How can you show this suit?

[elwood913]

This hand came up recently at the club...

 

After RHO opens 1H, none vulnerable, how should you bid this hand?

 

[hv=pc=n&n=sak2hakjt32dca432]133|100[/hv]

The bid that most naturally fits in to my system is to Pass and bid hearts at your next bid, but with this strength I'm afraid you won't have a next bid.

 

Next choice is to X and then jump in a new suit to show a big hand and a self-sufficient suit. If you switch the spades and the hearts, X then 3S seems like it would describe this hand. But X - 3H? Since the suit I am jumping in is the opp's major, can I expect p to believe this? Or should that show a splinter in support of whatever suit p has chosen to bid?

 

To put my questions succinctly:

 

Does X and rebid 3H show this hand?

If not, is there a normal systematic way to show a major and a strong hand after your RHO opens in it?

If not, what would you do?

Also, should you be more interested in playing in hearts or investigating NT?

[P_Marlowe]

#1 X, followed by 3H does not show this hand, the seq. asks about a stopper, or is a splinter,

depends on partners response to the X.

#2 No

#3 Pass

#4 Do you want to play in a trump suit with a known suit break to be 6-5-1-1 or 6-6-1-0 around

the table?

 

If you cant stand pass, overcall 1NT, or make a T/O followed by rebidding NT as cheap as possible.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[vuroth]

Does X and rebid 3H show this hand?

 

No. I would assume that you're showing a big hand, asking partner for a heart stopper to play 3NT.

 

If not, is there a normal systematic way to show a major and a strong hand after your RHO opens in it?

 

No, and why should there be? I have 6 hearts, RHO has 5 hearts. Even if partner has the remaining 2, do I really want to play in a hearts contract? Quite possibly not.

 

If not, what would you do?

 

Double. If partner has either black suit, I'm in good shape. If partner has diamonds, ugh, I guess I'll try NT.

 

Also, should you be more interested in playing in hearts or investigating NT?

 

NT, but honestly, be more interested in playing in a black suit than either of those.

[mtvesuvius]

Does X and rebid 3H show this hand?

No, that should be a splinter (or Western Cuebid) depending on agreements.

If not, is there a normal systematic way to show a major and a strong hand after your RHO opens in it?

There are two ways - Passing and bidding a lot later, or bidding 4 of their major, which should be to play.

If not, what would you do?

I would pass and later come to life depending on the auction. Passing then bidding 3♥ could perhaps be taken as such a hand. I am not too concerned about this hand being played in 1♥ since if partner cannot take a call with what we know to be (very) short hearts, we probably cannot make too much.

Also, should you be more interested in playing in hearts or investigating NT?

Generally I would say Hearts, however if partner shows some life in diamonds, 3N seems reasonable.

 

I would start with a pass, if the auction does not come back to me again, I'll be fine with that.

[bucky]

The bid that most naturally fits in to my system is to Pass and bid hearts at your next bid, but with this strength I'm afraid you won't have a next bid.

If partner couldn't reopen, what's wrong with defending against 1♥ (and hope to get plus score)?

[1eyedjack]

Odds are, the 1H opener was a psych.

If so, there is nothing RHO would like more than to go quietly in 50s at the 1 level.

As Reese remarked, "the more I lose, the more I gain".

 

You need to decide whether you want to build in systemic agreements to cope with opponents' psychic manoeuvres. Personally I think it is sensible, unless you only play in no-psych tournaments (which are only available on BBO).

 

You can't expect to cope with all psychs. The psycher himself is also pitching in the dark a bit, because he cannot rely on his partner passing. Trouble is, on this particular hand he hit pay dirt, because a pass out in 1H is a high probability. If it does get passed out you may have to pat him on the back. But I think that the most appropriate starting point is probably to pass, or otherwise give up entirely on exposing the psych.

 

Others may have a different take.

[gwnn]

I think I'd pretty much pass throughout. Tough luck with this hand. I wouldn't say odds are RHO psyched unless he has a serious history of doing stuff like that. I would say that odds are if RHO hasn't psyched, we can't make anything.

[nigel_k]

Pass.

 

If 1♥ is not a psyche we probably don't make much and could collect a penalty if LHO bids or partner can reopen.

 

If he has psyched, chances are either LHO or partner will call. Either of those could lead to a nice penalty or at least we will get to show our hand type accurately by bidding hearts after having passed.

 

If it does go all pass and we can make 4♥ then the psyche will have succeeded and we'll just have to be content with gaining on other hands where their psyche doesn't work so well.

[NickRW]

De ja vu. I held a similar hand tonight with 6 good hearts and heard a 1H (4cM) opener from righty. Nothing for it but to pass. Nothing for it but to pass on the 2nd round too, after a response from lefty and pard passes when opener rebids hearts. They played 2NT. Would be off if pard had made a singleton heart lead - chance would be fine thing - but we really didn't have anywhere to play the hand ourselves - pard had zilchio.

 

Nick

[vuroth]

I hate pass, because I don't think 4♠ is that far off.

 

I also don't think B/I strategy should be to expose a psyche. If you're B/I and the worst problem with your game is that you can't field psyches well, you're not B/I any more.

[Cascade]

Odds are, the 1H opener was a psych.

If so, there is nothing RHO would like more than to go quietly in 50s at the 1 level.

As Reese remarked, "the more I lose, the more I gain".

 

You need to decide whether you want to build in systemic agreements to cope with opponents' psychic manoeuvres. Personally I think it is sensible, unless you only play in no-psych tournaments (which are only available on BBO).

 

You can't expect to cope with all psychs. The psycher himself is also pitching in the dark a bit, because he cannot rely on his partner passing. Trouble is, on this particular hand he hit pay dirt, because a pass out in 1H is a high probability. If it does get passed out you may have to pat him on the back. But I think that the most appropriate starting point is probably to pass, or otherwise give up entirely on exposing the psych.

 

Others may have a different take.

 

I normally play (1♥) 3♥ shows about 8 tricks with hearts as trumps. It is especially valuable against comics in third seat.

 

This hand would be minimum for that action.

[bucky]

I hate pass, because I don't think 4♠ is that far off.

Although partner is likely short in hearts, so is LHO. I don't think there is guaranteed spade fit. Even if you think 4♠ is odds-on (which is pretty bizarre to me), what is your plan to uncover it? Overcall 1♠ with 3-card?