What do you bid?

[pclayton]

I've been watching this post for a few days without commenting. I tend to pass 4333's with less than a full 15 unless I have great intermediates or a good 4 bagger. Sometimes I get shut out but 4333s need to defend. KJxx isnt a good reason to overcall. Why should I dissuade pard from leading from 5 good diamonds, and why should tip off which is likely a 2 way guess in the heart suit?

 

I dont get upset about the results here. You either take initial action with these hands or you doUnt. Until I start showing a big net loss, I'll continue to make the pass and live with the outcome, but my personal experience is that acting initially with these hands is not sound, unless I have mitigating reasons to bid.

[Fluffy]

I've been watching this post for a few days without commenting. I tend to pass 4333's with less than a full 15 unless I have great intermediates or a good 4 bagger. Sometimes I get shut out but 4333s need to defend. KJxx isnt a good reason to overcall. Why should I dissuade pard from leading from 5 good diamonds, and why should tip off which is likely a 2 way guess in the heart suit?

 

I dont get upset about the results here. You either take initial action with these hands or you doUnt. Until I start showing a big net loss, I'll continue to make the pass and live with the outcome, but my personal experience is that acting initially with these hands is not sound, unless I have mitigating reasons to bid.

I hate to defend with 4333, all their suits break perfectly :P

 

My book says pass, then I know everyone on a field around here will double, so on MP I would be forced to double or I could play a different contract than anyone else.

 

On IMPs I'll pass.

[Winstonm]

I used to pass these hands routinely, but as the game speeded up and became more aggressive, I found that there was a slight advantage in taking the risk of doubling with these hand types when you hold a solid 14 count. Doubling is very much the safest action as it is the most flexible and allows playing in 1D, 1H, or 1S verses a 1N overcall which is easier to double.

 

Having made the double, I would treat this as a minimum hand and not bid again unless partner made a forcing bid (unlikely).

[dake50]

1NT, owe a point, esp 3433.

[Double !]

I know I might be totally alone on this, but one of my preferences (toys) is to play 13-16 1NT overcalls, not vul. It helps to solve problems such as the given hand for this thread, it takes pressure of of partner should partner somehow wind up in a balancing position, it puts some pressure on lho (especially if not knowing how light his partner might open), and it makes life easier for partner to compete. What to do next if I initially pass and the bidding goes something like 1C-P-1S-p-1NT-? Now the opps have gotten the first shot in, and rho has made a relatively descriptive and limited rebid, so the opp's have some idea about how high they can go. Picking a lead will also be fun.

 

Have I gotten burned playing this range of overcall? A few times, not as much as one might anticipate, especially when we have runouts. The negative inferences from the fact that one did not overcall 1NT can also be useful.

 

DHL

 

Best wishes to everyone.

[cherdano]

I've been watching this post for a few days without commenting. I tend to pass 4333's with less than a full 15 unless I have great intermediates or a good 4 bagger. Sometimes I get shut out but 4333s need to defend. KJxx isnt a good reason to overcall. Why should I dissuade pard from leading from 5 good diamonds, and why should tip off which is likely a 2 way guess in the heart suit?

I agree with all this; I would just add that I would routinely double with a similar hand that has no wastage in clubs, e.g. if you swap the black suits in the problem hand.