Bidding Fast and Slow

This isn’t about how long you take to bid; that’s a different article. Let’s talk instead about how rapidly the auction progresses to its conclusion. Does it matter whether we take the most direct route or not?

  ♠ K Q 8    ♥ 5 4   ♦ J 10 6 5    ♣ 7 4 3 2

South 2 ♣ 3 ♦

North (you) 2 ♦ ?

Partner’s 2♣ opening is, of course, forcing to game unless she simply rebids 2NT. Your 2♦ bid is an artificial “waiting” bid that doesn’t say anything about a diamond suit. Partner’s 3♦ bid is natural, showing at least 5 diamonds.

With only one of the other three suits stopped, you don’t dare bid notrump. You don’t have another suit to bid, so you must perforce raise diamonds. “Support with support,” as the saying goes. Your choices then are 4♦ or 5♦. Which do you bid?

ANSWER: Bid 4♦, implying some extra values. A 5♦ bid would be the weakest possible bid, something you would bid without those lovely spade honors. Since we are in a game-forcing auction, partner is not going to pass; at the very least, she’ll bid 5♦.

THE PRINCIPLE: When there is more than one route to the same end contract, the “slower” (less direct) route shows some extra values. This is known as the Principle of Fast Arrival. In a slower auction, you leave partner some bidding space to explore the hand in more depth, perhaps by introducing a second suit or starting a cue-bid sequence. At the very least, the slow bidding route tells partner that you have a little something extra; maybe that’s just the encouragement she’ll need to investigate slam possibilities. On the other hand, the fast bidding route warns partner that you don’t have anything to spare.

One way to remember this slow/fast business is the mnemonic “slow shows and fast denies”.

Here are a few example auctions that will be familiar, and you’ll recognize the Principle of Fast Arrival at work.

South 1♠

North 4♠

Can’t go any faster than that! North shows a weak hand with long spades.

South 1♠ 2♥

North 2♦ 4♠

A slower road to game, North showing at least an opening hand with spade support and a diamond suit.

South 1 NT 2♠

North 2♥ 4♠

Going slow with a Jacoby transfer at the two level, then bidding game to show at least six spades and a hand worth at least 10 points.

South 1 NT 4♠

North 4♥ Pass

A similar situation but fast this time, a Texas transfer at the four level to show at least six spades but a definitely weaker hand than in the previous example.

By considering whether you took the slow route or the fast route, partner can draw appropriate inferences about your hand to decide whether to investigate bidding further, or to more accurately judge what to do if the opponents compete in your auction.

BONUS MINUTE (not bridge-related): Perhaps the most fascinating book I’ve read in quite some time is Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking Fast and Slow. For the last fifty years, Kahneman has been one of the world’s leading researchers in the psychology of human decision-making. The book is a very readable explanation of our current understanding of human decision processes, and how Kahneman’s past research contributed to that understanding. Highly recommended!