Hanoi5

I sort of want to redouble or trap pass here. They might play in a minor in which case 4♠ looks so much better, though...

♦J

How definitive is your bid?

♠Jxxxx ♥KTx ♦KQ ♣KJx With all vulnerable it goes: 1♦ 2NT* 5♦ ??? Partner has hearts and clubs and the lenght of these suits plus the honors in them (A, K or Q) should add 14.

Then you're obsessed with global warming.

16.072 6 tries only.

Yeah it looks like that. The lead seems to be a sing or doub so I better play ♥AK before turning to spades. What are you suggesting? Small diamond to the Q before playing trumps? a safety in trumps? I wouldn't think too much of this hand...

I pass but I'm not very clear on what's going on. Partner might have 2 clubs or 2 diamonds (or 1 and 1) so I don't think I'd bid 6♥ now or afterwards.

2♦ was an outrage I think. However, it saved some IMP's for the game in NT scores more. It was dangerous of course, for they have a slam, though the overcall might have stood in their way...

It's probably a save I guess.

It should be: 1♣-1♦-Pa-1♥ 2♣-Pa-Pa-2♠ Pa-4♠-All pass

♦A (or ♦K depending on your agreements) helps us take a look at dummy (hopefully) and try for a forcing defense which I think is called for here. The bidding was very...eventful.

Partner could have played ♦A before the spades. He should know they're not going down unless I have a trick in hearts apart from the spades.

Suppose that you have Kx xx AQxx KJxxx, and the bidding goes 1♣ 1♥ 1♠ pass (where 1♠ shows five). Would you bid 2♦ saying "this is my other suit 'cause I don't have spades (3x's) and I don't have a heart stopper with a balanced hand and I have very few HCP's"? And if not, why is it different? I bid 2 clubs on that hand. 1♠ doesn't promise diamonds while x sort of does.

Just play the 5. The 2 isn't much different, you echoed anyway, what is important is to play in-tempo. I lead the 2 from Q52. And also the 2 (or if it promised an honor the 5) from 852.

I play that x 'tends' to show 4♠'s 'cause a negative double (which this is) is used when you have: a. HCP's but not a suit to name (in this case 6+ but not 5♠'s or 10+ but not 5♦'s or something including both) b. A suit to name but not the HCP's to do it (5 diamonds with only 8 HCP, for example) So 2♦ would be like saying this is my other suit 'cause I don't have spades (4x's) and I don't have a heart stopper with a balanced hand and I have very few HCP's. While 3♦ is this is my second suit, I don't have spades or a balanced hand with a heart stopper and I have lots of HCP's. Oh, and I open 1♣ with 44 in the minors (except 4/1=4=4), which might also matter here.

I also open 1♥ on the second hand.

West? Isn't West my LHO? What I think is important to know is: Hands where my RHO bids spades or diamonds over 3H and not over 4H, and what is the outcome of them playing. Hands where my partner bids 3NT, kinda hard to choose, but probably hands where my partner holds a heart connection (at least two hearts), has at least one Ace and the club stopper is positional (i.e. depends on the contract being played by my partner) or hands where he has 7 top-tricks, maybe one of those from the lead. Hands where my partner doesn't have a 'proper' heart fit (i.e. has only one small heart) but holds 6 or more 'good' spades or diamonds. Hands where my partner will bid 4♥. Hands where my partner will pass 3♥. I don't know what exactly say on the last 2. One last comment, though. I had forgotten about a very important issue which is style. This hand is not very common as it is a VERY fine pre-emptive; and so if my partner expects me to have: ♠x ♥KJTxxxx ♦QTx ♣xx Then it is clearly better to open 4♥ with the hand we've been discussing. If my pre-empts are on the contrary usually good, then 3♥ is better. Would you buy it now?

Now that's an exaggeration. If you open 1♥ you'll end up bidding 4♥ over 3NT not knowing if it's right, whereas if partner bids 3NT you should comfortably pass. Recently I held this hand: ♠Kxx ♥AQJTxxx ♦Void ♣xxx And, white vs red, I was dealer and opened 3♥. Now that was a mistake. Being the dealer I should have opened 4♥ as they did at the other table. But having heard RHO pass as dealer 3♥ might do better (in this as well as in this topic's hand).

Great, the questions then are: On how many hands does opening 3♥ prevent us from arriving to 4♥? On how many hands will the opponents buy the contract and be set because I was able to ruff a club? (either because I bid 5♣ or because I lightner-doubled their contract) I think 3♥ gives a lot more room to do many things which might be impossible to do if we open 4♥. I also think that what makes this hand a better 3♥ opening than 4♥ opening is the fact that my RHO has already passed, for if I was the dealer I agree that 4♥ stands out as the best opening bid.

♠ and ♠

♠Q ♥AK9xxx ♦KTxxxx ♣Void 1♥ - 2♥ ???

♠Kxx ♥J8xxx ♦Txx ♣76 Partner opens a natural 1♣, which shows at least 3 cards. You?

Anyone care to make a simulation? I ran one where the opponent who had passed had 0-11 HCP and not 6 or seven cards headed by at least two honors in the non-heart suits. It turned out that in at least 80 of those hands the contract was ours, mostly in hearts but also in NT or spades. Opponents only had the chance to make something (game) in around 30% of the hands and mostly in clubs. Edited: I meant that the passing opponent had said hand, not the one who hadn't passed.

I have too many spades as someone else mentioned. Bidding could go: P-3♥-P-3♠ And I'll support spades. Or, P-3♥-P-3NT And I'll pass. Or, P-3♥-3♠-4♥ 4♠-5♣! So 3♥ for me.