I was on the griddle yesterday with the following:
QJT9xxx (not positive about the 9 but I think so)
9xx (that 9 might be useful)
x
xx
So I recall anyway.
Partner opens 1
, rho passes. Pretty junkie even for a WJS but I bid 2
.
The opponents stay out of the auction, partner bids 3NT, I must decide whether to pull to 4
. I didn't. There were mixed reviews about my choice.
I considered pulling but my argument against it goes as follows.
First, I have about what I said I have and, anyway, once a player makes a preempt usually he stays quiet.
Second, I can imagine partner having a hand where the only purpose of my spades would be that the opponents can only cash two high spades while partner is establishing 9 tricks in the other three suits. If partner has, say,
KQJTxx then that looks like five ricks in
, and so four tricks in the round suits would do it.
As the cards were: The hand makes 4
but that's because, for starters, partner has the Ax and the Kx is onside. It still needs a bit more as I recall, so 4
is hardly rock solid.
I didn't save the hands but I'll try to recall approximately what we had. My approximate recall of partner's hand:
Ax
KTx
AQxxx
KQx
Something like that. An 18 count I think, although maybe it was a 19 count., And maybe that fifth diamond was a small heart. Not sure. But let's look at the combined hands as I recall them:
Ax
KTx
AQxxx
KQx
QJT9xxx
9xx
x
xx
I have put my hand at the bottom, to go with me being a possible declarer.
Playing
I can, once I get the lead, play
A and ruff a
, rin the
Q picking up the
suit. So that gives me seven
tricks and the
A. I still need two more. Maybe the
A is onside, maybe the
A is onside, maybe I can establish the
K by ruffing
, maybe a lot of things and, as I recall, the 4
contract actually makes.
But the point is that while expecting partner to develop 9 tricks without making use of the
suit might seem a bit optimistic, playing the hand in 4
is also optimistic.
Here is a question: Suppose, over my 2
, partner were to bid 2NT. What is it? It could be reasonable to play this as saying "Hey, pard. Maybe we can make game, maybe not. Maybe we belong in spades, maybe in NT. Feel free tp pass, or to raise to 3NT, or retreat to 3
, or bid 4
." I don't know if that is an accepted meaning for the call, but it would be useful here. I would retreat to 3
. Yes, it makes 4
, but 3
is a reasonable contract.
I have no problem with people disagreeing with my choice of pass over 3NT. These hands are given for discussion, I like discussion. As of now, I would pass the next time this hand arises as well.