This Real Deal was dealt by Karin Hanson.

Vul:N-S Dlr: N	63 108753 A KQ1054
8542 A 10542 AJ82		KQJ9 KQ J763 763
	A107 J9642 KQ98 9

West	North	East	South
	Pass	1	Pass
1	Dbl	2	3
All Pass

Normally, the person who deals gives me only the 52 cards. In this case, Karin also gave me a dealer and vulnerability—which I went with. Should North open the bidding? Even stretching the Rule of 20 (add the 9 HCP and the 5-5 for the long suits) it comes up a point short. So, North passes. Actually, I think North’s hand is more attractive than East’s, but with East’s ugly 12-count, I confess that I would open the bidding. I open “all” 12’s unless 4-3-3-3. Notice that East’s hand does meet the Rule of 20 (12 HCP + 4 + 4 = 20).

Just for kicks, you might want to Google K & R Hand Evaluator. It is a formula devised by Edgar Kaplan and Jeff Rubens to calculate what a hand is “worth.” The formula shows North’s hand valued at “11.9” and East’s at only “10.0.” Maybe we humans aren’t evaluating as well as the computer. So be it. We will stick with North passing and East opening 1. Should South overcall? K & R has South at 11.05. We have it as 10 HCP and nice distribution. I am generally okay with one-level overcalls on only 10 HCP and reasonable shape, but I have shown a pass here. The suit is so-so and South is vulnerable and facing a passed partner. Do note, however, that a 1 overcall would be acceptable.

West responds 1 (showing the 4-card major is paramount) and North should now enter the fray. The vulnerability is unfavorable, but North has 5-5 in the unbid suits. The safe move is to double. Also possible is 1NT—but this risks a big accident. Normally, a 1NT overcall shows a 1NT opening. As a passed hand this isn’t possible, so it should show some shapely two-suiter (as North actually has). If you aren’t sure partner will know what a bid means, don’t make it. Double clearly shows the unbid suits, so that is what is indicated in the auction diagram.

East, in spite of the minimum should support with support, so raises to 2. South, in context, now has a great hand and expects at least a 9-card heart fit. Facing a passed partner, it would be a stretch to bid game, so he contents himself with 3. West has nice shape, but terrible spades. He does have shortness in the opponents’ suit and a fit with partner’s diamonds, so might compete to 3. If he did, he might buy it there. 3 should be down 3! Picture the A lead and then then then K play. When South gets in with the A, he takes his diamonds and issues a 4^th-round diamond ruff. The defense still has 2 more tricks from clubs, down 150.

Defense to 3

How does 3 do? Declarer has to lose a club and a spade and 2 trump tricks. The defense needs to get the spades going early. With a spade lead, declarer can’t get rid of his spade loser in time. Without a spade lead, declarer can unblock dummy’s A, cross to the A and throw a spade from dummy on a high diamond, making 10 tricks for 170 (which would beat any 150’s for 3 down 3). Plus 140 (9 tricks in a heart partscore) for N-S is the “par” result—the best achievable score by both sides if everyone does the right thing in the bidding and play.

Lesson points:

1) KNR (Kaplan and Reubens Hand Evaluator) is a computer program that evaluates the worth of hands.
2) Don’t open a 4-3-3-3 12-count, but otherwise open with 12 HCP.
3) Don’t overcall with only 10 HCP and a so-so suit.
4) 1NT by a Passed Hand after the opponents have bid two suits should show 5-5 in the other 2 suits.
5) Don’t risk a bid partner might misunderstand.
6) Raise with 4-card support as opener even with dead minimum.