Acol at BBO
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Acol at BBO
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Nutty
Norm   
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| Weird
Wilma Q
J 7 5 4 10 A Q J 9 4 K Q |
Eerie
Edna 8 2 A 9 5 10 8 A 9 7 5 3 2
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| Strange
Stuart
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| Here’s the bidding as it happened at the table – Dealer West – Love All. |
| West Wilma 1 2 3NT |
North Norm Pass Pass Pass |
East Edna 1NT 3 Pass |
South Stuart Pass Pass Pass |
| Normally I prefer not to comment on bidding, as much
depends on individual styles, systems and circumstances - but there are
some points of interest here. |
| Firstly, West’s opening; some experts would suggest a diamond, some a spade. The problem of course is the rebid. If you open one diamond and partner responds two clubs you have no ideal second bid. Equally, if you open one spade and partner makes the inconvenient reply of two-hearts, the diamonds may be lost. |
| As bids of 1 Dade or 1 Spaimond are frowned upon, there’s no ideal opening. Opinions differ as to the best solution, but for what it’s worth, here’s how I like to bid 5-5 hands with non-touching suits. |
| With 5530 hands, unless there is a wide discrepancy in the strength of the suits, bid the suit below the void – this means spades on a hand with a club void. |
| Some examples:- |
| a) |
AJ872. Q95 AQ1093 --- |
Open 1 Spade | b) | AJ872 --- AQ1093 Q95 |
Open 1 Diamond | |
| c) | --- QJ985 A109 AJ975 |
Open 1 Heart | d) | A109 QJ985 --- AJ975 |
Open 1 Club |
| Notice with these opening bids that you have a simple rebid in your other five card suit if partner responds in your void. |
| And should partner throw a spanner in the works by bidding your three card holding, you have a three card fit with partner’s suit and a void in a side suit – all of which is great news. |
| For instance, on hand (a) if partner responds two-hearts to your one-spade opening, you can jump to four-hearts (wimpish), force with three-diamonds or splinter with four-clubs depending upon your temperament and system. |
| On hand (d) if the bidding goes 1C – 1S you can fib a little and bid two-hearts, showing reversing values, or raise partner to two-spades. |
| An exception to this rule arises when there’s a big discrepancy in strength of the suits. |
| AKQJ8 --- 87653 Q95 |
Open and rebid spades. |
| The choice is harder with 5521 hands, but the principle remains – select the opening which offers the most descriptive rebid when partner responds in one of your short suits. |
| Moving on - East’s 1NT reply and West’s second bid are standard. Though, at this point, I think East should give preference to his partner’s first suit, which should end the auction. In fact on the actual hand West can make three spades. |
| The three club bid should be reserved for hands such as these. |
| 8 Q95 109 AJ97532 |
8 AJ5 109 J1097532 |
--- J952 109 AJ97532 |
| In standard Acol all of these rate a 1NT reply to a one
spade opening and all of them will play better in 3 than 2 - which means
West should respect her partner’s bid and pass.
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| Enough of bidding – time to play the actual contract of 3NT. |
| OK - click here to read on. |