Swan Song

[Echognome]

[hv=d=n&v=n&s=sa972h2d2ckq75432]133|100|Scoring: IMP

1♠ - (P) - ?[/hv]

 

Partner opens 1♠. You are playing a fairly vanilla 2/1. What's your bid and what's your plan?

[mike777]

ya 2c.

 

yes you can post hands where this loses.

[Codo]

I guess I have a spade fit, so 5 Club exclusion would not be my first coice. :)

 

I go with 2 ♣ intending to support spades later. And yes this is of course at least a gf. And no, I do not like 2 NT with hands like this.

[Dwingo]

Show Support with Support. Limit raise, whatever it is in your methods ( your flavour of bergen, etc).

 

This downside of bidding 2C - looking at your hand, there is a good chance your LHO is going to bump you with a 4D or 4H bid and then it will be very difficult to convince partner that you indeed have a 4 card S fit with your 4S bid.

[Walddk]

Show Support with Support. Limit raise, whatever it is in your methods ( your flavour of bergen, etc).

A limit raise? Sorry, but I think it's poor judgement if you think 3♠ is the right spot should partner sign off. 2♣, 2NT and a red splinter are all reasonable. Some must support when they have four; my view is that 2♣ is the best description before I support spades.

 

Finally, I am not concerned about what LHO does regarding the red suits. I have nothing to be ashamed of when I bid 4♠ over his 4red.

 

Roland

[hrothgar]

Show Support with Support. Limit raise, whatever it is in your methods ( your flavour of bergen, etc).

A limit raise? Sorry, but I think it's poor judgement if you think 3♠ is the right spot should partner sign off. 2♣, 2NT and a red splinter are all reasonable. Some must support when they have four; my view is that 2♣ is the best description before I support spades.

 

Finally, I am not concerned about what LHO does regarding the red suits. I have nothing to be ashamed of when I bid 4♠ over his 4red.

 

Roland

what he said

[ycos]

1♠- 2♣

any - i bid♠ at minimum level(2 or 3)

 

1♠-2NT( i like to play voids @ 4 level )

if partner bid 3♣-3♦

if partner bid 4♣-4♠

[P_Marlowe]

2C, followed by 3S, which should start

a slam auction.

I may reconsider, if partner plays a dead

man, e.g. he limits himself, saying he holds

a weak NT, in which case I would sign of

in 4S.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[Dwingo]

OK, I agree there is a problem if you play 3S as limit raise as it can get passed out.

 

That is not the case if you are playing Bergen raises. If partner retreats to 3S with a minimum, nothing prevents us from taking control and bidding further.

 

 

Unfortunately the only Game forcing 4 card raise in 2/1 is the Jacoby 2NT and I feel Jacoby2NT seems unsuitable for this hand. Splintering at 4D/4H seems OK, but which suit are you going to splinter in?

 

To avoid this, Bergen raises can come to you rescue.

[kenrexford]

2♣ for me. I'm not that concerned that partner might not read my spade length properly -- I might want to play this in clubs anyway.

[Codo]

OK, I agree there is a problem if you play 3S as limit raise as it can get passed out.

 

That is not the case if you are playing Bergen raises. If partner retreats to 3S with a minimum, nothing prevents us from taking control and bidding further.

 

 

Unfortunately the only Game forcing 4 card raise in 2/1 is the Jacoby 2NT and I feel Jacoby2NT seems unsuitable for this hand. Splintering at 4D/4H seems OK, but which suit are you going to splinter in?

 

To avoid this, Bergen raises can come to you rescue.

I cannot disagree more.

 

Lets say you use a bergen raise and later overule pds 3 Spade descission. How can he evaluate his hand for slam bidding?

 

Or he bids 4 Spade, how how exactly do you show your slam interest?

 

So with your method you loose in each uncontested auction. And I see not much upside in competetive bidding too.

 

I still think that this is a clear GF hand.

[ochinko]

I am not surprised that in 2/1 most people will go through 2♣, but I still hate it as not descriptive enough. What if LHO blasts off to 5♦, and partner passes? 5♠ is easy but what if we miss a slam? What if partner doubles 5♦?

 

Since I have a great fit, 5 loser hand with concentrated values and a promising source of tricks in clubs, I bid 4♦ - splinter. I am aware this takes a lot of space but at least it sets the trump suit immediately, and when I RKCB over partner's 4♥ it will be clear for her that she should treat her ♠K and ♠Q as key cards.

[Free]

2♣ seems the best way to start imo

[Ant590]

I'm rather keen on a 3♣ inv+ fit jump

[keylime]

Good Lord gave me a decent 7 card suit with support. Wow, what did I do to deserve such favor.....2♣.

[mikeh]

Show Support with Support. Limit raise, whatever it is in your methods ( your flavour of bergen, etc).

A limit raise? Sorry, but I think it's poor judgement if you think 3♠ is the right spot should partner sign off. 2♣, 2NT and a red splinter are all reasonable. Some must support when they have four; my view is that 2♣ is the best description before I support spades.

 

Finally, I am not concerned about what LHO does regarding the red suits. I have nothing to be ashamed of when I bid 4♠ over his 4red.

 

Roland

agreed

[SoTired]

Jacoby 2N followed by RKC unless opener shows club shortness. 2 aces + ♠KQ is all that is needed for slam. I will risk getting to a hopeless 5S, for the easy and simple bidding of slam or grand if it is available. I also don't want to make it easy for opps to get in with a red suit.

[han]

2♣.

[Walddk]

OK, I agree there is a problem if you play 3S as limit raise as it can get passed out.

 

That is not the case if you are playing Bergen raises. If partner retreats to 3S with a minimum, nothing prevents us from taking control and bidding further.

Feel free to play your version of bridge, but if you play the real game, it makes absolutely no sense to tell your partner that you have a limit raise; then moments later you change your mind and bid on after he signs off.

 

Apparently you think it's a game forcing hand after all (you intend to bid on), so why start by showing it as limit? Find a game forcing bid with support for spades, or bid 2♣ whether it's game forcing or not.

 

Roland

[Guest Jlall]

2C seems like the only sensible way to start bidding this hand.

[skjaeran]

2C seems like the only sensible way to start bidding this hand.

I definitely agree with this. I very seldom make a natural bid in another suit instead of supporting with 4cM support. But this definitely has to be the hand for it. I'll support ♠ next, at the 5-level if need be. No 'problem' at all - partner should be in a good position.

[kenrexford]

This is the second post I've read today where a big "what if" is a grave concern.

 

"What if the next hand jumps to 5NT for the two unbids?"

 

"What if partner accidentally makes an artificial insufficient bid and must place the contract?"

 

"What if I actually made an insufficient artificial bid and must place the contract?"

 

Bunch of paranoid folks out here...

[Fluffy]

Come on!, nobody for good ol'blackwood?

[han]

No Gonzalo, it is too early. One reason is that the auction may convince me to stop at the four level, another is that I prefer to play 1M-4NT as straight blackwood, not as RKC.

[pclayton]

No Gonzalo, it is too early. One reason is that the auction may convince me to stop at the four level, another is that I prefer to play 1M-4NT as straight blackwood, not as RKC.

Same here. Its not a terrible bid, but I don't play it as key card.

 

A direct 4N doesn't seem any worse than 1♠ - 2N - 4♠ - 4N if its played as key card however.

 

I'll start with 2♣ and see what that gets me.