Apollo81

Practically all expert players play weak jump raises in competition. If you were playing that then you could have bid 3♠ initially. If 3♠ initially would have been a limit raise, you are forced into the 2♠ call and then are stuck in this position. Since it is very unlikely that you would make 3♠, you should pass. Passing has several ways to win. They could have missed a game, or 3♠ could go for more than the value of their contract.

You can't pass a takeout double unless you expect to set the opponents' contract. Since you don't expect to set 1♣, you can't pass. If you had given this problem to a panel of WC players I am sure they would overwhelmingly prefer 1♦ because it is the bid that is least likely to excite partner. If you bid a major, pard with his obvious extras and a likely "fit" could raise to 3 or 4 of that major. That's the last thing you want. 1♦ isn't going to excite partner. If he has the strong hand he will most likely bid 1M or 1NT. It's unlikely he would raise diamonds to a high level.

Pass should be foricng in this auction, but as others have noted not everyone agrees on which auctions should be forcing and which shouldn't. Thus it's better to take decisive action yourself if you are not 100% sure that partner is on the same wavelength as you are. With this hand, double seems automatic....there aren't enough trumps around to justify 5 over 5.

Opener's double of 2♠ and responder's double of 2♠ are either both takeout or both penalty. If I was playing with a random partner without discussing I would assume both were penalty. It's a reasonable takeout double if you've discussed it. If not, I think responder should have bid 3♦ or 3♠.

You might consider playing 2-way NMF: After 1x-1y-1NT: 2♣: relay to 2♦ to show an invitational hand or to signoff in 2♦ 2♦: artificial game force 3♣: signoff Other bids generally mean what they would have meant before. NMF is fine for choice-of-game auctions but can be confusing in slam auctions due to "what-is-forcing" and "how-much-have-I-shown" questions. I play 2-way NMF by unpassed hands only, and find it to be more effective and simpler than regular NMF.

pard has xxx x Axx KQxxxx player holding this hand bid...3NT (ugh)

1 reply?

Some comments: If you play a club to the ♣A and ruff the diamond before playing to their high trump, you need West to have the third spade. Otherwise East will break up your squeeze by returning a club. The heart spots are important...no matter what LHO returns in this suit (which he will play if he had the third trump) there are things to consider. LHO needs to lead an honor from Hxxx to break up the squeeze...most defenders wont find this play. ------------- Phil said: 1. Frances' line seems reasonable, although I might have played a ♣ up, ruff out ♦ and then the trump. I think it might be slightly better to pitch a club off the board on the 3rd spade, instead of a ♥.

2. 6♦. yeah yeah, off the ♥AK I expect pard is 5224 but theres no reason he couldn't be 5134 or 5125 with bad blacks especially if we haven't discussed much. 3. ugh.....6♥ Id have been thinking about this bid on the previous round too.

I'd play low. I'd have bid 2♣, not 1NT. It's an overbid but it's better than grossly distorting your hand.

after 3♠ opener should bid RKC his hand is worth a billion bajillon points upon finding 1+Q he bids 6♠ upon finding 2+Q he bids 7♠ no further questions necessary

yeah, other funny things about this hand: 5♦ was doubled by opener....then after the hand when overcaller was asked whether (s)he would have raised to 6 without the double, (s)he said "of course"

pard's actual hand: xxxxxx xx J10xxx --- trumps were led, the ♥K was onside

the agreement in use was "weak" obviously the 5♦ bid means it would qualify as a fit jump as well

i'll also jump on the ♣K, ♠A, ♦10 bandwagon

MPs, all white. ♠32 ♥J1032 ♦KQ4 ♣KJ109 (1♣)-pass-(1♥)-pass (2♥)-pass-(2♠)*-pass (3♣)**-pass-(3NT)-all pass * asking ** 3 hearts, maximum values

IMPs, all red. ♠--- ♥AQJ ♦AKQxx ♣K9xxx (1♣)-1♦-(1♥)-2♠* (3♥)-3NT-(pass)-5♦ (pass)-??? *weak

Wouldnt the follow up problem make you wish you had bid 2C? Now you have to guess between 3 and 4 clubs... Sorry to "name drop" but if you think pass is crazy then you should know that garozzo passed at the table (my counterpart), bob hamman said he would pass, and my dad said he would pass, and bart bramley said he would pass.. I gave it to them live so they were not influenced by the follow up auction (ie, it goes 1C 1S to you... "pass" ok 2S X pass to you "..."). I have no qualms with 2C really, and think its a perfectly fine bid, but it's hard for me to understand such strong objections either way on a hand with marginal values, length in the opponents suit, and only 4 trumps. Anyways.. results.. If you bid 4C you get to game, at the table I just bid 3C but my partner still bid on with 3D so we got to game, and at the other table garozzo jumped to 5C. I must say I felt very cautious when perhaps the best player ever bid TWO levels higher than me. I don't think it's crazy. I'm just surprised that so many great players (you included) would choose not to make a bid (2♣) that shows pretty much exactly what you have. If I passed on this hand I would think I was doing something anti-field. You could convince me that pass is better than 3♣.

I often see problems posed like this where the first action taken is strange and put you in a position where you either have to "make up" for the first action or continue the unusual position taken. Usually in these situations I vote to continue the original (strange) position if it's at all reasonable, so I'd bid 3♣ here and pray they compete to 3♠. Pard has a spade void so I think he can have a variety of hands where we will get a minus if I bid 4♣. I really hate that I have bid this the same way as if I had total *****. There is no way I'd have passed the first time on this hand. I'd bid 2♣.

diamond

Phil, when you post you should orient the hand so that the left-hand side is West and the right-hand side is East. Many of the replies are blaming West when they clearly meant East. edit: OK it looks like you posted it right after all, but the auction is mislabelled

I was thinking I didn't overcall 2S because I was too good, not because it was dangerous! People make jump overcalls too aggressively. A jump overcall is way different than a preempt.

I'd have bid 2♠ earlier; it's a bit dangerous, but I think the shape makes it worth it even at unfavorable.

With the ♦10 instead of the ♦7 I'd open

heh wow I agree completely. copy cat :lol: (j/k) This seems right.