pbleighton

Oh, my. Having a bad day? Peter

Yes. Peter

Pass. I might double at matchpoints, i've got a lot of stuff and 6C has a wing and a prayer flavor to it, but not here. 6S? No way. Peter

No, unfavorable. Peter

There are a lot of sick pairs out there, according to your definition :) I expect something like the hand Josh referred to, and bid 5C. Peter

This is completely a matter of style. I bid 2S, the seventh spade making up for the seat and vulnerablity. Peter

That's too bad, I must pass. Peter

I've never heard of it, not that that means much. How many well-known players have adopted this style? Peter

So it's immaterial to you whether you play in a 5-4 fit with a 3-1 split, or a 4-4 fit with a 4-1 split? The two scenarios typically produce the same number of trump tricks for you? That's not true for me, but then I'm no expert ;) Peter

1. 3C. I've made games with 20-22 hcp, but rarely 3NT ;) 2. a. This depends on your agreements and how light you open, if 2S shows a min (is this ACOL?), and if you open lots of 10 counts, then 3C would be better, but it really depends on your agreements. It doesn't strike me as a bad bid. b. 3NT, we are in pairs after all, and you don't have a great hand. c. If opener rebids 3C, showing extras, then East has a huge hand and should drive to 6, either directly or perhaps with 4C (RKC or request for a cue). You have to be careful you know what your p will think it is, a good argument for some players to just bid 6. Peter

This was the key part of my question about your partner's takeout double requirements, which I don't think you answered. Is he likely to have either 4 hearts and 13(12) hcp or 15/good 14 hcp and 3 hearts. If so, they will probably struggle to make 3 hearts. Also, if you're confident it's an 18 trick hand, you can always bid 3S over 3H later in the auction. Bidding 4S on a nine card fit with at least close to half the deck, when the opps are unlikely to make 4, just doesn't make sense to me. Peter

How good are your partner's takeout doubles? I assume pd will probably have 4 hearts and 13(12), or if only 3 probably have 15(14). If this is the case, I don't think 4S is probably making. If your partners tend to make minimum offshape doubles (not wrong, but not my style), then there's a case for 4S, but only IMO at imps, favorable. Peter

1S. Obviously there is a p, so I won't say wtp :P Peter

This depends entirely on the system you are playing. Pllaying a 2/1 or SA with *normal* openers, this isn't an opener. Playing a light opening system, it is. Peter

I'm punting 6C. Peter

I think *unlikely* is a little strong. Also, a 4441 shape is good news for us. We may get doubled, and go down, no doubt, though I think you exaggerate the likelihood. If we go down 1, however, it's 100, beating 2S making, and this is matchpoints. Vulnerable or at imps, I can be cautious at times in partscore competition, but: Matchpoints + Not Vulnerable + Law = Bid! Peter

Partner denies 4 hearts, therefore has 4 diamonds. 3D. Peter

Not unless you have reason to believe that your opponents will understand it, which you certainly can't assume is the case. Peter

So do I, in general, but you could construct hands where it would be the least evil, something like KJ10xx-xx-xxx-AKQ. They're rare, though. Peter

So with KJ9xx-KJx-Axx-xx you will bid 2NT, not 2H? Peter

4H. Peter

I agree with you, but tey obviously don't... Respect Diversity! :rolleyes: Peter

Huh? You wouldn't bid 2H with heart support? You would bid 2NT routinely with 12 opposite 8+? Wow! Peter

The answer to this depends on the minimum expected strength of partner's double, something which came up in another thread in the last day or two - you may have participated, jt. If it's usually 8+, I'd want a King or QJ, asking p to go on with 10+. Q107 in diamonds is a maybe. If pd could have less, I'd want more. I will do this with your unbalanced hand in competition. As the poet Jagger sang, you can't always get what you want... Peter

They know it from how they do in unrestricted tournaments (no upper level for masterpoints). Peter