Can you do better?

[nickf]

I butchered this last night, what's your call?

 

Pd dealt and passed, RHO opens 1D.

 

[hv=d=n&v=n&s=sak96hadkq9cqt872]133|100|Scoring: Teams[/hv]

 

Over to you.

 

nickf

sydney

[SlickRicky]

Hi,

 

I prefer 1N as the least evil bid. 2C seems offbase, and 1S seems less descriptive and more risky than 1N. The other option, pass, hoping to make a takeout X of hearts later is flawed because we might not get to show how strong our hand is safely, and the auction might not go how we plan.

 

Ricky

[rogerclee]

Double and convert any number of hearts (except 4♥) to NT.

[SlickRicky]

Double and convert any number of hearts (except 4♥) to NT.

Hi Roger,

 

This seems like an overbid to me. This hand is only worth 18 in my book; the fifth club is offset by the poor honor structure and by being off shape (stiff heart). Additionally, it seems like this could be problematic if the auction gets competitive and partner jumps to 4H (although this is unlikely, it is possible).

 

Ricky

[han]

Also 1NT for me.

[kenrexford]

Double and convert any number of hearts (except 4♥) to NT.

Barely, but I agree.

[skjaeran]

1NT for me.

The hand is too strong, but I consider it the least of evils.

[han]

Roger made a good point that if partner bids spades over our double then this hand is certainly worth more than 18 and we'd be happy we didn't overcall 1NT. Dbl can easily lead to 4S where 1NT leads to 1NT.

 

If partner bids hearts then I think this hand is not quite good enough to sell it as 19-21. Moreover, I try not to double with a singleton in a major. Given our diamond holding it is unlikely to go 1D - Dbl - 4D - 4H but stranger things have happened.

 

Simpler auctions could cause headaches after a double. For example, if the auction starts 1D - dbl - 2D - p - p, we have to bid 2NT right? That could easily be too high since partner couldn't scrape up a 2H bid.

[ArtK78]

Is there no one out there who is willing to overcall that moth-eaten club suit?

 

Bidding 2♣ is not out of the question. At least you are bidding your longest suit, and it leaves all avenues open later in the auction (if there is any "later").

 

I really don't like either of the alternatives being discussed. 1NT is wrong on strength and shape, and double followed by NT if partner bids hearts is an overbid.

 

If the auction doesn't end with 2♣, you will probably be better placed than with either of the other choices.

[benlessard]

I think double and 1S/2NT/3Nt should pose no problems.

 

X and 1S is better than double and 1Nt IMO.

 

Even if the bidding goes

 

(1D)------X------(2D)------pass

(P)------- X-------(P)-------2H

(P)--------???

 

2S here should suggest S+ clubs

 

if the auction starts 1D - dbl - 2D - p - p, we have to bid 2NT right?

Only if my brain is attacked by syphillis.

[han]

Art makes a good point, overcalling 2C is out of the question.

[han]

1NT is wrong on strength and shape, and double followed by NT if partner bids hearts is an overbid.

If 1NT is wrong on strength and double followed by 1NT is an overbid, perhaps there is something wrong with your notrump ranges.

[ochinko]

With a 5 card suit and well placed ♦ values, this hand is worth more than 18 even at NT, so dbl first, think later. Nice intermediates too, btw.

[jdonn]

1NT > DBL >>> 1♠ >> 2♣

 

There, that was easy.

[nickf]

I agree that 2C is so far off the radar map that it's on another planet. At the table I weighed up the five options:

- Pass

- X

- 1S

- 1NT

- 2C

 

and quickly removed 2C as a viable option, then X.

 

At this stage I had a brain implosion and stopped assessing the other 3 when I realised Pass could buy me a chance to X hearts later. So I passed and a few seconds later was on lead to 1D. Damn.

 

Ultimately, however, I think I was right and rank the options Pass, 1S, 1NT, X, 2C with 2C being just about never.

 

nickf

sydney

[ArtK78]

I bet that 2♣ works better than pass.

 

:)

[rogerclee]

I agree that 2C is so far off the radar map that it's on another planet. At the table I weighed up the five options:

- Pass

- X

- 1S

- 1NT

- 2C

 

and quickly removed 2C as a viable option, then X.

 

At this stage I had a brain implosion and stopped assessing the other 3 when I realised Pass could buy me a chance to X hearts later. So I passed and a few seconds later was on lead to 1D. Damn.

 

Ultimately, however, I think I was right and rank the options Pass, 1S, 1NT, X, 2C with 2C being just about never.

 

nickf

sydney

Okay, was the purpose of this post to get input from other players, or to tell us what we should have done? FWIW I think pass is extremely poor.

[kla52]

I prefer the double and value this hand higher than 18 points for some of the reasons noted. 2nd best 1NT, but left there you risk being set by defenders hearts.

[Codo]

Sabine Auken says: Always bid 2 Club over 1 Diamond, but I guess she did not had this hand in mind.

But pass is gambling.

 

I like 1 NT ( I am a little too strong, but the shape compensates that)

Second choice is 2 Club, maybe they get problems with this.

 

pass and X are now choice to me.

[jdonn]

Sabine Auken says: Always bid 2 Club over 1 Diamond, but I guess she did not had this hand in mind.

But pass is gambling.

 

I like 1 NT ( I am a little too strong, but the shape compensates that)

Second choice is 2 Club, maybe they get problems with this.

 

pass and X are now choice to me.

The point of the advice is because of the preemptive effect on the opponents. With a good 18 count, you needn't worry about that...

[han]

Pass is awful. Even if the auction goes exactly as you hoped for (1D - 1H - 2H) you cannot come close to describing your hand.

 

I do not understand Codo, how does shape compensate for being too strong?

[fred]

Pass is awful. Even if the auction goes exactly as you hoped for (1D - 1H - 2H) you cannot come close to describing your hand.

 

I do not understand Codo, how does shape compensate for being too strong?

Disagree - I don't think Pass is awful at all.

 

I think 1S and 2C are both awful, DBL and Pass are both reasonable but not my style, and that 1NT is reasonable and is my style.

 

I have no doubt that I would bid 1NT at the table, but I would not be surprised in the least to learn (perhaps from a simulation perhaps or from a poll of very experienced great players) that either Pass or DBL was the long term winner. I would be surprised to learn this about either 1S or 2C.

 

I think I would Pass if the vulnerability was reversed even though it is not my style to Pass with such strong hands.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

[dburn]

Would bid 1NT. Don't mind pass, and don't much mind double. 1♠ is vile. 2♣ is urvile.

[helene_t]

1NT and I lack imagination to give a 2nd choice. I would be disappointed if p did anything else.

[jdonn]

I still don't see passing. It's easily good enough to bid 1NT (or double then bid notrump), so the only reason not to would be the singleton heart. Considering this is such a maximum, and that the singleton is the ace, I think someone would be hard pressed to say that that one deficiency is enough reason to pass.

 

It's true you might get to double hearts for takeout next round, but you can never easily again show a hand this good.