Actually, it’s none of the above!
Back in the day, we needed 13 HCP
to open the bidding (or 12 if we were feeling frisky), but experienced players
don’t just count their points, they also consider their distribution. One tool
for doing that is the Rule of 20 … we add HCP to the length of our two longest
suits … if the total is 20 or more we have an opening bid. By this measure,
this hand scores 11+6+3, and just manages to scrape up the magic number. So,
let us agree that the hand is worth a 1♠ opening bid.
Now North bids 3♠,
which is game-invitational, saying “Bid game if you
have something extra”. Does South have said extras?
►
Some might say “No!”, on the
grounds that the hand has only 11 HCP, and that it barely squeaked into opening
territory on the Rule of 20 basis. Maybe so, but nonetheless the South hand
does have extras, they are:
-
That singleton Heart
-
The 6th trump
- Those lovely minor-suit Tens, which are especially potent as they are
working in conjunction with other honors.
Extras indeed! So you accept the
invitation and this is the full hand:
►
|
♠ KQJ4
♥
K632
♦
73
♣ Q64 |
|
♠ A5
♥
QJ95
♦
KJ84
♣ 975 |
Dummy
West East
Declarer |
♠ 7
♥
AT84
♦
9652
♣ K832 |
|
♠ T98632
♥
7
♦
AQT
♣ AJT |
|
West
leads the ♥Q
and Dummy is revealed. It’s a pretty poor specimen, what with the useless
♥K
and not much cover in the minor suits. But, even so, it is good enough. The
Diamond finesse loses, but the Club finesse wins and (thanks to the
all-important ♣T) there are 10 tricks! A triumph for good hand evaluation by
South!