A few decisions from Oceanside

[Phil]

All Matchpoints. A 1/3 of the field is good, and the rest is pretty weak.

 

1. xxx xx J9x Q9xxx. No one vul. (1♣) - x - (pass) - ?

 

2. Kxxxx KTx Axx xx. You are vul. (2♥) - 3♣ - (4♥) - ?

 

3. Ax JT7x AJ9xx Ax. All red, you deal (your announced range for 1N is 15-17, but upgrades are allowed. Yes or no?)

 

Thanks,

[hrothgar]

#1.

 

UGH

 

Too weak for 1NT

Way too weak for pass

 

Prefer 1S to 1D

 

#2

 

Preempts suck, don't they?

Double seems best

 

#3.

 

Hardest of the bunch.

I'm going to open 1N because I really hate finding a rebid if partner advances 1♥

[mfa1010]

1♦

X

1N

[mike777]

Love Carlsbad/Oceanside I lived there for many years and still have family and friends there.

 

 

1d edit.

x

1nt

[quiddity]

I find the second one to be the most interesting. For people who double, is your double takeout or penalty oriented? Is partner likely to leave it in with a stiff heart? If not I suspect it's probably better to pass.

[Hanoi5]

1♦

 

Torn between 4♠ and double.

 

1NT, yes I love doing that.

[Fluffy]

1: 1♦ to keep the bidding low so anyone can bid hearts and get us away of this mess. Don't want partner to raise spades.

 

2: Fact that partner didn't double 2♥ with shortness means that he has a doubleton outside the way I play. So double should get us to our best game unless partner is exactly 3127.

 

3: Values for 1NT are probably enough for your range but I don't wanna play 1NT all red with Ax 2 times. So 1♦

[gwnn]

1♦

x

1NT

[mike gill]

1) 1♦. Pass and 1n are crazy. I think this is clear over 1♠ - partner is least likely to hang us if he has a good hand, and it's not like 1♠ comes with any guarantees of obeying Burns' Law.

 

2) This is really hard. Usually double wins the vote in these situations for being the most flexible, but I don't like it here. Partner will pull since he has 0-1 hearts, and unless he has 4 spades I think we're going to end up at the 5-level. The hK is likely wastepaper on offense so I don't really think I'm strong enough for that. 3 is a very likely number of spades for partner to have, and we could even survive if he has 2, so I'll bid 4♠ (or they might save us if I'm wrong). I don't think passing is totally insane, but partner probably doesn't have enough to reopen.

 

3) No. 4-2 majors is bad for upgrading and Ax Ax isn't so good for NT. I wouldn't feel bad at all raising 1♥ to 2. It's matchpoints and the odds of partner having the right non-invite are low.

[nigel_k]

1. Very clear 1♦

2. Dbl. Don't like 4♠. Pass is kind of tempting but I just have too much for that.

3. 1NT. This is much too good to rebid 1NT over a 1♠ response and a 2♦ rebid doesn't appeal, especially at matchpoints.

[y66]

1D

4S

1D

[cherdano]

1♦

X

1N

As Han would say: This.

[gnasher]

I'm a bit surprised about the rush to act on the second one. Isn't double for takeout? If I double, partner will probably take it out to 5♣. He won't bid 4♠ with a three-card suit.

 

Nor do I see any reason to bid 4♠. For offensive purposes I have a balanced 7-count, with a poor suit and a low doubleton in partner's suit. Partner hasn't promised a singleton heart, or three spades.

 

If I pass and partner has short hearts, he will usually double, and now I can bid 4♠ knowing that it's a sensible contract. If he passes out 4♥, that's probably better than getting to 5♣.

[rhm]

1) 1♦. Pass and 1n are crazy. I think this is clear over 1♠ - partner is least likely to hang us if he has a good hand, and it's not like 1♠ comes with any guarantees of obeying Burns' Law.

 

2) This is really hard. Usually double wins the vote in these situations for being the most flexible, but I don't like it here. Partner will pull since he has 0-1 hearts, and unless he has 4 spades I think we're going to end up at the 5-level. The hK is likely wastepaper on offense so I don't really think I'm strong enough for that. 3 is a very likely number of spades for partner to have, and we could even survive if he has 2, so I'll bid 4♠ (or they might save us if I'm wrong). I don't think passing is totally insane, but partner probably doesn't have enough to reopen.

 

3) No. 4-2 majors is bad for upgrading and Ax Ax isn't so good for NT. I wouldn't feel bad at all raising 1♥ to 2. It's matchpoints and the odds of partner having the right non-invite are low.

 

I agree on 1) and 2).

on 3) I think you underestimate the danger. The hand is better suited to a trump contract but really falls into the 15-17 notrump range and there is no good bid after a 1♠ response.

If I would open 1♦, I would certainly jump raise a 1♥ response. It is unlikely that 8 tricks are the limit and if so, that opponents would let you play 2♥ in peace.

A single raise, which is already too wide ranging for my liking, will often get you a score of 170 or 200. Matchpoint considerations can be overdone.

One advantage of jump raising with such hands is that responder will be less inclined to invite on garbage. The best solution, however, is to open 1NT, in spite of its deficiencies.

 

Rainer Herrmann

[han]

1♦

X

1N

 

This.

[han]

If I pass and partner has short hearts, he will usually double.

 

I don't agree with this. If partner has no extra values for his 3C bid, he won't double 4H just because he has a singleton heart.

[Phil]

1. I also bid 1♦. LHO doubled and pard now bids 2N. Raise?

 

2. Pard held this and bid 4♠. Even if you double you'll hear 5♣ as pard held x x KQTx KQJ9xxx. Pass is the winning action.

 

3. I opened 1N. I ended up in 3 opposite QJTx K QTxxx JT9. A spade lead let me win in dummy to take a losing diamond finesse to the K and 3N went -1. No field protection here as I don't think anyone else thought this hand was worth an upgrade.

[JLOGIC]

1. I also bid 1♦. LHO doubled and pard now bids 2N. Raise?

 

Definitely not, even if we have 25 HCP (reasonably likely) I would expect partner to go down more than half the time. We are never running clubs or anything when LHO makes a takeout X of 1D, he has long clubs. Partner will just be in his hand a lot.

[Phil]

Definitely not, even if we have 25 HCP (reasonably likely) I would expect partner to go down more than half the time. We are never running clubs or anything when LHO makes a takeout X of 1D, he has long clubs. Partner will just be in his hand a lot.

 

I passed 2N at the table.

 

Partner held Kxx Axx AKQx AJ8 - maybe the ♠J too. LHO made a weird double on a 4423 13. A club lead made nine tricks rather easy (LHO misplayed at T1, allowing 11). I like partner's 2N - a redouble probably lets them find a better trick source than clubs and holds it to 120.

[pooltuna]

1] 1♦....do your duty :)

2] X

3] no

[kayin801]

1) 1♠

2) X

3) No, open 1♦, though that ♥7 nearly pushed me to upgrade! (I am completely okay with bidding 1NT over 1♠ and with raising 1♥ to 3)

[whereagles]

1. xxx xx J9x Q9xxx. No one vul. (1♣) - x - (pass) - ?

 

2. Kxxxx KTx Axx xx. You are vul. (2♥) - 3♣ - (4♥) - ?

 

3. Ax JT7x AJ9xx Ax. All red, you deal (your announced range for 1N is 15-17, but upgrades are allowed. Yes or no?)

 

1. Canonical 1♦ response, intending to pass pard's 1M or 1NT rebid.

 

2. Dbl. If pard bids spades, so much the better :)

 

3. This may be worth an upgrade, but with the 54 shape that's streching it. 1♦, then rebid diamonds.

[jdeegan]

:D I would have survived this set of boards

 

1. 1♦ seems safest and no raise of pard's 2NT since the ♣ probably won't run

 

2. Pass - my hand is just an ace and a king on offense with a small doubleton in support, and certainly not enough defensive tricks to guarantee a set once I flag my trump holding. I'll try to look bored and hope for a plus.

 

3. 1♦ - I want a ♦ lead, and I'm happy to rebid a heavy 1NT. Why mastermind when you are the class of the field?

[y66]

+1 to anyone to whom it at least occurs to pass on #2. I have to admit, this never occurred to me.

[Zelandakh]

1, 1D and pass 2NT (we have 25-26 hcp but it is not going to be pretty to play)

2, Pass (this is a style thing and looks to be related to the interesting Kit Woolsey discussion from a couple months back - I think the 'normal' action is probably double)

3, 1NT (balanced hand, worth 15 - masterminding is not opening it with the value bid)