dizzy heights

[Guest Jlall]

you hold a mundane Kxxx KJx T8xx xx white white at imps. Things get interesting when partner opens 4S and RHO bids 4N. You try 5S, LHO bids 7D, passed around to you.

 

1) Do you agree with 5S?

2) What do you do now?

 

If you want a read on LHO, he tends to overbid rather than underbid in these situations, but he's not crazy and is in general a very capable player.

[Apollo81]

I pass and hope a round-suit king is offside.

 

5♠ seems fine.

[mike777]

1) pass 4s

2) pass now

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

it would also be good to know, how weak your 4S

can be. And who is sitting in the shoes of LHO on the

other table.

 

You can choose between 7S, X and pass, if you dont

want to pass, X is better than 7S (in case it is agreed),

because, it gets partner involved.

 

If you bid 7S, you rate to go down -5 at most, i.e. 1100,

if they bid 6D on the other table or 6S you loose at most

300.

 

Throw a dice, this time I will pass.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

 

 

PS: I agree with 5S.

[mikeh]

I agree with 5♠... take away the easy cue-bid and make them guess as to level.

 

As to what to do now....

 

My own experience biases me: I usually talk myself into passing on the rationale that I have forced them to guess and by saving I am betting that they guessed right. If I am going to assume they usually guess right, then maybe I should have done something else (what that might have been escapes me). So, in the few occasions this type of problem has arisen, I usually pass.... and my experience has been dreadful.

 

But surely my logic (or is it merely cowardly rationalization) has to work sometime... I am going to hope that either my ♥ honours come into play or partner has a useful ♣ holding.

 

If this turns out to be wrong, well, maybe next time in real life I will finally get the hint: save, save, save!

[inquiry]

And who is sitting in the shoes of LHO on the

other table.

i was

[cherdano]

I would have bid 5S and will pass now. However, I have no idea what is right and would be very curious about the opinion of players who have played really many boards in their lifetime.

 

Arend

[Free]

1. Obviously depends on style...

2. I'll pass.

[hrothgar]

1. I'm torn between 5♠ and pass. Sometimes supressing a fit makes it more difficult for the opponents to evaluate their hands. Even so, at the table I suspect that I'd bid 5♠.

 

2. I find double strangely attractive. The opponents seem to be prepared for a Spade lead. A Heart might cause them some trouble. Then again, I might be reading too much into the fact that you posed the question to beging with...

 

3. In retrospect, maybe I should have bid 5♥ as a lead directing raise in Spades...

[fred]

I am not sure what I would do over 4NT - lots of possibilities (including some interesting psychs).

 

I am pretty sure I would bid 7S now. Most people don't jump to a grand slam unless they think they are making it. There is nothing about my hand that makes me think we are going to be able to win a trick on defense. Meanwhile 7S could well go down less than the value of small slam and it is certainly going to be a good save against a grand slam (assuming the are making it).

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

[skjaeran]

Over 4NT there's several possibilities; pass, 5♠, 5♥ for the lead or some psyche. Nothing is "correct", and it's just guesswork what would work in practise.

 

I'd surely bid 7♠ now. I really expect opps to make their grand after this bidding.

[SoTired]

If I am having a good or unknown game, then 7S because:

 

If 6D is the right contract, everybody will sac at 6SX, so 7SX is only -200 off the norm.

But -1540 is way off the norm and will result in disastrous IMP loss.

 

So we are risking giving up a good gain to prevent a disastrous loss.

 

If we are having a known poor game, I would pass or maybe even double, hoping for an opp disaster to save our game.

[Guest Jlall]

My own feelings about the second decision were that...

 

A) LHO is a very heavy favorite to have first round spade control since his length can't be long enough to "know" partner has a void. Given that, LHO probably has a void.

 

B ) LHO will have longer diamonds than clubs as he didn't give his partner a choice of minors by bidding 6S.

 

C) LHO can have at most 4 diamonds given that I have 4 and RHO has 5 presumably.

 

D) This leaves LHO with 0 spades, 4 diamonds, and at most 3 clubs. So he has at least 6 hearts (This would explain why he wasn't afraid partner had clubs and diamonds).

 

E) This construction means my heart holding is terrible, and partner is a strong favorite to hold a diamond void meaning we can take a lot of tricks, most likely going -800 and on a really good day -500.

 

F) If partner had the club ace he probably would double to stop me from bidding.

 

All in all it felt right to save. As suspected dummy was 0742 and the opponents were on a heart hook for the grand which was onside. We did go -800. There was a twist though, partner had a stiff diamond! RHO had made a strange bid with 1246. Just goes to show you never totally know what's going on :)

[Fluffy]

My thoughts are LHO can't know if his partner has minors or hearts and a minor, therefore the 7 can't be very sound, I'll pass and hope the best from my ♥KJ

 

5♠ is as good bid as any other, best psycke is probably a double.

[inquiry]

We did go -800. There was a twist though, partner had a stiff diamond! RHO had made a strange bid with 1246. Just goes to show you never totally know what's going on :)

The auction at our table was even more problematic for me... I held somethiong like...

 

S-

H-AQ98xxx

D-AQ9x

C-xx

 

The bidding to me was quite different...

 

(4♠)-5♣-(5♠-6♣

(pass)-Pass-6♠--?

 

I had failed to bid a seven card heart suit, it is not clear to partner that 6♣ was bid to make, it is not clear to me we do not have a club loser as 5♣ does not under-write a solid suit. 7 of either minor rolls home, but here I doubled (would you have bid 7♣, serioiusly?). When I bid 6♣ I fully expected them to bid 6♠ (so no need to double 5♠ even if 6♣ is off one), I wonder if a tatical 7♣ was called for? If RHO had a club trick, I surely would not get away with that!! So for justins good bid of 7♠ he lost 7 imps, but saved a bucketfull compared to pass.

[Finch]

B ) LHO will have longer diamonds than clubs as he didn't give his partner a choice of minors by bidding 6S.

 

C) LHO can have at most 4 diamonds given that I have 4 and RHO has 5 presumably.

 

D) This leaves LHO with 0 spades, 4 diamonds, and at most 3 clubs. So he has at least 6 hearts (This would explain why he wasn't afraid partner had clubs and diamonds).

I like this logic.

 

p.s. I would bid 5S over 4NT. I don't see the point of 5H "for the lead"; it gives LHO the chance to cue 5S and it's not obvious partner will be on lead anyway.

[mike777]

Good post, I am surprised by the number of people sacking against a grand slam. I assume this was shortish Imp match and not a long knockout. A grandslam that involves a bit of a guess as opposed to full science and a finesse.

 

I always thought that once you make them take the final guess, esp at the 7 level, you leave well enough alone. I see many great players disagree with that general theory.

[pclayton]

Fun hand in a fun match :) I was Justin's LHO.

 

I love my 7♦ call. Pard's 4N was pretty bizarre, although its about the only vehicle to get us to this grand.

 

If he overcalls 5♣, I suppose it goes 5♠ - 6♥ - swish, but you still might sac.

[pclayton]

We did go -800. There was a twist though, partner had a stiff diamond! RHO had made a strange bid with 1246. Just goes to show you never totally know what's going on :)

The auction at our table was even more problematic for me... I held somethiong like...

 

S-

H-AQ98xxx

D-AQ9x

C-xx

 

The bidding to me was quite different...

 

(4♠)-5♣-(5♠-6♣

(pass)-Pass-6♠--?

 

I had failed to bid a seven card heart suit, it is not clear to partner that 6♣ was bid to make, it is not clear to me we do not have a club loser as 5♣ does not under-write a solid suit. 7 of either minor rolls home, but here I doubled (would you have bid 7♣, serioiusly?). When I bid 6♣ I fully expected them to bid 6♠ (so no need to double 5♠ even if 6♣ is off one), I wonder if a tatical 7♣ was called for? If RHO had a club trick, I surely would not get away with that!! So for justins good bid of 7♠ he lost 7 imps, but saved a bucketfull compared to pass.

I didn't love your 6♣ call, but I suppose its practical. 5N is OK too I think, but I'd probably show my 7 bagger.

 

I thought you had a clear FP over 6♠.