[brown267]

A few days ago, I was dealt this hand as West at a bridge game (South was dealer, EW vulnerable):

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South opened the bidding with 1♣, and I overcalled 1♦. North then bid 4♣, suggesting that he had at least 5 clubs. Surprisingly, my partner then bid 5♦, implying that he held 6 diamonds. South then bid 6♣ (I strongly suspected that he held the void in diamonds and a lot of clubs). Despite being vulnerable, I decided to take my chances bidding to the 'level of the fit' and bid 6 diamonds. Obviously South doubled me.

The layout turned out to be:

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So, with hindsight, I was 'correct' to bid 6♦ (we were down 2, costing us 500 points, while the opponents would have made 500+120 points with their slam (drawing trumps, cashing all their hearts and winning ♠A)). However, what should actually have been done in the situation (or in similar situations where you have a weak hand but a massive fit in another suit)?

EDIT: Sorry I forgot to mention that we were playing rubber bridge and NS had earlier made 1♥.

[wank]

it's very rare that you should sacrifice vulnerable against not, even though north south would have got 920 for 6 clubs, not 620.

you were lucky that partner had a singleton heart (absolutely no reason to foresee that considering the opps' bidding) and that partner had such a great fit for spades which you guessed correctly to escape for 500. it could easily be 1100 or 1400 on a bad day.

by the way, north's 4 clubs was very bad. it shows a pre-emptive hand with long clubs. he doesn't have enough clubs; he's got too many hearts and too many points.

considering north has shown a weak hand and you don't know what east and south have, sacrificing was bad in another way. it could be south that was sacrificing and east who has a good hand (this would be much more usual at this vulnerability). in that case, you would normally be turning a plus score from 6cX, into a minus score in 6dx.

[The_Badger]

Hello brown267,

Welcome to the forum.

Wank's reply tells it as it is.

The only thing I would add is that I get the feeling from your post that you have read up or been told about The Law of Total Tricks, that is the number of trumps between the two hands equates to the level you should bid in tricks.

So with your 6♦s and your partner's assumed 6♦s, you thought that a sacrifice contract of 6♦ (12 tricks) was ok.

The Law of Total Tricks works reasonably well at the 2 to 4 level (8 to 10 tricks) but beyond that usually at the 5 and 6 level it goes awry somewhat.

You got lucky this time, but next time, as wank says, it could be a -1100 or -800 penalty, or perhaps a just as bad -500 penalty when 6♣ is defeatable.

[billw55]

Yes, welcome brown267.

I second the above responses, and I would add that partner's 5♦ does not imply that he holds six diamonds.

[jogs]

In today's world most advanced pairs are playing fit jumps in contested auctions. North would have bid 2 or 3 hearts, showing hearts and clubs. Not clear if 4♥ would be treated as a fit jump. N-S would find 6♥. Now 6♠ will go down 3 or 4.

[neilkaz]

jogs, on 2016-August-09, 17:22, said:

In today's world most advanced pairs are playing fit jumps in contested auctions. North would have bid 2 or 3 hearts, showing hearts and clubs. Not clear if 4♥ would be treated as a fit jump. N-S would find 6♥. Now 6♠ will go down 3 or 4.

+1 for fit jumps and note that 7♥ is cold since a ♠ is discarded on the long ♣.

[Trinidad]

wank, on 2016-August-09, 04:23, said:

by the way, north's 4 clubs was very bad. it shows a pre-emptive hand with long clubs. he doesn't have enough clubs; he's got too many hearts and too many points.

jogs, on 2016-August-09, 17:22, said:

In today's world most advanced pairs are playing fit jumps in contested auctions. North would have bid 2 or 3 hearts, showing hearts and clubs. Not clear if 4♥ would be treated as a fit jump. N-S would find 6♥. Now 6♠ will go down 3 or 4.

In today's world, and in tomorrow's world too, novices and beginners do not play fit jumps. Neither do they play that 4 ♣ is weak. They bid what they think they can make.

Seen in that light, I think the auction was fine. And I will compliment Brown267 on his judgement to sacrifice in 6♦.

Perhaps later, when Brown267 is as hooked on the game as we all are, he might start to consider playing weak jump raises and fit jumps. (And even then, he would do just fine without them.)

Rik