The Expert Difference

Most club partnerships find it difficult to consistently bid grand slams, let alone those that make! How often do you see lots of "6S + 1" on a traveller with just a couple in 7 spades making and one or two in game or even a part score?

Usually the two pairs in 7S are one of the top pairs in the club and the other pair one of the poorest pair or 'chancers' - my word for those who do not know how to value a hand and just punt and sometimes strike lucky.

It is easier to bid a grand slam in no-trumps than in a suit. This is because even some of the poorer pairs can count up to 37. But we will consider what is required to bid and make a grand slam in a suit and perhaps you and your partner can improve that aspect of your game.

To make a grand slam in a sut you need all of the following:

• An eight card or better fit in trumps,
• No trump loser on normal trump breaks,
• No outside loser 'off the top',
• A way of making 13 tricks.

It is truly amazing how many even fail on the first requirement - many grand slams are missed because the poorer pairs do not like to bid minors and so miss grand slams in clubs or diamonds - but you are not one of those players are you?

Roman Key Card Blackwood has helped many solve the second and third requirements - it is part of your partnership agreements isn't it?

But so many grand slms fail on the fourth test - counting tricks. When you avoid bidding minor suits and jump rebid with a 5 card suit, partner cannot rely on knowing your distribution. So it is only the expert pairs that get to be able to count tricks and bid their grand slams with confidence. But if you start to show your distribution honestly, you too can count tricks like the experts before dummy goes down.

Enjoy your bridge.
R. Wells Simple Tips with Big Impact

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