What is going on?

[Walddk]

[hv=d=e&v=b&s=sakq4hj1098d72cq95]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

Danish Premier League over the weekend. The following interesting auction was to be seen at one table:

 

4♣* -- pass - 6♥ - 6♠

pass - pass - 7♦ - pass

pass - ??

 

* Natural pre-empt

 

All four players are usually sane. What is going on, and what is your call now?

 

Roland

[pclayton]

Incredible.

 

Pard waltzes into the 6 level vulnerable with a J high suit?

 

Whats LHO doing? Is he 7-6?

 

I think whats more likely is that pard has a zillion diamonds and LHO has a void. LHO wanted to 'sac' in 7♥ but wanted to get the lead director in against 7♠ with a void. RHO wasn't in on the joke and converted with 1=3 in the reds.

 

Pass and write +1200 or +1300 on the scoresheet. 7♠ isn't making.

[Finch]

LHO is 0=7=6=0

Parnter is 9=0=1=3

RHO is 0=2=4=7

 

(you can fiddle around with the red suit holdings slightly)

 

7D could well be making

You haven't given any vulnerability, so I don't know what the odds are, but it looks right to save.

 

Phil's suggestion is also possible of course.

[Walddk]

You haven't given any vulnerability

I have, look again. Both.

[keylime]

If I didn't know any better I'd swear the 6♥ bidder was thinking 4♣ was NAMYATS.

[Blofeld]

Phil's suggestion has partner's 6♠ bid on a 5 card suit to the jack. Surely that can't be right - partner would bid 7♦ if anything with a 5-8 hand. Even if the 4♣ bidder is allowed to hold 4, partner is at most 6-7.

 

I think 7-6 for our LHO is more likely. I bid 7♠ because I expect it to cost at most 1100 and probably less, whereas I think 7♦ is probably making.

[brianshark]

If 4♣ was namyats then the opps are screwed. They go down in everything. If 7♦ was lead direct then 7♥ is a sacrafice and they will likely go down. If 6♥ then 7♦ are genuine bids, then where did LHO find his 13th trick from after pard comes in 6♠? The only way I can justify LHO's 7♦ id is if it's a sacrafice because he thinks 6♠ will make. Except we know pard's 6♠ is a sac because we have the ♠AKQ.

 

I don't know what's going on but as I have a ♥ stop and a ♣ stop (albeit flimsy ones), I'm going to double, and keep doubling whatever they bid. Worst case scenario, they have a solid diamond fit, but even then my double might scare LHO into pulling back to his ♥ fit where we have a sure trick.

[han]

Anything but Frances's construction is way to deep for me. I am afraid that 7D will make so I'm going to bid 7S.

[mikeh]

Expecting RHO to panic and correct 7♦ to 7♥ is silly: we are playing competent opps and RHO just finished passing 7♦!

 

I agree with Frances' constructions.. maybe not card for card but close enough and maybe bang-on.

 

I just don't see Phil's layout as plausible: give me another diamond, or preferably a couple more, and I could accept it against a very imaginative LHO.... but when I hold a doubleton, I have to account for 11 diamonds in two hands... while leaving partner with enough topless spades that he bid 6♠: Jxxxxx void AKQxxxx still leaves opener with 4 diamonds, which seems against the odds.

[Fluffy]

This hand screams a raise.

 

What trick can we possibly make? none for us, only partner could have one, and he didn't double.

[pclayton]

Phil's suggestion has partner's 6♠ bid on a 5 card suit to the jack. Surely that can't be right - partner would bid 7♦ if anything with a 5-8 hand. Even if the 4♣ bidder is allowed to hold 4, partner is at most 6-7.

 

I think 7-6 for our LHO is more likely. I bid 7♠ because I expect it to cost at most 1100 and probably less, whereas I think 7♦ is probably making.

Then make the table:

 

Us: 4=4=2=3

LHO: 3=8=0=2

Pard: 6=0=7=0

RHO 0=1=4=8

 

This doesn't seem any less plausible than pard having a 9 bagger but we are speaking of a once-in-a-lifetime hand.

[jdonn]

People are putting way too much thought into this (well ok, it may be interesting academically.) I have AKQx of a suit my partner just bid on his own on the 6 level! I don't care what anyone has, 7♠.

[Apollo81]

If we're not going to raise with this hand, what WILL we raise with?

[han]

Phil's suggestion has partner's 6♠ bid on a 5 card suit to the jack. Surely that can't be right - partner would bid 7♦ if anything with a 5-8 hand. Even if the 4♣ bidder is allowed to hold 4, partner is at most 6-7.

 

I think 7-6 for our LHO is more likely. I bid 7♠ because I expect it to cost at most 1100 and probably less, whereas I think 7♦ is probably making.

Then make the table:

 

Us: 4=4=2=3

LHO: 3=8=0=2

Pard: 6=0=7=0

RHO 0=1=4=8

 

This doesn't seem any less plausible than pard having a 9 bagger but we are speaking of a once-in-a-lifetime hand.

Yes it does, it means partner has bid his shorter and weaker suit and it means LHO has bid a void instead of a suit.

[pclayton]

Phil's suggestion has partner's 6♠ bid on a 5 card suit to the jack. Surely that can't be right - partner would bid 7♦ if anything with a 5-8 hand. Even if the 4♣ bidder is allowed to hold 4, partner is at most 6-7.

 

I think 7-6 for our LHO is more likely. I bid 7♠ because I expect it to cost at most 1100 and probably less, whereas I think 7♦ is probably making.

Then make the table:

 

Us: 4=4=2=3

LHO: 3=8=0=2

Pard: 6=0=7=0

RHO 0=1=4=8

 

This doesn't seem any less plausible than pard having a 9 bagger but we are speaking of a once-in-a-lifetime hand.

Yes it does, it means partner has bid his shorter and weaker suit and it means LHO has bid a void instead of a suit.

Right - at the 6 level instead of the 7 level where we may have the same loser count in spades as diamonds.

[gwnn]

wtf, pd bid 6♠, i'm not sure 7♦ doesn't make, i'm not sure 7♠ doesn't make, so i'm not going to risk a very very humiliating 4 digit swing here. 7♠, half hoping it gets doubled (by whom??)

[whereagles]

If pard is solid, he bid 6♠ to make, so I raise to 7.

 

If pard is a joker, I'll just dbl since I don't think they're making this.

[han]

Look at our hand! Partner did not bid 6S expecting it to make.

[whereagles]

well, if he has like 8 spades, he's entitled to think he might make it, no?

[pclayton]

Look at our hand! Partner did not bid 6S expecting it to make.

No but that doesnt preclude him from bidding 6♠ with long lousy spades and great diamonds.

[mike777]

double..the bidding is not over yet.

I am going to guess partner did not bid 6s vul on 9 spades to the jack and nothing but the bidding is not over yet.

[jdonn]

Mike what do you mean by "the bidding is not over yet"? Does that mean you expect partner to pull your double when it's right to do so, magically infering your AKQx of his suit?

[mikeh]

double..the bidding is not over yet.

I am going to guess partner did not bid 6s vul on 9 spades to the jack and nothing but the bidding is not over yet.

 

I suspect the auction is over, Mike. Even tho I am 99% sure that the grand is cold, I don't think either opp can actually redouble :)

[han]

What do you not understand Donn? He is doubling now and hopes to have more information by the time the bidding comes back to him.

[mikeh]

What do you not understand Donn? He is doubling now and hopes to have more information by the time the bidding comes back to him.

It's the kind of bid Al Roth would make, saying 'If I can get by this round, I should be in good shape'.... except Dr. Roth was usually writing about bidding a 3 card suit at the 2-level on the second round.