andy_h

Pass. Let's not get partner excited. The horrors would start when partner will bid some number of clubs and at least our first pass will make it less encouraging.

1) At white I would bid. At red I would pass but bid if one of my Aces were in spades. 2) 1♥

Majors. With average values you certainly don't want to bid 2♠ with that first incase you can't come back in safely and nor do you want to directly force to game with 4♦ and you most certainly don't want to start off with a double as you have 5-5 (!!) majors and definitely do not want to hear partner bidding clubs. Having 3♦ as stopper ask comes up too infrequently and I think it's a bad treatment if the 3♦ stopper ask can contain a running major.

Hmm this is a bit interesting. It seems to me that the options are either passing or bidding 5♥ for one of those rare r/w sacrifices. It's a bit hard to construct a hand where everyone is bidding and to have 5♥ as making. Given that our hand will be dummy, it would be clear for the opponents to cash out correctly for example if partner had Ax KJxxxx xxx xx. 5♥ may make if partner has a spade void say with - KJxxxxx Axxx xx or - KJxxxxx Axx xxx but with those hands I would think partner would bid on himself if he has been listening to the auction. I'm not fond of double because the opponents clearly have a double fit and one of them could easily have a heart void. So I think typical hands for partner would be like 1642 or 2632 with KJ and a side K. I pass.

Ezy double.

2♥. Don't have to fear much about someone penalty trapping me.

2♠ can possibly be a 3 card suit, say with 3235 (this can bid 2NT sometimes) or maybe with 3145. Compare this if the bid was 2♥ which may now contain hands with 3334. But otherwise most of the time it definitely shows 4. Contrast this to 1♦-(2♣)-X-(P)-2♠, this definitely promises 4 as with 3253 or 3154 opener can bid 2♦ but 2♥ may be 3 on some occasions with maybe 3352 (weak diamonds) or 3343. Regardless, the 2M bid does not promise extras as opener should not bid 2NT with all weak NT's. The reason is because playing in 2M may be the best spot playing in a 4-3 suit contract rather than 2NT. And responder also needs to cater for opener bidding either 2M. But of course, everyone knows this is one of the murkiest auctions in standard since if you now have an invitational hand you may need to bid 3♠ and strain all the GF hands into 3♦. Preempts suck don't they. One suggestion IIRC reading, Justin had written something on 1♣-2♦ in his previous blog.

2♦, what else? Even if you don't have an "agreement" that it is forcing, it's the normal treatment to force the auction. Surely an A/E would not consider passing 2♦.

Agree with maggieb, but I'm happy about it.

Partner's double was not for penalties. My partner's double was for penalties, or at least describing a hand similar to my example. Support doubles or other doubles which say "please steal from me" are not my area of expertise, but if they were they would not be used at this level. If partner's double was strictly for penalties, like the hand you suggested, then we have a wtp pass. Then this problem would not have been posed. (Who on earth would remove a penalty double by partner when opps are r/w and we have AKQ and 2 spades)

Partner's double was not for penalties.

How is 1345 with 13-14 counted as extra playing strength when responder has only shown a responding hand? Surely with minimums you can pass and let responder tell us what he has. I'm also a 5♥ bidder, AKQxxx and Q of partner's suit is just too good.

After queen ask and a denial, I think there are several possibilities: - Maybe not on this auction but possibly on other auctions, but the partnership may hold 5KC except the trump queen and so you can use one of the bids to ask for trump length - You may be missing a KC and the queen of trumps, so for heart auctions, possibly 5♠ can be an invitational ask, probing for 5NT/6NT by having enough side suit tricks so you don't have a trump suit to worry about. - 6-your-minor is to play, as you may be able to set up tricks from opener's 1st suit to rid off the losers of the original trump fit.

2♦. Heart king is questionable and we only have xxx spades. Worst bid out of the choices given I'd say would be 3♥ which is wrong on so many levels. And I've also never been a fan of the 2♣ style.

I'd overcall with West's hand too and not feel shameful about it. We have the spade suit, we're w/r, and I would be very happy if partner can support us too even if it's only a meager 2♠ raise.

Not to mention RHO's silence which increases a tad more that partner may have a penalty pass. If LHO does indeed have a decent hand he may decide to bid his 2nd suit, diamonds, or maybe he might raise himself to 2♠. I've seen too many of these offshape hands with shortage in LHO's suit that double almost always turned out to be the best action. Just be thankful we weren't 1255 and it had gone 1d-1s-p-p.

No blame. It's NV at matchpoints. I thought I'd be happy taking the plus with North's hand but sadly disappointed in seeing how well the hands meshed.

If partner's pass was NF then I have an easy pass. If it's forcing then I wonder what kind of hands partner has for it. Maybe KJxxx Kx AJxxx x or AJxxxx Kx Axxx x or AKxxxx Kxx Jxx x? Or can partner have as strong as AKxxx Ax AJxxx x hoping we can double them or does he have to bid with the weak ones? Guess I'm also not a fan of pass being forcing.

Double.

Yep, agree that 5♦ is natural not fit showing, but I still chose it because I want to bid higher than 4♠, also opponents can't pass us out in 5♦ undoubled so it is safe. Ideally I would definitely like to have 5♦ as fit showing so it gives the opponents a guess already at the five level, but another factor that I'm worried about with 5♦ being just natural is that if they compete to 5♠ I wouldn't have shown my support at all.

I'm afraid partner would take 5♦ as natural as opposed to fit showing so I'll bid 4♦ and compete to 5 when 4♠ comes around back to me.

Best I could do was this.

5♦.

Ezy 3N. Good thing we can hold up the clubs.

Pass x 3.