From: bharat@cs.uiuc.edu (R. Bharat Rao)
Subject: Re: Assess the blame
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept of Computer Science
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 14:30:35 GMT

In article <C16n12.LE8@ais.org>, hampton@ais.org (Kevin Podsiadlik) writes:
|>           West               East
|>           AQ94               3
|>           AQT9               62
|>           K                  QT9865
|>           A642               9853
|>  
|>                    (P)       P
|>  (1H)     X        (2H)      3D
|>           3NT                4D
|>           4S                 5C
|>           P        (X)*
|>  
|> *Who wouldn't!

Ummmm.... where to begin... the double is tough -- I play NT overcalls
upto 18HCP and have no problems with NT with a stiff K == but on this
hand I think X is reasonable..  It is great if partner responds in a black
suit, but is fraught if partner bids diamonds.  Anyway, you can bid
2N over 2D, BUT *I* would take a 1N overcall at MATCHPOINTS -- at IMPs
I think X is better as you want to be in game opposite Kxxx,xx,xxx,QJxx;
in fact most non-bust hands with 4 spades.. but at MPs there is too much
risk of the auction going P-P-1H-X-P-2D-P-2N-P-P-P for -200.  So, minor
demerits for X at MPs, but it is not unreasonable.

3D is flat out wrong -- with AQxxxx of diamonds maybe or QJTxxx and
an outside K yes -- but on the actual hand it is ridiculous..

3N -- this is also terrible -- East could have his bid, and 3NT
is a no-hoper oppostite either hand above (assuming opponents
can hold off their DAce one round on the 2nd hand).  However,
West is stuck here -- if partner has 9-10 points, by no means
impossible, then you need to be in game.  So, the praying 3NT bid
hoping partner has a good diamond suit and enough entries and was
too good to preempt 2nd chair, red...  and pigs may fly, but what
else can West do after his X.  Pass is not reasonable, because there is 
no guarantee that diamonds is the right strain, and 3S may get you to 
a 4-3 fit that should be right, but could get you in deep do-do
when you belong in NT or partner has xx in spades...

4D -- this is terrible.  yes, NT is going to be terrible, but
partner is allowed to have AKx of diamonds.  Even worse, you
*know* that this will not die below the 5 level (a little thought
will show East that his sequence should be very inviting and
partner will not pass 4D very often) -- therefore, the opponents,
who know what they have will begin doubling you very quickly and
you will be collecting -500 == better to hope that 3N will not
be doubled and play it there -- it may go down for 200 or 300,
but now you have to hope the rest of the field is also over board.
You can pull a double to 4D and now you will play there.. and
tere is a slim chance you may make (AKx with partner) if left there.

4S -- apparantly West realized that diamonds were not the spot (how?)
and hoped to land in a magic 4S spot in a 4-3 -- not bad, but I would
have thought that after this auction diamonds were trumps for sure
and with the stiff DK for support, I would have raised to 5D thinking 
partner had a good hand, or bid 4H as a cue bid cooperating in a 
slam try..

In the long run, I believe its better to trust partner and assume tha
he did not make a mistake -- this forces partner to (a) be more
careful in his/her auction and (b) once s/he realizes they have made
a mistake, they have to do something really extra-ordinary to convince me..
As long as there is a reasonable other meaning to their bidding, you
should assume that their bidding is honest.  

5C -- you are in deep trouble now -- the only question is how cold
you can make your zero -- show some style and bid 7C;-)

The worst bid was 3D.  East gets about 85% of the blame for 3D
and 4D.  West gets a bit for opening with an X, and then bidding
4S, for 10%, and 5% to North for dealing this hand...

 -- 
|> Kevin J. Podsiadlik          | 
Bharat
-- 
R. Bharat Rao                         E-mail: bharat@cs.uiuc.edu
AI Group, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
405 N. Mathews, Urbana, IL 61801   (217)-333-5978 (O), 337-6498(H)
Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana