An embarrassment of riches

[Siegmund]

A hand from BBO yesterday:

 

IMPs, both vul. West deals and passes; over North's 1m opening, East will overcall a weak 2H...

 

♠J75

♥7

♦A543

♣AKQ43

 

♠A93

♥A83

♦KQJ976

♣6

 

Seeing all the cards, you want to be in 7D.

 

Only four of the sixteen tables reached six -- two without interference from East, and two with crazy leaping/gambling auctions. Our auction was a simple 1D-(2H)-3NT-swish making six, disappointing but beating the multitudes in 5D+7.

 

Playing with myself, I think it'd go 1C-(2H)-3D-(P or 3H)-4D followed by a cuebidding frenzy, but I am still never making it past six because I won't know about the CQ saving me from a spade loser.

[TheoKole]

Without interference, the bidding would go like this with my regular partner,

 

1 ♣

2 ♦ (strong jump shift - slam exploration) (I detest weak jump shifts by responder, just a personal preference)

3 ♦ fit showing

3 ♥ cue bid

4 ♣ cue bid

4 ♠ cue bid

5NT Grand slam force (bid 7 with 2 of the 3 top trumps) - counting on his ♣

7 ♦

 

With the 2 ♥ over-call probably a good auction would be

 

1 ♣ -(2 ♥ weak)

3 ♦ (natural)

then perhaps

(p or 3 ♥ by op) 4 ♥ (splinter) (fit showing)

4 ♠ (cue bid)

4 NT (Ace Asking)

5 ♣ (0 or 3 Keycards)

5 ♥ (asking for Q of trumps)

5 NT (I have the Q - no K of spades or K of clubs)

7 ♦ counting on his ♣

 

The point being that the person who asks for aces or for information should be the partner who has more information (that is the reason for cue bids, to give information to partner so that he can make a decision when you cannot)

 

Good luck,

 

Theo

[jschafer]

I would open 1NT with the North hand, it is a pretty good 14-count. If it did go 1m-(2♥) then 3♦ seems like a better bid make, leaving both 3NT and slam as possible contracts.

[the_clown]

I cant imagine bidding 3NT over 2♥ in this auction. If partner is short in ♥, it is likely that 5♦ is a better contract that 3NT and slam is also possible, even a grand as you can see.

 

A sensbile auction would be

1♣-(2♥)-3♦ (forcing since playing lebensol)

4♥(Splinter)-4NT

5♥-6♦ (invitational to 7 showing all keys are on board, if a key card is missing u bid 5NT and then sign off)

 

Now you may or you may not bid the grand, but given the fact that you have a great ♣ suit that partner doesnt know about, bidding looks right.

[mike777]

1c=(2h)=3d

4d=4h(rkc in d)

5c(2 deny q)=5h(specific k ask;deny ks, grand try)

 

7c(extras!)=7d

 

 

looks like a pretty easy one if you play rkc.

[aguahombre]

I would open 1NT with the North hand, it is a pretty good 14-count.

Yes, we call this the Inverted Opening system. Unbalanced suit-oriented hands outside our range with concentrated power in the long suit are opened 1NT.

[mike777]

Yes, we call this the Inverted Opening system. Unbalanced suit-oriented hands outside our range with concentrated power in the long suit are opened 1NT.

 

 

:)

[Vampyr]

Our auction was a simple 1D-(2H)-3NT-swish making six, disappointing but beating the multitudes in 5D+7.

 

 

How many cards were in this pack?

[jschafer]

Yes, we call this the Inverted Opening system. Unbalanced suit-oriented hands outside our range with concentrated power in the long suit are opened 1NT.

 

So what was your plan over a 1♥ response?

[aguahombre]

So what was your plan over a 1♥ response?

Plan starts with opening bid: open 1D, rebid 2C if partner responds 1H. That won't happen on the given pair of hands, with or without interference, so not relevent. There will not be much concern about being in NT since we will never be suggesting the hands are suitable for a NT contract.

[jschafer]

And over 2♦ false preference you would pass? Doesn't seem like the best ♦ suit to be playing in 4-2 or 4-3 fits. How is a rebid not relevant to an opening bid just because it does not matter on one hand? 1NT may not describe the shape perfectly but at least it gets the strength accross at a low level and without distorting my minor length.

[aguahombre]

And over 2♦ false preference you would pass? Doesn't seem like the best ♦ suit to be playing in 4-2 or 4-3 fits. How is a rebid not relevant to an opening bid just because it does not matter on one hand? 1NT may not describe the shape perfectly but at least it gets the strength accross at a low level and without distorting my minor length.

As usual, preferences for bids and rebids depend on what you have available in your bag. We have 3C available for this hand after the false preference, and it shows what we have here. Anything must be better than opening 1NT with JXX X AXXX AKQXX, a size and shape opener which describes neither the size nor the shape.

[jschafer]

So let me get this straight, you chastise me for opening 1NT because it is too weak. Yet you are bidding to the 3-level on the same hand on a 5card suit which partner has denied support for? I guess if that is what you prefer it is hard to argue with.

[mike777]

So what was your plan over a 1♥ response?

 

playing 14-16 nt then

 

 

1c=1h

2c=?

 

sometimes 2c is more than 10-13.

I open a lot of offshape nt hands but 1nt here is way too much.

 

in any event I agree that 2 suited hands roughly 14-16 can be a problem BUT this one was easy.

[aguahombre]

So let me get this straight, you chastise me for opening 1NT because it is too weak. Yet you are bidding to the 3-level on the same hand on a 5card suit which partner has denied support for? I guess if that is what you prefer it is hard to argue with.

Yeh, I doesn't make much sense in your style. In ours it doesn't make much sense for an opening NT bidder to need to have splinters available to him later in the auction.

[neilkaz]

So what was your plan over a 1♥ response?

My plan over a 1♥response is to rebid my good 5 card ♣ suit telling what I consider to be a quite small lie. Your hand seems good enough to me to upgrade to 1NT but the issue is the stiff ♥ and that both majors are unstopped. What is your plan when PD transfers to ♥ after you open 1NT with a small stiff?

 

I also try very hard to avoid opening 1♦ when I have 4 of them and 5♣ unless the ♦ are really strong and the ♣ not so good. It really is fun to play a 4-2 fit rather than a 5-3 ♣ fit if PD unfortunately decided to prefer ♦.

 

Just my style ... neilkaz ..

[neilkaz]

A hand from BBO yesterday:

 

IMPs, both vul. West deals and passes; over North's 1m opening, East will overcall a weak 2H...

 

♠J75

♥7

♦A543

♣AKQ43

 

♠A93

♥A83

♦KQJ976

♣6

 

Seeing all the cards, you want to be in 7D.

 

Only four of the sixteen tables reached six -- two without interference from East, and two with crazy leaping/gambling auctions. Our auction was a simple 1D-(2H)-3NT-swish making six, disappointing but beating the multitudes in 5D+7.

 

Playing with myself, I think it'd go 1C-(2H)-3D-(P or 3H)-4D followed by a cuebidding frenzy, but I am still never making it past six because I won't know about the CQ saving me from a spade loser.

After a 1♦ opener followed by 2♥ I think you need to be more optimistic and cue bid 3♥ and then pull a possible 3NT bid in search of slam.

[kfay]

Over 1♣-(2♥)-3♦ North would splinter and it's not even close. After a simple blackwood bid and all keycards confirmed North would jump to grand with a source of tricks (clubs).

 

3145 is a 'standard' off-shape to open 1N on if you're worried about a rebid, but I really don't think this hand is the right hand. I don't have a stiff K or whatever, I have jack @!#% in spades, and my hand wants to play in a suit. What's your plan on doing that after a 1N opener, I wonder? (Not on this specific hand). I can think of a lot of hands where it goes 1N-3N, down 2 or 3... oops! we were cold for slam.

[benlessard]

With Chapi our 1D show 4/5 unb, so when ive got 6D in my hand i know opener is likely to be 4144,1444,or ??45 so ill be in better shape than precision & standard bidder. If uncountested http://bridge.downagain.be/FD/FD.php?bod=1DP1HP1SP1NP2CP2HP2SP2N

 

followed by 3C (3145) 3H (keycard in D) & ask for Kc/Ks/Qc.

[Zelandakh]

Without interference:-

 

1D = 10-17, 4+ diamonds, unbal

... - 1H = INV+ relay

2C = 4+ clubs, max, GF

... - 2D = relay

2N = 4 diamonds, 5 clubs

... - 3C = relay

4C = 3145, 5 controls

... - 4D = relay

4N = D and C controls, no S control

... - 5N = Q ask

6D = CQ, no DQ

... - 7D

 

The 2H bid obviously makes things harder since we're back in natural bidding. Now finding the grand probably requires either great methods, some inspiration, or a little guesswork. Realistically I would be happy enough with the small slam now. Something like:

 

1D - (2H) - 3H

3S - 3NT

4D - 4H

5C - 5H

6C - 6D

 

where 3S is either an advanced denial cue or a grope and 4H is Kickback. This does look like an interesting auction for transfers too, which would allow Responder to bid 3C as a good diamond raise and we have enough space to identify the shortage with North unambiguously. In turn the grand is now biddable without guesswork. Anyone playing something like this already?

[Flameous]

Yeah, I use Rubensohl sort of structure after weak jump overcalls.

I actually consider it quite odd this isn't standard practice like it is after (2M) X (P)

 

I'd bid here:

 

1D (2H) 3C (4+, unbal, inv+ D)

3H - 3S (GF looking for stopper/advanced cue, cue)

4C - 4H (Cue, kickback)

5C - 5NT (2Keys, grand probe confirming all keys)

6C - 7D (Ekstra trick(s), that's it)

[phil_20686]

This hand just doesnt seem that hard.

After a routine 1c (2h) 3d p north just has a splinter. If south has a double heart stop he will bid 3N on awinde class of minimum hands. If he has only a single or no stop we should easily have enough for 5D and 6 could easily be cold. A splinter does the job and south is very excited.

[Free]

I'd open 1♦ in my regular partnership which would put us in a great position. However, this is a hand that doesn't really need to open 1♦ imo.

 

Anyway, I haven't read all responses but one question about this style caught my eye: "what will you do over false preference after 1♦-1♥-2♣-2♦?" I play this as forcing, and it has helped us to find the best minor suit score a lot. There are situations where you get to play a poor contract, but when opps didn't intervene, usually a 7-card trump fit splits 3-3. :)