How would you adjust your bidding once you discover that your partner has no idea how to play the spade suit?

You normally bid the spade suit by these guidelines:

1. Always bid one extra for each 4th and subsequent spade.
2. Always bid one less when holding 0 or 1 spades.

The key point I would like to make here is that these two have to go together. The reason it is safe to bid one extra for each 4th spade is that either you will make the trick by length of suit or, if the distribution is not favorable, and you don't make the trick - then partner has bid one less on his hand and will make up that trick for you.

In essence, then, your system of bidding the spade suit only works properly if both parts of the bidding exist as an understanding/agreement between the two partners. With a pickup partner (especially on the Internet), bidding one extra for the 4th and subsequent spade often fails:

• When pard is short in spades, and doesn't subtract one for the bid.
• When pard has no idea how to play the spade suit:
1. refuses to lead it back after you lead it - or more common:
2. refuses to play the highest spade when you lead it; or
3. will force you to waste your long spades by leading a suit he found you can ruff.

My solution, once I discover that my pard can't play the spade suit, and I don't like the texture of my hand, is to bid one less for long spades. With good texture I will still fully bid the spades.

-- Amit Green

Mail comments to: mixalias@yahoo.com