Some bread and butter hands

[Finch]

The Tollemache is the English (and now Welsh as well) inter-county event, played as teams of 8 cross-imps. We've just had the qualification weekend, with 38 teams split into 9 groups, with the top two teams in each group making it to the final in February. The standard is, um, 'variable' from London who have 8 world-class players (and have won for the last 3 years) to places such as Cumbria or Dorset who struggle to find 8 competent people prepared to play; outside London most of the rest of the good players are scattered about in different counties.

 

Anyway, with all that in mind, you are playing for Surrey who usually expect to qualify. But you have to get some decisions right. Here are a few of the ones I thought were marginal. Not all spectacular, but lots of imps at stake.

 

i) vul against not, you deal

K10xx

Axx

9xx

AQ9

 

1C (1D) 2NT (P)

?

 

ii) Game all, you deal

Kxx

AKJx

Q109xx

x

 

1D P 2C

2D P 3D

?

 

2C = nat & forcing for 1 round, denies a 4-card major if not FG, prepared to play in 2NT or 3D opposite a minimum weak NT and in game opposite a maximum weak NT

2D = NF, minimum unbalanced

3D = NF, invitational

 

iii) Love all, partner deals

KJx

J10xxxx

x

AJx

 

Partner opens a weak NT (12-14)

Do you a. sign off in hearts unless he has 4, b. invite showing 6 hearts c. invite with 5 hearts c. drive game ?

 

iv)

K10x

Jxx

xxxx

KQx

 

game all, partner deals

1D P 1NT P

2C P ?

 

2C is not forcing

2D or 3D ?

 

and finally three higher-level decisions

v)

vul against not, partner deals

KJ10x

A9xx

A9x

xx

 

1H (2H) 3C (x)

4H (5C) ?

 

1H = 5 card majors, sound opening style

2H = spades & clubs

3C = 4-trump high-card raise to 3H or more

if you pass it would be forcing

 

vi)

vul against not, LHO deals

KQJxxx

xx

Qxxx

x

 

(1H) 2H (3S) ?

1H = 4 card majors, weak NT

2H = spades & a minor, suitable strength for the vul

3S = splinter

 

what is your plan?

 

vii)

vul against not, LHO deals

xxx

KQ109xx

xxxx

-

 

(1C) 2D (2NT) ?

 

1C = strong club, 16+ unbal, or 17+ bal

2D = natural, weak

2NT = 4 or 5 controls

 

what is your plan?

[pclayton]

i) vul against not, you deal

K10xx

Axx

9xx

AQ9

 

1C (1D) 2NT (P)

?

 

Pass. Intermediates are nice, but I have no trick source.

 

ii) Game all, you deal

Kxx

AKJx

Q109xx

x

 

1D P 2C

2D P 3D

?

 

2C = nat & forcing for 1 round, denies a 4-card major if not FG, prepared to play in 2NT or 3D opposite a minimum weak NT and in game opposite a maximum weak NT

2D = NF, minimum unbalanced

3D = NF, invitational

3N I guess and not surprised if it gets nipped a trick. I don't mess around with 3♥.

 

iii) Love all, partner deals

KJx

J10xxxx

x

AJx

 

Partner opens a weak NT (12-14)

Do you a. sign off in hearts unless he has 4, b. invite showing 6 hearts c. invite with 5 hearts c. drive game ?

 

I just invite with this. My suit sucks and pard can make the right decision.

 

iv)

K10x

Jxx

xxxx

KQx

 

game all, partner deals

1D P 1NT P

2C P ?

 

2C is not forcing

2D or 3D ?

 

Only 2♦. If I wanted to make a move here, I'd bid 2♠. Hard to construct a hand where pard can't take a call over 2♦ where we have anything.

 

and finally three higher-level decisions

v)

vul against not, partner deals

KJ10x

A9xx

A9x

xx

 

1H (2H) 3C (x)

4H (5C) ?

 

1H = 5 card majors, sound opening style

2H = spades & clubs

3C = 4-trump high-card raise to 3H or more

if you pass it would be forcing

 

Double is clear; stack in their side suit and aces. I don't want to invite 5♥ on this. Pard can still pull.

 

vi)

vul against not, LHO deals

KQJxxx

xx

Qxxx

x

 

(1H) 2H (3S) ?

1H = 4 card majors, weak NT

2H = spades & a minor, suitable strength for the vul

3S = splinter

 

what is your plan?

3N if that asks for pard's minor. I really want to know if we have a double fit before I commit this hand to 6 level. I am bidding at least 5♠

 

vii)

vul against not, LHO deals

xxx

KQ109xx

xxxx

-

 

(1C) 2D (2NT) ?

 

1C = strong club, 16+ unbal, or 17+ bal

2D = natural, weak

2NT = 4 or 5 controls

 

what is your plan?

 

3 or 4♥ which should both be fitted.

[han]

1) Pass unless you open light. Good news is that partner's diamond honors are well placed, bad news is that we have a minimal opening. Very close.

 

2) Another close one. The stiff club is bad, but I said I was minimal and this must be a maximal minimum. I'm going for it: 3NT. 3H is also possible, as 4H might play quite well.

 

3) Invite showing a 6-card suit.

 

4) 2D, this one seems easy.

 

5) With those spades I love to defend, Double.

 

6) Pfff, this is hard. 5S, I'll make them guess. I will pass 6H.

 

7) I have no agreement about 3H or 4H being a fit jump here, but I think it should be. However, I would prefer to keep quiet about my hearts and take away as much room as I dare. They haven't said anything about their distribution yet, they should have a hard time over my..... 5D. Scary at those colors, but partner saw them too and I do have a void.

[hrothgar]

vii)

vul against not, LHO deals

xxx

KQ109xx

xxxx

-

 

(1C) 2D (2NT) ?

 

1C = strong club, 16+ unbal, or 17+ bal

2D = natural, weak

2NT = 4 or 5 controls

 

what is your plan?

1. 3NT - The hand doesn't warrant the bid, but 2NT is almost never right and I get seduced by Aces

 

2. 3H

 

Partner said that he was willing to play in game opposite a maximum strength weak NT. This hand is clearly strong enough. I'm willing to explore alternative strains.

 

3. I'm inviting and showing 6 Hearts.

 

4. 2♦

 

5. Double

 

6. Torn between 5♠ and 5♣. If I were on lead against a 6♥ contract, I'd bid 5♠. As is, I'd really like partner to bang the Ace of Clubs and then give me a club ruff so I'm going be "inventive".

 

7. 5♦ looks about right. (I think that advertizing the double fit will help them more than us)

[paulg]

1. 3NT - lure of the vulnerable game

 

2. 3♥ - looking for 3NT and hoping partner can bid 3♠ (some values) or that 4♦ will be safe.

 

3. I just bid game - just too difficult for partner to make a decision.

 

4. 2♠ ... must show some encouragement with double fit, and I can bid my fragment here.

 

5. Double - not quite good enough to pass.

 

6. 3NT - perhaps a naive attempt to discover partner's minor and I'll probably end up bidding 5♠ despite the vul

 

7. 3♥ - I am not trying to save, just stop them bidding slam. A slow approach may be more fruitful.

[han]

Somehow I suspected that Richard would support me on the hands where I jumped to the 5-level.

 

I'm slightly worried about the 5C bid Richard. Isn't partner going to bid 6S often expecting a double fit in the black suits? Are you sure that partner doesn't interpret 5C as an invitation to bid 6?

[Kalvan14]

• #1 : 3N. Good intermediates, partner should have 11 or so
  
• #2: 3N, again. Let oppos decide if they want to lead spades or hearts.
  
• #3: if I can show a diamonds shortness I will just invite. Otherwise, I bid 4H
  
• #4 : 2D. Double fit ok, but my invitations are better than this one.
  
• #5: pass. If partner has 2 clubs he will double. If he has 1 (or none) we are better in 5H
  
• #6: 5S. You will get there, sooner or later.
  
• #7: I would try to get smart, and bid 4C
  

[MickyB]

1. 3NT - invite seldom, accept often

 

2. Hmm, how many clubs is pard likely to have on this auction? 3♥, maybe pard will bid 3NT on ♠Qx :P

 

3. I'll invite

 

4. 2♦ - finally, an easy one!

 

5. Double

 

6. This one is evil. 5♠

 

7. 5♦ - it is probably their hand, they know nothing about their pards shape yet, I don't want to give them any more info.

[inquiry]

On our possible game going hands, I choose to bid be mostly aggressively (i. the exception). On potentially their hands, I choose to stay at the four level.

 

My bids.

i. Pass

ii. 3♥

iii. Force to 4♥

iv. 3♦

v. Forcing pass

vi. 4♠

vii. 4♦

 

My "logic" such as it is.

 

1. Pass, seems you are playing weak notrump from other post, you couldn't have less with a balanced hand than this, and you are 4333 to boot.

 

ii) I am going to make a game try. I am not sure, which game, however. 3NT? 5♦? I think 3♥ will get us on the right track. If partner bids 3NT, fine, if he bids 4♦ fine, if he bids 4♥, I will correct to 5♦.

 

iii) shoot me. this is imps. I force to 4♥. If we were vul, I would be even more positive of this choice.

 

iv) 3♦, My fourth diamond, my good clubs. Share the good news

 

v) When partner bid 4♥, he was sure he knew what he wanted to do over their 5♣ sac. IF he really wanted my advise, he would have bid 4♣, 3♠, 4♦.... something. I take his 4♥ as long hearts, scattered nothings elsewhere. My hand is good for offense or defense, so I am gong to buck the trend here and make a forcing pass. Especially since we are vul.

 

vi) If we defend, I don't want a ♦ lead, so 4♦ then a ♠ sac is out. RHO is likely VOID in spades, so I don't want partner leading a ♠ to look at dummy. I am not giving them a free shot by doubling 3♠ to share info below game level. So the choice is 4♠ or 5♠ or a lead directing, if not odd, 4♣ (and hope we don't play there down five). I think I will go wtih 4♠.

 

vii) I bid 4♦. Odd hand, East has four (two aces or ace and two kings--i have one king) or five (three kings, and an ace or two aces and a king), and WEST has 16+, and I have five hcp. So lets count. RHO has at least 8 and more likely 10+ hcp. I have 5hcp, and LHO has 16+. We can account for 31 of the hcp at least. Partner has advertised, at these colors, a good suit. If playing rule of down no more than two, he can take 6 tricks in his hand. This means, more than likely, a good seven card suit missing one honor. Something like KQJTxxx... So we can probably score 6♦ and a couple of club ruff in diamonds, and possibly a heart. For somewhere around 9 tricks. If we can get three club ruffs and one heart, 5♦ would be great spot. But I fear a trump-trump leads even if partner has three clubs. This means 5♦X is likely off two -500. Against that can they make slam? Not in a major (at least played by LHO). And if partner has the ♦Ace instead of king, probably not at all. I think I will bid just 4♦ and hope the club void, the ♥KQ, and partners possible ♦A is enough to stop them from bidding slam.

[joker_gib]

i) vul against not, you deal

K10xx

Axx

9xx

AQ9

 

1C (1D) 2NT (P)

?

 

Partner hasn't 5 clubs (He would have bid 2♦) so the problem with this hand is "Where will I find my tricks ?".

Partner also knows this is IMPS and bid 2NT. Ok I pass !

 

ii) Game all, you deal

Kxx

AKJx

Q109xx

x

 

1D P 2C

2D P 3D

?

 

I bid 3♥ showing my hand towards 3NT

 

iii) Love all, partner deals

KJx

J10xxxx

x

AJx

 

If I cannot show the ♦ shortness, I bid 4♥ cause it's impossible for partner to judge.

 

iv)

K10x

Jxx

xxxx

KQx

 

game all, partner deals

1D P 1NT P

2C P ?

 

Close but I'll go for 2♦. Auction is still open.

 

and finally three higher-level decisions

v)

vul against not, partner deals

KJ10x

A9xx

A9x

xx

 

1H (2H) 3C (x)

4H (5C) ?

 

Dbl automatic with 2 small ♣ and a bal hand

 

vi)

vul against not, LHO deals

KQJxxx

xx

Qxxx

x

 

(1H) 2H (3S) ?

 

4♠ for the moment. Let's see what happens.

 

vii)

vul against not, LHO deals

xxx

KQ109xx

xxxx

-

 

(1C) 2D (2NT) ?

 

3♥ : I have ♥ and likely ♦

[beatrix45]

:D Very nice set of problems, all of them so close I really wished I knew a bit more about my partner's bidding habits.

 

1. 3NT - I am a sucker for the vulnerability. More important, the hand has good intermediate spots, and much of the opponents' values are trapped in the overcaller's hand along with a diamond suit of known length. Partner is ready for a diamond lead and should enjoy the subsequent play.

 

2. Pass. 3NT may be the winning call, but I can't see where my tricks are coming from on this partial misfit deal.

 

3. b. invite showing 6H. This is what I have. Hoping for 10 H (option a.) is too unlikely.

 

4. 2♦. Not quite enough, imo.

 

5. 5♥. Spade card(s), if any, figure to be onside. Pard showed some extras, presumably in the red suits.

 

6. 5♠, the pressure bid. Lots of total tricks in this hand (I would ask if 3♠ could show a void). If 10 tricks is our limit (losing a club, a heart and a diamond), then they are likely to make 11 tricks in hearts (no way to find club ruff with pard on lead). FTL for us is probably 13-2-???, where ???=0 or 1. LOTT is probably 21 (11+10+??, where ?? is 0 or 1). Wish I knew who has the club ace.

 

7. 3♥ for the lead. Would like to go higher, but for the vul. Maybe this will throw sand in their gears.

[whereagles]

1) 3NT wtp

2) 3NT wtp :blink:

3) 3NT wtp :o :o eheh joking, I bid 4♥.

4) 2♦ wtp :D

5) Double wtp :blink: :blink:

6) 4♠. Who knows, maybe this will be enough to stop opps from bidding. Give them a chance to go wrong before commiting to 5♠.

7) 6♣. Even opposite a random 2♦ overcall, there's little chance we can buy this for 5♦ X. So why not try the 6 level right away, pinpointing the lead in the process.

[luke warm]

i) 3nt

ii) 3nt

iii) 4H

iv) 2D

v) i hate to pass, partner's clubs (if he has any) are doomed)... guess i'll bid 5H here, but double is possible

vi) 4S

vii) 6C

[Fluffy]

Too many problems!. It is very hard to read answers of that much problems in 1 post (at least to me).

 

1): This is as close as a decision might be, being a light opener myself I have to consider this a maximum and bid 3NT.

 

2): Pass, but if I have the slightiest doubt of partner bidding 3♦ as forcing I'll bid 3♥

 

3): Invitational with 6♥

 

4): 2♦, easy one at last.

 

5): Double

 

6): 4♠, they don't make a *****, we will ahve to make a decision at the 5 level. PArtner can hopefully take the right one. Althou 4♦ might be an intelligent bid. I don't feel inspired today.

 

7): 4♥, hopefully we make it.

[luis]

Hi very nice problems. Here are my answers:

 

1) 3NT Automatic.

2) 3♥ showing what I have.

3) I bid game in hearts

4) None!, I bid 2♠ showing values in spades and a good hand for the minors.

5) Double

6) I'm going to bid 4♠ then it depends

7) 5♣ lead-directing if pd leads I want t a club (unless they play 6♣) if I lead I can lead a heart. Who knows where this is going to end....

 

Luis

[Finch]

1. Pass, seems you are playing weak notrump from other post, you couldn't have less with a balanced hand than this, and you are 4333 to boot.

I don't (usually) play weak NT.

But not all my posts are from hands where my partnership was doing the relevant bidding.

[hrothgar]

There seems to be a lot of discussion surrounding different lead directing bids against hypothetical slams.

 

From what I can tell, I am in a distinct minority in advocating a lead directing bid on hand 6, but not on hand 7. While I considered some kind of lead directing ploy on 7, I ultimately rejected it on a number of grounds.

 

1. The opponents haven't discovered their fit... We have not idea who is going to be declaring what contract so it seem premature to help partner with his opening lead.

 

2. The opponents could easy declare a club or NT contract and our lead directing ploy could help the opponent's roll up the club suit.

 

3. 5♦ actually puts a lot of pressure on the opponents... The could easily rest in a 5♠ contract.

 

In comparison, on hand 6 the opponents have already found their fit...

[Guest Jlall]

The Tollemache is the English (and now Welsh as well) inter-county event, played as teams of 8 cross-imps. We've just had the qualification weekend, with 38 teams split into 9 groups, with the top two teams in each group making it to the final in February. The standard is, um, 'variable' from London who have 8 world-class players (and have won for the last 3 years) to places such as Cumbria or Dorset who struggle to find 8 competent people prepared to play; outside London most of the rest of the good players are scattered about in different counties.

 

Anyway, with all that in mind, you are playing for Surrey who usually expect to qualify. But you have to get some decisions right. Here are a few of the ones I thought were marginal. Not all spectacular, but lots of imps at stake.

 

i) vul against not, you deal

K10xx

Axx

9xx

AQ9

 

1C (1D) 2NT (P)

?

 

ii) Game all, you deal

Kxx

AKJx

Q109xx

x

 

1D P 2C

2D P 3D

?

 

2C = nat & forcing for 1 round, denies a 4-card major if not FG, prepared to play in 2NT or 3D opposite a minimum weak NT and in game opposite a maximum weak NT

2D = NF, minimum unbalanced

3D = NF, invitational

 

iii) Love all, partner deals

KJx

J10xxxx

x

AJx

 

Partner opens a weak NT (12-14)

Do you a. sign off in hearts unless he has 4, b. invite showing 6 hearts c. invite with 5 hearts c. drive game ?

 

iv)

K10x

Jxx

xxxx

KQx

 

game all, partner deals

1D P 1NT P

2C P ?

 

2C is not forcing

2D or 3D ?

 

and finally three higher-level decisions

v)

vul against not, partner deals

KJ10x

A9xx

A9x

xx

 

1H (2H) 3C (x)

4H (5C) ?

 

1H = 5 card majors, sound opening style

2H = spades & clubs

3C = 4-trump high-card raise to 3H or more

if you pass it would be forcing

 

vi)

vul against not, LHO deals

KQJxxx

xx

Qxxx

x

 

(1H) 2H (3S) ?

1H = 4 card majors, weak NT

2H = spades & a minor, suitable strength for the vul

3S = splinter

 

what is your plan?

 

vii)

vul against not, LHO deals

xxx

KQ109xx

xxxx

-

 

(1C) 2D (2NT) ?

 

1C = strong club, 16+ unbal, or 17+ bal

2D = natural, weak

2NT = 4 or 5 controls

 

what is your plan?

1) 3N. Not much going for it, but it might make lol. It is hard to justify but vul at imps I take my chances in all 24 HCP 3Ns especially with prime cards.

 

2) 3N. I'm sure I hate my system if 2D and 3D are both NF, but since pard could have passed 2D and chose to raise I think I have to bid game. My hand could be about a queen weaker than it is.

 

3) I drive to 4H. Inviting seems pointless, many minimums will produce game and many maximums will make game awful, it just depends on partner's diamond holding. When partner won't be able to evaluate his hand correctly, just commit one way or another.

 

4) 2D. Finally I take a low road. I have no aces and no diamond honors and no heart stopper so it feels wrong to jump.

 

5) Pass and respect partner's decision. I see no reason to X with no club values. Yes I have the spades locked up, but if the opponents have 10 trumps and partner has a lot of red suit values that won't help too much. Partner would need a distributional hand to bid to 5H and I would not be unhappy with my dummy if he did so.

 

6) 5S then pass if they bid 6H. 5S is as high as I will bid so I'll just bid it now as I don't like my chances of playing 4S X.

 

7) 5D. Why do I keep saving red/white? ;) I would like to bid some amount of hearts but 4H would let LHO bid 5C while 5D preempts that. Partner also knows we are red/white and his 2D bid should not be insane.

[Guest Jlall]

Just read other answers, I do not understand why 4H would be a fit jump over 2N. What would we do if we were dealt 8 hearts? Sure we can bid 4H WITH a fit and a lead director, knowing that it wont get passed out since the opps are in a GF (and if it does thats fine since theyre probably on for a slam and defending 4H undoubled), and if they do X we can run, but I strongly disagree with the suggestion that it SHOWS a fit. Sometimes we just have hearts.

[Finch]

i) vul against not, you deal

K10xx

Axx

9xx

AQ9

 

1C  (1D) 2NT (P)

?

 

Partner has AQx Kxx Q10x 10xxx, and 3NT is one off (2NT makes exactly).

At the table I thought "I know I shouldn't really raise because I'm minimum and partner probably thinks he has a club fit. But we're vulnerable, and I hate missing game..." -100

 

ii) Game all, you deal

Kxx

AKJx

Q109xx

x

 

1D   P   2C

2D   P   3D

?

 

Game is about as good as hand (i), but makes. Partner has

QJx

xxx

Axx

A109x

 

(note how poor it would be without partner's good club pips).

I was in a very small minority here and passed 3D, though at the table virtually no-one was in game. I thought if partner had good clubs we wouldn't have 9 tricks and if he had bad clubs we wouldn't have a robust club stop.

 

 

iii) Love all, partner deals

KJx

J10xxxx

x

AJx

 

Our opponents had this hand and drove game. Personally I would invite. To my surprise virtually no-one else was in game except our opponents, and we lost a load of imps. Partner will accept any invite holding (and you'll also make 3NT+3 because they won't lead diamonds)

 

AQxx

AQ

xxxx

Q10x

 

 

iv)

K10x

Jxx

xxxx

KQx

 

game all, partner deals

1D  P   1NT  P

2C  P    ?

 

2C is not forcing

2D or 3D ?

 

I bid just 2D as I didn't like the hand. But 3D gets you to an OK vul game which makes. Partner has the slightly strange hand

 

x

Q9xx

AKQx

AJxx

 

(no game isn't cold but you just about want to be in it)

 

Nobody bid game.

[Finch]

v)

vul against not, partner deals

KJ10x

A9xx

A9x

xx

 

1H (2H) 3C (x)

4H (5C) ?

 

1H = 5 card majors, sound opening style

2H = spades & clubs

3C = 4-trump high-card raise to 3H or more

if you pass it would be forcing

My partner had this hand and passed.

Sitting opposite I bid 5H holding

A

KQJxx

KQJx

xxx

 

5H made comfortably, but there was 1100 available from 5Cx

[Finch]

vi)

vul against not, LHO deals

KQJxxx

xx

Qxxx

x

 

(1H) 2H (3S) ?

1H = 4 card majors, weak NT

2H = spades & a minor, suitable strength for the vul

3S = splinter

 

what is your plan?

The less bidding you do on this one, the better.... par is 7Sx-3, but the opponents will play in 5H or 6H if you let them!

 

For the full story, see http://www.surreycountybridge.org.uk/PreviousHOWs.php (quick plug!)

 

 

vii)

vul against not, LHO deals

xxx

KQ109xx

xxxx

-

 

(1C)  2D  (2NT)  ?

 

1C = strong club, 16+ unbal, or 17+ bal

2D = natural, weak

2NT = 4 or 5 controls

 

what is your plan?

 

This is a wierd hand because no-one can make anything much: the last making contract is 4H your way.

 

I agree with Justin that neither 5C or 4H is fit: if you had a load of hearts, you'd just want to bid them, surely? I think you either bid 3H (which probably does show diamonds as well) or just try 5D. At the table I chose the low option, and bid 3H followed by 5D the following round. I was planning to double 6S at the end of that to ask for a club lead, but the bidding petered out at the 5-level. In fact, I should have doubled 5S as well, because it's two off.

 

[hv=d=w&v=n&n=sahjxdkqj109cxxxxx&w=skqjxxxxhaxdckqxx&e=s10xhxxxdaxxxca10xx&s=sxxxhkq109xxdxxxxc]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

[inquiry]

Well, I can't complain too much about the results, I scored well with pass on the first one, 3♥ game try on second (getting us to game), forcing to game on third, jumping to 3♦ on the 4th, bidding only 4♠ on the sixth, and I am not terribly unhappy with my 4♦ bid on the last....after not biddign ♥ and jumping in ♦ I am sure they will overbid now. So six out of seven I take top result (we never playing 4♥ anyway on this auction).

 

That leaves the one hand where I may or may not have gotten the top score, which was hand v. I would like to discuss this one, as I think you made two bidding mistakes, and that my forcing pass is clearly best.

 

To remind us,

v) vul against not, partner deals

KJ10x

A9xx

A9x

xx

 

1H (2H) 3C (x)

4H (5C) ?

 

1H = 5 card majors, sound opening style

2H = spades & clubs

3C = 4-trump high-card raise to 3H or more if you pass it would be forcing

 

My choice was forcing pass, and I said... "When partner bid 4♥, he was sure he knew what he wanted to do over their 5♣ sac. IF he really wanted my advise, he would have bid 4♣, 3♠, 4♦.... something. I take his 4♥ as long hearts, scattered nothings elsewhere. My hand is good for offense or defense, so I am gong to buck the trend here and make a forcing pass. Especially since we are vul."

So the first problem is I think with your hand:

A

KQJxx

KQJx

xxx

 

The correct bid is 4♦ over 3♣x. Now, maybe you play this is as splinter? I play it as this hand. Could you have bid 4♦ here?

 

The next problem was your choice over your partners pass of 5♣. Your hand is not suited for pulling. Your partner is long in ♠, and he will not be short in clubs despite your three. You lack a sixth heart, double seems clear here despite the earlier misbid (at least imho). Bidding 4♥ and then 5♥ with this hand seems to be playing a one-sided game. The 4♦ bid would have solved all the problems on this hand, but I think double after the misbid of 4♥ and partners subsequent forcing pass is clearly correct. This hand is not offesive and partners pass expressed uncertainty for offense or defense. So, if anyone buys my arguement here, I scored a rare (fro me) 7 for 7 good results... if not, I will live with my 6 for 7.

[Finch]

So the first problem is I think with your hand:

A

KQJxx

KQJx

xxx

 

The correct bid is 4♦ over 3♣x. Now, maybe you play this is as splinter? I play it as this hand. Could you have bid 4♦ here?

I could have done.

That looks to me more like a slam try however, rather than this hand which is merely a game acceptance (don't forget partner's 3C bid did not force to game).

 

The next problem was your choice over your partners pass of 5♣. Your hand is not suited for pulling. Your partner is long in ♠, and he will not be short in clubs despite your three.

 

It's quite an odd auction. Partner usually will be short in clubs to make a forcing pass (never mind what we might think from the auction). It's true however that he's likely to have spade honours just to give him enough high cards. I was playing him for something like

 

Jxx(x)

Axxx

Axx(x)

x(x)

 

when 5C is cheap and 5H is easy.

 

I think double after the misbid of 4♥ and partners subsequent forcing pass is clearly correct.

 

So did my partner (although he agreed with 4H the previous round).

I wouldn't have put the hand up if I thought it was obvious and just wanted to say 'I told you so', I thought it was a genuinely interesting debate.

 

It can be hard sometimes to collect big penalties when opponents simply don't have their bids: RHO thought he was doubling for a club _lead_ and LHO thought his partner was suggesting a save.

[inquiry]

So the first problem is I think with your hand:

A

KQJxx

KQJx

xxx

 

The correct bid is 4♦ over 3♣x. Now, maybe you play this is as splinter? I play it as this hand. Could you have bid 4♦ here?

I could have done.

That looks to me more like a slam try however, rather than this hand which is merely a game acceptance (don't forget partner's 3C bid did not force to game).

Well, I follow the teaching of your countryman (maybe) Robson with 4♦ being directed towards setting defense if they bid on to five clubs. I use PASS over the double (forcing) to show good hands with no clear direction and redouble to show first round control and slam try. With everyone bidding, describing what to do over the "high probability" sac is clearly more useful in the long run than using 4♦ as a slam try.

 

The next problem was your choice over your partners pass of 5♣. Your hand is not suited for pulling. Your partner is long in ♠, and he will not be short in clubs despite your three.

 

It's quite an odd auction. Partner usually will be short in clubs to make a forcing pass (never mind what we might think from the auction). It's true however that he's likely to have spade honours just to give him enough high cards. I was playing him for something like

 

Jxx(x)

Axxx

Axx(x)

x(x)

 

when 5C is cheap and 5H is easy.

 

Well, lets stop here. With Jxxx Axxx Axx xx or Jxx Axxx Axxx xx I would have bid 3♥, we are vul and that is good enough. Give me a stiff club (Jxxx Axxx Axxx x), and I would either splinter (if available) or bid 5♥ after my 3♣ bid and partners jump to 4♥. In fact, I would guess that a forcing pass on this auction (where you ARE NOT making a slam try) will pretty much always have two in their trump suit. With three you can usally work out if you want to defend or press on to game. I would have bet money the forcing pass hand had a doubleton club. This could be a difference in how we play such bids.

 

 

I think double after the misbid of 4♥ and partners subsequent forcing pass is clearly correct.

 

So did my partner (although he agreed with 4H the previous round).

I wouldn't have put the hand up if I thought it was obvious and just wanted to say 'I told you so', I thought it was a genuinely interesting debate. 

 

It can be hard sometimes to collect big penalties when opponents simply don't have their bids: RHO thought he was doubling for a club _lead_ and LHO thought his partner was suggesting a save.

 

If you go wtih the thought that partner will be either looking at a slam try or very short hearts, you will see why the double with this hand is clear cut in the pass out seat. IF partner had.... KJTx Axxx Axxx x, he would bid 5♦ over the double, showing short club, diamond ACE and slam ambition. With Jxxx Axxx Axxx x he would have bid 5♦ over 5♣ to express mildest of slam ambitions. And with his actual hand (KJ10x, A9xx, A9x, xx) he will stand for the double. As it is, however, you can probably still make 6♥ off the top (5H, 2S, 4D, 1C).