Par Contest Hand 7

[Echognome]

[hv=d=w&v=b&n=saj753hq6daqj74ck&s=skt96ht854d2cj752]133|200|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

West opens 1NT showing 13-15.

 

Most Norths will have a gadget showing spades and another suit. South will give preference to spades and will any North's raise? If North invites, South should raise to game. The fourth trump and outside singleton along with being red at teams should be all that South needs.

 

If North instead chooses to double, East will take out naturally into clubs. Should south then double for penalties? I think it's a close call, and perhaps too close at teams. I'll let the others tell you how they handled it.

[Guest Jlall]

I could have shown spades and a minor but chose to X first feeling I was too strong for spades and a minor (albeit my stiff is stiff king). Pard then raised, and red at imps I kicked it in.

 

As for a X of 2C being too close at imps, it's better to X 2 of a minor at imps than at MP. At imps -180 is no big deal, but at MP it's likely a zero.

[Cascade]

We have no method to show spades and a minor. I have a dislike for methods that show an ambiguous suit. Most of those have disappeared from our system.

 

Our auction was:

 

(1NT) Dbl (2♣) Pass

(Pass) 2♠ (Pass) 4♠

All Pass

[awm]

Elianna and my auction:

 

1NT-X-2♣-Pass

Pass-2♠-All Pass

 

I'd have raised to at least 3♠ with Elianna's cards, and probably ended up in the 4♠ game. Of course, this is a rather difficult play problem and it's not a disaster to play the hand at the two-level. Then again, we are vulnerable at IMPs.

[han]

I don't remember what we did on this hand, but I imagine that Ben overcalled 2D (diamonds plus a major) and that I bid 2H (pass or correct). Now Ben could either bid 2S, which I would pass, or he could make a try for game. I'm not sure that I'd like to be in game in the real world.

[Guest Jlall]

I'm not sure that I'd like to be in game in the real world.

Interesting, I'd love to be in game in the real world. I would feel that once they open 1N, I could play almost double dummy. Indeed, this hand very quickly became double dummy. Any time one hand shows most of the partnership's strength I think it pays to bid very marginal games on the basis that if it can be made it will be made.