April 28, 2011

I'll start with a few more comments about carding. Paul has been describing standard carding, and he has detailed out what that means in various contexts. A quick review: When the opponents lead, and you decide to play a spot card, you give count to partner by playing  a) the highest card you can afford to show an even number of cards in     the suit and  b) your lowest card to show an odd number of cards in the suit. When your partner leads, if you play a spot card (not expecting to win the trick), then you play  a) a high card to tell partner you like the suit (lead it again) and  b) a low card to tell partner you don't like the suit. On your first discard, you discard a low card in a suit you don't like and you play a relatively high card in a suit to show that you like that suit. Now, of course, there are a lot more subtleties, but those are the basics. If you ask your opponents what system they play, and they say "standard," it should be the above system. (By the way, if you don't play the above system, and you always just play your lowest card when you have no chance to win the trick and you always just discard a low card regardless of your interest in the suit, if your opponents ask you about your carding, you should not say "standard." You should say, "We don't play any signals.") What other systems are common? If your opponents play "Upside-down Count and/or Attitude," it means they follow the guidelines above, but switch the roles of high and low throughout. If your opponents say they play Odd/Even discards, this should imply that they play Standard when following suit, but on their first discard (and first discard only), the discard of an odd card says they like the suit in which they played that odd card. If they discard an even card, then they are stating that they do NOT like that suit; furthermore, many play that if the even card is a high (low) one, then they like the higher (lower) ranking suit of the two suits remaining [besides the one led and the one in which they played a card]. If your opponents say they play Lavinthal, this should imply that they play Standard when following suit, but on their first discard (and first discard only), the discard of a card in another suit says they do NOT like that suit; furthermore, if the card is a high (low) one, then they like the higher (lower) ranking suit of the two suits remaining [besides the one led and the on in which they played a card]. I don't particularly like either Odd/Even or Lavinthal, though they are quite popular. If I had to play one of them, I suppose I prefer Lavinthal. With odd/even, I often found that partner would read too much into my signal, that every card was a mandate, when sometimes there wasn't any card I could choose that would actually send no message or the message I wanted. Which brings us to another point. Whatever system you play, you shouldn't take too long to choose your card. This gives unauthorized information to your partner that your choice was not obvious. I am guilty of this, so please hold me accountable at the table! What I explained above is my understanding of the systems, stated briefly. Feel free to chime in if you think I misstated something or if you want to expand. Okay, on to the deal of the week. This week I am going to give a problem checking your partnership understanding. Many pairs in our club play the Michaels convention. When the opponents open a suit and your partnership bids that suit one level higher, it shows a two-suited hand. In particular, if the opening suit is a minor, then your bid of that suit shows both majors. What if the suit is artificial, though? Last Thursday, Gretchen opened 2D on my right, and it was alerted as "could be short." I inquired, and essentially it meant that she held 11-15 HCP and did not hold a 5-card major. It said nothing about diamonds. So, what understanding do you have with your partner here if you make a 2D bid? Would it show both majors (Michaels), or would it be natural? I held a very nice hand, but not both majors. — Q 10 6 2 K Q J 10 7 5 A K 7 I thought that a 2 Diamond bid would be natural here, so I bid it. This was alerted by partner and explained as Michaels. Oops. Partner jumped to 4 Spades. Perhaps I could sit for this, but it seems diamonds should be trump, and I correct to 5D. My LHO doubles it to end the bidding and leads a small club. Down comes dummy with as many hearts as I have spades. Q J 8 6 4 3 2 — 8 4 2 Q 9 4 — Q 10 6 2 K Q J 10 7 5 A K 7 Wow, with some lucky breaks, I can actually make this! I can win in hand with the Ace of Clubs and alternately ruff 3 hearts and 2 spades. That should leave me in dummy with this: Q J 8 6 4 -- -- Q 9 - - Q K Q J T K 7 Then I need to get back to my hand safely, I suppose with a club, and start on trumps. It would be best to lead the Ten of Diamonds here, to hopefully induce LHO to not take his Ace if he has it. (If he takes the Ace, he may shift to a club, which could be ruffed.) I'll worry about that later, though. If everything works, I may ultimately win 5 diamonds in hand, 3 heart ruffs in dummy, and 3 clubs. Alas, it is not to be; when I follow this plan and lead the Ten of Diamonds, LHO shows out!, and ultimately I lose two diamonds and a heart. Down 1, doubled, earns us -200 and one matchpoint. Q J 8 6 4 3 2 — 8 4 2 Q 9 4 K 7 5 A 10 9 A 9 8 7 5 K J 4 3 — A 9 6 3 J 10 6 5 3 8 2 — Q 10 6 2 K Q J 10 7 5 A K 7 So, the point here is to talk with your partner and come to an agreement about whether you play Michaels after an artificial opening. In this case it was 1D, but against a pair playing a big club system, it may be an artificial 1 Club bid. Some people play "systems on," which is what my partner was playing, and others play the bid is natural. Either is okay, IMO, as long as you agree.