Sunday, March 06, 2005 8:54 PM

Hand Evaluation – Tactics ( 5 of a Major )

 

PITBULLS:

 

            A jump or a bid of 5 of a major is a very weird bid in Bridge so there is multiple definitions for taking that action . The bid is an invitational bid taking into consideration the “context” of that particular auction. Like a chameleon its definition changes with the auction. The most common 5 level bid is the direct jump to 5 of a major 1♠-P-2NT-P  5♠  . This hand probably has a void so using Blackwood is difficult. The jump is asking for trump quality but very good trump quality.  3♠-P-5♠-P  is the same idea – how good are your spades ?   If the opponents are in the auction & you jump to 5 of your agreed major , it asks for a control in their suit.

 

            With the improvement in KCB , a jump to five of a major either directly or after all suits have been Q bid , is a telling bid  rather than an asking bid. The jump to 5 of a major says I have nothing in your trump suit so act accordingly. Susan & I had a good auction tonight ♠Axx ♥xxx ♦xx ♣AKQ10x . After I supported hearts , we Q bid everything so I had a choice of bidding 4NT or 5♥. I wanted to spell out my trump weakness so I bid 5♥ . Susan had ♥AKQxxx so got the message &  +1430 was easy .

 

A variation of the above theme is jumping to 5 of your major instead of the agreed trump suit when the opponents have bid in the auction. 2♦-3♣-5♥-P 

   ?                  Bid 6♥ with 2nd round control of clubs otherwise pass or Q bid 1st round control of their suit.

 

            Do not forget that a jump to the 5 level is an invite but pinpointing something that needs partners co-operation.  Kiz Fung opened 2♣ & the opponents interfered . Susan held ♠A10987x ♥Jxx ♦Axx  ♣x & partner shows a 2NT rebid so now what ? A 6♠ bid is a single handed shot as partner could have a doubleton spade or a bad spade holding where 6♠ has no play. 6♠ should make though if partner has decent spade support. Another form of the 5 of a major bid to the rescue which is interpreted as a “broken suit” slam try.  Susan leaps to 5♠ & Kiz holding ♠KQJx carries on to 6.  It is not unreasonable for opener to play you for a 7 card suit when you leap directly to 6 spades & take partner out of the picture. A broken 6 card spade suit would have been shown by inviting  a spade slam.

 

            If all 3 of the suits have been bid or Q bid, a jump to 5 of the major demands you bid 6 with little as 2ND round control of the remaining  unbid suit. What if you need more than 2nd round control of the unbid suit ? Scott & I had such an auction . I opened 1♥ on ♠KQxx ♥KJxxx ♦K ♣AQx  , partner bid 1♠. I splintered to 4♦ , partner held ♠Axxxx ♥x ♦AQ109x ♣xx . He can not bid Blackwood with a worthless doubleton in clubs so what is his bid ? A jump to 5♠ is no good as I could hold ♠KQJx ♥KQJ10x ♦K ♣KQJ  so must bid 6 as I have 2nd round control in the unbid suit which is clubs. What about a 5♦ Q bid ? Is that a demand to bid 6♠ with 1st round control of clubs ?  Last train Q bid to the rescue . You bid 4♥ which is the suit below the trump suit as a last ditch slam effort. Partner Q bids 5♣ so you bid 6♠ which makes.

 

            Susan had a hand which makes use of the jump to the 5 level . She held ♠Q ♥KQ1098 ♦Qxxx ♣Jxx , Maurice opened 1♠ so Susan bid 1NT . Maurice rebid 3♥ so now what ? You cannot bid 4♥ as partner could hold ♠Axxxx ♥Axxx ♦AKx ♣A so be cold for a grand or many other hands where 6 is lay down. If you bid at the 4 level , it is a Q bid in support of hearts.  A 5♥ bid is defined as I have good hearts but nothing to Q bid so over to you. I have no controls in the minors so I cannot bid KCB.

 

            What are some other bids of the agreed major at the 5 level ?  You hold ♠Jxxxx ♥xxx ♦AKxxx ♣void , partner opens 1♥ & you respond 1♠. Partner rebids 4♥. A 5♥ bid can not be asking for hearts as partner has shown good hearts already. Should it say I have good spades so can you control the minors or should it mean I have the minors under control do you have good spades ?   This must be partnership agreement .  A 4 spade bid is ludicrous to play as natural after partner leaps to 4♥ .  4♠ , 5♣ & 5♦ must all be heart slam tries via Q bidding. Therefore , I would play 5♥ as saying I control the minors but I am weak in spades as I bypassed the spade Q bid.

 

            What about this freaky auction ?. You hold ♠AKQx ♥xx ♦xxxx ♣xxx , partner opens 1♥ so you respond a spade. Partner rebids 5♥ so what is he trying to convey with that bid ? He has ♠xxx ♥AKxxxxxx ♦void ♣AK so must be asking for spades . You should bid 7♥ !  5 level major bids – do not leave home with them !!

 

            My partner & I had an auction which uses this asking bid to solve a problem. Partner opened 1♦ , I bid one spade on ♠AKQJ10x ♥xx ♦Jx ♣10x . Partner bid 3♣ so I took the relay to 3♦ as a temporizing bid ( he can show natural clubs , strong diamond hand or strong spade support with the bid) . I could have broken the relay  in spades to show a slam try but I had a plan to find out about his heart control. He bid 4♣ which shows a strong hand in clubs & diamonds. Slam must be right sided so 5♠ asking for a heart control sticks out. Partner will bid 5NT with the King , 6♠ with a stiff heart & 6♥ with 1st round control. As I have the boss suit , I can place the contract.

 

            Tom & I had an auction which comes up time and time again. How severe is the duplication of value in their suit ? Tom opened 1NT , the infamous Mr. Willard overcalled 2♣ . I held ♠AQJ10x ♥KQ10xx ♦Jxx ♣void so I jumped to 4♣ . This got doubled so Tom bid 4♥ freely. It is standard agreement to play a redouble as 1st round control of clubs so is there a bid that asks how severe is the duplication of value ?  I bid 5♥ as an invitational bid so in this context it must ask to rate your hand depending on club duplication of value. Tom held the worst possible holding in clubs KQx so 5 is the limit of this hand despite my void in the opponents suit.

 

            Do not misuse a jump to the 5 level , as exclusion KCB comes into play. A Tormentee held ♠AQxxx ♥Jxx ♦AK ♣Axx  with her fellow Tormentee opening 1NT . She bid 2♥ as a transfer to spades which got doubled so partner bid 2♠ which shows 3 in their system. The opponents have essentially bid hearts in this auction by doubling so 5♠ must ask for a heart control. A leap to 5♥ is Exclusion KCB but partner did not know what it meant after the Tormentee tried that bid , so she bid 5NT. The final resting spot of 6NT made .J

 

            The 5 of a major invitational bid is not a demand to bid six if you meet partners criteria. You are allowed to make a “courtesy Q bid” along the way if partner is unlimited in the auction. Giving this extra information might come in handy if the opponents bid again or a grand slam is not out of the question.