Starting uncomfortably high

[jvage]

This was a funny hand from last weekends Southern Norway International, scored as butler pairs.

 

Opponents are national champions (RHO is also former European Junior Champion) and are known as aggressive bidders. Your partner is also a national champion. You don't play together regularly, but when it comes to style he had preferred a more conservative style than me on the only earlier board where this had been an issue.

 

You are in fourth hand at unfavourable, and all hopes of an uninterupted, long and scientific sequence are soon shattered:

LHO Pard RHO You

3♣ 3♥ 5♣ ?

 

AKQJ2

AJ73

83

AK

 

Now what?

 

John

[mike777]

This was a funny hand from last weekends Southern Norway International, scored as butler pairs.

 

Opponents are national champions (RHO is also former European Junior Champion) and are known as aggressive bidders. Your partner is also a national champion. You don't play together regularly, but when it comes to style he had preferred a more conservative style than me on the only earlier board where this had been an issue.

 

You are in fourth hand at unfavourable, and all hopes of an uninterupted, long and scientific sequence are soon shattered:

LHO  Pard  RHO  You

3♣  3♥  5♣  ?

 

AKQJ2

AJ73

83

AK

 

Now what?

 

John

I guess our aggressive partner will never have KQ of hearts and A or AK of diamonds for their 3H unfav. call. I can only assume 5H has no play.

[ochinko]

Since I have the excuse that I should bid conservatively, I will only go to 6♥, not 7.

 

Yes, I could start with 6♣, but that will only give opps a chance to find a better lead.

[P_Marlowe]

6C, if he bids 6D bid 7H.

If he bids 6H pass.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[Finch]

The problem with 6C is that I don't think it forces partner to cue the ace of diamonds if he holds it; with a minimum 3H overcall he should probably be allowed to sign off.

 

There's a serious risk that partner has a red 2-suiter and we are off the ace of diamonds. But the chances are that we have 13 tricks.

 

To be honest, I think I would just bid 7NT. While it's possible we are making more tricks in hearts than NT, it's also possible that we are off the ace of diamonds and I'd rather have LHO on lead (give partner 10x KQxxxx KQxxx - say and watch LHO squirm after 7NT P P x).

[whereagles]

5♦ (lead-inhibiting psyche), followed by 7♥.

[mikegill]

I can't imagine not bidding 7n. I can't find out what I need to know, and I might make this even if we're off an A.

[Finch]

5♦ (lead-inhibiting psyche), followed by 7♥.

Sadly the dummy appears in 5D

[whereagles]

5♦ (lead-inhibiting psyche), followed by 7♥.

Sadly the dummy appears in 5D

you jealous of my brilliant bid?? ;)

[han]

I like the 7NT bid.

[SoTired]

7N seems right to me. Even if partner does not have the ♦A, RHO may have it and LHO has to guess which suit to lead.

[jdonn]

5♦ (lead-inhibiting psyche), followed by 7♥.

This auction says to any good opponent "please lead a diamond". Since if you were always jumping to a grand they start to wonder why you cuebid first. Like gee, his partner didn't cuebid clubs in return and he jumped to 7, hmmmmm. I have to admit you could use game theory in this, like on this hand bidding 5♠ then 7♥ to make it look like you want a spade lead, but in practice this is extremely rare.

 

I would mind much less if you just jumped to a grand and gave away no information at all ;)

[mikeh]

The problem with 6C is that I don't think it forces partner to cue the ace of diamonds if he holds it; with a minimum 3H overcall he should probably be allowed to sign off.

 

There's a serious risk that partner has a red 2-suiter and we are off the ace of diamonds. But the chances are that we have 13 tricks.

 

To be honest, I think I would just bid 7NT. While it's possible we are making more tricks in hearts than NT, it's also possible that we are off the ace of diamonds and I'd rather have LHO on lead (give partner 10x KQxxxx KQxxx - say and watch LHO squirm after 7NT P P x).

Frances beat me to it: 7N seems clear.. if we are off the ♦A, then we still rate to have 13 winners (he has to hold 6+♥s if he is rational and lacks the ♦A) so long as they don't lead a ♦.

 

I actually feel so good about this that I'd redouble if RHO doubled... I think the imp odds make that a sensible call.... plus it is a good story even when I'm wrong... but I won't redouble if LHO doubles ;)

[whereagles]

5♦ (lead-inhibiting psyche), followed by 7♥.

This auction says to any good opponent "please lead a diamond". Since if you were always jumping to a grand they start to wonder why you cuebid first. Like gee, his partner didn't cuebid clubs in return and he jumped to 7, hmmmmm. I have to admit you could use game theory in this, like on this hand bidding 5♠ then 7♥ to make it look like you want a spade lead, but in practice this is extremely rare.

 

I would mind much less if you just jumped to a grand and gave away no information at all :D

jd, this is double-double crossing :) Next time I do the same with

 

AKQJx

AJxx

Ax

xx

 

and they lead... a diamond B)

[Fluffy]

I was thinking if 7♥ or 7NT (7♠ is kinda lead directing) was a better contrract, just whoom do you think it is more likelly to hold the ♦A? B)

[gwnn]

duh. i'll bid 6♣ and leave the -15 IMP's for the others.

 

B) chickin gwnn

[jdonn]

jd, this is double-double crossing :D Next time I do the same with

 

AKQJx

AJxx

Ax

xx

 

and they lead... a diamond B)

Ha, people SAY they will do that, but they never ever do. All they ever do is either psych the cuebid in the weak suit, or just jump to the grand and make them guess completely. Because frankly, few people are willing to look that foolish, especially since there are so many players who will automatically lead the ace of their own suit regardless of the auction.

[han]

but I won't redouble if LHO doubles B)

Hell no, they might run!

[cherdano]

5♦ (lead-inhibiting psyche), followed by 7♥.

This auction says to any good opponent "please lead a diamond". Since if you were always jumping to a grand they start to wonder why you cuebid first. Like gee, his partner didn't cuebid clubs in return and he jumped to 7, hmmmmm. I have to admit you could use game theory in this, like on this hand bidding 5♠ then 7♥ to make it look like you want a spade lead, but in practice this is extremely rare.

 

I would mind much less if you just jumped to a grand and gave away no information at all :)

Well, once you bring game theory into it I will content that any serious opponents have an agreement what suit a lead-directing double of 7N after this auction asks for B)

[Guest Jlall]

I bet i'd have bid 7H at the table, but 7N is nice

[gwnn]

Well, once you bring game theory into it I will content that any serious opponents have an agreement what suit a lead-directing double of 7N after this auction asks for B)

Duh, that's easy, you just ask "does the double of 7NT ask for a diamond lead?"

[Foxx]

7♥, with 7NT a close second choice.

 

Even if my blast catches RHO with the ♦A, we might be able to make him fear that if led it will get ruffed.

[jvage]

Given as a problem it should come as no surprise that the ♦A was missing. My guess is 7NT will be laydown about 95% of the time, and I did not expect partner to cue the diamond Ace with his known minimum. I decided that if we really missed the Ace it was more likely with RHO, and it is fun to bid 7NT as your first bid after both opponents have bid :P

 

This board changed the luck for us, on a clublead there were 13 toptricks even if the spades had not broken (partner had 7 hearts). We had a difficult start on the tournament (49 of 52 after 5 rounds, when opponents had bid everything that made), but finished second, only beaten by my 2 regular partners who had paired up.

 

In the bar after play there were some discussions on wether RHO should double with the ♦A. At the moment I did not understand why he did not double (I knew he had the A before the lead, fortunately his partner did not notice his slightly surprised look). In practice a club was led, RHO's argument for not doubling was that partner should never lead a club here anyway. That also makes sense, does anyone have any opinions on this issue?

 

John

[Finch]

In the bar after play there were some discussions on wether RHO should double with the ♦A. At the moment I did not understand why he did not double (I knew he had the A before the lead, fortunately his partner did not notice his slightly surprised look). In practice a club was led, RHO's argument for not doubling was that partner should never lead a club here anyway. That also makes sense, does anyone have any opinions on this issue?

 

John

I was vaguely thinking about this yesterday.

Double of 7NT should mean one of three things:

 

1. It's going off whatever you lead

2. I have an ace in spades or diamonds, please guess right

3. Please lead a heart, dummy's first bid suit

 

Whatever double means, it certainly asks for a non-club lead. But I don't agree with "partner should never lead a club here anyway". With a solid sequence the last thing partner wants to do is pick up your holding in a side suit so is quite likely to lead a club.

 

Meaning 2. above is the most likely to come up at the table.

Meaning 3. is probably the "systemic" meaning of the double, but you might decide that you don't believe it very likely declarer has 13 tricks without hearts.