BRIDGE NOTES.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20866, 27 May 1933, Page 17

BRIDGE NOTES.

THOSE PSYCHIC BIDS. (specially wkittek fox Tin: press.) [By WILLIAM SHACKLE.] Seme hands seem peculiarly difficult to bid. Especially is this so when partner seems to desire particularly to play the hand in his own suit, while one has no support whatsoever for him. On the other hand one is only 100 anxious for the opponents to play the hand in their suit which one is confident of defeating. Such instances will continue to occur however well planned one's system of bidding may be. On many occasions, however, full value in points may be obtained from this type of hand by the interjection of a "psychic" bid at the right moment. As an illustration , let us take the following example:- - ' A. Y. B. Z. ■ 1 spade No bid No bid 2 hearts 2 spades No bid No bid 3 hearts :i spades No bid No bid 4 hearts 4 spades. No bid No bid Double No bid No bid Nq bid Now B was nlost anxious for Z to play the hand in .hearts, yet at no time semed able to make a bid, as his hand was as follows:S. xx ' H. K JlO xx D. C. Q JlO xxx On the first round he hesitated, but decided that in view of his blank diamond suit he held reasonable support for partner. On the second round he realised that his probable trick in hearts was relegated to the rubbish heap in view of Z's bid, and that Z was sitting over him, but he hoped to get a double in if Z bid any further. On the third round he was reluctant to bid though he felt that he should say something, because it would have been necessary to bid five clubs to increase the contract. On the fourth round the bidding was definitely out of his reach. Needless to say A was well down on his contract of four spades doubled. Actually B should have made a bid of three clubs on the second round. Had he only thought a little longer he would have realised that such a bid would have given very considerable information to A, while quite possibly it would have encouraged Z to have bid further in hearts. He should have tried to visualise Z's hand thus: At least five hearts; probably ace or king of spades and one other, and probably five diamonds, one club, or five hearts, two spades, four diamonds, and two clubs. Probably the former in view of B holding six clubs. Therefore B's bid would have, if anything, encouraged Z to continue in his heart bid, while at the same time advising his partner of his lack of support in spades. As a matter of interest, when I gave this hand to a very keen bridge player he gave his bidding as B: First round, no bid; second round, no bid; third round, three diamonds; his reasoning being that Y would say "insufficient bid" and leave Z to decide on action. Z could (a). leave the bid in and continue by bidding three hearts; (b) force him to bid four diamonds, in which case Y or, Z would certainly double; (c) force A to play the hand at three spades. (a) Would have given information to partner and stopped him from continuing his spade bid. (b) Would have given him a further bid and he could have then bid five clubs with a fair chance of making them. I (c) Quite unlikely. (a) Was by far the most likely, and in that instance he would have been able to double and having thrown out a wrong idea of his hand by his diamond bid thoroughly disorganised Z's play. Comment is needless.