Joan Butts : Bridge Teacher & Author

On Friday August 6th, I was at the Gold Coast Bridge Club to do a workshop on Cue-Bidding to Slam
(I will be offering this lesson at Brothers on 18th August - see Lessons)

During the Duplicate afterwards, I was pleased and amused when someone came up to me three times to say that the lesson had paid dividends!

Then this hand appeared:

W
N
E
S
-
p
p
2♣
2♦
3♣
3♦
3♠
P
4♣
4♦
5♦
P
5♥
P
7♣
p
p
p
Q
T
K
4
7
6
3
K
T
8
6
4
2
9
7
5
J
T
7
5
A
T
5
4
9
7
8
6
4
Q
9
3
K
Q
J
9
8
2
5
A
K
J
3
2
A
8
6
2
A
Q
J
3

That's how it should have gone - South opens a 2C Game Force, and East West get in there (a great idea) with their diamonds. Partner shows a positive hand by bidding 3C, and EW persist with diamonds. South shows the spade suit, and partner rebids clubs, setting trumps. East bids 4D. South's best bid now is a cue, 5D, to show the diamond void (1st round control), and partner would then keep the process going by showing the heart control (2nd round control, the K).

That should be all that South needs to know to bid 7C.
A number of pairs bid to 6C, but not the perfect grand slam!
13 tricks are easy, via 6 clubs, 5 spades, and 2 hearts.

Meanwhile back at home at Brothers...
It was a pity that no-one bid the slam on Brd 3 of Friday 30 July's duplicate. Playing two over one game force will make it easier to get there. Here's the hand and the suggested bidding:

Dlr S EW Vul

W
N
E
S
-
-
-
1♠
P
2♣
P
2♥
P
3♥
P
4NT
P
5♥
P
6♥
p
p
p
Q
K
J
7
4
J
6
3
A
J
T
7
6
T
6
4
9
5
3
Q
7
5
4
Q
3
2
J
9
5
T
A
K
T
9
8
9
8
5
4
A
K
8
7
3
2
A
Q
8
6
2
2
K

As soon as responder bids 2C over the 1S opening, NS know they are in a game force, so there's no need to rush the bidding after that. When South suggests their second suit, hearts, North is able to raise to 3 to show support, and the heart fit has been found. South could start to cue, but with the great 6/5 shape, and knowing that partner has an opening hand for their 2C response, it's just a matter of checking for aces. Key Card Blackwood will reveal that North holds 2 key cards, and the small slam is looking good. The opponents will probably lead a diamond, but that will be the only trick for the defence. Draw trumps, and play your spades, making 6 spade tricks, 5 trumps (hearts), and one club. +980.

imageJoan Butts

Joan has represented Queensland and Australia in bridge over 20 years, from 1989.
She has a Bachelor of Arts degree and Diplomas in Education and Educational Psychology, and is an expert bridge teacher. Joan has a passion for bridge education, both for students and for teachers, and has developed a new approach for beginners. She has introduced new teaching methods to clubs around Australia,and is the official teacher in Queensland.
She has owned and operated her own bridge club for 20 years.