February 2020 - 48

Newer Players

Ask Jerry
BY JERRY HELMS

Dear Jerry,
Please provide an opinion on the
following dilemma I faced. Partner
passed, and right-hand opponent
opened 1♥. I held:
♠A 4 ♥8 5 2 ♦A J 7 4 ♣K Q J 5.
I decided to overcall 1NT with my
15 points. I guess I got lucky when
it went all pass and the opponents
could only take six tricks. My partner thought I was crazy.
Stan
Hi Stan,
Because I really don't know you, I'm
not well placed to make judgments
about your sanity - or your partner's. I
do, however, have a strong bridge opinion - shocking, I know!

Club and Cruise
Director Courses
Columbus OH (NABC)
March 17-19
Debbie Vicknair 662-253-3164
directorcourses@acbl.org
Gatlinburg TN (Regional)
April 18-20
Melody Euler 254-718-2270
melody.euler@acbl.org

Refresher Course
Columbus OH (NABC)
March 24-25
Debbie Vicknair 662-253-3164
directorcourses@acbl.org

48 Bridge Bulletin February 2020

askjerry@jerryhelms.com

jerryhelms.com

One Jerry-ism I frequently cite: Look
for reasons to bid before settling for an
excuse to pass. Despite this, sometimes
there are reasons to pass that take
priority over an excuse to bid.
If you were the dealer on these cards,
you would have a clear-cut 15-17
strong 1NT opening bid. After RHO
opens 1♥, you are in an entirely different position. When facing a decision
as dealer or after RHO passes, if you
have an opening bid, you must open the
bidding, otherwise you deny the values
to do so. The same does not apply if an
opponent opens in front of you.
In the situation you faced, my choice
would be pass. In a competitive auction, a pass does not necessarily deny
values. After an opening bid on your
right, what pass actually means is that
you have one of two types of holdings:
1) You have nothing worth saying, or
2) As the case is here, there is nothing
you can say that says what you have.
Consider your options.
1) 1NT, your choice. The next time
your partner raises to 3NT with his
10 HCP, and the opponents take the
first five or six heart tricks, you will
have some explaining to do. Your
overcall says you have a stopper, or
at least something that you hope
will become a stopper. Perhaps
Q-x-x, or J-x-x-x or, in a pinch,
you might even step out there with
10-9-x-x, and hope partner produces at least the jack or queen.
2) Double. You certainly have the
values for a takeout double, but

your partner will strain to advance
in the spade suit, the unbid major.
If he does so at any level, he may
not be amused with your two-card
support.
3) An overcall? Which four-card minor should you bid at the two level
to show a five-card or longer suit?
4) Pass. A clear example of a hand
where there is nothing you can say
that says what you have.
Just because you pass originally
does not mean you are barred from
taking further action. If, without any
encouragement from you, your partner
chooses to enter the auction, depending on what suit he chooses, you may
be well placed to offer some type of
strong encouragement by cuebidding
the opponent's suit.
If the auction happened to go:

2♥

Partner
Pass
1♥
Pass
Pass

You
Pass
?

2NT by you in this case would be
a balancing action, asking partner to
choose a minor suit.
It appears that the action that you
opted for at the table worked out just
fine, but that's not the point. The game
of bridge is about making decisions
that rate to be right most of the time. I
know players who live for the opportunity to hit a home run occasionally
more than the desire to be a consistent
winner. In summation, I do not think
you were crazy, just perhaps a little
misguided and awfully lucky!
◾
http://www.jerryhelms.com
February 2020

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