Tramticket

Yes, agree with Kenberg, these are tricky judgements. At pairs you are hoping to get it right more than 50% of the time. Many times it will be wrong - don't beat each other up. I want partner to bid on with most decent 13 counts (this is NOT a decent 13!), so I will often pass 1NT with 11. But if you are going to pass, it is on the first round, not once you have found the spade fit.

You have a slim chance of slam. I don't think you can make that judgement without involving partner. On the example hand quoted, even 5H may be too high.

You are chickening out because you haven't involved your partner. why not just cue-bid in clubs rather than leaping to Blackwood. Maybe partner can help your decision making?

I tend to agree Kuhchung! It's not a great 11 count for no trumps,I would rather downgrade than upgrade the hand. A pretty balanced 11 count, with no intermediates. That's why I might have passed on the first round. Playing match points, it can be poor tactics to invite - it's often better to either bid the game or pass. But the hand has improved now we have a fit, and we are looking to play a trump contract - so I think you have to follow through now and invite game.

Surely you made your decision to treat the hand as invitational on the last round? If you don't think that you have invitational values, I think that you should pass 1NT - else what do you bid over a 2D response? I think that this is an easy invite at IMPs, but close at match-point pairs. But having bid Stayman I feel that I should follow it through and invite with 3S.

I am always inclined to bid constructively rather than make trap passes in the hope of picking up a penalty - particularly at these colours. But a first round double seems to leave me snookered if partner responds 2D. So I pass, reluctantly on the first round. Having passed, I am certainly not worried about missing a slam (as Mike777 thinks). I expect my partner's 2S to be based on shape rather than additional strength (she would have doubled with extras). I have a difficult bid now - 4S might be be right, but it's guessing. I think a second round double gives us the better options.

My thoughts: North doesn't want a club switch (he would unambiguously discourage in spades). So north doesn't have the king of clubs. Take the standard club finesse instead of the ruffing finesse. If north doesn't have the king of clubs, he must have the king of hearts. So try and drop it singleton. If this is the answer, it is tough for N/B.

There was an interesting comment from Alan Mould, adjudicating the bidding competition in this month's Bridge Magazine: "This may be a North America–European divide question. Europe has always treated a two level overcall with less reverence that North America." The American panellist seemed to be of the opinion that: AQ5 1094 5 AQ10765 was a minimum overcall of one diamond. Some of the European panellists seemed to think that they had a bit to spare for the bid (and were worth a second bid!). I guess that it partly depends on your objective. Are you trying to be constructive? (see the "The reason I'm so strict is that, as an advancer to 2-of-a-Minor overcalls, I love to bid 3NT, counting on partner's 6-card suit" comment from ARV34 above). Or are you trying to make a nuisance of yourself? I tend to want to push opponents around a bit.

"Sometimes it pays to play against weak opponents". The weaker Wests would have over-called 2C on the first round. The stronger Wests would over-call 2C on the second round. NOBODY is passing twice with the West cards.

But, surely partner has led his singleton club, so there are three discards anyway? I suppose partner could hold JXX, but the singleton looks more likely. Is that all we have to help us? North's bidding looks bonkers.

I think I would bid this 1C, 1D, 3NT. Note that the modern approach is that a 1NT rebid shows 15-17, a 2NT rebid 18-19. This leaves a 3NT bid to show a long running suit. With only one ace, south probably does best to pass this.

Even playing Benji Acol, where you have a game forcing 2D and a 2C showing 8+ playing tricks available, this hand is still only a 1S opening. You want bidding space to show your 2-suited shape. The 5C response is of course daft. A 4C jump will show a solid, self supporting suit and would be reasonable. A 3C response would also be possible.

You don't mention what is your basic system (SAYC?). This can have an effect. I play Acol with a weak NT I am never passing with 12 (if balanced I open 1NT, if unbalanced then 12 is always enough). Balanced 11 counts are too weak, but most unbalanced 11 counts (and some unbalanced 10 counts) are good enough. Another important factor is your likely rebid. If I hold 5 hearts and 4 diamonds,I have an easy rebid and I can open on shaded values. If I hold 5 hearts and 4 clubs I will have a problem if partner responds Two Diamonds and will want to keep my opening up to standard. Other good features are honour cards in your long suits and honour cards in combination. 10s and 9s can be valuable in long suits and in suits where you hold honour cards. I tend to downgrade unsupported honours and honours in short suits. Look at your shape. The less balanced the better. For example a 5431 shape is worth more than a 5422 shape. Finally, remember that bridge is a partnership game. The most important thing is that you and partner should be on the same wavelength.

We also play a double as take out and a pass then double as a penalty double. One variation that we have encountered is a transfer pre-empt as a two-way bid: either a standard weak preempt or a strong two-suiter. Have others encountered this? We elected to base our defence on the assumption that the bid is weak (the strong two-suiter seems to be the rarely used option). Any thoughts?

Cyberyeti raises the interesting question. In Standard English Acol (OP is in the UK), the 2D raise shows 6-9 HCP and tends to deny a four-card major. The opponents appear to have at least 9 hearts between them. Their silence suggests that partner might be top of the range, but I am very worried that a single heart stop may not be enough. At least a 2 Spade bid should ensure that we play a 3NT contract from the right side to protect any heart holding in partner's hand. I would definitely pull a 2NT response to 3D and would be nervous passing a 3NT response.

As Helene T pointed out you seem to have 16 points with a 5-card suit (the opening post mentions two aces, two kings and the queen of diamonds). I'm not sure of your NT range, but if playing 15-17 wouldn't you have accepted a 2♦ invite and ended in 3NT anyway? Game seems to be a reasonable chance (there is some unfortunate duplication in diamonds). What was the problem? Were the opps able to run club tricks?

Wtp pass. You have a (very) balanced hand. No trumps is the right strain. I want a queen more to double.

If 6S is making, then 6NT is surely making too?

Personally I think East is unsuitable for double followed by a bid. I would expect the 1C,4H,X auction to be quite normal. Once East does double, it is easier if West simply bids his longest suit 1D. You may get a further chance to bid spades if the opponents compete in hearts. I don't understand the final 4H bid at all. Wouldn't a simple 2H convey the hand type?

I'm bidding 1NT. We have the balance of points and I like my club stop. I can hold up the ace of spades twice and neutralise East (who probably doesn't have much in the way of entries).

When competing over a pre-empt you assume partner will have some values - say about 8 HCP. Partner has probably already bid our values. If partner has fitting values in clubs, we might make game. But my partners tend to have club shortage when I bid on in this situation. Yes passing risks missing a vulnerable game, but I want a bit more to go on.

My preference is that a transfer to a minor followed by a new suit to show 6-4. Stayman followed by 3 clubs shows 5 clubs only. I place partner with 4225 shape. 5 clubs is probably safest. I'm tempted to try the Moysian fit at pairs.

1. Invitational 2. Game Force 3. Forcing for one round 4. Invitational 5. In my favourite partnership 2NT (19-20) is game forcing

West is a passed hand. You are very unlikely to be faced with a penalty double of 1NT. So your bid does not even have the merit of persuading the opps not to double. With a completely balanced hand, no ruffing values, you have chosen to play a level higher. Even in the unlikely event that you find a fit, 1NT may play better. I see no merit in the 2C bid.

Even if partner intended 4NT to be quantative (as I would), why would he pass? If it is quantative, then 5D is surely accepting the slam try and suggesting 6D as an alternative to 6NT. Or partner intended it as quantative but suspected you had given a Blackwood response - in which case it seems rather petulant to pass an artificial bid!