Doing the right thing

Rather than write about the Russell Cup evening with Miro, where we scored 54% but was largely uneventful, I thought I'd discuss some hands that I've seen on BBO over the last few days.

All the hands feature imps scoring.

Do you sacrifice at love all?

Let's try and assess the likely outcomes. It is hard to envisage a hand for partner where we can make ten tricks, so bidding five hearts seems to be aiming for a best result of -300. If they can make five diamonds, then we will gain 3 imps.

However going three down also seems quite likely, especially if partner is short in clubs, and losing -500 will result in a 3 imps loss.

This would suggest that there is not much right or wrong with bidding. However our tricks as so soft that it seems far more likely that partner will go four down (losing 9 imps) than one down (gaining 7 imps), and when he is one down they may not make five diamonds.

In conclusion, sacrificing at equal vulnerability is quite dangerous as there is often a small upside with a major downside when it's wrong. Unless you are actually bidding five hearts with some threat of making the contract, then it is probably wrong to bid.

Use the Next button to step through to the decision point. What do we make of the hand and partner's discard of the seven of diamonds (standard attitude)?

Partner is marked with about twelve points and there is one card smaller than the seven of diamonds that we cannot see. Partner is unlikely to have five diamonds and would not discard from four if he held the ten of diamonds, so it seems that partner is discouraging the suit. The lack of an overcall suggests that partner does not have five spades, so this marks declarer with a likely 3325 distribution and partner with 4234.

So it is probably best to continue with a low spade at this point. You will get back in with spades and decide whether to lead a club, or diamond, later when you have some more information.

This is not a hand where there is a right answer, but one where you hope that an educated guess will work.

A really simple question and one that partnerships should know the answer to. I do not think that there is an 'expert standard' and, at a club, you can often tell by the speed of the double. But that is cheating and you should have an agreement. What is yours?

It is very easy to lazily bid four spades here, but consider 3NT too. On a club lead and continuation you could easily concede a ruff to the jack of spades and then be faced with picking up another suit. There is no guarantee that 3NT is the better contract, but it is worthy of consideration.

Or should you be thinking of slam? Absent a stronger raise from partner, like four clubs, I think your quacks suggest extreme caution.