What sort of hand do you expect and what do you bid?

[SimonFa]

Just another night on BBO, but what say you?

 

Pick-up partner, we W v R:

 

 

(1♠) X (2♣) ?

 

♠K93

♥KJ9653

♦2

♣T83

 

This isn't a "look at how bad people are" question, I only want to know if my reading and actions were reasonable, so please look at it in a way that you would expect and not looking for a catch.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Simon

 

 

 

 

I got a bit carried away and was somewhat disappointed when partner had:

 

♠A62

♥82

♦KQ96

♣AJ74

 

 

[pooltuna]

I will settle for 2♥ because of the bad placement of the ♠K

[Hanoi5]

I agree with 2♥ but your partner doesn't have a double so your not the only one at fault.

[kenrexford]

2♥ seems silly. 3♥ is about right. Sure -- the spade King might be poorly placed, but we do have a probably 10-fit.

 

OK, so what did partner have? (checking now)

 

roflol

[ArtK78]

3♥ is my choice.

 

Pard's TOx leaves more than a little to be desired.

[SimonFa]

I will settle for 2♥ because of the bad placement of the ♠K

I discounted ♠K but still got agggressive.

[SimonFa]

2♥ seems silly. 3♥ is about right. Sure -- the spade King might be poorly placed, but we do have a probably 10-fit.

 

OK, so what did partner have? (checking now)

 

roflol

I wasn't :(

[jmcw]

2♥ and 3♥ both seem quite reasonable, I think the 6th♥ tips the scales in favor of 3.

However, the 2♣ (presumably nf) indicates the ops are likely on a misfit and the blacks lie poorly for our side.

[Vampyr]

I think the 6th♥ tips the scales in favor of 3... the blacks lie poorly for our side.

 

I feel that these factors about balance out, but at the colours I might be tempted to try 4♥.

[the hog]

3H for me.

[MrAce]

4♥

[SimonFa]

I feel that these factors about balance out, but at the colours I might be tempted to try 4♥.

 

I was, 4 down.

[Vampyr]

However, the 2♣ (presumably nf)

 

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[mb_dunedin]

However, the 2♣ (presumably nf)

 

???????????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

With no support for partner and 10+ points, it's fairly common to play that the only response to RHO's double is to redouble. You may blast game with a ridiculous one-suited hand or something, but with most strong hands lacking support for partner you start with a redouble to tell partner that our side has most of the points.

 

This means any new suit bid must guarantee fewer than 10 HCP and so can be treated as non-forcing.

 

Not saying this is the perfect way to bid, but it's pretty common and is a decent start for new partnerships and B/I players in general.

[gordontd]

With no support for partner and 10+ points, it's fairly common to play that the only response to RHO's double is to redouble. You may blast game with a ridiculous one-suited hand or something, but with most strong hands lacking support for partner you start with a redouble to tell partner that our side has most of the points.

 

This means any new suit bid must guarantee fewer than 10 HCP and so can be treated as non-forcing.

 

Not saying this is the perfect way to bid, but it's pretty common and is a decent start for new partnerships and B/I players in general.

It was at one time a common way to play, but I'd be surprised if it still is. Apart from making it easier for the opponents to pre-empt you when you have a fit, it's actually harder for B/I players because it involves learning a different set of rules, rather than just doing the same (with a couple of minor changes) as they would without the double.

[Zelandakh]

Seems to be a choice between 3H and 4H. I think 3H is probably best with a pick-up, they might be doubling on power.

[ahydra]

3H for me - 2H feels wimpish with working cards (SK poorly placed admittedly, but partner might have a singleton Q), a singleton and 6 of them. 4H is silly with 3 rubbish clubs and such a broken suit.

 

Not sure about that takeout X. Ideally it should have one more heart and one less spade... Those kinds of hands are annoying though since you think "I've got a nice 14 count, want to do SOMETHING, but can't :(". I'd bite the bullet and pass on that one, though swap the small spades for the 109 and I would overcall 1NT.

 

2C is normally non-forcing there - something like 8 points, 5 clubs. 3C would be weaker but with longer clubs.

 

ahydra

[MrAce]

I was, 4 down.

 

Telling us u were 4 down doesnt really mean much, unless u give us the entire deal.

[Siegmund]

What do I expect? Points roughly 13-12-8 around the table. Most likely distribution for partner 2-3-4-4 or 2-3-5-3 with xx spades.On a good day he'll be 1-4-4-4 or 1-3-5-4.

 

2H is plenty. I expect to lose 2 spades and 2 clubs right off the bat. Could easily be a third club loser. No guarantees of bringing in the red suits without loss or a avoiding a spade overruff.

 

I can understand 3H if it's purely obstructive, though you may well push them into a making game by doing it. Can't imagine how anybody thinks 4H has much chance of coming in.

 

Re new suits at the 2-level (1S-X-2C) being nonforcing and limited to ~10HCP at most:

 

It was at one time a common way to play, but I'd be surprised if it still is.

 

It's still by far the most common thing for opponents and pickup partners to have marked on their cards at my local club or at live tournaments. And still what's taught to the B/Is, at least in my corner of the world. I would be very surprised to see any other meaning than that attached to 2C without a special agreement.