The Misadventures of Rex and Jay-#5779

[microcap]

Red versus white in a scoreless team match, you are in 4th position and hold:

 

[hv=pc=n&n=s742hakj87d4cqt87]133|100[/hv]

 

Surprisingly, LHO opens weak 2♥! Partner overcalls 2♠, pass to your right and you get to speak...What should you do here and why?

[Lord Molyb]

3♠, might be taking the low road there though...

[Fluffy]

I would bid more agressive to 3♥. but 3♠ is close.

[ArtK78]

I make a game try. I bid game and let partner try to make it.

 

Seriously, this is a game bid. I suppose that the trump suit could be banked against us, but I am not going to bid less than game opposite a 2♠ overcall.

[Lord Molyb]

Partner probably has something very similar to ♠AQJxx ♥x ♦Kxxx ♣Kxx but we can hope for more.

So I'll change my mind to 4♠.

[gszes]

Red versus white in a scoreless team match, you are in 4th position and hold:

 

[hv=pc=n&n=s742hakj87d4cqt87]133|100[/hv]

 

Surprisingly, LHO opens weak 2♥! Partner overcalls 2♠, pass to your right and you get to speak...What should you do here and why?

 

4s

 

All we need is good spades and a club honor from p to have decent play for game. Rho is probably

going to have a lead problem (either reassuring us our heart honor(s) are valuable or into p).

[dwar0123]

I'd bid 3♥ then make a wise crack as I laid down the dummy that I thought my bid was natural.

[Codo]

I would not make a game try. 4♠ looks fine to me.

[the hog]

4S.

[lalldonn]

I like 3♥, with both majors looking offside. If partner rejects with his short hearts then I really don't think game will be a bargain.

[gnasher]

Partner probably has something very similar to ♠AQJxx ♥x ♦Kxxx ♣Kxx but we can hope for more.

So I'll change my mind to 4♠.

That's quite a convincing example. Why did you change your mind?

[Lord Molyb]

That's quite a convincing example. Why did you change your mind?

Because I can't think of a single layout that partner would overcall 2♠ that 4 spades is not at least close, unless he has serious diamond wastage. Partner is short in hearts and he probably has a club honor as well (although he might not)

and you can make 4 spades on that layout if spades break normally.

[P_Marlowe]

4S

[gnasher]

Because I can't think of a single layout that partner would overcall 2♠ that 4 spades is not at least close, unless he has serious diamond wastage. Partner is short in hearts and he probably has a club honor as well (although he might not)

and you can make 4 spades on that layout if spades break normally.

But with the example hand you gave 4S is quite poor. It probably needs ♠K right, the trumps breaking, and the ♣J onside.

[Codo]

But with the example hand you gave 4S is quite poor. It probably needs ♠K right, the trumps breaking, and the ♣J onside.

 

Not really. The hand is quite difficult to defend if you see the dummy. The ace of diamonds can be onside and they may try a trump through declarer and another trump to cut down diamond ruffs...

I bet at the table you have a real fair chance to make. And partner may hold a sixt spade quite often. His hand is not maximum at all...

[rhm]

I make a game try. I bid game and let partner try to make it.

 

Seriously, this is a game bid. I suppose that the trump suit could be banked against us, but I am not going to bid less than game opposite a 2♠ overcall.

We know partner has a distributional hand short in hearts.

Assume you bid 3♠ and, unlikely though, partner passes. How likely do you think game would still be a good bet?

One trouble with jumping to game is that partner might not pass 4♠.

 

Rainer Herrmann

[gnasher]

Not really. The hand is quite difficult to defend if you see the dummy. The ace of diamonds can be onside and they may try a trump through declarer and another trump to cut down diamond ruffs...

I bet at the table you have a real fair chance to make.

You win ♥A and lead a diamond. The 2♥ bidder takes the ace and plays a spade. You finesse, it loses, and they play back a spade. Now what do you do?

 

And partner may hold a sixt spade quite often. His hand is not maximum at all...

Yes, so we bid 3♥, asking him to bid game if he has extras. If he has AQJxxx x Kxx Kxx he bids game (which still isn't cold, by the way)

[MickyB]

I'd have thought it standard for 3H to be ART GF here. We already have one way of showing an invitational 3S bid, is having another really a priority? Obviously if you play 2N as natural and forcing then it's different but surely that's non-standard.

[ArtK78]

One trouble with jumping to game is that partner might not pass 4♠.

Rainer Herrmann

I assume that you were on some sort of mind altering drugs when you typed this.

[gnasher]

I'd have thought it standard for 3H to be ART GF here. We already have one way of showing an invitational 3S bid, is having another really a priority?

I used to think that, but I've changed my mind. The range of a 2♠ overcall is so wide that I think we need two ways to raise. With a non-fitting game-force, bidding three of a minor will usually be at least as effective as a cue-bid.

[rhm]

I assume that you were on some sort of mind altering drugs when you typed this.

Come on who is on drugs here?

As Gnasher pointed out 2♠ is quite wide ranging and the hand, holding a heart void, will look much better when getting jump raised.

You jump to game, because you think you have more than an invitation. The jump is limited but not weak after a preempt.

 

What would you do with

 

♠KJxxxx

♥-

♦KQTx

♣AKx

 

I would certainly not pass when getting raised to 4♠.

 

Rainer Herrmann

[ArtK78]

Come on who is on drugs here?

As Gnasher pointed out 2♠ is quite wide ranging and the hand, holding a heart void, will look much better when getting jump raised.

You jump to game, because you think you have more than an invitation. The jump is limited but not weak after a preempt.

 

What would you do with

 

♠KJxxxx

♥-

♦KQTx

♣AKx

 

I would certainly not pass when getting raised to 4♠.

 

Rainer Herrmann

4♠ is a sign off. If I am raising to 4♠ based on power and I am willing to explore for slam opposite a suitable hand, I bid 3♥ first on my way to game.

 

4♠ could be based on a hand like:

 

QTxxx

xxx

xxx

xx

 

It is not too likely given the lack of opponents' bidding over 2♠, but it is possible.

 

Your statement that 4♠ is not weak after a preempt is not correct. It is not weak by agreement, but it shows a desire to play in 4♠. In other words, it could be weak.

 

The 2♠ bid is sound in all cases. What partner bids at his turn is based on common sense. With long spades and a weak hand he will bid game.

 

Is it possible to miss a good slam if you bid 2♠ on the hand that you present and partner jumps to 4♠? Perhaps. But it is too dangerous to move over 4♠. You could be turning a plus into a minus.

 

I consider bidding on by the overcaller over partner's jump to 4♠ to be a breach in partnership discipline. What you are saying is either your overcall of 2♠ was wrong or partner's jump to 4♠ was wrong.

[Codo]

No Art, 4 ♠ shows a desire to play 4 ♠ but why should I have this desire with a weak hand over (2♥) 2♠ (pass)?

So it is not impossible that partner will bid on.

 

Of course anything is possible if you play a style where 2 NT, 3 ♥ and 3 ♠ (f.e.) are more or less strong raises, but I doubt that this is true for the OP.

[rhm]

Note, that opposite my suggested hand

 

♠KJxxxx

♥-

♦KQTx

♣AKx

 

slam would be quite reasonable if you exchange in the opening hand the ♥A for the ♠A.

 

♠A742

♥KJ87

♦4

♣QT87

 

a more reasonable 4♠ bid and a bit weak for a splinter of 4♦.

 

Rainer Herrmann

[ArtK78]

I would appreciate it if someone would provide an example from high-level play of an auction where the auction proceeded (weak 2 bid) - simple major suit overcall - (P) - raise to game - (P) - another bid.