Friday Night at the Bridge Club

Two hands with voids = one excellent board and one horrible board. This prompts me to ask: When should I "bid my hand" and when should I "just go for it"? Oddly enough, although these sound like two very different bidding options, they are sometimes similar in practice and only become distinguishable after the dummy comes down. In rare cases the difference between sensible bidding and getting carried away doesn't become apparent until sometime during the play of the hand. One thing to remember when bidding these types of hands, however, is to take note of vulnerability (which, unfortunately, I did not).

I did receive some advice yesterday evening. I was declarer and just barely made my contract after what I considered some fancy playing on my part. I was rather proud of myself, and thinking back, perhaps this showed and prompted the advice. My opponent was an A player who until this point had never commented on my bidding or my play, or actually on anything.

"Why didn't you run the spades?" asked X.

"Is that what I should have done?"

"Of course," X said, and went on to explain what would have happened.

"Would I have made more?" I had every confidence in X's explanation, but I was so surprised by the attention that my mind went blank and I couldn't follow anything that was said. I just felt the need to say something and so asked the question.

"Yes, you would have made 5!"

"Really?" Again, my question did not indicate doubt, merely my inability to process anything.

"Well, maybe 4."

The print-outs at the end of the evening confirmed that X was correct. I hope that the next time someone unexpectedly becomes helpful I will be able to follow the conversation and learn something.