karlson

Partner did show something very important: some club support. How is bidding 3♦ going to help? It isn't clear to me that forcing to 4c is a lot better than forcing to 3n. Besides, is partner supposed to infer a diamond stopper?

Hehe, thanks, fixed.

I doubled (save-suggesting) but felt a little chicken about it. [hv=n=sqhaqjtxxdajxxcxx&w=satxxxxhkxdkxcaqx&e=skjxxxhdqtxxcj9xx&s=sxh9xxxxdxxxcktxx]399|300|[/hv] Over the double lefty blackoowded, righty didn't show the void and they played 5, making 6 on two hooks. I'm not sure what will happen over 5h, but if they double it, it'll be pretty bloody.

Just for completeness [hv=d=s&v=n&n=saxhjxdajxxxxxckx&w=sqtxxhdkqxcaqtxxx&e=sxxxxhaxxxdtxxcxx&s=skjxhkqt9xxxdcjxx]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv] The auction I presented was actually a hypothetical. At my table east passed the double of 4♥ and we were +690. Amazingly, though partner has a ridiculously defensive and poorly fitting hand, I'm not convinced we're going to beat 4♠ more than two tricks, though I may have missed something in the analysis. I thought double was right when I posted the hand, but I've coming around to 5♥. And yes, I like redouble.

I think opposite a 2n rebid it would be ok to show COV with as little as Kxx, so it seems awfully likely partner is broke in both majors. I would pull assuming partner showed 6 diamonds. If he might have 5, then maybe it's better to sit.

Sweet, I thought I was the only one that liked fit jumps to be super wide ranging in strength. I'd go 4♦ too. I'm sure I'll regret this but What? It will be incredibly useful information.

With this shape, I think you need to give me ♠K. Q would be borderline.

♠Ax ♥Jx ♦AJxxxxx ♣Kx w/w imps partner deals 4♥-x-p-4♠ p-p-?

r/w imps ♠x ♥9xxxx ♦xxx ♣KTxx you kick off with pass, it goes 1♠-2♥-4♥(splinter) to you.

Mm, so they do. I'll still hook.

I would hook and feel pretty good about it. I will believe the hearts to be 4-5 in which case the empty spaces argument is more than enough to swing it. Plus there is the tiny chance that west would have led a spade holding the CQ.

Given the ratty clubs, I would just invite in diamonds by whatever method I had. At w/r, I'm sure some preempt or tactical bid would be the right answer, but I can't see 4n at r/w.

I think you guys should forget about N hand and picture average limit raise with ♣ cuebid. To clarify, I was saying that south might bid a grand over a 1h-3s splinter which seems to me the alternative to the limit raise. I don't think any of your example hands are even close to limit raises (which I and others assumed shows 4 hearts). I'll admit that north underbid by a trick, but south underbid by about 2 tricks, so +510 feels about right.

I think both underbid, but south by more. I would force to game on the north hand, but obviously it's a minimum for it. Over that south just might bid a grand. Given the limit raise, I think south is still worth at least a second slam try.

I think I would try 3♣. Six choices in seven responses, great problem.

1. I've played this as good/bad for a while now and haven't missed a natural 2n. Game prospects are significantly reduced when partner passes 1♥, and it could actually be quite dangerous to come in. In fact, I bet if you polled people about this auction with no agreements, plenty of people would say it's 4♦-6♣. 2. I agree with you and would play lebensohl here. But scrambling if doubler is a passed hand.

So 1s-x-p-3h-p-3s does not set hearts but this one does? Just because it's above 3N? Seems weird to me.

I think offering up a telephone number when the opponents aren't even sure yet they want to play a game is crazy. I'm all in favor of super light lead directs over, for instance, Jacoby 2n, but you're a level lower and the opponents are in a GF, it's not even close to the same thing. Sometimes partner figures out your suit.

Had a slight disagreement about this ♠xx ♥xxxx ♦xxxx ♣xxx starting on your left 3♣-x-p-3♥ p-4♣-p Does 4♦ show a good hand or should it be automatic with this hand? Do you think there's a standard?

Agree with Cherdano -- whatever the alternatives to passing 3N, bidding 4h is a blatant abuse of UI. PP?

I can't imagine letting E-W off as easily as pran does. There's no way that West can pass 3♣ without some kind of information that partner might not have spades. Either it's part of the system and the opponents are entitled to it, or, as is my suspicion, West realized somehow that East forgot the system. Of course one can ask him why he passed and maybe something intelligent will come out. But without any extra information, I don't see why E-W wouldn't continue to bid 3♠-4♣-4♠ I don't see how East can pull this without the alert UI, so score it as 4♠x down however many. Otoh on the actual auction, South gets no sympathy in the defense. When one guy bids 2♣,3♣,4♣,5♣ and no one makes any further attempt to play spades, they have clubs. Split score?

Seems clear to me to pass at any colors and form of scoring.

I think I wouldn't quite drive the east cards to slam, there are still some normal splinters which will give basically no play (e.g. AKxx KQx x Axxxx). I would bid 5♦ over 4♦ and hope that described my hand pretty well. Over that, west might well drive to grand -- with no heart control (surely all hands with heart control also bid 4♥ despite it being last train), but not much wasted in diamonds, east must have either very long spades or a double fit in clubs. I think it's normal to play that 3♦ is either invitational or very strong, that would have helped on this hand perhaps.

Maybe it's obvious, but I would point out that my minimums for 3m are about a queen heavier than the minimum for 3♥, for which I more or less agree with the examples.

I think south should double 2♥ even if north passes.