Bidding Outside the Box

Both Vul
IMPs
Dealer: North
Lead: 3

	raquel A 9 8 2 3 A 10 9 8 10 6 5 4
krt K J 5 3 K K 7 5 2 K 9 3 2		behemoth Q 10 7 A 10 9 4 Q 6 3 A Q 7
	Maestro 6 4 Q J 8 7 6 5 2 J 4 J 8

West Dbl

North Pass Pass

East 1NT Pass

South 4 Pass

 

Small Time Club Players™ can read book after book on bridge, memorize and routinely apply rule after rule, and never improve. They have no table feel. Today’s hand aptly demonstrates the importance of knowing when to follow the rules, and when to break them.

Our protagonist sits South, with both sides vulnerable, contemplating his action over 1NT with seven hearts to the QJ8 and three worthless doubletons. The STCP™, or even the run-of-the-mill expert, might remember the rule about not preempting vulnerable more than three levels above the number of tricks you expect your hand to take. The South hand could expect to take five tricks — if the heart spots were a little better. So the STCP™ would thoughtlessly apply the rule, and pass; or perhaps, if he was feeling really frisky, show a one-suiter at the 2-level (double, 2C, 2D, 2H, depending on your NT poison).

This shows only what small imagination most players have. Gee leaps into the breach with a 4H call. Now, sure, this turns out to be a disaster on this hand, but before you leap to criticize, remember, his partner happened to show up with two aces. Had his partner been absolutely stone broke, as he had every right to expect, 4HX, instead of going for -1400 against 3NT making 3 or 4, would have gone for -2000 against a cold grand, saving at least 4 or 5 IMPs.