quiddity

[hv=d=n&s=shaqjtxxdajtxcxxx]133|100|Scoring: IMP 1♠ P 2♥ P 2♠ P ?[/hv] 2/1, 2S does not show extra length, 3m by opener would have shown extras. What do you bid, and how do you follow up after opener rebids 3S or 3N?

[hv=d=w&v=b&s=sxxhk9xxdtxxxckxx]133|100|Scoring: IMP 1♣ X 1♠ ?[/hv] With this kind of hand (balanced, 4-card support), what is the minimum strength required for a 2H bid? Would the given hand qualify (and is it close or obvious)? Does it ever make sense to pass in this position and then balance with 2H after opener rebids 1NT?

Isn't partner forced to double with 2335 and no diamond stopper (for example)?

Why is 6C an offer to play there on number 2? I thought trumps were agreed when we bid 3S. We didn't have a chance to cuebid clubs at the 4-level; wouldn't we show a club honor here on the way to a spade slam?

I'd bid 4D, planning to cuebid clubs on the next round. Maybe setting trumps early will simplify the auction. 3S can work really well if partner has 4 spades; otherwise it could be misleading. 3NT seems wrong opposite an unbalanced hand which could easily include a major suit singleton.

My experience is that the average sectional opponent would rarely underlead the king on this auction, especially when he is likely to have a passive lead available. But even more certain is that the average player would rarely be able to duck the king in tempo. Sidebar "ethics" question: is it acceptable for declarer to intentionally play low quickly from dummy on the first trick to get information from East's tempo? Would it be acceptable for East to say "no problem, just need a minute to think about the hand" regardless of whether he held the king? Or is east always expected to play to the first trick in tempo and then think about the hand? Anyway, if I think west has the king, I play off two top hearts ending in dummy. If west drops an honor I try the heart finesse. Otherwise I play a club to hand and take the spade hook. If it loses I still have chances - 3-3 hearts or a red squeeze. If I think east has the king, I guess I'd play hearts the same way and continue a third heart if west doesn't drop an honor. If east has the long heart I can try to squeeze him down to Kx of spades and throw him in with the heart.

Wow, 3H? I assume this sets up a force over anything LHO might bid. If he bids 4S and partner doubles do you pass or pull to 5C?

Hearts?! Well I guess *that* was never going to work. Doh.

Interesting comments, thanks. I got this wrong at the table; I thought that an average club player would tend to pitch down to all winners instead of keeping a losing spade. It never crossed my mind that I might pick up information based on the spot I played from dummy.

:-( And I was pleased with myself for finding this sequence at the table. Anyway, yes, the plan was to bid 4H over anything (including 3NT) from partner, showing running diamonds and four good hearts. I thought that showing these precise features was worth the overbid, but I guess I was just being too clever by half. The other thought was that 3S gets my minor suit quality across quickly before LHO can jam the auction.

yep

[hv=d=e&v=b&s=s4hajt3dakq9763c8]133|100|Scoring: MP 1♠ 3♠ X 4♣ 4♥ P 4♠ 4NT 5♠ ?[/hv] Also, do you agree with south's pass after 4H?

[hv=d=e&v=e&s=sqt8hdat654caq842]133|100|Scoring: MP P 1♦! 2♥ X 3♥ ?[/hv] 1♦ is artificial, showing an unbalanced hand with 11-15 hcp and no 5-card major. It says nothing about diamond length. The double is a normalish negative double, 4 spades, 8+ points.

[hv=d=s&v=n&n=sk93hjd8765cak754&s=saj72ha864dajcj83]133|200|Scoring: MP[/hv] On this hand you reach 3N as south without interference (1N-3N). West leads the ♥5 to East's queen and you duck. East continues with the ♥T, ducked, and you take your ace on the third round. You lead a club to the ace, dropping West's queen, and continue with two more top clubs, West pitching high-low (encouraging) in diamonds. East wins the fourth club as you throw a heart and West a low spade, then leads a diamond to your ace as West drops the queen. You play a spade to the king, everyone following low, and play your last club. West pitches a heart. You play a spade and East follows with the 8. Finesse or drop? How would you expect an average club-player West to discard with/without the queen? How about an expert West? What do you make of West's silence during the auction?

#2 is bizarre. Why would I want a jump to 4S to show a hand that I initially intended to treat as a 2-card preference, a hand so bad that it's likely partner will not care whether it has a third trump or not, a hand so flat that it's quite possible we belong in 3NT? Meanwhile, if I start the limit raise with 3S, how do I show the extra trump? Isn't partner going to be interested in that feature, given that by definition we must be exploring for slam? If 4-level cuebidding is important then perhaps the jump should say something specific about red-suit holdings, but I don't think it should show a piece of garbage.

Bad. Consider - partner normally has a balanced hand with 3 or 4 spades. He will almost never take out to the 5-level so your 9 or 10 card fit will just be a liability on defense. - if partner has a good unbalanced hand, he will expect more from your hand on average. Some of the expected gains from making a 5-level contract will be lost when partner bids a hopeless slam. - if partner has a terrible hand (and East can have a very strong hand on this auction), a doubled overtrick is not the worst case. East can redouble. Your side can go for more than 800.

I don't understand 3N on the first one; it feels like an automatic pass to me.

We don't have to have a balanced defensive min. We could be holding a game-force. We could have a bit more offense and a bit less sure defense. What are you going to do with that hand - double and show this one? Pass and watch partner pass it out? Bid 5S and see partner come down with a hand which was waiting to slaughter 5D? They're never going to make the wrong decision if partner is forced to tell them the score at the 3-level with a redouble.

Given a cuebid and a game bid by our side, surely it is far more likely than not that 5D is going down. We rate to lose more imps by making the wrong decision here than by doubling a making contract so why would you want to play the pass as non-forcing?

That was my first thought too, but I wonder if it could be a try for 3NT. Is opener expected to bid 3N instead of 3D with any kind of club stopper?

You're worried about missing game with a 15-17 NT sitting behind the strong hand because of a possible super-accept? Is it really worth worrying about?

I assume you're asking about the partner who doubled and bid 2S. I would guess a good diamond suit (usually 5+ or a super 4) and 4+ spades. Partner doesn't need a good hand for this bid. As usual, he will strive to balance them out of their 8-card heart fit.

If this were true I can't imagine why anyone would bother to "come in and explain". Silence would be a very effective defense.

My guess would be no (or not in the way you might think). If opener has 3 diamonds he will never sit for 1D-X; the opponents will probably flee to their heart fit. I don't think we will be happy if LHO runs to 1H and RHO raises. IMO opener's diamond length makes the pass more attractive. It makes it more likely that he will be forced to play 1D-X.

Close between 2C and pass, but 2C seems less likely to be a disaster. I don't see the point of 1NT.