To Michaels or not to Michaels

[Echognome]

[hv=d=n&v=b&s=sq8xxxxhxdxcaxxxx]133|100|Scoring: IMP

P - (1♥) - ?[/hv]

 

Your call at Swiss Teams.

[whereagles]

yes

[P_Marlowe]

yes.

 

Marlowe

[cherdano]

No.

[mr1303]

No.

 

2S looks more on the money for me.

[joker_gib]

No

 

Far too weak for me as my partner would expect a lot more.

 

Partner is a passed hand but can still have a powerful hand in front of a Michaels.

 

Even a 2♠ bid at this vul is not my cup of tea. I think I'd pass and wait a little bit to see how the auction proceeds.

 

Alain

[Sigi_BC84]

I would call 2♥, especially since this shows ♠ and ♣ specifically in our system. Partner is passed and I have only one useful defensive card and with luck might get one ♦ ruff, but not more. So why not put my offensive weight into the auction now? Next round might be too late (I do not see how to show my spades on a reasonable level after a Bergen raise or J2NT or whatever they might do).

 

--Sigi

[joker_gib]

It is sure that it can come back in 4♥, that we can have a ♠ game or a good save but bidding here can lead to big problems too. (and I want to keep my partner :) )

[han]

2S for me.

[mcphee]

This appears like a no brainer to me, 2H to show S and a minor weak or strong, not inbetween. I don't think I want to stress just one suit via a 2S call, especially this suit which is a tad ratty. Gee you might end up playing in 2S doubled when you could play C.

[Blofeld]

I'm another 2♠ bidder.

[inquiry]

Vunerable at imps I have to admit 2♠ on such a ratty suit would never occur to me. I am amazed to see people bidding that. However, 2♥ michaels I would at least consider. After all, it doubles my chances of landing in a nice spot. Against that, I telegraph to declerer how to play the hand if they buy the contract, and if we have a fit they WILL and if we don't have a fit, we want them to play the hand. Add to that, I have and ace and the distribution may not be friendly for them.

 

so I am going to pass. Give me some decent interemediates on this hand and I would bid 2♥, but thoses "x's" look too small to me.

[MickyB]

2♠ for me. If I could show both of my suits at once it would be closer.

 

I think it was actually love all, Matt. Not that it really matters, still an interesting question.

[Kalvan14]

2♠. I don't like Michaels, and the 6th spade is good.

[mike777]

Pass

 

Maybe I can win the hand in the play and defense with my silence?

 

second choice 2s since partner is a passed hand.

[mikeh]

1♠.

 

I don't want to pass, since we may make game even opposite a passed hand.

 

But my suit is too weak for 2♠: I want to play this suit as trump only if partner can raise.

 

And Michaels is too rich for me. Partner may take me seriously and go for a number, while if the opps outbid us, as they will if partner cannot raise 1♠, you have telegraphed the shape and even semi-comatose opps will play as if your hand is exposed.

 

By bidding 1♠ I get our side into the auction in the suit I'd like to have as trump, while staying too low for the opps to kill us, and with a bid that will require partner to have real support in order to get excited. At the same time, I get the binus that the opps may play me both for a flatter hand and for some of the missing hcp should they win the bidding.

 

I'll give up on the ♣ suit: big deal :P

[Winstonm]

1S

 

Michael's is poor when the higher ranking suit is either longer or of substantially better quality than the lower.

 

I don't like the spade spots for a preemptive bid.

 

1S doesn't preempt much over 1H but I think I have to get this hand into the auction and a big spade fit would be the only reason for our side to keep on bidding. I hope partner doesn't lead the A from Ax later on.

 

Winston

[Gerben42]

A clear 2♥ bid. Since bidding can certainly be dangerous it is MUCH safer if you have two safe havens like here.

[Fluffy]

2♥ just because partner is passed hand and won't probably try to double them.

 

If he wasn't unpassed hand I would think about 3♠

[cherdano]

I am not convinced 2H is safer at all than 2♠. I would certainly prefer 2♠ in a 6-2 fit over 3♣ in a 5-3 fit on heart forces. Also, Michaels is much easier to double.

 

I may be wrong but to me it seems that suit quality is even more important for 2-suited preempts than for single suited preempts. Also, if I get doubled in 2♠ I at least have some extra shape as surprise, so that it could still be a mistake by them.

 

Anyway, there is big money in this deal when we can successfully bid 4♠ over 4♥. It seems to me 2♠ gives partner the best chance to do so when it is right.

 

Arend

[whereagles]

there is big money in this deal when we can successfully bid 4♠ over 4♥. It seems to me 2♠ gives partner the best chance to do so when it is right.

This is a valid point (the other were not convincing :)), but I think it's an even greater guess than bidding michaels, so I'd still go with 2♥.

[MickyB]

I think all of Arend's points were convincing.

 

If I could show my two suits immediately, that would arguably leave pard better placed to decide whether to bid 4S over 4H than a 2S WJO would. We will always have to make at least a trick more in spades than in clubs to achieve the same result; often landing in a 6-1 spade fit instead of a 5-3 club fit won't matter. With 6 hearts 5 diamonds over a 1S opening, there is much more reason to show a 2 suiter.

[keylime]

I do not Michaels.

 

I'm waiting on 1H-P-1NT-P-P-2S.

 

If I Michaels, pard can not accurate judge whether to compete/sacrifice here when you're stiff, stiff in the other two suits. It also forewarns the opps that foul splits are coming.

 

I MIGHT bid 2♠, but likely, I pass and listen to the auction.

[Al_U_Card]

This hand has so much playing strength but that is all so don't let the cat out of the bag......bid 1S. Pard will raise if its right and if they try to dbl for penalty you do have an interesting place to run. If it was 5S and 6C cards I would use Mod. Michaels to show S and C specifically when appropriate but this hand is too weak to push to the 3 level alone vul vs not.

[jdeegan]

:) No.

Lots of good comments on this topic, and I agree with most of them. Unfortunately, I only get to make one bid, but I can assure you it would not be 2♥. The hand just don't look right. It's probably that sixth spade that does it.