The Wrong Colours

[Echognome]

Just finished playing in a weekend tournament. The Swiss teams this evening had some interesting duplimated boards. I kept getting dealt distribution hands and being vulnerable against not. What do you do on the following hands?

 

1.

[hv=d=w&v=n&s=s64hkdqt985432ca4]133|100|Scoring: IMP

(1♣) - P - (1♠) - ?[/hv]

 

2.

[hv=d=w&v=n&s=s64hkdqt985432ca4]133|100|Scoring: IMP

(1♣) - P - (1♠) - ?[/hv]

 

3.

[hv=d=w&v=n&s=s64hkdqt985432ca4]133|100|Scoring: IMP

(1♣) - P - (1♠) - ?[/hv]

[whereagles]

1. 3♦. I bet this is gonna bother LHO a bit..

 

2. Dunno. At matchpoints 3 or 4♣ for sure. At imps, same thing or 1♠, depening on how the match is going.

 

3. 2 or 3♣, depening on how the match is going.

[hrothgar]

1. 3♦

 

4♦ is too exposed aqt this vulnerability with this much defense

 

2. 5♣

 

Burgess's rule

 

3. 1♠

[Double !]

1) 3 diamonds

 

2) 1 club

 

3) 2 clubs unless playing 3C = top & bottom cue (and even then I'm not so sure)

[pbleighton]

3D.

 

5C. If playing light openings, I would bid 1S.

 

3C.

 

Peter

[Blofeld]

3♦

 

1♣. Too much chance that we belong in 4♠ for me to preempt now, and I don't like having to come in later at these colours if I pass.

 

3♣. Now that partner's passed I'm not too worried about losing the spades.

[Sigi_BC84]

2. 5♣

Burgess's rule

Which is?

[han]

1. 3D is all I dare. btw, I tabled an 8-card suit today. (as trump :) )

 

2. 1C, nice hand.

 

5. Also 3C, because partner is a passed hand.

[JohnnyH7]

1) 3D

2) 4C

3) 2C

[hatchett]

1. 3♦ seems enough

2. 1♣

3. 2♣ I dislike 3♣, I could be making 6♠ opposite Axxx and nothing else!

I certainly don't want to bury the spade suit.

[Codo]

4 ♦

1 ♣ I tried this before and failed, sometimes it must work...

2 ♣ followed by x Spade after x ♦/♥ from opps

[MickyB]

3♦

1♣, I could cope with 5♣ though

2♣ - I don't like 3♣ at all, too likely to miss 4♠

[inquiry]

1. 2♦ (at this vul, partner will expect better if maybe shorter ♦'s, especially in sandwhich position after they have shared info -- however i don't object to 3♦)

 

2. 1♣

 

3. Either 1NT (playing misho's version of raptor), or 2♣ (not playing it)

[Miron]

1. 3♦

2. 1♣ (too strong for a preempt)

3. Depends on agreement. I would bit 4♦ as Michaels ♠ and other. If not possible then 2♦ Michaels. If not possible, 2♣ or pass and wait.

[P_Marlowe]

1) 3D

2) Pass, a matter of style,

but I tend to pass weak 2-suiter,

hoping to get in later

3) 2D, assuming it is Michaels, else 3C

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[hatchett]

2D, assuming it is Michaels, else 3C

 

I hope partner isn't disappointed with your ♥ support if you bid 2♦ Michaels.

[P_Marlowe]

2D, assuming it is Michaels, else 3C

 

I hope partner isn't disappointed with your ♥ support if you bid 2♦ Michaels.

Hi,

 

depends on the Michales version you are playing.

I would assume that in the US, a Michaels Cue shows

the highest unbid and and a 2nd unspecified suit.

 

If you play 2D as both mayors, as I do in my regular

partnership, than you cant bid 2D.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[Miron]

2D, assuming it is Michaels, else 3C

 

I hope partner isn't disappointed with your ♥ support if you bid 2♦ Michaels.

Noone spoke about ♥ :-)

Depends on what Michaels you play. You can have ♠ & (♥ or ♣), or maybe another Michaels ♣ & (♠ or ♥). Hearts are just a possibility.

 

There are probably more Michaels cuebids, but I know just these two.

[pclayton]

1) 3 only ♦'s, and I could be convinced 2 is plenty. I've been hammered a few times vul in the sandwich chair holding a broken 8 bagger and it wasn't enjoyable.

 

2) 1♣. 2nd Choice: 4♣. 3rd choice: Pass.

 

3) A nice hand for an Overcall Structure overcall of 2♠. Not playing that I will content myself with 2♣.

[mcphee]

1: Sigh, annoying hand. 4D could work out rather poorly but 3D is not going to do any damage in what appears to be their hand.

 

2. No brainer to open 1C

 

3. Again a no brainer to overcall 2C

[Guest Jlall]

This is really a no brainer 1C?

 

Let's see, we have 1 defensive trick. Not to be accused of being a point counter, but yes, we still have 8 points.

 

What is the gain of 1C? Does it describe our hand? Do we really expect to bid spades cheaply at our next turn? Call me a pessimist, but I have a feeling the opponents are going to bid. Even if we are somehow able to bid spades cheaply at our next turn, does that describe our hand? Chances are we are going to be bidding a lot later on in this hand after opening. When are we going to limit our hand? What are we going to do when partner starts the Xing?

 

This is a highly modern game where opening a purely offensive 8 count at the 1 level is a no brainer.

 

I'll go with 4C. We may lose the spade suit if we have a fit there, but we will at least be describing a very offensive hand with a long club suit and not much defense. Seems good to me. We will also be preempting the opponents which also seems good.

 

5 is too much at these colors I think.

[jdonn]

1) 3♦ I guess. It probably won't hurt the opponents too badly but who knows, maybe it will cause a misunderstanding if opener doubles this. Of course, as Phil said, maybe I don't want them to have a misunderstanding and double me!

 

2) 4♣ is about what the hand is worth in terms of playing strength, but I am going to bid only 3♣ because I want to make sure someone bids over this since I plan on bidding spades next, even 4♠ if need be. Even a partner who would never bid this way will surely at least have a decent idea what my hand looks like, which is a lot more than I can say for any auction beginning with 1♣.

 

If I were just going to take one bid, 4♣. Pass is against my religion on a hand like this. My order of bids preference is 3♣ 4♣ 5♣ 1♣ 1♠ then I guess pass.

 

3) 2♣ then bid spades next. This one isn't even a problem, I won't try to get cute like on the last one.

 

Marlowe and Miron: No one in the U.S. (well I guess you can never definitively say no one, but no one I've ever met) plays 1♦ 2♦ as spades with either clubs or hearts. Everyone plays it as majors, I guarantee over 99% of pairs play it that way. If you bid 2♦ then bid spades over partner's heart bid, he will forever and ever just think you have a good hand with both majors but longer spades, like 6-5 or 7-5.

[han]

Josh, I know players in the Detroit area who play that 1D-2D shows spades and another. I agree with the 99% estimate though.

[awm]

(1) 3♦

(2) Pass. I do not subscribe to Josh's religion.

(3) With some of my regular partners, 2♦ (top+bottom, 4+♠ and 5+♣ with a decent hand). Otherwise 2♣ planning to bid spades later if possible.

[keylime]

1. 3♦, definitely. I like my suit and I don't want them to find a cheap support double. Let 'em grope.

 

2. 1♣ in standard, 2♣ in Precision. I am not passing.

 

3. 2NT, showing clubs and a major. I like my hand, and the void looks nice.