Especially against inexperienced or new partnerships attacking their lack of agreements is highly profitable. One of the best chances to do this is over Blackwood. People who have systems lose resolution and people who don't just guess.
So here's a hand, LHO opens 3
♠ and RHO bids 4NT:
| ♠ | 7 |
|---|
| ♥ | A Q J 8 7 3 |
|---|
| ♦ | T 7 |
|---|
| ♣ | Q 9 4 3 |
|---|
It's the machine gun that Bill commented on last post. You'll rarely if ever get doubled in 5
♥ and because it's suit below theirs you leave them almost entirely blind. Even if they do decide to take a swing they can surely make 5
♠ so you're unlikely to lose by too much.
Sadly:
| | ♠ | J 9 5 3 |
|---|
| ♥ | 5 4 |
|---|
| ♦ | Q 9 8 6 5 4 3 |
|---|
| ♣ | - |
|---|
|
| ♠ | A Q T 8 6 4 2 |
|---|
| ♥ | T 9 6 |
|---|
| ♦ | - |
|---|
| ♣ | J 7 6 |
|---|
|  | | ♠ | K |
|---|
| ♥ | K 2 |
|---|
| ♦ | A K J 2 |
|---|
| ♣ | A K T 8 5 2 |
|---|
|
| | ♠ | 7 |
|---|
| ♥ | A Q J 8 7 3 |
|---|
| ♦ | T 7 |
|---|
| ♣ | Q 9 4 3 |
|---|
|
Opener doubled and responder holding the instantly attractive
♥K2 left it in. Not only does the slam go down but if the defence start with hearts it's possible to defeat game.
Enough of the tragedies. How about a problem?
| ♠ | K J 9 8 |
|---|
| ♥ | K J T |
|---|
| ♦ | K Q J 7 5 |
|---|
| ♣ | K |
|---|
| West | North | East | South |
| - |
Pass |
1♠ |
1NT |
| Pass |
2♦* |
3♠ |
? |
|
|
|
|
I pass, lead the diamond king, and hope we have avoided a -500 or worse score.
ReplyDeleteThe old blackwood interference is a funny one. One opponent chose to intervene on this auction: p-4H-P-4NT-X! The guy on my side of the screen alerted it, describing it as "Testing your agreements." I resisted the temptation to place the blue card, slavering at the mouth, and say, "We have no agreements." Unfortunately, we had discussed this scenario. 4NTxx would have been +3.