one for the price of four

[han]

At IMPs you deal yourself the following four hands:

 

1) 9xxxx x AKxx Axx

 

2) KQJxx xx AKx xxx

 

3) KJ10xx xxxx Ax Ax

 

4) AQxxxx Kx Kx Jxx

 

You open one spade and the auction proceeds:

 

1S - (2H) - 2S - (3H)

??

 

What is your choice with each of these four hands? If you think it is close and your answer depends on the vulnerability or other factors, please elaborate.

 

Assume that I am your partner (sorry about that) and you are playing against decent opponents. If you care assume that double is a gametry.

[Halo]

Pass, Pass, Pass, 3S.

 

In general I favour pass as a way of showing a minimum hand. The exception is when I have a supported six card suit.

[whereagles]

1. Very tempting to bid 3♠, but since this is imps, I'll pass. Hope I do this in tempo. Will pass pard's dbl too.

 

2. Pass.

 

3. 4♠. Worth a shot at imps. All I need is a couple trumps and a minor king.

 

4. Game-try dbl if I'm using that. Else... guess I'll stick to 3♠ only.

[dicklont]

1) 9xxxx x AKxx Axx

3♠ this hand has improved in the auction

 

2) KQJxx xx AKx xxx

pass, partner wil know what to do

 

3) KJ10xx xxxx Ax Ax

3♠, I like the aces and partners singleton but 4♠ will probably not survive a trump lead.

 

4) AQxxxx Kx Kx Jxx

pass, it hurts having 6 spades, but the rest of this hand is awfull.

[Guest Jlall]

1) Bidding 3S with this hand is a common mistake that people make all the time. This is a clear pass and it's not really close. You have 3 tricks outside of spades (good defense) and terrible trumps which will mean you must have a few trump losers in 3S, and if trumps break really badly you may get doubled and go for a number. It's way more likely on a hand like this when partner passes out 3H that both go down than both make. Not close for me.

 

2) Pass. We are 5332 with no real reason to bid. Not close for me.

 

3) Pass. Close case since we don't have wasted values, but it will be hard to ruff all of our hearts in dummy since the defenders will see the stiff heart. Our 4 trumps may cause the opponents some problems if we can get a tap going considering we have all the aces as well.

 

4) The closest one of all, I would bid 3S though. You never know what the heart king is worth and I think that if we go down they rate to make 3H anyways.

[MickyB]

Pass, Pass, Pass, 3♠ looks obvious.

[Winstonm]

ditto jlall

[pclayton]

Pass, Pass, Maximal double and 3♠.

 

Not much to discuss on the 1st two or the last. On the 3rd, pard may have a void heart. If he has 3 trump and a stiff heart, he'll have a 5 card minor we might be able to get going.

[Fluffy]

1: open 1♦

2: pass

3: double, hand fits so well, and opponents won't imagine wich is the right lead.

4: 3♠, but close to double

[benlessard]

1- pass because its imps and we dont have game. With 4 small trumps and beefy S my pard will bid 3S anyway. At Mp ill bid 3S.

 

2-pass

 

3-pass partner already bid his singleton so im expecting 3-7 pts + the stiff.

 

4- 3S but pass is tempting because of the unpure K♥ (far from a to a maximal X in my book)

[jdonn]

I think the order you listed them in is worst to best 3♠ bid. I must be too aggressive since they almost all tempt me lol. The first one is very bad, a singleton in hearts is tempting on the surface but the spades are awful and it has great defense. The second is a close pass, most people automatically pass 5233 but with so much strength in spades it's a much better hand for offense, I don't mind 3♠. 3♠ on the third and fourth both seem obvious to me (bidding game on 3? Partner can see his own singleton heart, if you invite and partner rejects you are probably down in 3.)

 

These might vary a hair for me at different vuls, but not much.

[P_Marlowe]

#1 3S, but Pass may well be best,

but I would bid 3S

 

#2 3S, but Pass may well be best,

but I would bid 3S

 

#3 3S

 

#4 X, game try

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[Edmunte1]

1) Pass, not close

 

2)Pass, 3♠ close

 

3) Pass, close

 

4) 3♠, not close

[kfay]

Pass

3♠ if NV

X

3♠

[Raivis]

1. Downgrade open to 1♦, spades show as 4=

2. Pass.

3. Pass.

4. 3♠.

[jtfanclub]

4) AQxxxx Kx Kx Jxx

No experts seriously consider 4♠ with hand 4?

 

Not that you expect to make it, but if you jump there confidently, you're a lot less likely to get X'd (at least, at my level you're not). Maybe it's just because, knowing what my partners tend to have for their 2♠ call (not much), I don't like my chances against 4♥.

[awm]

1. Pass, Justin's post said it all.

 

2. I would actually bid 3♠ here if not vulnerable. This hand has more offense than defense and we're unlikely to be doubled with three of the top four spades. At vulnerable I would pass.

 

3. This hand is somewhat curious. Without maximal doubles, I would pass content that partner is bidding 3♠ with his presumed singleton heart (after my non-double it's usually right to compete the hand with singleton heart, since I can't really have four good hearts and pass 3♥). In fact bidding 3♠ from my seat is dangerous since partner may assume that to bid 3♠ with heart length I probably have a sixth trump (i.e. KJTxxx xxx Ax Ax) and then raise to game with his heart singleton (i.e. Axx x Kxxxx xxxx, which is a fine game opposite the six card spade suit but a lousy game opposite the actual hand). Playing maximal doubles, partner will not have the inference that my pass implies that I don't have a lot of heart values (since I can't penalty double when I do have heart values) and so might not balance with a singleton. On the other hand, the "six spades and no heart wastage" hand might be making a maximal double, so perhaps partner will not hang me if I bid 3♠. I'll try 3♠.

 

4. I think this is a pretty clear 3♠ bid. No reason to bid 4♠ when it's highly unlikely to make. One thing here is that we often get a heart lead (even sometimes the lead of heart ace by LHO).

[Apollo81]

I actually think #2, if NV, is the closest decision. I'd pass it.

[kenrexford]

I suppose that I should be embarassed, but Pass-Pass-Pass-Pass.

[gwnn]

I'd quickly pass on every hand but the 4th where I'd overbid and double.