Bridge in the Tri-Cities: Bridge is a Bidder’s Game?
Dealer: | North |
Vul: | E/W |
| |
♠: 83 | |
♥: 7 | |
♦: AT8543 | |
♣: KT52 |
♠: A765 | ♠: KQJ92 |
♥: JT43 | ♥: 9865 |
♦: K62 | ♦: J97 |
♣: Q6 | ♣: 3 |
♠: T4 |
♥: AKQ2 |
♦: Q |
♣: AJ9874 |
Bidding: | |||
S | W | N | E |
- | - | P | P |
1C | P | 1D | P |
1H | P | 2C | P |
3C | P | P | P |
Opening Lead: Jack of hearts
I have heard it said many times that bridge is a bidder’s game. What does that mean? The two pairs that were first and second overall in a Wednesday night game held in August did not bid at all on this deal and they got the top scores!
The Bidding: South opened 1C and the opponents were silent. North bid 1D and South showed his 4-card heart suit. North preferred clubs and showed them at the two level. South had enough to make one more bid and that was where it was played (at 3C).
The Play: The heart lead was not too successful! Declarer took all 13 tricks.
What Happened? N/S can make 5C on any lead, but it is very hard to bid the cold game with only 23 points. Marilyn Hesser and Lynne Paasch did manage to do just that, but the top board went to a N/S pair that defended 4S and took eight tricks? At many of the tables, the E/W players were in the auction. After all, they had almost half the points and had a fit in two suits. The two pairs that passed throughout allowed N/S to bid up to 3C while the other E/W players bid high enough to go down at least three for a score of minus 300 or more.
The Conclusion: I still think that bridge is a bidder’s game. In more cases than not, the aggressive players are rewarded. Knowing when to be aggressive is the key.
This story was originally published September 30, 2017 at 6:36 PM with the headline "Bridge in the Tri-Cities: Bridge is a Bidder’s Game?."