Some Matchpoint Hands

[rogerclee]

1) All White, Second Seat

 

♠J ♥AQx ♦J9 ♣Q987xxx

 

(1♥) - ?

 

2) All White, First Seat

 

♠x ♥KTxxxx ♦xxx ♣9xx

 

P - (P) - 1♣ - (1♠)

P - (2♠) - 3♣ - (3♠)

?

 

3) All White, Fourth Seat

 

♠x ♥KQx ♦KJxxx ♣AKJx

 

(P) - P - (4♣) - ?

[matmat]

1) 3♣

2) abstain.

3) 3NT. (pass. )

[han]

Agree with matmat on hands 1 & 3.

 

If you want to abstain on hand 2 at least tell us which of your calls you can't live with Mat. I think (2) is the most interesting problem and I think I would pass two times but it is tempting to act both times. And even now it is not clear, especially all white at MPs. I think I'm going to bid 4C, I expect two 9-card fits and this could easily be a hand where total tricks is dead on.

[whereagles]

3C

4C

pass

[the hog]

Pass, 4C and pass.

[jdonn]

2♣, abstain since I didn't double last round but 4♣ now, and pass (the easiest problem). Surprised at the votes for 3♣ on 1, this is not a preemptive hand by any means with honors in all the side suits and a bad suit. All white at mps with the hearts well placed there should be no qualms about overcalling on the 2 level IMO.

[whereagles]

Surprised at the votes for 3♣ on 1, this is not a preemptive hand by any means with honors in all the side suits and a bad suit.

True, it's not pure preemptive. But look at your heart holding. It points at opponent's fit not being in hearts. By preempting, you're going to make it quite harder for opps to find the right fit (especially if it's clubs.. LOL).

[pclayton]

1. Really agree with Josh here. Since we need about the ♣A (cashing) to beat 4♥, why are we encouraging pard to sac with such great defense if we preempt? 2♣ is fine.

 

2. 4♣ I guess. 4♥ could really steal the cheese, but I'll support partner for once.

 

3. Pass in tempo. I really doubt we have anything here and RHO made a bizarre preempt other tables won't face. We might have 3N but we might not either with suits breaking poorly.

[pclayton]

Surprised at the votes for 3♣ on 1, this is not a preemptive hand by any means with honors in all the side suits and a bad suit.

True, it's not pure preemptive. But look at your heart holding. It points at opponent's fit not being in hearts. By preempting, you're going to make it quite harder for opps to find the right fit (especially if it's clubs.. LOL).

Well, run this through your simulator Nuno. RHO has advertised 5+ hearts. The spade length around the table is a complete unknown. What is their most probable fit?

 

I'm not being argumentative, but I am curious.

[whereagles]

Well, run this through your simulator Nuno. RHO has advertised 5+ hearts. The spade length around the table is a complete unknown. What is their most probable fit?

 

I'm not being argumentative, but I am curious.

hum.. well, you'll have to wait until next week. The simulator is linux-based and I only have that at work (took next week off).

[skjaeran]

pass, 4♣ (would have doubled last time), pass

[matmat]

Well, run this through your simulator Nuno. RHO has advertised 5+ hearts. The spade length around the table is a complete unknown. What is their most probable fit?

 

I'm not being argumentative, but I am curious.

hum.. well, you'll have to wait until next week. The simulator is linux-based and I only have that at work (took next week off).

hehe

get yourself a copy of a knoppix cd

[mikegill]

1) 2♣ - if partner were a passed hand I think I would bid 3♣, even though the hand doesn't really feel preemptive to me.

 

2) Would have Xed first time, I would bid 4♣ now. All white MPs != bridge.

 

3) Easy pass.

[Guest Jlall]

3C seems totally normal on board 1, 4C on board 2, and pass on board 3. Board 3 is the most clear.

 

I think making a negative X on hand 2 really sucks,.

[rogerclee]

1) 3♣ works way better. 2♣ will get partner to double them off with his 12-count when your hand is worth literally zero defensive tricks.

 

2) 4♣ is best; it is cold, with 3♠ down 1 or 2 depending on the play.

 

3) Pass doesn't work out so well; you guys are cold for 5♦. You also lose to everyone else in 3NT when RHO's 4♣ bid is a little untraditional. 4♣ goes down 5.

[jdonn]

1) 3♣ works way better. 2♣ will get partner to double them off with his 12-count when your hand is worth literally zero defensive tricks.

 

2) 4♣ is best; it is cold, with 3♠ down 1 or 2 depending on the play.

 

3) Pass doesn't work out so well; you guys are cold for 5♦. You also lose to everyone else in 3NT when RHO's 4♣ bid is a little untraditional. 4♣ goes down 5.

We want hands, not summaries!

 

Sorry partner from now on I'll assume AQx over an opening bid in that major as well as some scraps on the side is 0 defensive tricks.

[effervesce]

1) 2♣, too many possible def tricks, and a crap suit to boot.

2) 4♣

3) Pass. X will likely get a spade bid from partner.

[the hog]

1) 3♣ works way better. 2♣ will get partner to double them off with his 12-count when your hand is worth literally zero defensive tricks.

 

2) 4♣ is best; it is cold, with 3♠ down 1 or 2 depending on the play.

 

3) Pass doesn't work out so well; you guys are cold for 5♦. You also lose to everyone else in 3NT when RHO's 4♣ bid is a little untraditional. 4♣ goes down 5.

So Roger how do you suggest we get to 5D on the last board. I doubt you are recommending a 4D overcall with that suit, are you? Perhaps you are recommending a X. Pray tell me what we then do over a 4S bid?

 

Personally I think 3C is a youth players bid on board 1. You grow out of it on suits that bad with outside defensive tricks.

 

Josh is right, show me the hands!

[655321]

1) 3♣. Also reasonable is 2♣, no strong preference.

2) 4♣.

3) Pass. 4NT should be natural here, but this is not really the hand for it.

[ArtK78]

1) 3♣. The hand is a mixed bag. It is hard to make a convincing argument either for or against 2♣ vs. 3♣, but, when in doubt, I make the bid likely to put the most pressure on the opponents. (I guess I am the oldest "youth" player in the history of bridge - lol).

 

2) 4♣, but either 4♥ or pass could be right. I don't have any strong feelings about this call. I don't have any problems with the previous passes.

 

3) Pass. Sometimes preempts work.

[Apollo81]

2♣/4♣/pass

[rogerclee]

1) 3♣ works way better. 2♣ will get partner to double them off with his 12-count when your hand is worth literally zero defensive tricks.

 

2) 4♣ is best; it is cold, with 3♠ down 1 or 2 depending on the play.

 

3) Pass doesn't work out so well; you guys are cold for 5♦. You also lose to everyone else in 3NT when RHO's 4♣ bid is a little untraditional. 4♣ goes down 5.

So Roger how do you suggest we get to 5D on the last board. I doubt you are recommending a 4D overcall with that suit, are you? Perhaps you are recommending a X. Pray tell me what we then do over a 4S bid?

 

Personally I think 3C is a youth players bid on board 1. You grow out of it on suits that bad with outside defensive tricks.

 

Josh is right, show me the hands!

Oh, this was from a live game a few nights ago, and I've lost the hand records. I will say what I can remember.

 

1) Partner has ♠AT8x ♥J9xxx ♦Qx ♣AJ, and he will double 3♠, which is cold for 4, since RHO is 5062 and diamonds 2-2.

 

2) Partner has ♠AQJx ♥Q ♦xx ♣AKQJxx.

 

3) Partner has some sort of 4261 hand which is not good enough to open and had too much playing strength in spades to preempt. This was an opponent's decision, I didn't get a good look at the hand. I just thought our result was amusing.

 

I agree that hands 1 and 3 may not be very instructive. Sorry.

[pclayton]

I agree that hands 1 and 3 may not be very instructive. Sorry.

For whom? :)

[mikeh]

late to the thread

 

I'd pass board 1: even tho I know it is mps.. I can always bid later if the auction suggests it to be appropriate, and I am not worried about a pass out with this hand.

 

On board 2, I have a sneaking admiration for 4♥, but that is very unilateral... does it promise club support, as I would argue if I made the bid, or is it how I'd bid the same high card values with 7 or 8 weak hearts, as he'd argue when passing with a stiff? And even if it promises clubs, do I really want to be in 5♣ when we could have had it for 4♣? So I bid the (obvious) 4♣ now. BTW, I hate a negative double of 1♠... when you bid on that crap, how is partner ever going to know what to do?

 

On board 3, the pass is the most obvious answer I have seen in many a thread. The fact that we are 'cold' for 5♦ is meaningless and irrelevant. The fact that rho doesn't have a 4♣ bid is not exactly unexpected, but so what? Bad bridge works sometimes, which is just as well, given how much of it is played (and I don't exclude me from that, either :) )

[whereagles]

Well, run this through your simulator Nuno. RHO has advertised 5+ hearts. The spade length around the table is a complete unknown. What is their most probable fit?

 

I'm not being argumentative, but I am curious.

Ok, so I'm back in office and simulated this. We have

 

J

AQx

J9

Q987xxx

 

RHO opens 1♥.

 

Under the assumption that RHO has 5+ hearts, that hearts is his longest suit except if 55 majors and he's got 10+ hcp and not playing 1NT with 5 card major, we have:

 

Produced 50804 hands

opps spade length: 7.46048

opps heart lenght: 7.66111

opps diams length: 6.92461

opps clubs lenght: 3.9538

opps HCP: 21.6137

 

Odds for a fit on any suit but clubs are very similar, a little less likely to diamonds. A 3♣ overcall won't bother opps much if their fit happens to be hearts, but if it's diams or spades, it will be quite bothersome.