When to play the 4-4 or 5-3 fit?
Micha Keijzers
this topic has been addressed before here on this forum. But, I can't
remember what the arguments were. The thing that I seem to remember is
that when playing in games or slams that *in general* playing in the 4-4
fit is superior to playing in the 5-3 fit. IIRC this was not the case
below the game level. Can anyone give the reasons for that again, so
that I can try to remember them for once and for all. (Well, IIRC, that
is, otherwise, please correct me.)
Kind regards and TIA, Micha
Nijmegen, Netherlands
Paul Hightower
When you have both a 5-3 and a 4-4 fit, say both majors, they will
generally take the same number of tricks. However, playing the 4-4
fit, you may be able to pull trumps and discard on the long suit. This
requires the ability to (1)win the opening lead in the suit you will
be sluffing; (2) pull trumps; and (3) establish the long suit to take
discards before they grab their winners. That typically works out to
near slam values, almost certainly too much for hadns that will stop
in a part score or even stretch for game.
The 4-4 fit may benefit by being able to ruff twice in either hand,
while retaining 4 trumps in the other. This can be useful at any
level. On the other hand, if you have a third source of tricks,
sometimes you can pitch two losers away from a 4-4 fit with poor
interior cards (Axxx opposite Kxxx or xxx.)
If you study some hands, you should be able to work out when one fit
or the other might be an advantage. Most of the time, one major suit
fit is enough, and revelaing the second fit may help the defense find
a ruff. All this boils down to giving an immediate raise with 3 trumps
when partner opens a five card major, rather than looking for a 4-4
fit in the other, since a simple raise opposite an opening usually
won't have enough power to benefit from the 4-4 fit.
Jerry6421
Phil Alder I believe. I assume that subject is still in latest version if not
you need old used copy
Michael Schmahl
1994 BOLS Bridge Tip from Patrick Jourdain: Consider the discard. [Here
he was referring to choosing a 4-4 instead of a 5-4 fit, but the arguments
are the same.]
"Traditional advice says choose the 4-4 fit: a ruff in either hand may
gain a trick, whereas with the 5-4 fit only gains if taken in the short
trump hand.
"But this advice directs players' attention to the wrong priority.
Instead of thinking about the ruff, or blindly assuming that the 4-4 fit
is better, you should concentrate on whether the discard on the long suit
will prove useful when it is not trumps."
Example hands:
KQ652 KQ652
KQ52 KQ52
KQJ A75
8 8
[Paraphrasing] Partner responds 2NT (Jacoby) to your 1S opening. With the
first hand, spades is as good a trump suit as Hearts, since a discard from
dummy on the fifth spade will be useless. With the second hand, a losing
diamond may go on the fifth spade.
More examples:
KT97 KT97
AJ2 KQ2
Q843 Q843
A6 AK
Place these hands facing:
AQ8652
5
AK76
T4
With the first example hand, envision throwing losing hearts or clubs on
partner's spades, and select the 4-4 diamond fit. With the second hand
there is no useful discard (other than a diamond), so stay with the safety
of the 6-4 fit.
--
Michael Schmahl, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
Remove the dot between pti and alaska to reply.
cranky bridge crab
playing the 4-4
> fit, you may be able to pull trumps and discard on the long suit.
and 4-4 is generally more capable of handling disproportionate (eg 4-1)
trump splits when the way to victory is a cross-ruff.
> . . <
DavJFlower
a 5-3 fit.
x
x x x x
K J
Q J x x x x
A x
A x x
A Q 10 9
A K x x
This hand illustrates the point in the extreme. 6C or 6NT are fine contracts,
but, if diamonds are 4-3, 7D makes. The 4-2 fit being superior to the 6-4
Dave Flower
Paul Hightower
Great tip. I must say, I figured this out myself long before 1994, but
then I assume so did many Mr. Jourdain and many others. But much ink
has been devoted to extolling the virtues of the 4-4 fit and
relatively little to its drawbacks or the way to look for exceptions.
I've seen many writers state that you should raise hearts rather than
respond 1S with a hand like AJxx Qxx xx xxxx, but I've seen other
claim the opposite and neither group explains their choice in detail.
The bottom line is to visualise partner's hand and compare the two
contracts.
Robert Holt
> Don't forget the case when you can ruff losers with the short trump holding in
> a 5-3 fit.
>
> x
> x x x x
> K J
> Q J x x x x
>
> A x
> A x x
> A Q 10 9
> A K x x
>
> This hand illustrates the point in the extreme. 6C or 6NT are fine contracts,
> but, if diamonds are 4-3, 7D makes.
As long as opening leader doesn't lead from a 3-card club holding.