Lesson 12: The Finesse
Surendra Mehta
March 2007
RECAP
• Recap from previous lessons
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Counting points
(Suit ranking: , , , & NT)
High Card Length points Support
points points
Ace - 4 5-card suit - 1 Voids -5
King –3 6-card suit - 2 Singleton -2
Queen – 2 7-card suit - 3 Doubleton - 1
Jack –1 8-card suit - 4 (when
responding)
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Balanced hand
• A hand that has 3 or more cards in each
suit, except it can have one doubleton.
• No void, no singleton, no more than one
doubleton.
• The following combinations permitted:
• 4-3-3-3
• 4-4-3-2
• 4-3-3-2
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Sardar 1
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Unbalanced hand
• Could have a void
• Could have a singleton
• Could have more than one doubleton
• Examples of unbalanced hands:
5-5-3-0; 5-4-2-2; 6-3-3-1
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Opening bid one of a suit
Requires:
• Unbalanced hand of > 12 points; or
• Balanced hand of with > 14 points
• BID LONGEST suit;
• If two 4-carder, bid lower ranking;
• If three 4-carder, bid middle ranking;
• If two 5-carder or two 6-carder, bid higher
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Game zones
• In No trump 3 (9 tricks)
• In major ( or ) 4 (10 tricks)
• In minors ( or )5 (11 tricks)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
• Grand slam 37 points
• Small slam 33 points
• Game (in majors) 25 points
• Game (in minors) 28 points
• Part game 10 points Bid a new suit (even if it is at the
two level)
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Sardar 2
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Penalty V/S Takeout doubles
(How do you distinguish them?)
PENALTY if:
• Your partner has already made a bid or
• The opponents are in a game zone
• Look to defeat the contract by at least 2
tricks
TAKEOUT if:
• Double at 1 or 2 level; and
• When your partner has not already made a
bid
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Strong two bids - Requirements
• More than twenty points or 8 tricks
• 23 points or more or 10 tricks – open 2
whether balanced or unbalanced – artificial and
need not have any clubs – forcing bid
• 20 – 22 points
Balanced – open 2NT
Unbalanced – open 2, 2 or 2S; NOT 2
Opening bid of 2, 2 or 2 is forcing for only
one round
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Opening ACOL two bid of , or -
Requirements
• 20 -22 points; or
• Expect to take at least 8 tricks
• Powerful two suited hands (strong 5-carders)
• Unbalanced hand (bid 2NT if balanced)
• Forcing for one round
• Natural not artificial (2 bid is artificial)
• If your suit is club; choice between 1 or 2
opening, planning to rebid 3
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Sardar 3
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Opening Bids for Balanced hands
• 12-14 1NT
• 15-16 1 of suit, planning to rebid 1NT
• 17-19 1 of suit, planning to jump in NT
• 20-22 2NT
• 23-24 2, planning to rebid 2NT
• 25-27 2, planning to rebid 3NT
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Responding to 2NT
• Weak response is pass (0-3 pts)
• For 4 or more HCP, bid as follows:
• Balanced – reply 3NT
• Unbalanced – Bid 4 or 4, if you have
6-carder major;
• Or bid 3 or 3 with a 5-card major suit
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Bidding slams
• Combined strength of 33 or 37 points
• Look to bid a SLAM
• Rare chance and large bonuses
• First priority is to find denomination
• Invite slam by bidding new suits or bidding
beyond the game zone
• Blackwood (or Gerber) Conventions to ask
for Aces and Kings
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Sardar 6
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Blackwood – asking for Aces – Bid 4NT
5 No Aces (or all 4 Aces)
5 1 Ace
5 2 Aces
5 3 Aces
ASKING FOR KINGS – BID 5NT
6 No Kings (or all 4 Kings)
6 1 Kings
6 2 Kings
6 3 Kings
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Gerber – asking for Aces – Bid 4
4 No Aces (or all 4 Aces)
4 1 Ace
4 2 Aces
4NT 3 Aces
ASKING FOR KINGS – BID 5
5 No Kings (or all 4 Kings)
5 1 Kings
5 2 Kings
5NT 3 Kings
(ONLY USE GERBER IF CLUB NOT BID)
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Finesse
Dictionary definition – Delicate manipulation
A finesse refers to taking a trick with a card
when the opponents hold a higher card.
Necessary when 1 or 2 tricks short
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Sardar 4
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Finessing against the Ace
Usually lead towards the winner
North (dummy) K 4 3
Play small diamond
South (declarer) 6 5 2 towards K
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Finessing against the King
North (dummy) A Q 3 North (dummy) A 5 4
South (declarer) 5 4 2 South (declarer) Q 3 2
Play a small card towards A & Q don’t have to be on
the Ace-queen the same side
combination Lead a small card from
50% success rate the dummy
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abc
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Finessing against the Queen
North (dummy) A K J North (dummy) A 5 4
South (declarer) 5 4 2 South (declarer) K J 2
Play a small card towards A K & J don’t have to be
the Ace-King-Jack on the same side
combination Lead a small card from
50% success rate the dummy
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Repeating a Finessing
(You want two tricks – K & Q)
North (dummy) K Q 4 North (dummy) Q 4
South (declarer) 5 4 2 South (declarer) 5 4
Lead a small card If successful, repeat the
towards the king-queen finesse; win another trick
combination in declarer and the lead a
50% success rate small diamond
If west plays A; 2 winners 50% success rate
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What opportunities for finesse do you see?
(3NT; west leads 2)
7 sure tricks; 654 Take finesse
Need 2 extra A62 against King
J3
A8642
Q 10 9 KJ72
7543 10 8
K852 Q 10 9 4
95 K J 10
finesse unlikely A83 The other extra
to succeed KQJ9 trick through length
A76 in
Q73
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Sardar 5
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Plan the play? (4; west leads K)
S 432 Organise the Plan –
763 extra trick in
STOP 6543 Queen of diamond
A95
Stop to consider Put your plan into
the goal – 10 operation
tricks
Tally the S 10 8 6 Take the trick with
winners – 9 sure A K Q J 10 9 8 A and then play a
AQ small
tricks; need one
extra J
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Next weeks lesson
• Tricks from small cards
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