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Longest or Strongest?


Echognome

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4 feels right, even at MP.
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The answer depends upon whether I get to use pet agreements or not. LOL

 

If the answer is "No damned pets here," I go with 4D.

 

If I get to be cute...

 

After 3C-X-P, I like 3D as a Herbert Negative. This serves a number of purposes, at the cost of an occasional 4D contract or inferior major-suit 3-level escape. It gains in the following respects:

 

(1) an immediate 3H/3S is now constructive/invitational

(2) 3D, then 3NT, asks for a second club stopper (a viable option here).

(3) 3D, then 4C, is a strong major checkback (slammish), as opposed to the immediate 4C, which simply shows game-only interest.

 

There are other benefits to the one loss.

 

With this tool, I bid 3D. If partner accepts this relay (3H), I bid 3NT and respect his decision, at any form of scoring. If he declines, I take this as good news for a possible diamond slam and switch gears. 4H will be taken as RKCB for assumed diamonds (by any partner who agrees to play that 3D is a Herbert Negative).

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This is a very unusual hand, where you're put to a difficult guess. Pard seems to have some club length, making it possible that he has something like a 4423 and 5 in a major less likely.

 

I won't bid 4 because that puts all my eggs in one basket and leave pard in trouble if he does have only 2 diamonds.

 

Think I'll try 4 here. Slam is a long shot and the moysian fit rates to play well. Besides, my weak diamonds are a bad omen to play in that suit unless pard comes up with AKQ. And if pard does have something like a 5413/4513, he'd be delighted to hear 4.

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I'm bidding 4

 

I have a very powerful hand and am willing to try for slam

Unless you have special agreements, 4D isn't usually played as forcing.

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I'm bidding 4

 

I have a very powerful hand and am willing to try for slam

Unless you have special agreements, 4D isn't usually played as forcing.

It is possible that partner squeezed out a double on a 4432 12-count and may pass 4D. That is OK. Otherwise, partner will not pass and we might find slam. If partner bids 5D, I pass. I will take any 4M bid as a q-bid looking for diam slam and I will bid 5C. Since I have no trump honors, I will pass 5D and bid 6D over a second 5M q-bid.

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>It is possible that partner squeezed out a double on a 4432 12-count

 

Would most people double with that?

I thought you needed a better hand to double a 3 level bid.

More like 15 points or some corresponding shape.

 

What if the preemptors pard has a good hand? You are going to the 3 level without shape or high cards and may be done quite a few.

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ArcLight, there's a school of thought that says you should deal with 2 and 3 level preempts as if the opening had been at the 1 level.

 

Meaning, if you had a take-out double of 1, you should still make that take-out double if opps bid 3 preemptive. That's the case of your 4432 with 12 hcp. Heck, I would even double with a 4423 :)

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[hv=d=w&v=n&s=skxxhkjxdt9xxxxca]133|100|Scoring: MP

(3) - X - (P) - ?[/hv]

 

What is your bidding plan?

4, planning to pass 4M (or raise )

 

This hand has too much for a NF 4, however encouraging it may be. 3NT seems silly - it is hard to construct a hand consistent with the double where this is right. (most such hands should instead overcall 3NT)

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I don't have partner's exact hand on me, but I remember it was something like:

 

AQxx

AQxxx

x

Qxx

 

I happened to choose the game route and bid 4 then passed partner's 4. I figured that the moysian might play well with ruffs in the short hand and since that this was MP we should strive to play in 4M. Little did I know how well this would work out.

 

If you don't like partner's double (and partner himself wasn't too fond of it), then presumably you will have to find game after 3 comes back to you. Do you balance with a double or with 3? I can see getting to 4 after balancing with double. It might not be as easy after 3.

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I don't like partner's double. I'd overcall 3 or pass with that hand. Reaching 4 is pretty easy either way: either I raise or I balance with 3, over which partner bids 3 and I add a fourth.
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Playing with myself, I suppose the auction would go pass-double-4H.

 

I am not sure I would manage to pass with the 4513 hand (but I think it is right, and I would rather overcall 3H then double), but I am sure I would balance with a double, not 3D. Double has just a lot more upside.

 

Arend

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As usual after preempts, you have to think "Do I have to bid NOW?" In this case pard is probably short in clubs, so no need to rush. However, diamond shortage makes it likely pard will have 33, 42 or 24 in the majors and he might not want to double on that. So it's prolly better to make the major situation clear right now.

 

So double is pushy, but ok. Would prefer more hcp and better suits to double with this shape, but that's life.

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