three high level decisions

[flytoox]

1. Vul.:None Sitting at north you are dealt:

S: X

H: AQXX

D: KXXX

C: AXXX.

 

Playing precision so you open 1D. East overcalls 1S, pd comes in with

4D, West follows with 4S. With a shapely 1444, you bid 5D. East bid 5S,

pass, pass to you.

 

What is your choice?

 

2. Vul.: None. Sitting south you hold:

S: KQ932

H: A932

D: Q82

C: A

 

W N E S

------- 2H 2S

3H 4H 5H ?

 

2H is natural, weak. 4H shows a good raise.

 

What is yoru choice?

 

3. Vul.: None, you hold

S: K9432

H: AJXX

D: T9X

C:X

 

W N E S

3D! X P 4S

5C 5D P ?

 

3D= unspecified one minor suit preempt. north's dbl is T/O. West's 5C

shows that he holds long clubs. So pd's 5D should be natrual.

 

What do you bid now?

 

Hongjun

[pclayton]

1. Vul.:None Sitting at north you are dealt:

S: X

H: AQXX

D: KXXX

C: AXXX.

 

Playing precision so you open 1D. East overcalls 1S, pd comes in with

4D, West follows with 4S. With a shapely 1444, you bid 5D. East bid 5S,

pass, pass to you.

 

What is your choice?

 

2. Vul.: None. Sitting south you hold:

S: KQ932

H: A932

D: Q82

C: A

 

W N E S

------- 2H 2S

3H 4H 5H ?

 

2H is natural, weak. 4H shows a good raise.

 

What is yoru choice?

 

3. Vul.: None, you hold

S: K9432

H: AJXX

D: T9X

C:X

 

W N E S

3D! X P 4S

5C 5D P ?

 

3D= unspecified one minor suit preempt. north's dbl is T/O. West's 5C

shows that he holds long clubs. So pd's 5D should be natrual.

 

What do you bid now?

 

Hongjun

1. Pass. I'm not doubling for -1, when it might just make. 6♦ looks very expensive; pard should 7 diamonds and maybe another card.

 

2. 6♠. My A♥ is probably hitting a void. The way I play, pard doesn't have the ♦AK, otherwise I'd hear 4♦ not 4♥. Still all I need is the ♠A and a ♦card to have a shot at this.

 

3. Pass.

[cherdano]

1. Pass.

 

2. I make a forcing pass. If partner pulls to 5♠, I will bid 6, but I will respect his double. My reason is that the value of partner's heart void depends a lot on his trump length. With 3 trumps he will double despite a heart void, which works well for me.

 

3. I abstain. Is partner's 5♦ is natural, then he should have bid a natural 4♦ a round earlier. Even if double is takeout of an unspecified minor (instead of takeout of diamonds), 5♦ should still be a cuebid.

(At least opponents are as weird as we are. What's the point of an unspecified minor preempt at the 3-level with a hand that can bid to the 5-level on its own -- other than benefitting from opponent's unfamiliarity with the method??)

[cherdano]

2. 6♠. My A♥ is probably hitting a void. The way I play, pard doesn't have the ♦AK, otherwise I'd hear 4♦ not 4♥. Still all I need is the ♠A and a ♦card to have a shot at this.

On this one I am surprised by your comments, Phil.

- Why does 4♥ deny ♦AK? IMO 4♦ is absolutely necessary as a natural bid searching for the best strain. And no, you can't always fake it on ♦AKx if you get too high when partner actually raises you.

- ♠A and a diamond card is only good enough for a shot at slam if partner has enough trumps. (But I agree it will be difficult to find out whether partner has enough for slam.)

[gwnn]

Pass, X (I like 6S, but I'm a little afraid. This should go for minus 3 at least, which is not that bad), Pass

[ulven]

1) Double. If this makes, I've been there before. Only alternative is pass which I wouldn't critizise. Reason for doubling is that partner may have bits and pieces or a non-spade singleton which he will lead and 5S will be at least two down. RHO bid 4S under pressure and may have a variety of hands (maybe king of H). I get good odds for double although the warranty is limited :)

 

2) Pass. Sit for double, raise 5S.

 

3) 6D. Sure this may be wrong. But partner has shown a strong hand with long diamonds and I have a lot of help. An ace, a king, three trumps and shortness in clubs. Just an example Ax/Kx/AKQxxxx/xx.

Main problem is if partners diamonds aren't solid as our LHO may have void or if other void, lead to ruff and club A. (Why didn't he open 5C if prepared to solo-bid??)

[P_Marlowe]

1) Pass

2) Pass, forcing

3) Pass

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[Guest Jlall]

1) Pass. I don't think we can make a slam, and I have sufficient defense not to be saving.

 

2) 6S. I have a great hand.

 

3) 6D. Not really sure what pard has shown but I have a good fit and great controls.

[Apollo81]

1. pass

2. 6♠

3. 6♦ if partner could have bid a natural 4♦ over the preempt; pass if partner could have been doubling to show a 3♦ overcall of 3♣. 6♦ if not sure.

[pclayton]

2. 6♠. My A♥ is probably hitting a void. The way I play, pard doesn't have the ♦AK, otherwise I'd hear 4♦ not 4♥. Still all I need is the ♠A and a ♦card to have a shot at this.

On this one I am surprised by your comments, Phil.

- Why does 4♥ deny ♦AK? IMO 4♦ is absolutely necessary as a natural bid searching for the best strain. And no, you can't always fake it on ♦AKx if you get too high when partner actually raises you.

Arend, I play 4♦ as fitted here. Sure it doesn't deny ♦AK or ♦AKx, but it should deny ♦AKxx or longer. Added to the fact partner probably has some diamond length spells that we have a probably have a hole in the ♦suit, and I don't want to invite a grand opposite a FP or 6♣ especially with my duplicated heart values.

[Halo]

Double

6S

6D

 

I see the the world is out of step on number 1 (never mind! it's what I wrote fown before I read the rest).

 

I like some of the suggestions on number two, but I'm inclined to keep it simple.

 

If partner hasn't got a slam hand on number 3, I think that's it's his misbid not mine.

[Codo]

1. Double, maybe I have enough in my hand to beat it, maybe pd has a trick. I don´t want him to compete further.

 

2. 6 Spade

 

3. 5 Heart. If 5 Diamond was natural, his hand was too strong to bid diamonds direct, so he must have a huge hand. I will cooperate with my control. If 5 Diamond was a cuebid, I better bid 5 HEart too.

[keylime]

1. Pass. Doubling is scary here when diamond trick may not be cashing and uncertain location about the heart king. Not going to hang partner for jacking up the bidding.

 

2. I'm bidding slam asap. This is a hand where a forcing pass is going to steer pard wrong more often than on. I'm expecting my heart A to be opposite a void and the opps not realizing that a diamond out might be the killing lead. Let 'em guess.

 

3. 6D for me. I got a nice hand for pard who's come in on his own at the level. Short club, three trumps, and controls in the major. Not too bad.

[dake50]

1. 6D opps save if its close.

2. Good raise has A+K +DJ= 6S.

3. Overheated already, so get lucky in 6D.

[civill]

1,pass for nothing

2,pass for ♦ suit;

3,5♥ for ♥A;