Apollo81

OK I'm changing my call to 5♦.

The reason that this partnership missed game is that South has a maximum in the context of "good spade fit" and a minimum otherwise. Once North passed 4♣ it was time to bid 4♠. To avoid the situation altogether it's good to play some sort of method that lets JOer eval his hand knowing whether there's a good fit or not -- You can use 2NT for a context free eval and the cue for a fit eval. Anyway I'm saying I blame the methods. note: people that dont regularly play intJO routinely under-evaluate as advancer

I'm not used to seeing "Jail" on this board....when I saw it for a split second I read "Jlall"

BTW most people screw up a lot after the opps bid 1M-2M -- I noticed youre playing IMP pairs so if I didnt respect my opps then I would bid 2♥ for sure....not 1♠ -Noble

uhh, no...you were bidding 2♥ because it's more preemptive than passing and you're "close" to having the bid

2♥. The only other call I'd consider would be 1♠.

1. I think partner has hearts but not enough for a pass and pull sequence over 3♦. This hand is still very good. I would like to invite slam -- which bid can I make? Not 5♥ -- that asks for a diamond control. Not 5♣ -- looks too much like a natural bid. Not 5♦ -- partner will never bid a slam with his club holding. 4♠? I really don't think that this should be a NF bid -- if I trust partner at all then this is what I would bid. This allows partner to cue 5♦, after which I will bid 6♥. 2. I LOVE my hand here. Slam makes opposite xx x Kxxxx AQxxx which is fairly normal here I think. Even if slam is not making, they may save if I bid confidently since they are at favorable. I bid 6♦; if I think partner might have forgotten fit showing jumps then I bid 6♣. 3. I would bid 3♥ for the lead in case they declare in clubs. It's not clear whether this is worth bidding up to 5♦ or not, but I don't have to decide yet.

1. I don't blame anyone. If North's ♦J were the ♣J, then he is almost in 3♠, but not quite. 2. South should have bid 3♣ over 2♠. North could have had 2335 and the auction would have been the same. Doesn't pay to let them play 2♠ on this kind of auction. edit: oops I thought North opened 1♣. My bad - again no one's fault.

Am I missing something? Only hope is to duck opening lead, win assumed continuation, draw trumps, cash ♦A, cash remaining trumps pitching diamonds and the ♦K and hope clubs were 3-3 or that someone gets squeezed.

Pass.

Assuming you always cover her line succeeds in 20 positions in the heart suit 1/2 the time and 11 positions the other 1/2 the time. Finessing succeeds in 15 heart positions. Since the ones where finessing works are more likely that is the right play, but it's not that antipercentage to play her way.

Keep in mind that it's quite likely that spades are 4-4 here since no one bid them (and opps have about half the HCP), so that gives LHO eight probable red cards.

With the lead, LHO tends not to have ♥Q? Good luck team Lall! LHO led an outside singleton so tends to have longer hearts than RHO. What was confusing about this?

Ok now I see the problem. You should care, you could have game too easily, there is just no reason to misdescribe your hand. I don't understand why it's the end of the world if they overcall, my defense vs. 3♠ if they choose to bid it is very fair. I can buy that this hand may be too strong for 2♥. I do not agree that this hand contains better defense than would be expected for a 2♥ opener.

I think I would run the ♥J. A possible alternative is to lead the ♦K, ruffing whether it is covered or not, and play for the drop in hearts. If it is covered, you will succeed when LHO doesn't have 3+ hearts to the Queen. If it is not covered, you succeed when the ♥Q drops. Without respect to the probable singleton lead, the plays look about equal to me assuming LHO always covers the ♦K when he has the ♦A. With the lead, I think LHO tends to have the long hearts so the finesse is better. Feel free to correct me

I would lead the ♣A because it won't be ruffed and it lets me look at dummy and partner's card before making a more committal play.

I'd bid 4♥ and get ready to apologize if I go for 500/800.

Ok now I see the problem. You should care, you could have game too easily, there is just no reason to misdescribe your hand. I don't understand why it's the end of the world if they overcall, my defense vs. 3♠ if they choose to bid it is very fair. Sorry, I don't agree on these points.

1♥ lets the opponents overcall 1♠ or 2m. Since neither has an opening hand, they will be less inclined to double or overcall 2♠ or 3m than they would a level lower. We don't care about partner here -- we just want to play in 2 or 3♥.

3NT. It's quite likely that either RHO will have no entry to his spades, LHO will have a singleton Ace or King, or partner will have a spade high card.

3♣. I'll venture that no one would actually pass with this at the table and that anyone who suggests this is doing this because this is an opinion post.

I would bid 2♥ if that is forcing. My second choice would be 4♣ splinter, but partner is almost surely going to sign off over this even with a diamond control since he will have bad trumps and probably not a whole lot of extras. Then I'll be guessing at the 5-level anyway. edit: arend's plan sounds fine too

I honestly don't think it matters that much on this hand. If you bid 1♦ you'll be happy if LHO bids clubs and it comes back to you. In neither case will you have a completely clear call if partner bids 1M, IMO. I guess I would bid 1♦ in case N♣pp happens

I think that this is not as clear a decision as other people are making it out to be. In direct seat, I would certainly overcall 1♦. Strong (but short of a power double) 5332 hands short in the opponents' suit should overcall first and double later (assuming their suit is raised or rebid) since the converse isn't possible. I think I'll wait for a few more responses before posting what I'd do.

Pass.