Under pressure

[Edmunte1]

IMP's, dealer V, vul. --- , and you hold as South:

 

♠ ------

♥ Q108632

♦ A102

♣ AQ102

 

and bidding goes

 

V ----- N ----- E ----- S

2♠---pass ---4♠----?

 

2♠ -weak two. Your turn

[mike777]

Pass no problem yet, we are vul, yes?

[brianshark]

I can't decipher the vulnerability. What's it meant to be?

 

I think I'm bidding 5♥.

[gwnn]

Brian: it's NV/NV.

 

Edi: I bid 4NT, just in case p has a few clubs.

[whereagles]

Dbl, though 5♥ could easily be the right move.

 

I find pass wimpish :blink:

[pbleighton]

I'm a wimp, I pass. The hand's just not good enough. Preempts sometimes work.

 

Peter

[brianshark]

Strange. I think 5♥ is obvious, at all vulnerabilities and forms of scoring, and that Dbl, Pass and 4NT aren't even close. *shrugs*

[dake50]

Can partner have S??? HAKx + (DKQxxx OR CKxxxx) and not have bid? Or reasonably close? Slam on opposite a reasonable minimum = must try.

I gotta bid 5H, H-fit needed even if 5C is best.

[Tola18]

They being nonvulnerable makes sharp preemts more frequent. Ie the likelyhood of us sitting on the points is big.

Ie one more argument against passing.

 

I will probably bid 5H.

[HeartA]

Another 4NT bidder here.

[pclayton]

I pass, but I'm willing to listen.

[mikeh]

close decision, and whether I'd bid at the table depends on mood: am I playing as if the glass is half-empty or half-full? I find that I do MUCH better, as a rule, being aggressive, but my natural mode is conservative (yes, I know what that implies about my results :) )

 

I would not choose 4N under any circumstances: that is the way to find a 4-3 fit. Partner likely has 2-3♠s (he may have 4 or even 5... in which case RHO was bidding on power, not shape, and we are heading for disaster anyway) and with 3=4=3=3, his correct bid is his better minor.. indeed, with 3=5=2=3, his correct bid is 5♣. He will only bid 5♦ if his ♦s are better than his ♣s AND he prefers ♥s to ♣s.

 

I'd rather play a 6-2 ♥ fit than a 4-3 ♣ fit. I'll give up on a 4=4 or 4=5 ♣ fit and hope for 6-3♥s, if I am to bid.

 

I expect to scramble some tricks in ♥ even on a bad day: but -5 is not impossible and -1100 against 450 or 420 is not good. -1100 against +50 (when partner's only tricks are in ♠s) is even worse. But +980 against +100 looks good... give partner Jxx AKxx Kxx Jxx and we may be +1010!... and why would he bid with that hand, either over 2♠ or 4♠ passed back to him?

 

What should, I think, tip the scales is that 5♥ has more ways to win than it has to lose. It may win by leading to a cold slam. It may win by leading to 5♥ making. 5♥ may be a good save. 5♥ may force the opps to 5♠, going down, perhaps even doubled. As against that, it may go for a number or it may lead to a small loss when 4♠ was going down a small amount.

 

So in Heat One: 5♥. Most of the time, a cowardly pass, ready to wimper to partner 'I almost bid 5♥' B)

[Edmunte1]

[hv=d=w&v=n&n=sjxhjdkjxxcjxxxxx&w=sakxxxxhxxxdxxxxc&e=sqxxxxhakxdqxckxx&s=shq10xxxxda10xcaq10x]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

This was the full hand. So acting was the good decision this time. Even if you bid

5♥ and go down one, or you bid something else (4nt) and reach the great club contract, you will still score well, considering that 4♠ make.

[the hog]

OK, regardless of the vul, passing is impossible. If you pass hands like this you may as well lie over and die! The opps will rob you blind. What to bid is a different story. 5H, 4NT and X come to mind. X is the most flexible and that is what I choose, closely followed by 5H.

[Tola18]

This was the full hand. So acting was the good decision this time. Even if you bid

5♥ and go down one,

As I can see 5H can be made with some luck - provide you guess right in diamonds. The club-finesse is given. And it is apparent rightie has majority of the points.

 

3 spade ruffs with small hearts, 3 semibig hearts to draw out trumphs. And the rest can be played without trumph.

 

This providing opps play the natural play of playing on spades.

 

With open cards they CAN set by switch with clubs... :D

So here we see an additional plus with bidding 5H: Rightie cant know my club holding. But if I D or bid 4NT, and after it get into 5H, a club swich is mandatory.

 

 

 

One of the occasions when a single Kn is almost as good as an ace... ;)

[gwnn]

This was the full hand. So acting was the good decision this time. Even if you bid

5♥ and go down one,

As I can see 5H can be made - provide you guess right in diamonds. The club-finesse is given. One of the occasions when a single Kn is almost as good as an ace... :D

3 spade ruffs with small hearts, 3 semibig hearts to draw out trumphs. And the rest can be played without trumph.

And provided that defense is incapable (or unwilling?) of finding their ♣ ruff, despite given 2 opportunities.

[Tola18]

And provided that defense is incapable (or unwilling?) of finding their ♣ ruff, despite given 2 opportunities.

Why? If their plan is to try to kill of my trumphs he wont switch, he CANT switch, but must proceed to play on spades.

 

He doesnt know anything about my club lengh.

 

Of course declarer must have some luck, but I have seen worse defender mistakes done by decent players.