Impossible problem.

[the hog]

Matchpoints

All vul

(1S) P (P) ?

x

Q

Txx

AKT9xxxx

 

Your bid?

[whereagles]

How about 3S?

[hrothgar]

I have a 9 count, meaning that 31 HCP's are missing.

RHO couldn't find a bid, suggesting that he's quite weak (assume 5HCP)

 

Either LHO is sitting on a rockcrusher OR

partner is sitting on a Spade stack waiting for me to double OR

Its something in between.

 

Regardless, 2C looks to be a reasonable bid. If I am going to defend a Spade contract, please let it be something OTHER than 1S. And please let partner lead a club so that I can shoot a heart back through if it looks appropriate...

[the hog]

Hmm! Anyone for Pass?

[inquiry]

It's only matchpoints...... 3NT....

 

Not a great bridge bid, no ♠, ♥ or ♦ stopper, but something I think has a very reasonable chance of success at matchpoin. Once again, no doubt I will be alone on this one.

 

Ben

[paulhar]

What an interesting dilemma! Quite possible that both 3NT for us and 4H for them are on...

 

The ♥Q is a big card - might overrruff a spade in a heart contract, might add potency to partner's heart holding in a heart contract, might help stop hearts in notrump.

 

I'm going to bid just 2♣ for now. (I don't think any jump is a preempt - and even if it were, it probably wouldn't shut out LHO who is probably waiting to make a takeout double with a huge hand or bid some hearts. Hopefully, I'll know what to do next time. If I get passed out in 2♣ (in a dream world), it's gotta be better than defending one spade. Hopefully partner can bid notrump. I wouldn't want to be in 3NT over 3S since I don't have hearts or diamonds stopped either and opener, upon winning the ♠A will probably know how to take his five or more tricks.

 

I really don't expect to be defending a spade contract. If anything, I expect to be defending hearts, and if it turns out that way, I have to hope that the bad splits in the majors will give us a plus score.

[hrothgar]

Hmm! Anyone for Pass?

I considered pass as a reasonable alternative to 2C.

I'm worried that any balancing action could lead to defending a 4H contract.

 

However, I'm more comfortable defending 4M than 1S and I really want that Club lead...

[paulhar]

It's only matchpoints...... 3NT....

 

Not a great bridge bid, no ♠, ♥ or ♦ stopper, but something I think has a very reasonable chance of success at matchpoin. Once again, no doubt I will be alone on this one.

 

Ben

Judging by the recent Master Solver's Club answers in the Bridge World, I expect you to be far from alone in your 3NT bid.

 

To the Hog: I strongly considered Pass (let sleeping hearts lie.) I finally rejected it, based on two things - first, I expect to go plus at least half the time if I bid, and secondly, everybody else is going to bid and if we all defend 4♥, my partner is a better defender than the field, and it doesn't look like I'm going to have many defensive decisions :D , so I'm going to try for our matchpoints in the defense rather than shoot craps in the bidding. (Maybe that influences me to defend (pass or double) in many close situations)

[Free]

I'm more for 3♣. It can't be preemptive in 4th seat, so it must be constructive. If p has some stops AND at least 1 ♣ he can bid 3NT, with a fit he could bid 4♣ or 5♣. I rather ask partner's help in making the final decision...

 

It also disables them from bidding a second suit at 2-level. 3NT is a good alternative, since I'd probably open 3NT Gambling in 1st & 2nd seat.

[luis]

Matchpoints ?

Pass!!

[hrothgar]

I'm more for 3♣. It can't be preemptive in 4th seat, so it must be constructive. If p has some stops AND at least 1 ♣ he can bid 3NT, with a fit he could bid 4♣ or 5♣. I rather ask partner's help in making the final decision...

 

It also disables them from bidding a second suit at 2-level. 3NT is a good alternative, since I'd probably open 3NT Gambling in 1st & 2nd seat.

While 3♣ is constructive, it normally shows a much stronger hand.

[the hog]

It's only matchpoints...... 3NT....

 

Not a great bridge bid, no ♠, ♥ or ♦ stopper, but something I think has a very reasonable chance of success at matchpoin. Once again, no doubt I will be alone on this one.

 

Ben

Judging by the recent Master Solver's Club answers in the Bridge World, I expect you to be far from alone in your 3NT bid.

 

To the Hog: I strongly considered Pass (let sleeping hearts lie.) I finally rejected it, based on two things - first, I expect to go plus at least half the time if I bid, and secondly, everybody else is going to bid and if we all defend 4♥, my partner is a better defender than the field, and it doesn't look like I'm going to have many defensive decisions :D , so I'm going to try for our matchpoints in the defense rather than shoot craps in the bidding. (Maybe that influences me to defend (pass or double) in many close situations)

Fair enough Paul, I can't argue with that reasoning!

(First time for everything!)

[the hog]

I don't know the whole hand as it was given to me by a friend tonight. He played it this afternoon. He bid 3C; his pd bid 3N and it made on the 2-2 C break. So I guess his pd was some 4441.

We discussed this for half an hour. I voted for pass because I was worried about a 4H contract.

Interesting decisions - so many things could be right.

[JRG]

I vote for Pass. I've reopened on this kind of strength and had to defend an unbeatable game too often. If partner is trap-passing 1♠, then we will simply have to defend it undoubled. If partner's hand was flawed for a Takeout Double, then we can guess what the flaw is -- ♣ shortness (hey, he'll probably lead one if he has one!).

[luis]

As Ron said there're so many possibilities that this is impossible. In a recent tournament I saw a very similar hand, where 4th hand had to decide whether to reopen or not with an 8 card club suit (holly coincidence but the opening was 1h not 1s) at one table 4th hand reopened and the opps drove to 5dx making (6d almost cold). At the other table he passed and let them play 1h.

 

I wonder if there's a way to determine how many times you have game and how many times they have game when the auction is 1M-P-P and you only have a 7/8 card minor with heads and almost nothing in the side. I think partnership style about doubling and overcalling as well as opponents style is the key to the answer so there's no exact solution.

[paulhar]

I vote for Pass. I've reopened on this kind of strength and had to defend an unbeatable game too often. If partner is trap-passing 1♠, then we will simply have to defend it undoubled. If partner's hand was flawed for a Takeout Double, then we can guess what the flaw is -- ♣ shortness (hey, he'll probably lead one if he has one!).

Not likely. Partner has spade length. Partner will probably try to force rather than try for ruffs. From partner's point of view, he could lead a club and find dummy with: J, xxx, xxx, Q109xxx (ouch! looks like one of my leads! :D )

[pclayton]

3♣ for me. The 7th and 8th club make up for the lack of honor strength. 3N is a wild shot (maybe in a barometer game).

 

Partner will make the right decision over 3♣

[luis]

I can understand 3♠ and 3NT as well as 2♣ and pass. All of them logic bids that may or may not be the right decision under the circunstances.

What I really can't understand is 3♣, a bid that in 90% of the books is used to show a 13-15 hand with a good club suit.

 

Example:

xx, AQx, Kx, KQJxxx

 

Reopening is not a situation where a good player can intend to guess what a bid means, it's a situation where you must know what you play and most partnerships play a jump in a new suit as 13-15 with a good suit.

 

Luis.

[whereagles]

2♣ or 3♣ is the last thing I'd bid... No way I'm gonna let opener bid hearts below the 4-level :rolleyes:

[pclayton]

I can understand 3♠ and 3NT as well as 2♣ and pass. All of them logic bids that may or may not be the right decision under the circunstances.

What I really can't understand is 3♣, a bid that in 90% of the books is used to show a 13-15 hand with a good club suit.

 

Example:

xx, AQx, Kx, KQJxxx

 

Reopening is not a situation where a good player can intend to guess what a bid means, it's a situation where you must know what you play and most partnerships play a jump in a new suit as 13-15 with a good suit.

 

Luis.

Bidding 3N (or 3♠) on a hand where we are potentially wide open in three suits does not seem to be a apt description of this hand. If 3♣ really that much of an overbid?

 

3N is excellent opposite this - and a lot of similar hands:

 

Qxxx

Kxx

Axx

xxx.

 

Automatic over a 3♣ balance. Over a 2♣ balance, I suppose you might play it right there.

 

5♣ or 6♣ looks good opposite:

 

xxxx

AKxx

AQx

xx

 

You might get to 5♣ opposite this, but the balancer will need to make a very strong move on the next round, after a 2♣ reopening.

 

I guess I don't understand the passers comments on this one, sorry. I'm not smart enough to not balance the opponents into game; I tend to be agressive with balancing and accept the occasional strange result of the opponents unearthing their buried 10 card fit. I've learned to not make the ensuing spite double though :rolleyes:

[luis]

I can understand 3♠ and 3NT as well as 2♣ and pass. All of them logic bids that may or may not be the right decision under the circunstances.

What I really can't understand is 3♣, a bid that in 90% of the books is used to show a 13-15 hand with a good club suit.

 

Example:

xx, AQx, Kx, KQJxxx

 

Reopening is not a situation where a good player can intend to guess what a bid means, it's a situation where you must know what you play and most partnerships play a jump in a new suit as 13-15 with a good suit.

 

Luis.

Bidding 3N (or 3♠) on a hand where we are potentially wide open in three suits does not seem to be a apt description of this hand. If 3♣ really that much of an overbid?

 

3N is excellent opposite this - and a lot of similar hands:

 

Qxxx

Kxx

Axx

xxx.

 

Automatic over a 3♣ balance. Over a 2♣ balance, I suppose you might play it right there.

 

5♣ or 6♣ looks good opposite:

 

xxxx

AKxx

AQx

xx

 

You might get to 5♣ opposite this, but the balancer will need to make a very strong move on the next round, after a 2♣ reopening.

 

I guess I don't understand the passers comments on this one, sorry. I'm not smart enough to not balance the opponents into game; I tend to be agressive with balancing and accept the occasional strange result of the opponents unearthing their buried 10 card fit. I've learned to not make the ensuing spite double though :rolleyes:

You are only thinking about halh the board: your hand and pd's hand. The problem of 3♣ as Richard and others pointed out is that if they bid you can find pd doubling a game or partscore that makes. If your plan is to bid 3♣ and then every time that pd doubles something pull to some number of clubs then ok but I think that's risky and that's why I think a 3♣ bid can be a problem.

 

Luis.

[Free]

It all depends on the agreements of the bid. If you play it 12-15 I wouldn't use 3♣. However, I don't know what the standard treatments are in this situation :rolleyes: ...

[whereagles]

Standard agreements are that 3♣ shows a fair 6+ card suit and moderate values. Exact ranges and suit lenght/quality vary a bit, but it's usually an intermediate hand. Not too strong (dbl first), not too weak (pass or bid 2♣ only). I think most people around the world play it like this or similar.