What do you think is normal?

[ArtK78]

So, you are playing in a BBO ACBL matchpoint pair game with a pick-up partner. You pick up:

 

[hv=d=s&v=n&s=sahqjxxxdktxxcqxx]133|100|Scoring: MP

1♥ - 1♠

2♦ - 3♣

3NT - 4♣[/hv]

 

(1) What do you think partner's 4♣ bid is?

(2) If you think it is natural, what is your call?

[CSGibson]

I think its (Whispering...) gerber with a pickup. 4NT would be natural quantitative.

 

The other meaning (perhaps a better meaning) would be for it to be natural, showing 5-5 in the blacks and looking for a club slam if your hand is suitable. I imagine a hand like KQJxx x xx AKJxx would make this call.

 

I'm bidding 5 clubs if I know 4 clubs is natural, because I'm afraid 4NT would be misconstrued and because my values are too soft in the reds to cooperate. If I know 4NT will be a sign-off, I bid that instead, since it's matchpoints.

[hotShot]

I don't think this is normal at all, but I expect to find:

 

Partner is 6+ - 5+ in the black suits and minimum (opened weak because of the distribution). If he is good it's 6+♠ and 5+♣ otherwise it's 6+♣ and 5+♠.

[Vilgan]

I guess I'd hope it was 6-5 with SI. With a pickup tho it could be anything from gerber to a weak 6-5 hand that passed 3NT because he felt like it.

[Guest Jlall]

It is natural, I would make my most discouraging bid (5C).

[ArtK78]

[hv=d=s&v=n&n=skqj9xhakxxdqxcxx&s=sahqjxxxdktxxcqxx]133|200|Scoring: MP

1♥ - 1♠

2♦ - 3♣

3NT - 4♣

4NT - 5♣

All Pass[/hv]

 

Here is the full hand.

 

Over 4♣, I tried 4NT. My second choice would have been 5♣.

 

Partner intended 4♣ as Gerber. Apparently excited by my 4NT "response," he bid 5♣ to ask for kings. I guess my pass of 5♣ showed no kings. My mistake.

 

5♣ did not play very well.

[Guest Jlall]

[hv=d=s&v=n&n=skqj9xhakxxdqxcxx&s=sahqjxxxdktxxcqxx]133|200|Scoring: MP

1♥ - 1♠

2♦ - 3♣

3NT - 4♣

4NT - 5♣

All Pass[/hv]

 

Here is the full hand.

 

Over 4♣, I tried 4NT. My second choice would have been 5♣.

 

Partner intended 4♣ as Gerber. Apparently excited by my 4NT "response," he bid 5♣ to ask for kings. I guess my pass of 5♣ showed no kings. My mistake.

 

5♣ did not play very well.

I think 4N is not a good bid, you are not heavy enough in the red suits opposite a black 2 suiter to prefer 4N to 5C.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

#1 natural, at least 5-5, 6-5 more likely,

interested in a club slam

 

#2 4S, intended as a cue, showing a top

honor, but if partner passes, it will be

ok most of the time

I already denies 3 card support, so the

Ace will do fine, if partner believes 2 card

support is enough to make 4S a playable

spot

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[Guest Jlall]

Hi,

 

#1 natural, at least 5-5, 6-5 more likely,

interested in a club slam

 

#2 4S, intended as a cue, showing a top

honor, but if partner passes, it will be

ok most of the time

I already denies 3 card support, so the

Ace will do fine, if partner believes 2 card

support is enough to make 4S a playable

spot

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

How can 4S not be an offer to play when partner has shown a black 2 suiter and you could easily be 2542?

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

#1 natural, at least 5-5, 6-5 more likely,

    interested in a club slam

 

#2 4S, intended as a cue, showing a top

    honor, but if partner passes, it will be

    ok most of the time

    I already denies 3 card support, so the

    Ace will do fine, if partner believes 2 card

    support is enough to make 4S a playable

    spot

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

How can 4S not be an offer to play when partner has shown a black 2 suiter and you could easily be 2542?

Since 4S showes a top honor, it certainly

is also an offer to play.

 

As I have said, if partner passes, it will be

ok as well.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[Guest Jlall]

Hi,

 

#1 natural, at least 5-5, 6-5 more likely,

     interested in a club slam

 

#2 4S, intended as a cue, showing a top

     honor, but if partner passes, it will be

     ok most of the time

     I already denies 3 card support, so the

     Ace will do fine, if partner believes 2 card

     support is enough to make 4S a playable

     spot

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

How can 4S not be an offer to play when partner has shown a black 2 suiter and you could easily be 2542?

Since 4S showes a top honor, it certainly

is also an offer to play.

 

As I have said, if partner passes, it will be

ok as well.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

Why does it show a top honor? xx AKxxx Qxxx Kx looks an awful lot like a 4S bid to me! It cannot be both a cuebid and an offer to play.

[TimG]

I would not have opened the hand!

[matmat]

4♣ really depends on the self-professed skill level of your p. if it is anything above beginner, I expect that they will have learned gerber and that 4♣ is just that.

 

with a novice i'd expect clubs, and a beginner is 50/50

[ArtK78]

4♣ really depends on the self-professed skill level of your p. if it is anything above beginner, I expect that they will have learned gerber and that 4♣ is just that.

 

with a novice i'd expect clubs, and a beginner is 50/50

Really? With an expert I expect clubs.

 

This is not Gerber unless you have discussed this sequence and agreed that it is Gerber.

 

I would expect Gerber from a beginner.

[ArtK78]

I would not have opened the hand!

You would not open

 

A

QJxxx

KTxx

Qxx

 

That is amazing.

[jdonn]

4♣ really depends on the self-professed skill level of your p. if it is anything above beginner, I expect that they will have learned gerber and that 4♣ is just that.

 

with a novice i'd expect clubs, and a beginner is 50/50

Really? With an expert I expect clubs.

 

This is not Gerber unless you have discussed this sequence and agreed that it is Gerber.

 

I would expect Gerber from a beginner.

Sorry everyone, I know this always kills the humor but it needs to be done.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcasm

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

#1 natural, at least 5-5, 6-5 more likely,

    interested in a club slam

 

#2 4S, intended as a cue, showing a top

    honor, but if partner passes, it will be

    ok most of the time

    I already denies 3 card support, so the

    Ace will do fine, if partner believes 2 card

    support is enough to make 4S a playable

    spot

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

How can 4S not be an offer to play when partner has shown a black 2 suiter and you could easily be 2542?

Since 4S showes a top honor, it certainly

is also an offer to play.

 

As I have said, if partner passes, it will be

ok as well.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

Why does it show a top honor? xx AKxxx Qxxx Kx looks an awful lot like a 4S bid to me! It cannot be both a cuebid and an offer to play.

With this hand, I would bid 4H.

 

I dont know, what partners intentions were, as he

bid 4C, was he looking for the best game or looking

for slam.

 

As it is, the only obvious cue in the given sequence

would be 4D, and of course you can say, that 4D

just agrees clubs and is a forward going move, but

say nothing about a possible diamond holding.

 

My aim, would be to bid useful values, which I did not

show the rounds before.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[babalu1997]

I would not have opened the hand!

You would not open

 

A

QJxxx

KTxx

Qxx

 

That is amazing.

Well that hand, with a singleton spade , and less than 2.5 quick tricks is an impossible open in SA isn~t it?

 

iwould not open either

[the hog]

I would not have opened the hand!

You would not open

 

A

QJxxx

KTxx

Qxx

 

That is amazing.

Well that hand, with a singleton spade , and less than 2.5 quick tricks is an impossible open in SA isn~t it?

 

iwould not open either

roflmao. My God there are 2 Caspar Milquetoasts on this forum. This is a clear opener.

I don't mind the 1S response, but really....4C Gerber?

[neilkaz]

I would not have opened the hand!

You would not open

 

A

QJxxx

KTxx

Qxx

 

That is amazing.

Well that hand, with a singleton spade , and less than 2.5 quick tricks is an impossible open in SA isn~t it?

 

iwould not open either

Many of us open, or at least think it borderline.

 

A

QJxxx

KTxx

Jxx

[xcurt]

I would not have opened the hand!

You would not open

 

A

QJxxx

KTxx

Qxx

 

That is amazing.

Well that hand, with a singleton spade , and less than 2.5 quick tricks is an impossible open in SA isn~t it?

 

iwould not open either

Many of us open, or at least think it borderline.

 

A

QJxxx

KTxx

Jxx

I think it's losing matchpoints to sit there passing with the given hands, it just puts tremendous pressure on partner to get the ball rolling for our side. And it's a lot safer to bid now than later with this texture. Remember, partner won't be so quick to bury us with a thin LR since the size of the game bonus is (usually) immaterial at matchpoints. They aren't vulnerable, so partner won't be so quick to dble them.

 

Also, the responding hand probably lost the board when it didn't make a forcing heart raise. 1H-2N-4H you might catch a spade lead (LHO has xxxx, x, Axxx, Axxx or so) and claim 12 tricks.

[han]

Natural & 5C.

[Winstonm]

Natural to me, and I would have bid 5C.

[effervesce]

Natural, bid 5♣.