Decision time

[paulg]

[hv=d=n&v=n&s=sakjxxhkxxdxckj9x]133|100|Scoring: IMP

          Pass (2♦)

2♠ (4♦) Dbl (Pass)

?

 

(2♦=weak)[/hv]

This came up last night when I was helping a team practise for the Europeans. Easy?

[helene_t]

I voted 4♥ but maybe I should just take my money and run.

[rogerclee]

Pass. I have reasonable defense (with partner's short spades) and no particular reason to believe that 4♥/5♣ will be an easy make, so I'll take the money.

[ewj]

Pass for me...

[effervesce]

5♣ if the X is t/o. They have alot of diamonds between the two of them. Partner probably has a 2-4-3-4 or so with about 10 points. Hopefully none of them are diamond honors.

 

4♠ and 4♥ may be better, but I'm not passing. Would pard bid 4♥ with five, as a correctable bid? Pard did not preempt 2♥ and thus such a bid should show 5.

[helene_t]

Oh didn't notice that p passed already. Then he would probably have bid 4♥ with a flexible hand with 5 hearts since he more or less denied 6 hearts.

 

So pass or 5♣ it is. I would pass.

[Apollo81]

I am imagining partner having something like Qx QJxx xx AQxxx here. On this example anyway, 5♣ is better than defending 4♦ regardless of how things split.

 

I would love to be able to bid pick a game here, but since I can't I will bid 5♣ in the known fit. I wouldn't be too surprised if 4♦ and 5♣ both make.

[Guest Jlall]

5C, I think I'll make it.

[jdonn]

I see no reason to pass with a singleton diamond and enough to expect 5♣ to make.

[kenrexford]

5♣.

 

No reasonable slam interest here. But, I was wondering. It seems that:

 

P = penalty

4♥ = to play

4♠ = to play

5♣ = to play

 

But, what about 4NT?

 

It seems to me that 4NT should be a slam move for clubs, for two main reasons.

 

1. The club suit seems to be the best candidate for a mega-fit

2. The only trump suit where a slam try is available without committing to a level above game is clubs

 

As it is, it does not take much for partner to have the right hand. ♠xx ♥Axxx ♦xx ♣AQxxx is not down yet. Better yet is ♠Qx ♥Axxx ♦xx ♣A10xxx.

 

Give me a better hand, like ♠AKJxx ♥Kx ♦x ♣Kxxxx, and slam is very plausible.

 

So, whereas 5♣ seems right, there's some cause to consider 4NT. Almost.

[paulg]

Partner held

 

♠ xx

♥ AQxxx

♦ xx

♣ Axxx

 

It seems that many expect partner to bid 4♥ with this hand rather than double, but the pips were really poor so I understood why she doubled. And if you bid 4♥, is this with the idea of passing 4♠?

 

On the actual hand, the rounded suits both split 4-1 so they can make nine tricks in diamonds and we cannot make game anywhere.

 

Paul

[gnasher]

I'd expect 4♥ by a passed hand to have some kind of spade fit, to justify the decision to commit to the four level. That makes 4♥ better in a way - at least you won't have to play a 5-1 fit.

 

However, I don't think that this advancer should be taking such committal action with this hand, so I'd double. For the same reason I'd also double with xx AQxxx xxx Axx. I would then bid 5♣ with the other hand, so I can't say that any of this would have worked terribly well.