Which lie to tell?

[dkharty]

At matchpoints, nobody vul., you hold:

 

♠ K9x

♥ J9x

♦ KQxx

♣ QTx

 

Partner deals and opens 1♣, RHO overcalls 1♥. What is your call?

 

If it matters, the 1♣ bid is standard, promising at least 3. With 4-4 minors your partner would tend to open 1♦.

 

(The poll answers were all given to me by players at the local club, in no particular order of absurdity.)

[dkharty]

Oops! 2♥ was supposed to be an option as well.

[Guest Jlall]

I'd X, partner can't really bid something that I hate over that.

[jtfanclub]

1NT. J9x is a stopper, right? Right?

 

(Actually, I would think this would be a partnership agreement thing)

[ArtK78]

As you are no doubt aware (from the fact that you asked the question) there is no right answer.

 

The book bid is pass, which should be made without any tell-tale hesitation. A hard feat to accomplish.

 

I would double, as you are only one card off from that bid being a good description of your hand (one more spade and, ideally, one less heart).

 

1NT might work out, but I don't want to tell that lie. With this holding in hearts, a 1NT bid might very well wrong-side the contract. That is another point in favor of the double.

[pclayton]

Pass, x and 1N are all possible. I solve this problem by either playing Walsh doubles or using dbl as spades and 1♠ as "values".

[ArtK78]

Pass, x and 1N are all possible. I solve this problem by either playing Walsh doubles or using dbl as spades and 1♠ as "values".

I like the "non-spade" negative double, and I even got some of my partners to play it for a while. But they always went back to the regular negative double.

 

It seems that this hand almost never came up and they could not break old habits and would always forget that the double did not promise spades.

[Halo]

Double. Awkward hand and I prefer double to 2NT.

 

Pass is sort of attractive, but what do I do when partner doubles?

[rogerclee]

I would double.

[the hog]

I play that X denies 4S, so that is what I would do.

[Finch]

I play that X denies 4S, so that is what I would do.

This isn't a very helpful post, is it?

The poll question is obviously not a problem if you play that one of x and 1S denies spades.

 

I bid 2D.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

I would go with X, not the best bid,

but there is no other good bid anyway,

I am not brave enough for 1NT, but

besides missing a stopper, I am too

strong for the bid anyway.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[neilkaz]

I X, but I don't like it with only 3♠ and a flat hand, but don't hate 2♦ that much.

 

I don't mind 1NT downgrading my flat hand that may not stop ♥ a bit, but still slightly prefer X to the other 2 options. 2NT with no stop and a flat aceless 11 is not an option for me.

 

.. neilkaz ..

[lonesome31]

I like 1NT.

[louisg]

Double.  Awkward hand and I prefer double to 2NT.

 

Pass is sort of attractive, but what do I do when partner doubles?

2H. Perfect description.

[jdonn]

I pass, I have had lots of success passing hands like this. If partner reopens with double I bid 2♥. If he passes it out I think we will tend to do well as he is probably a balanced minimum with heart length and I expect a small plus most of the time.

 

It also doesn't hurt to let partner trust the other bids like double or raise a bit more.

[dkharty]

Now I will fess up...at the table I chose 2♥. I'm a club or two short but as the answers clearly illustrate, there doesn't seem to be a single obvious answer. I considered 1NT, and I'm not going to say I haven't done it before without a stopper, but usually only when there is no other reasonable option. I considered double, but my partner and I are--at least in my interpretation of our partnership style--pretty strict about negative double requirements. I considered pass but wasn't willing to have it passed out with this much stuff--maybe that is a mistake, as jdonn's argument is compelling. So, I decided that QTx was enough in partner's "suit" to warrant a LR. My partner drove to 5♣ after a competitive auction, and made it after a defensive slip-up, so the results of the operation were inconclusive...

 

In retrospect, I think that I would double in the same situation. Justin is right...nothing partner bids will give me an insoluble problem later.

[han]

No call is perfect, maybe Justin is right that double will allow you to do well most often.

 

Like most here I prefer to give up on the ability to distinguish 4 from 5+ spades and instead use either double or 1S for hands that have no convenient call like this one.

[jtfanclub]

In retrospect, I think that I would double in the same situation. Justin is right...nothing partner bids will give me an insoluble problem later.

Because partner would never drive to 4♠ on what would later turn out to be a 4-3 fit. Nope nope nope nope nope.

 

I don't see how this one can even have an answer. If you have an agreement that 1NT promises only a half stop, you bid 1NT (notwithstanding the supposed 11 hcp). If you have an agreement that X here doesn't promise either 4♠ or GF values, then you X.

 

Of course, if you're playing SAYC, you 'promise' 4 spades with your 'negative' double. Not only are you short a spade, but your shape sucks for playing a Moysian in spades.

[Guest Jlall]

Because partner would never drive to 4♠ on what would later turn out to be a 4-3 fit. Nope nope nope nope nope.

If partner drives to game opposite a negative double, he has a very strong hand. We also have quite a good hand. We will probably make 4S on power in that situation.

[gnasher]

If partner drives to game opposite a negative double, he has a very strong hand. We also have quite a good hand. We will probably make 4S on power in that situation.

I think that understates the risks of playing in 4♠. If partner has a good hand with four spades and some heart length, 4♠ may go down on a ruff with 3NT solid. For example, AQJx Qxx x AKJxx or QJxx Axx Axx AKJ.

 

Another potential problem with double is that if partner bids some lower number of spades it may still be hard to get to the best game. It's not clear how to get to another game if he bids 3♠ - I'd expect 3NT and 4[sL] to be slam tries with spades agreed. Even after 2♠, you'd need to be on the same wavelength about the meaning of 3♥.

 

Of course, some of these objections are predicated on double's promising four spades. If this hand-type is allowed, it may be sensible to play different methods subsequently, at some cost of some accuracy when we do have a 4-4 fit.

[nige1]

At matchpoints, nobody vul., you hold: ♠ K9x ♥ J9x ♦ KQxx ♣ QTx

1♣ (♥) ??

If it matters, the 1♣ bid is standard, promising at least 3.  With 4-4 minors your partner would tend to open 1♦.

IMO 2♦ = 10, _1N = 9, _P = 8, _X = 6, 2♣ = 4

Presumably, _X promises 4+♠, otherwise it would be fine. After a _X, Justin is unconcerned about partner forcing the bidding to 4♠. He has a point. But if you double, then perhaps you should also worry about partner raising to

• 3♠ with say ♠ QJTx ♥ xx ♦ AJ ♣ AJxxx
  
• 2♠ with say ♠ AQx ♥ Txx ♦ AJ ♣ Jxxxx
  

so that you play in a Moysian or Burnsian fit (4-3 or 3-3)