How to deal with this hand...

[rogerclee]

Perhaps the more interesting question on this hand is not the first round bid, but what to do later. Essentially regardless of your first call, LHO will bid 4♠. Assuming the popular 2♣ response:

 

1♥ - PA - 2♣ - 4♠

PA - PA - ??

 

Now what? Does it depend on vulnerability? Is partner's pass forcing?

Partner's pass is forcing, and 4NT seems like a good idea.

I'll concede that 4NT is better than 5♥, since this will get us to hearts when it is better than clubs more often than the other way around.

 

Edit: Nah I'm a 4N believer now.

[Apollo81]

I cannot imagine stopping short of 4♥ on this hand. To me, that means I have to respond 2♣, as any other call distorts my hand.

 

If partner passed LHO's 4♠, I would bid 4NT or 5♣ depending on my valuation of partner's ability to read a bid like 4NT.

[gnasher]

I think it is umlikely that this bidding is my main problem, but how do you take out the double after

1♥ (pass) 2 ♣ (4♠)

x?

 

I guess you want to bid 5 Heart to show your support at now?

And pd shall have a good idea from your hand and does know hwen to pass and when to bid 6?

 

Same is true after f.e.

1♥ (pass) 2 ♣  (2♠)  pass  (4♠) ? You will bid 5 Heart but this is far from perfect either.

I'd bid 4NT in either of these auctions. My second choice would be 5♣. One of the reasons for responding 2♣ is that 5♣ will often play better than 5♥, so I definitely wouldn't bid something as committal as 5♥.

[Codo]

I'd bid 4NT in either of these auctions. My second choice would be 5♣. One of the reasons for responding 2♣ is that 5♣ will often play better than 5♥, so I definitely wouldn't bid something as committal as 5♥.

Okay and your pd never bids 5 Club with Axx,KQJxxx,Ax,xx because he plays you for the minors after you bid 4 NT?

[gnasher]

Okay and your pd never bids 5 Club with Axx,KQJxxx,Ax,xx because he plays you for the minors after you bid 4 NT?

My partner wouldn't have doubled 4♠ on the first sequence, and wouldn't have passed over 2♠ on the second sequence. In any case, I'm not sure that 5♥ is clearly better than 5♣.

 

The problem you mention does exist, of course, just not in the examples you gave. However, I think the risk of reaching an inferior 5♣ is easily counterbalanced by the improved chances of getting to 5♣ rather than 5♥ when it's right, and of bidding a good slam.

Edited October 18, 2008 by gnasher

[Codo]

Okay and your pd never bids 5 Club with Axx,KQJxxx,Ax,xx because he plays you for the minors after you bid 4 NT?

My partner wouldn't have doubled 4♠ on the first sequence, and wouldn't have passed over 2♠ on the second sequence. In any case, I'm not sure that 5♥ is clearly better than 5♣.

 

The problem you mention does exist, of course, just not in the examples you gave. However, I think the risk of reaching an inferior 5♣ is easily counterbalanced by the improved chances of getting to 5♣ rather than 5♥ when it's right, and of bidding a good slam.

Maybe looking at the internal bidding had helped me. :)

[benlessard]

Its a quirk but here it is.

MP red vs White.

 

Kxx

Kxxxx

Ax

Kxx

 

VS

 

x

AJx

KQJxxx

xxx

 

1H-----(pass)------2D-----(2S)

pass---(3S)--------4H-----(4S)

X

 

You were red vs W. 4Sx making 4 and 5Hx (however im not sure how they manage to X) down 2/3 were bad but fairly common results, -420 is a pretty good score for NS. West didnt have a hand good enough to overcall 3S so if a sleepy south made just a limit raise 3H/4H would have won the jackpot.

 

I cannot imagine stopping short of 4♥ on this hand. To me, that means I have to respond 2♣, as any other call distorts my hand.

This is thinking in a box, the big picture is the score you expect if it goes.

 

1H------3H (good limit)

???????

 

VS the score you expect if it goes

 

1H------2C (GF)

?????

 

Its like opening 1M with a hand strong enough to open 2C, you expect that even if stopping short of game might be dreadful the upside of opening 1M vs the downside of opening 2C are compensating.

[effervesce]

Bump. So what happened?

[Elianna]

This was my hand. Adam wasn't playing.

 

I bid 5H. My partner bid 6H. Doubled down 2.

 

I don't pay attention when partner declares, but I believe that we were missing the KQTx of hearts. I can try to find out his hand, but I doubt that he'll remember.