Crockfords I

[Finch]

The Crockfords Cup is the English teams championship (the Gold Cup is the British championship). There are 5 KO rounds then an 8-team final. These hands come from the last KO round before the final.

 

48 board KO, imps, teams of four.

 

Game all

 

[hv=d=s&v=b&s=sk97ha742dq9875cq]133|100|Scoring: IMP

P 1NT P P

?[/hv]

 

If you would have opened this pile of dross (it's 11 HCP, after all...), you can forbear responding to the poll.

 

1NT is 12-14 HCP

Your options are

 

Double, showing both majors, both minors or diamonds (which partner might pass, of course)

2D showing diamonds and a major

Pass

 

Partner could have doubled for penalties, or shown various two-suiters, or bid 2M natural over 1NT (your defence is different because you are a passed hand).

 

Partner could have balanced 14-count. Or a balanced 5 count.

 

Do you act?

[Guest Jlall]

I'm usually very aggressive in balancing over 1N but I would pass with this, the hand is just too defensive and even partner's worst lead probably won't be too bad.

[rogerclee]

I think it is clear to pass vulnerable with such bad texture in my suits and reasonable defense. Bidding is aiming for a fairly narrow target (I make something and they make 1NT), since I think game is fairly unlikely.

[Codo]

I would double, this shows my values and maybe partner can figure out that I have no real one suiter, because I rate to have some values (they passed 1 NT) but had not bid 1, 2 or 3 Diamonds as an opening.

 

At worst, this may result in a 4-3 Heart or spade fit:

But maybe pd has the 14 HCP hand and can pass or we can make a partial and they make 1 NT, or they bid too high or into the wrong partial.

 

(I wouldn't double if I had not these explicit agreements)

[whereagles]

Pass. Any lead from pard is good.

[effervesce]

pass.

[655321]

Abstain, as instructed ;)

[P_Marlowe]

2D, wtp.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[Walddk]

I pass at these colours. We may have missed a partscore, conceivably a heart game too although that is unlikely because partner won't jump in hearts if he can't stand my correction to spades (2♦, diamonds and a major).

 

I have pretty good defence and will not mind any lead. If I get a club lead, I probably did the right thing by passing instead of choosing 2♦.

 

Roland

[mikeh]

pass. sometimes you get robbed, but my experience is that bidding here loses a few imps very often, breaks even almost as often and wins big rarely..on balance, bidding (in my experience) is a net loser.

[pclayton]

2♦. There's 5 IMPs for the part score swing in the balance. While it's possible we are beating 1N as we wrap up our +90 / +110, pard will probably lead a club (mine always do), so its very possible that both 1N and 2 something will make.

 

Plenty of good things can happen, and only one really, really bad thing.

[Walddk]

... pard will probably lead a club (mine always do), so its very possible that both 1N and 2 something will make.

Phil, if partner leads a club, he rates to have at least five of them. Then the chance of our side having a fit in either red suit drops significantly. Besides, if he is 3-3 in the red suits, how is he supposed to know that he should pass 2♦? I read Frances' initial post as 9 cards in diamonds and a major (5-4 or 4-5), but I could be wrong.

 

Roland

[pclayton]

... pard will probably lead a club (mine always do), so its very possible that both 1N and 2 something will make.

Phil, if partner leads a club, he rates to have at least five of them. Then the chance of our side having a fit in either red suit drops significantly. Besides, if he is 3-3 in the red suits, how is he supposed to know that he should pass 2♦? I read Frances' initial post as 9 cards in diamonds and a major (5-4 or 4-5), but I could be wrong.

 

Roland

Thanks Roland, I gathered that.

 

We will also burn one of his entries getting back to his hand. I doubt the clubs will be established on the next round.

 

Anyway, its close, and obviously pass or 2♦ could work out.

[Finch]

Besides, if he is 3-3 in the red suits, how is he supposed to know that he should pass 2♦? I read Frances' initial post as 9 cards in diamonds and a major (5-4 or 4-5), but I could be wrong.

 

Roland

I would guess that is the method - you could be 5-4 either way round- I don't know for certain, this was a problem our opponents had, I only know how they described their methods to us.

[han]

I would also pass at these colors.

[Apollo81]

I would pass, expecting no game to make our way and expecting to set if it's our hand.

[Finch]

Interesting the vote split 50/50 between pass and action, with another 50/50 split between the types of action.

 

Out of the four pairs playing, my team-mates were the only pair playing weak NT, so oppo were the only pair to have this problem. The player concerned (ex-English junior Ed Levy) doubled, mainly in the hope that double would end the auction - he was worried that partner had a balanced weak NT type hand, and they would be +200 or so against 1NT if he passed instead of +600 in a 'normal' 3NT.

 

By the way, this sort of problem is one of the big gains from playing the weak NT

 

On this occasion double was not successful, and resulted in -800 in 2Dx on the auction 1NT P P x, P 2C P 2D, P P x (take-out) all pass. A 2D bid will get to the same contract slightly faster. You are no better off anywhere else.

 

(you could have got out for 500 in 2Dx on best play, but that's still a large swing out)

 

Partner has Qxxx QJ 6xx J1097. At the other table your team-mates opened a 14-16 NT in second seat and overbid to the poor-but-playable 3NT on a revealing auction which went one off on a diamond lead. 14 imps to the good guys.

[nige1]

[hv=d=s&v=b&s=sk97ha742dq9875cq]133|100|Scoring: IMP

P 1NT P P

?[/hv]

 

If you would have opened this pile of dross (it's 11 HCP, after all...), you can forbear responding to the poll.

1NT is 12-14 HCP

Your options are

Double, showing both majors, both minors or diamonds (which partner might pass, of course)

2D showing diamonds and a major

Pass

Partner could have doubled for penalties, or shown various two-suiters, or bid 2M natural over 1NT (your defence is different because you are a passed hand).

Partner could have balanced 14-count. Or a balanced 5 count.

Do you act?

Technically I'm barred because I would open.

 

Now IMO, 2♦ = 10, _P = 8, _X = 3.

-800? :P Sorry I thought it was pairs at green :D

[the hog]

Well I'll be honest, even though I saw the result. I would have bid 2D.

[cherdano]

IMO people don't look at their honor structure enough when deciding whether to bid or not. Here we have very defensive honors (queens in short suits, no honor combinations, so our honors are not so easy to use when declaring), so passing seems clear. I would always pass at IMPs.

 

(Of course the possibility of partner having a balanced 14 count is not a good reason to double, since that is the perfect max and thus just too unlikely.)

[Guest Jlall]

IMO people don't look at their honor structure enough when deciding whether to bid or not.

yes very well said, after shape it is the most important thing.

[the hog]

IMO people don't look at their honor structure enough when deciding whether to bid or not. Here we have very defensive honors (queens in short suits, no honor combinations, so our honors are not so easy to use when declaring), so passing seems clear. I would always pass at IMPs.

 

(Of course the possibility of partner having a balanced 14 count is not a good reason to double, since that is the perfect max and thus just too unlikely.)

I am not so concerned at finding the "magic" 14 opposite, but rather don't want to lose 5 imps. There are a number of hands where you can make 2 red while 1NT is in the refrigerator for them.

However, on reflection, the red suits, especially Ds, are probably a bit thin to take any action. Pass is certainly more prudent.

[whereagles]

IMO people don't look at their honor structure enough when deciding whether to bid or not.

yes very well said, after shape it is the most important thing.

no. It's like this

 

1. shape

2. hcp strength

3. placement of high cards (hcp structure)

4. controls

 

Swap 3 and 4 if the hands are in the slam zone.

[pclayton]

IMO people don't look at their honor structure enough when deciding whether to bid or not. Here we have very defensive honors (queens in short suits, no honor combinations, so our honors are not so easy to use when declaring), so passing seems clear. I would always pass at IMPs.

 

(Of course the possibility of partner having a balanced 14 count is not a good reason to double, since that is the perfect max and thus just too unlikely.)

I am not so concerned at finding the "magic" 14 opposite, but rather don't want to lose 5 imps. There are a number of hands where you can make 2 red while 1NT is in the refrigerator for them.

However, on reflection, the red suits, especially Ds, are probably a bit thin to take any action. Pass is certainly more prudent.

Yes, I changed my mind on this too - pass looks better, although 2♦ is a swingy action that could work.

[jdonn]

IMO people don't look at their honor structure enough when deciding whether to bid or not.

yes very well said, after shape it is the most important thing.

Exactly.