Matchpoint Madness...

[Guest Jlall]

Despite your hatred for 1 session pair games at sectionals, the fall nationals are coming up and you need some practice (it is only BAM and MP in the fall). Here are some hands.

 

1) Qx xxx KQxx xxxx. In a strong club system base, partner opens 1S, you bid 1N, pard bids 3S. He is limited to 15 but you do not upgrade to strong clubs based on shape (for instance AKxxxxx x Axx Kx would not be a strong club). You are about to instantly bid 4S but you realize you're playing MP and reconsider. Do you bid on?

 

2) AQxx AT9xxx x Qx. 3 passes to you and you open 1H. Partner bids 1N, and you bid 2H. Partner boosts you to 3H. Do you bid on?

 

3) KQx Axx Kxx ATxx. RHO opens 2D, you bid 2N, partner bids 3H you bid 3S, partner bids 3N. Do you correct or pass?

 

I posted these three hands mainly because they are nothing out of the ordinary. They are just run of the mill judgement calls, all of which may or may not be affected by MP scoring.

[awm]

(1) 4♠, pretty easy to construct hands where this will make. Also, 4♠ will be a likely field contract since most people don't have the 15 hcp upper limit. I like to go with the field in bidding unless there's strong evidence I can get to a better spot. If there's a squeeze or other play problem I like partner's odds to get it right better than the average palooka, and I want her to have the opportunity to win matchpoints in the play.

 

(2) Pass. Partner is too likely to have "wasted" minor suit values. If 3♥ was a two-card raise, I would pass at IMPs also; if 3♥ can be two or three cards it would be a tough problem at IMPs but I like the pass at MP.

 

(3) 4♠. Somewhat strangely, I would pass at IMPs. I can more or less see nine tricks in 3NT if partner has the ♠A and another card. Even if the other card is a queen I may be able to hold up a round in diamonds to cut communication and then play LHO (non-preempter) for the king. The problem is, at 3NT I expect to pretty much be forced to cash out for (what is probably) nine tricks. At MPs the extra time afforded by partner being able to ruff diamonds late in the hand could easily lead to ten tricks. I guess my feeling is that 3NT is very likely to make dead on, whereas 4♠ is almost as likely to make and gives a better matchpoint score.

[luke warm]

tough ones

 

1 - i pass and will mea culpa if wrong

2 - 4h.. i don't mind bidding game vs a 3 card limit raise

3 - 4s because it's matchpoints... i'd pass if i thought we can take 10 tricks at nt, but it doesn't look like we can

[Guest Jlall]

I guess I should mention you play drury on 2. Pard will not have 3 hearts.

[Robert]

Hello everyone

 

1. Pass. It might be a decent game or hopeless. The field will normally not get to game many(most?) of them will be rebidding 2Ss with 14HCPs.

 

2. Pass. You play Drury so partner will not have three trumps. El Paso.

 

I like 6-4 hands, however, parking the 4th(or even that third?) spade often will be a problem. Opposite a three trump dummy, a 6-4 shaped hand is a much better hands.

 

You likely are not ruffing in most hands that will only have two trumps. The field will normally not get to game on this hand either.

 

If partner has wasted diamond values, 3Hs might go down. That Qx of clubs is often waste paper. Even with a club fit like KJx opposite, unless they fail to take their diamond trick you will be pitching your 4th spade on the good club.

 

Partner's doubleton trump 'raise' may well be Qx, Jx, Kx or even xx. Except for the Kx example, you could lose two trump tricks on normal breaks.

 

3. 3NT has a fair chance to go plus. If 3NT goes down, 4S may(often may?) go down.

 

You do have a seven loser hand and partner suggests a balanced hand type. The combined hands are often 'odds against' making 10 tricks. Your 4333 shape will not make many additional 'ruffing' tricks in a 4S contract.

 

Reese claimed that 'stealing'a 3NT contract was often easier than making ten tricks in a major.

 

Regards,

Robert

[luke warm]

I guess I should mention you play drury on 2. Pard will not have 3 hearts.

oops... hmmm... oh what the hell, 4h anyway.. he has what? a flattish 10, 11 count with 2 hearts? i think i'd rather be wrong this way than the other

[Chamaco]

Despite your hatred for 1 session pair games at sectionals, the fall nationals are coming up and you need some practice (it is only BAM and MP in the fall). Here are some hands.

 

1) Qx xxx KQxx xxxx. In a strong club system base, partner opens 1S, you bid 1N, pard bids 3S. He is limited to 15 but you do not upgrade to strong clubs based on shape (for instance AKxxxxx x Axx Kx would not be a strong club). You are about to instantly bid 4S but you realize you're playing MP and reconsider. Do you bid on?

 

2) AQxx AT9xxx x Qx. 3 passes to you and you open 1H. Partner bids 1N, and you bid 2H. Partner boosts you to 3H. Do you bid on?

 

3) KQx Axx Kxx ATxx. RHO opens 2D, you bid 2N, partner bids 3H you bid 3S, partner bids 3N. Do you correct or pass?

 

I posted these three hands mainly because they are nothing out of the ordinary. They are just run of the mill judgement calls, all of which may or may not be affected by MP scoring.

1) 4S at any scoring/vulnerability.

This needs good agreements as to how much will pèlay us for our 1NT bid and what kind of hands shopuld we play pard for his jump to 3S.

With my teammates we play that a jumpreboid of opener to 3S shows extra shape but not necessarily a max in hcp.

I would expect something like

AKxxxx-Axx-KJx-x

 

2) 4H at any scoring/vulnerability.

Our hand is huge opposite a pard that is inviting. Game is on, probably with overtricks.

 

 

3) I correct at any form of scoring/vulnerability.

I have a single stopper, and my policy with a known 53 major fit is to correct to 4M with 0-1 stoppers, whilst leaving 3NT in with a double stopper.

Not claiming it always works, but at least it saves some stresses in decision making;

[pbleighton]

4S. You have some good cards.

 

Pass. You have a minimum, and your suit is shabby.

 

4S. Pretty close - when in doubt play in 4M rather than

3NT.

 

None of these are really clear cut to me.

 

Peter

[awm]

I don't really think the second hand is that close. Give partner:

 

xxx Kx Axxx Axxx

 

You're going to lose a club, a heart, and at least one spade. To make you'll need ♠K onside, and additionally either spades 3-3 or the ♣K on. Of course you might get lucky and find ♥QJ tight but you also might be unlucky and find ♥QJxx behind you. This is an okay game at imps vulnerable but I wouldn't want to be there at matchpoints.

 

Say we switch the ♦A for the ♠K. Now you will lose a diamond, a club, and a heart pretty much for sure. You still need either ♠3-3 or ♣K on... and if hearts break 4-1 there may be some issues on repeated diamond leads. Still in the "bit less than 50%" range.

 

Both these hands had pretty well-fitting values: no wasted ♦K or ♦Q. Give partner something like:

 

xxx Kx KJxx Axxx

 

Now even 3♥ is not cold and I wouldn't want to be in game even vulnerable at imps.

 

Honestly I'm having trouble constructing hands where partner has less than 12 points, less than four spades, less than three hearts, and 4♥ is more than around 50%.

[Chamaco]

Honestly I'm having trouble constructing hands where partner has less than 12 points, less than four spades, less than three hearts, and 4♥ is more than around 50%.

 

Why should it have less than 3 hearts ?

Invitational hands with 3 card support usually go via 1NT followed by 3M rebid, even if pard rebids his major.

[flytoox]

The first two hands are about to bid game or not. By the wisdom of "when in doubt, bid", I bid game with both hands. I hope it will at least bring me an average score.

 

With the third hand, I think I will pass pd's 3N. I am worrying about possible diamond ruff. If pd has SA and a king in other suit, 3N will be easy. If I have a doubleton, then I will move to 4S.

[Fluffy]

This ones are as close as I can imagine MP decisions. They really hit me in the middle of my judgement.

 

First the one I think its less close: 2) The key here is to detect your 4th ♠ will be a sure loser whatever partner's got. with only 2 trumps you won't be able to ruff, will only be good in the rare case partner has 3, and it falls 3-3. Pass.

 

The first one its just a coin, I disagree with the hand you posted because althou you might not open 1♣, you can rebid 4♠ with such supperb (althou its close).

 

I don't like KQxx opposite unbalanced hand and will pass.

 

For the third one everythign is a gamble, nothing worse than opponents ruffing your ♦K on 4♠ :D. I will pass this time with no real confidence.

[han]

(1) I'm not going to worry too much about the field will do. For instance, it is not clear if the field will bid 3S on partner's hand, so they might not be in game. So the only consideration is whether game is making more than 50% of the time. I'd say yes, but this is very close. 4S for me today.

 

(2) Pass. Partner has a maximal passed hand with only 2 hearts and at most 3 spades, so most points are likely in the minors.

 

(3) This one seems easiest. My shape may suggest NT but my honors scream for 4S. So 4S it is.

[beatrix45]

:rolleyes: For what it's worth:

On #1 I think it is a 33% game. Pard fits diamonds or not. Gotta pass at MP

On #2 Have to bid game. The hand looks too good. I even like my ♣ queen. So, 4♥

On #3 the king in the opponent's suit should catch a trick, but I like the security of more than one stopper, so 4♠

[Echognome]

I pass all three! I've joined the Mikeh camp clearly. It's matchpoints, let's go plus.

 

1) Ok, sometimes partner will have a prime hand for game. Can we figure out if our diamonds are gold or wasted? No! I would say that partner's typical hand for this is 6331 14-15 count. If his singleton is a diamond... ouch. Let's hope we go plus here and I've picked a strong partner who might make 3 when the rest of the room is in 2.

 

2) Pass. This one wasn't close for me.

 

3) Partner's most likely shape is 5332. I have 4333. 2/3 times he will have a tripleton diamond in which case I sure hope he has the A! Let's play it in 3NT. Just need to keep righty off lead.

[Finch]

1. Pass, though game at IMPs. This is just a guess: are the KQ of diamonds worth 0, 1 or 2 tricks.

 

2. Pass. Assuming we play weak twos of some sort in 4th, I've already shown a non-minimum by not opening a weak two (the 6-4 makes it a non-minimum by definition). Partner took that into account when he raised.

 

3. 4S. Trust partner.

[Guest Jlall]

Assuming we play weak twos of some sort in 4th, I've already shown a non-minimum by not opening a weak two (the 6-4 makes it a non-minimum by definition).

I do not believe in this theory. I refrained from posting in the recent thread about 2 bids in 4th seat but I will say it's not really so clear cut. There are things 2 consider like playability in the other major and suit quality. Like QJxx Qxxxxx AJx --- is not a 2H bid, I think everyone would agree. Also Kx Jxxxxx AQx Qx...is this really a 2H opener?

[Guest Jlall]

Results:

 

Hand 1) I held this hand and passed (though I found it agonizing). When I put down dummy I said "I hope you don't have diamonds." Pard had AK98xx xx Axx KJ. A good game was missed (yes double dummy they would always cash 2 hearts and put a club through the KJ but in real life they lead clubs, diamonds, or trumps quite often especially if they hold the HA) but all was well when spades were 4-1. Partner's 3S was pushy but seems reasonable.

 

Hand 2) My partner held this hand and bid on to 4H. Dummy was a disappointing Kxx Qx KQJ xxxxx. I think the passers made good arguments on this hand, but dummy was a pretty unlucky catch. I told pard I agreed with his bid but having seen the arguments here, I change my vote to pass.

 

Hand 3) My pard chose to pass. Dummy was Jxxxx KQx x Qxxx so obviously this was not successful. I like 4S with prime cards, but pass easily be right too. Maybe fluffy is right, it's a tossup.

[Kalvan14]

First one is easy: 4♠

3rd one is also easy: pass. I do prefer 3N - the advantages of playing in spades are countermanded by the chance of a diamond ruff.

The closest one is #2: I think I would bid 4♥ (in doubt bid, but it is close)