This Happened to me Today

[Cascade]

Dealer: North Vul: None Scoring: IMP ♠ 6 ♥ AKQT652 ♦ J65 ♣ 64

 

West North East South

 

 -     1♣    1♥    Pass

 1♠    2♣    3♠    Pass

 Pass  Pass  

 

 

Would you bid at any point?

 

This was a real hand from practice. Our friends GIB were bidding the E/W cards in a partnership bidding room.

[jillybean]

Would you bid at any point?

no. Partner has shown a min and 5,6♣, if GIB can be trusted partner likely has 3,4♠ and it looks better to defend.

[Blofeld]

I think the problem is that partner isn't really showing a minimum, Kathryn. A minimum is usually happy to pass. Partner's bid primarily shows good clubs, but I think it could be up to about a 17 count.

 

I might double 3♠. But probably I'd just pass.

[helene_t]

3NT or double. Not sure if it will be easier for p than for me to make the right decision. If I double he might bid 3NT with a void hearts or 4♣ with something like Ax in spades.

[Gpm_bg]

strange rebid after 1♥. the player ( or GIB ) with ♥AKQ... and etc. bid 3♠?

is it autocuebid, althought the partner bid natural spades ? :)

[hatchett]

I bid 4♥ over 3♠.

[jillybean]

I think the problem is that partner isn't really showing a minimum, Kathryn. A minimum is usually happy to pass.

Ah, you havent played with me enough ;)

 

If my partner is at the top of the range for a min I'd expect a 2♦ bid. I dont think we have a good fit anywhere, I pass.

[helene_t]

4♥ could be the winning bid. I could use partner's clubs for a ruffing finese.

[awm]

I'd bid 4♥. If opponents were passing on this hand and partner opened 1♣ and rebid 2♣, wouldn't you bid 4♥? Doesn't it seem like a big position to decide to defend an undoubled partscore on a hand where you would normally bid game expecting to make, just because of the opponents bidding? Who believes opponents bidding anyway?

 

It's easy to envision partner holding something like:

 

xxx

x

AQx

AKxxxx

 

where game is pretty easy to make. In fact partner's hand could even be better than this -- he did make a free rebid of 2♣ in an auction where both opponents were bidding and we showed nothing in the way of values.

[Cascade]

If you bid 4♥ is it certain partner will think this is natural to play?

[pclayton]

I'd be certain 4♥ it would be to play, but I'd be less certain that I could make it. Give pard a void heart, and you have to pick up the rest of the hand for a max of 1 loser.

 

Partner has at least 6 clubs, and probably 3 spades. Diamonds haven't been bid by either opponent. The room for a single heart is dwindling fast.

 

RHO overcalled on a Jack-high suit, and then makes a jump raise. Come to think of it, even 8 tricks in hearts our way might be a challenge.

[fred]

If you bid 4♥ is it certain partner will think this is natural to play?

I think so.

 

If you pass the first time and make a strong-sounding bid at the 4-level the second time you must have a trap pass of 1H as well as a good hand. If you have such a hand and if you do not want to play in 4H you can find another call (like 5C, 4S, or even 4D with a strong partner).

 

I believe strongly in the "if an undiscussed bid can be natural it is natural" principle.

 

I would bid 4H, but I am not quite as confident as some of the other posters. If partner has a heart void and/or wasted values in spades 4H does not rate to succeed and it could play quite badly. Pass is the only other choice in my view. Partner will not get the picture if I double (or bid 3NT). He won't get the picture if I pass either, but our chances of avoiding a ridiculous result are better that way.

 

For me partner's 2C doesn't mean much more than that he has a strong 6+ card club suit (ie he wants to compete). He could have some extra high card strength, of course, but if he has as much as the 17 HCP that one poster suggested he will usually bid more than 2C (3C, 2NT, or 2D if he has 4).

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com