing does deserve the points according to the rules. - Is tennis fair?
It is difficult to understand him, as a beginner, b/c he speaks so rapidly!
Will endeavour to speak more slowly in future videos!
Dom