ATB???

[kfay]

Here's a hand I played today where I thought everyone might have bid a little better... except perhaps my partner. Just wanted to see what people thought.

 

[hv=d=n&v=e&n=sj10984h32d9642c109&w=shk9754daqjcakj75&e=sq63haq1086dk75c62&s=sak752hjd1083cq843]399|300|Scoring: IMP

P-P-1♠-2♠

4♠-5♥-P-5♠

Dbl-P-P-6♣

P-6♦-P-6♥

P-7♥-All Pass[/hv]

[Jlall]

1) Easts pass is not my style and I think a style where you pass with that is inferior, but w/e not that big of a deal.

 

2) Souths 1S is my style though many like to bid 2S.

 

3) West has a complicated hand, I agree with 2S though it may make diamonds a little hard to get to, double just makes things really complicated and 2H sucks imo.

 

4) Norths 4S was normal at these colors

 

5) Can't fault 5H. East could try an expert 4N then 5H to show a good 5H bid but...oops the opps bid 5S and you have never bid hearts, or oops the opps were gonna misjudge but now they know a lot more about the hand. 5H is a good bid.

 

6) 5S is a big bid. West was probably banking on a minor suit finesse if necessary. He did very well.

 

7) I suppose north was trying to say "let's save over their slam if it's ok with you." I think it should mean that because a lead directing X is pointless anyways, so nice bid.

 

East could drive to 7 after 5S from a practical point of view. He passed to wait or whatever but when he heard 6C he could definitely bid 7. His 6D bid was pretty silly as evidenced by his later correction of 6H to 7H. On a bad day partner might tank and bid 6H and then when you bid 7H you will have to explain to the committee why you bid 6D if you always planned to bid 7H (defense: I suck but obv I have to drive to 7 on this auction).

 

Should south have saved? Absolutely! North's good double paved the way, south has no defense and great spades. North obviously has no defense also to X 5S. Even if south wasn't sure, he couldn't have taken it as lead directing holding the AK.

 

So north was expert, and south was a fish. EW did well to bid 7 even if the details of getting there were imperfect.

[aguahombre]

If North's double of 5S was zero defense, then the 7S sac has to be right. Is there any value in using the double the other way? to suggest a trick --with the pass to say nothing? Apparently not, since there are more hands with a possibility of a defensive trick than there are with nothing and double being strange should be the zero.