What would be the best way for West to communicate during bidding that they had the spade K? Put another way, would you bid 5 spades instead of 5 hearts as West after 5 diamonds because you had the K?
Hiya, I think the best way West could communicate that was to bid 3S over 3H. As I mentioned in the video, I can see an argument for West bidding 3NT in an attempt to stop there (not that East will play in NTs with their hand!) but I think a better bid is for West to show 2 card spade support with a 3S bid. It must be 2 card support at that stage, as they would have shown 3 card support on the previous round. By the time West had got themselves into a mess and had reached the 5 level, I don't think a bid of 5S is very clear at all. East would (correctly) be thinking that hearts are trumps as West bid 4NT after 4H which, in theory, agrees hearts. East would probably stare at the 5S bid wondering what it meant, and might come to correct conclusion that it is signoff, but more likely they would go back to hearts in confusion. The first mistake by West was bidding 4D and then following it up with 4NT (meaning it as natural/to play, I think) sealed their fate. This dug them a hole that they could not get out of. As discussed in the video, either bidding 3S over 3H or bidding 3NT and then choosing spades over hearts when East rebids 4H again would have got E/W to the correct contract of 4S here (albeit 6S can make on a fortuitous lay of the missing cards). Hope this helps, Dom
@@learnmodernbridge101 thanks, yeah by that time the ship had sailed and they were stuck. Either 4S or 4H would've made and, as you point out, 6S would've made in this case but you couldn't know that as West, and 6H was doomed from the start. Just unfortunate bidding by West.
I'm disappointed. Clearly East should discard the ace of clubs on the first trick. It makes no difference to the final result but why miss the opportunity for a flashy play? This probably tells you everything you need to know about my style of bridge. 😀 More to the point, why didn't West bid 6S instead? Clearly East has at least as many spades as hearts.
Haha Richard - I love it! Throwing the AC at trick one would have been a brilliant play, not because it changes the result (as you say) but because then E/W at least go down in 6H in glory! What is bridge for, if not a little fun like this? Cheers, Dom
What would be the best way for West to communicate during bidding that they had the spade K? Put another way, would you bid 5 spades instead of 5 hearts as West after 5 diamonds because you had the K?
Hiya,
I think the best way West could communicate that was to bid 3S over 3H. As I mentioned in the video, I can see an argument for West bidding 3NT in an attempt to stop there (not that East will play in NTs with their hand!) but I think a better bid is for West to show 2 card spade support with a 3S bid. It must be 2 card support at that stage, as they would have shown 3 card support on the previous round.
By the time West had got themselves into a mess and had reached the 5 level, I don't think a bid of 5S is very clear at all. East would (correctly) be thinking that hearts are trumps as West bid 4NT after 4H which, in theory, agrees hearts. East would probably stare at the 5S bid wondering what it meant, and might come to correct conclusion that it is signoff, but more likely they would go back to hearts in confusion.
The first mistake by West was bidding 4D and then following it up with 4NT (meaning it as natural/to play, I think) sealed their fate. This dug them a hole that they could not get out of. As discussed in the video, either bidding 3S over 3H or bidding 3NT and then choosing spades over hearts when East rebids 4H again would have got E/W to the correct contract of 4S here (albeit 6S can make on a fortuitous lay of the missing cards).
Hope this helps,
Dom
@@learnmodernbridge101 thanks, yeah by that time the ship had sailed and they were stuck. Either 4S or 4H would've made and, as you point out, 6S would've made in this case but you couldn't know that as West, and 6H was doomed from the start. Just unfortunate bidding by West.
I'm disappointed. Clearly East should discard the ace of clubs on the first trick. It makes no difference to the final result but why miss the opportunity for a flashy play?
This probably tells you everything you need to know about my style of bridge. 😀
More to the point, why didn't West bid 6S instead? Clearly East has at least as many spades as hearts.
Haha Richard - I love it!
Throwing the AC at trick one would have been a brilliant play, not because it changes the result (as you say) but because then E/W at least go down in 6H in glory! What is bridge for, if not a little fun like this?
Cheers,
Dom
@@learnmodernbridge101 And who knows? Maybe South spends so much time trying to work out why you did it that they forget to take the king of hearts.
6S would be in jeopardy with a trump lead. 3S should be the reply over 3H as you suggest.