Bidding would be so much easier if you didn’t have opponents. Imagine if you and your partner were given a clear run, without interference from those pesky players on either side. But that’s not bridge. Getting in your way is what opponents do – at the highest level possible. Having to judge whether to bid up, shut up or double them is where the real money is.
This deal from the first division of the 2023 English Premier League showed perfect judgment by all four players:
North, Andrew McIntosh (‘Tosh’), opened a light 1ª. East, Derek Patterson, made a vulnerable pre-empt of 2«. South, Tom Paske, bid an artificial 2NT to show an invitational or better hand with heart support. West, Phil King, jumped to 4«. Back to Paske, who made the fine decision to bid 5ª, despite holding only three trumps.
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