Specific information

[gartinmale]

Round robin (only 5 entries) IMP teams at a local club, North America, general chart. All vulnerable, as per the diagram. Heart spots past the honors approximate, club spots genuine. East deals and passes. The diagram is given below, with an explanation:

 

[hv=pc=n&s=shakqj9754dakc432&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=p2c2h(%21s%20or%20both%20minors)p(game%20force)2s(pass%20or%20correct)3h3s3np]133|200[/hv]

 

Luckily for my heart, we were the sole team not to have to play this hand. But it generated some discussion at the pub afterwards. Our pubmate opened 2♣, and heard West bid 2♥, alerted as Suction - either spades or both minors. Her partner passed, which she alerted as a game force (an A, K, or two Qs). East bid 2♠, pass or correct, and South took the low road with 3♥. At this point West bid 3♠, and North finally spoke up with 3NT. This was passed to South, who found herself about to bid at the four level without really knowing what she needed to know about the hand*.

 

At other tables, South opened 2♣, there was a direct 2♠ overcall by West, and after South bid 3♥ North bid 3NT, putting South in a similar position.

 

1. Would you open this hand 2♣? If you do, what is your plan for finding out the specific information you need (partner's holding in the club suit)? We decided that in an uninterrupted auction, one could, after the presumed 2♦ rebid, hope to find out about a club control by jumping to 3♥ to set trump, asking partner to cue, but didn't know what to do beyond that.

 

2. What would you do after 3NT?

 

(*At the table, our pubmate chose what we all thought was a reasonable bid and her partner misinterpreted it, putting them in an impossible contract, so I'd rather not give the rest of her particular auction, but how to handle this hand - interference or not - sort of flummoxed us.)

[blackshoe]

I would bid 4♥. Partner will no doubt pass, but if we're lucky, she'll recognize it when her hand is worth going on, and then we should end up in 6 or 7 ♥.

 

OTOH, maybe I should wake up from this dream. :D

[billw55]

Partner obviously holds wasted values in spades, so 4♥ is enough. Hard to believe he also has clubs that can hold the suit to one loser. And if he does have that much he'll probably bid again.

 

And yes, with game cold in your hand this a clear 2♣ opener.

[Cyberyeti]

Would have jumped to 4♥ over 2♠ to show solid suit. Whether partner does the right thing is anybody's guess.

 

Will bid 4♥ now.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

2C looks ok, ... you have a game force, you have a single suiter, hence

no reason not to open 2C.

Now you have to decide, if you go for gold or for brass, i.e. either bid

4H, that will end the auction or bid 4S, which should show shortage, and

will ask p to tell a bit more.

4S risks playing 5H, but 5H should still be ok, ... but you never know, as

I have said, decide, if you want to go for gold or brass..

 

With kind regards

Marlowe