Bust Response - Results 9/2

What to do with a bust. 9/2 Results

            This comes up reasonably often. Your partner opens 1♣ or 1♦ (he may have only three cards in the suit), and you’ve got a pathetic collection like the one I picked up last night:

             ♠ T93         ♥ T943     ♦ JT54         ♣ K9

            Many pairs will not leave partner in what may be a three-two fit, even with zero points. Nancy and I are very disciplined in this situation. “Lie about your distribution, but never lie about your points.” This hand has four HCP. If I count half a point for each ten, maybe I can call it five-and-a-half HCP (but only the ♦T is really worth counting). If I’d had a fifth diamond (or a fifth heart), I could have added one point for the length and maybe squeaked out a response.
            However, over the years we’ve learned that a lie with this kind of hand is often punished by a jump bid from partner (or worse), and we wind up in an impossible contract down three or more. Some of the nightmares we’ve seen: 1♣ - P - 1♥ - P - 3♥ or 1♣ - P - 1♦ - P - 3NT or even worse1♣ - P - 1♥ - P - 4NT . . . .
            Moreover, the chances are very small that 1♣ will be passed out. Few duplicate players will sell out for 1♣, and the bust hand (having defined himself as fewer than 6 HCP) may have a chance to contribute something useful later in the auction.

            But here’s how the bidding went at our table:

Dealer North. Both sides vulnerable.

                North               East               South            West
                Pass                 Pass              1♣                Pass
                Pass                 Pass

 Here’s the whole hand:

                                           ♠ T93
                                           ♥ T943
                                           ♦ JT54
                                           ♣ K9
                                              N
              ♠ KJ2                                      ♠ 865
              ♥ 72                                        ♥ AKJ6
              ♦ A96           W                  E   ♦ Q83
              ♣ AJ542                                 ♣ 873
                                              S
                                         ♠ AQ74                   
                                         ♥ Q85
                                         ♦  K72
                                         ♣ QT6

            EW bid and made 2NT three times (once with overtricks). But with an opening bid, West has no place to go over 1♣. East, with 10 HCP, might be expected to make a balancing double, but the flat hand is a deterrent. If South can find six tricks, 1♣ down one for -100 would have been an above-average score (better than -120 or -180). Alas, it was not to be. Nancy took two clubs, one diamond, and two spades. The ♥Q, though well placed, got ruffed, and the diamond spot cards were hopeless. Down two (-200) was as good as could be done, but a poor result unless EW can make a game. At other tables, 1NT by South was down four (-400), and 2NT by North was down three (-300); so we did not get a bottom on the hand.
           At another table, 1♠ by South was down only one (-100) for a good result. Perhaps the bidding went 1♣ - P - 1♦( or 1♥) - P - 1♠ - all pass. Even so, I think a disciplined pass was the right bid at North’s first turn.

Results 9/2 in VH. 11 tables in play. NS 1 Dan & Nancy Cabot. 2 Barbara Besse & Sandy Lindheimer. 3 Berkeley Johnson & Bob Iadicicco. EW 1 Bob Henry & Barbara McLagan. 2 Dale & Sue Collinson. 3 Bill Blakesley & Hugh Knipmeyer