IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

Conventions are important and here's an example of using the right tools to stay out of trouble.  Take a look.

Scoring:  Matchpoints (Pairs)
 
Hand #26
Dlr  N
Vul E/W
S A63
H KQ6
D J1098
C KQJ
S 10
H J109752
D 2 
C 98763
    
S 54
H A43
D A7653
C 1052

S KQJ9872
H 8
D KQ4
C A4
West North
 East
 South

1NT
 Pass
 4C*
  Pass     4H    Pass    4S
All Pass
        
     
*Gerber

BIDDING:  South was interested in slam as soon as he heard his partner's 1NT opening bid.  His leap to 4C was the Gerber convention asking for the number of aces.  The 4H response showed only one so South reluctantly signed off in game.

PLAY:   With no attractive lead, West led his singleton diamond and hit pay dirt when his partner won the ace.  East returned the seven of diamonds requesting a heart return (higher of the other two suits).  West ruffed and East won the heart continuation but West had no more trumps so declarer scored up the game.  The pairs who first bid their spade suit and then used Blackwood ended up in 5S down one on the same defense.  Those unsuccessful pairs were certainly unlucky, but the South hand needs only to discover the number of aces and the Gerber convention was invented just for that purpose.

The Gerber convention is generally used after a 1NT or 2NT opening bid.  It may also be used after a jump in NT.

Copyright ©2007 Larry Matheny.