Josh on your left

[han]

10xx

A10

AQJx

Axxx

 

Let's say you are white against red, IMPs. It goes

 

2S - p - p - ??

 

You?

[655321]

2NT

[Winstonm]

3D

[JLOL]

3D

LOL

[maggieb]

I would pass.

[MarkDean]

I would pass.

[benlessard]

Very annoying, i think passing or X are both ok.

[jdonn]

There is no chance this will end well for me.

[Codo]

pass no other choice

[CSGibson]

3N. I'll bluff LHO into leading a heart instead of his AKQxxx of spades, and play for P to have Jx QJxx xx QJTxx with all of the Kings onside. 3N instead of 2N, because partner won't be able to raise on his own, of course.

[Fluffy]

what Winstonm said, passing is not an option.

[dicklont]

Pass, I have no bid.

It's unlikely that partner has trap passed, if so, bad luck and WDO.

[whereagles]

Pass.

 

Explanation: pard, who's probably short in spades, couldn't act over 2♠. So chances are we don't have a game. Especially when we don't have 4 hearts.

[gwnn]

2NT :P

 

"partner couldn't act and he's probably short in spades and we probably don't have game" sounds very nice, but it's quite far from true. Partner will never act with a normal 10 count with 3 spades to an honour or two, which is a frequent case now that RHO didn't raise. Or he could have 6 hearts and a 7 count... Lots of hands from pard make game.

[Fluffy]

pard, who's probably short in spades, couldn't act over 2♠.

After east's pass what is the expencted lenght in spades for partner?, not very short to me.

[mike777]

10xx

A10

AQJx

Axxx

 

Let's say you are white against red, IMPs. It goes

 

2S - p - p - ??

 

You?

2nt

[mtvesuvius]

Partner rates to have 2 or 3 spades. Despite the fact that this probably will not have a happy ending, I bid 2NT. I think there is too much of a chance that they are stealing this. My second choice is double, but poor partner is now stuck with a hand like:

 

♠ KJx

♥ Qxxx

♦ Tx

♣ KQxx

 

4♥ will not be fun...

 

 

AJK

[hrothgar]

UGLY problem

 

I'm gonna take the low road and pass

[OleBerg]

2NT.

 

I've looked silly before.

[han]

At the table nobody was vulnerable. I changed the vulnerability to make 2NT less attractive, I would pass at these colors.

 

I bid 2NT, it went all pass, they didn't lead a spade and I took 8 tricks, 2NT could have been down 2. 2S would have been down as well (maybe 2).

[jdonn]

han is being nice, I had AKQ9xx of spades. I would have led one vs 3NT since he may have 9 fast tricks, but vs 2NT I hoped partner would get in and maybe even have Tx. Naturally partner's hand was 3 kings, all lying beneath the ace.

[han]

Oh, I'm not being nice. I just prefer to make fun of you behind your back.

[Finch]

Partner rates to have 2 or 3 spades. Despite the fact that this probably will not have a happy ending, I bid 2NT. I think there is too much of a chance that they are stealing this. My second choice is double, but poor partner is now stuck with a hand like:

 

♠ KJx

♥ Qxxx

♦ Txxx

♣ KQxx

 

4♥ will not be fun...

 

 

AJK

15-card hands are unusual even for this forum

[han]

I'd be interested to know what you would bid with my hand Frances.

[Finch]

I usually don't reply to this type of problem if i) I think the answer is not obvious and ii) the result has already been posted.

 

Either pass or 2NT depending on mood, state of the match, type of competition and on LHO's style.

 

There are people who think AKQ9xx is a normal vul against not weak two. There are those who think that is a 1-level opening. 2NT is more tempting against the latter. The vulnerabilty strongly favours passing. At vul against not, I'd bid 2NT.