September 2021 - 65

Special Contributor
Dear Billy
BY BILLY MILLER
dearbilly@aol.com
dearbilly.org
Dear Billy,
We missed a grand slam because
we didn't know how to show a
void on the following hands:
West
 10 8 6 2
k A J 9 7 5
l -
' A K 4 2
East
 A K Q J
k K 6 4
l K J 5 2
' Q J
I can find literature on bidding
voids, but none on how the holder
of the void can get his partner
to ask the right questions. (We
play Roman key card Blackwood,
1430). Any suggestions?
In 7k by West, we luckily got the
lA lead, trumps broke 3-2, and
the kQ was onside doubleton!
(I'm 87 with 900 masterpoints,
and partner, with 1300 masterpoints,
is 98!)
Not Over the Hill
Dear Knot Naught,
You guys are too young to start playing
with fire. Wait until you are more
mature and can handle the agony of
earth-shattering misunderstandings!
Unless you are the most sophisticated
of partnerships, forget about trying
to reach a grand slam on these cards.
Concentrate on the basics and forget
the obscure.
On another note, most experts
strive to bid grand slams when it
looks like 13 tricks are there for the
taking. The math simply does not
justify bidding grands on a finesse or
worse. The K-J-5-2 opposite a void
should be considered wasted values,
not a bull's-eye hit. Bidding a grand
should not be based the expectation
Dear Billy,
In mentoring an aspiring player
from our local club, I partnered
with him at a club game in a larger
nearby city. In preparation, we
discussed and had agreed that in a
competitive auction, after we had
bid and raised a major suit, any
further bid of our major was just
competitive, never inviting game.
To invite game, we would bid a
new suit. If the auction did not
allow bidding a new suit to invite,
a maximal double would be used.
We had a fine game, placing first,
over many Gold Life Masters.
However, one auction puzzled
me, and I hope you can suggest a
useful agreement to have, if this
arises again. East passed and
South opened 1l. Sitting West, I
overcalled 1 holding:
A Q J 7 4 3 kA J l4 3 'Q 5 2.
(Our range for a simple onelevel
overcall is 7-17 total points.)
North responded 2k, and partner
raised to 2 with:
6 5 2 kQ 10 8 6 lQ 7 5 'K 6 4.
South passed and I considered
inviting game, but rejected the
of receiving a favorable lead, getting
a friendly trump split and having a
critical finesse working to achieve
success. I think you get the gist. Keep
doing what you are doing.
idea. Had South rebid 3l or 3k,
our agreement would be that 3
was clearly just competitive.
When South instead passes, I am
unsure of the best use of a 3
rebid by West. Is it more useful as
a preemptive (just competitive)
bid, showing extra spade length
(employing a cuebid to invite), or
should 3 be invitational?
In the heat of the battle, I bid
3l intending it to invite game
should partner have the top of his
6- to 9-point range. Because he did
not, we played in 3 down two,
for a better-than-average board.
Jumped the Gun
Dear Pogo,
I'd still use 3 as a blocking bid,
and all other bids lower than 3 as
invitational bids. Although you had
made a good decision not to invite in
anticipation of right-hand opponent
making a bid, his pass threw you off
and you failed to stay in the moment,
suddenly inviting game with a 3l
bid!
I agree that in or out of competition,
a 3 bid by you should have been a
blocking bid. In lieu of the actual pass,
a blocking bid does not seem warranted,
though I might bid 3 later,
but why now? Looks like " later " may
never have come.
Key lesson: Stay in the moment!
September 2021 | Bridge Bulletin |
65
http://www.dearbilly.org
September 2021

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