How competitive are experts?

[jtfanclub]

None vul, IMPs. Apollo's, er, your hand...

 

♠98xx

♥Axx

♦10xx

♣?7x

 

Partner dealt and opened 1♥, next player says 2♦

 

How big an honor does ? need to be before you'd say 2♥?

[barmar]

Q. I like to support with support, but with a 4333 hand I want full values to compensate. If I had any side shortness I'd probably be happy with just the Axx in partner's suit.

[ArcLight]

I would bid 2♥ in competion with a another useless club, 9 or less.

 

A competitive action is somewhat different from an uncontested aution.

 

I think its important to show a major suit fit in competition.

The 4333 fit is a minus.

Any ace is a very nice plus. The Ace of trumps more so.

Nothing wasted in ♦, and the opps ♦ suit is probably decent.

 

Maybe pard overbids and goes down. Maybe it was their hand.

[mikeh]

I think that the best approach is probably to require the Q, but I confess I would probably do it with the Jack.... xxxx Axx xxx Jxx is a truly horrible hand, but how can one pass? :rolleyes:

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

the Ace of hearts is enough, but

my partner would not expect more,

if he does, I guess the Q is the

lowest honor so that the hand looks

like a normal raise without interference,

and if it does, why should the overcall

stop us.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[Apollo81]

Red I would require the Q I think. White is trickier....it's more tempting to overbid/stretch and I know thats what I do in practice

[pclayton]

I think that the best approach is probably to require the Q, but I confess I would probably do it with the Jack.... xxxx Axx xxx Jxx is a truly horrible hand, but how can one pass? :rolleyes:

Agree, I voted the Q too. This is really a pile of drek and I'll gladly sell out to 2♦ with less. 3 diamonds in RHO's suit might be the biggest red flag on this hand.

[Fluffy]

Queen as well

[ArtK78]

I have to have at least Qxx of clubs to raise partner, but my partner always thinks it is OK to raise on xxx of clubs.

[Guest Jlall]

queen

[neilkaz]

My hand is junk except for the A of PD's suit. It is important to support with support so as much as I hate 4333, the J of ♣ is just enough for me to eek out a raise.

[Free]

Honestly the J, although I prefer the Q. T or less is definitely not enough.

[whereagles]

any club is good 4 me

[jtfanclub]

Weird. The voting was Q-7, J-1, 9-9. Now look at it.

 

Time of day? Normal distribution? Or a half dozen "me too" votes after looking at the replies?

[Fluffy]

Just tha tmost people think Jxx, 10xx or 9xx are worth the same.

[Winstonm]

I think that the best approach is probably to require the Q, but I confess I would probably do it with the Jack.... xxxx Axx xxx Jxx is a truly horrible hand, but how can one pass? B)

So, under this theory 2H shows a worse hand than pass? Excuse me while I take some notes....

[jdonn]

I think that the best approach is probably to require the Q, but I confess I would probably do it with the Jack....  xxxx Axx xxx Jxx is a truly horrible hand, but how can one pass? B)

So, under this theory 2H shows a worse hand than pass? Excuse me while I take some notes....

Uh....ok....are you reading the same post I'm reading?

[Cascade]

I need the queen with this shape.

 

Put the ? in any other suit and I would raise with just the ace and a side doubleton.

[rogerclee]

So, under this theory 2H shows a worse hand than pass? Excuse me while I take some notes....

Not only is this pretty rude, I don't even think this makes sense. Why would pass necessarily show a bad hand here?

 

Anyway, I'm a middle-of-the-line J-raiser. If I even had some kind of doubleton, the A would be good enough for me.

[dburn]

The question is: which is partner more likely to make a hash of - the bidding or the defence?

 

If I raise with this, partner might bid too much. But if I don't raise with this, partner might misdefend, since in the early stages of the hand he will not play me for three hearts to the ace since I didn't raise. Also, if LHO becomes declarer I would like partner to lead a heart, not try some other suit because I didn't raise.

 

A factor that influences my decision to raise anyway is that there can be some advantage in preventing fourth hand from cue-bidding 2♥. Besides, we may survive partner's bidding too much, but we won't survive his misdefending.

[jdeegan]

:) A brilliant post, imo. Little niceties like this decision are important and a too little discussed part of the game. I happen to be a Queener but will feel like a schmuck if LHO bids 3NT.

[Halo]

I'd like a (lonelyish) king. Don't feel like provoking the opponents on a balanced weak hand.

[dake50]

Wha- a-at? ? With CA, . . CJ, Cxxx, this hand jumps 3H.

[pgeerkens]

The two most important features for a single raise, especially in a competitive auction, are:

1) three+ trumps; and

2) a sure entry so that a side suit can be started from my side of the table.

 

I raise to 2H without even blinking.

 

Yes, the 4-3-3-3 shape is drek; but many 6/7 point hands would not have an entry whenever RHO is less than maximum. And forcing the opponents to the 3-level is good bridge.