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TOP and DOWN in the auction


jahol

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Playing bridgebase individual yesterday, having advanced(!?) partner, I got the following hand, nobody vulnerable

 

K109874--K1094--54--4

 

The bidding started with 1 dia from my left followed with partner's blocking 3cl. This looked pretty bad for a while, but only for seconds... as soon as RHO bid 3H, everything was much better. I passed with sight of relief and was very impressed with next call from left side - 3 spades! Such kind of sequence usually leads to difficult--to--play--as--well--as--defend 3NT, but that idea was not allowed to materialize by my partner, who bid clubs once more at level four (is that allowed in such good bridge clubs as BBO?). My headache was about to start once more, but even faster than before, it was changed with a sort of different fascination - RHO bid FOUR SPADES. I almost doubled but after short evaluation, I decided, I could not be sure that 5 dia is not much better contract, even doubled, than four spades passed. In fact, I still somewhat did not believe that LHO is willing to pass such nice (for me!) contract, but voted for waiting. Very fast, LHO passed (OJ!) and....very fast...my patner bid clubs for the third time (OUCH!!, is THAT allowed in such a good bridge club as BBO?). Surprisingly, the opponents were not very eager to bid 5 spades, they doubled five clubs for absolute top.

 

The hand of my partner is not that important - void--AJ3-872--KQ108752. For me, the important question is (since I AM NOT sure, I made a generally correct decision): Would you prefer to double four spades in this situation?

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OK, I must admit, I was not that unclear about the general correctness of my decision in that board (still leading to fatal result). But how about the following case taken from just one BBO tournament later?

 

My hand (nobody vulnerable):

4--K7432--J83--A1053.

 

The bidding started LHO with 1 club, then my partner blocked with 3 spade call followed with 4H from RHO. Would you double?

 

If not, be prepared for one more bid of your partner (4 spades) doubled and down two for 3.4% result (4 H doubled would have been found very tricky contract, which might have been made or not, on the base of several declarer and defenders decisions).

 

It seems to me that I will have to double more, at least here, during individuals.

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i would X 4H in the second example. I can handle a runout, and it might well be a normal contract so i need to double to get the MP. Its not clear ill beat it, but if pard has the ace of spades i should be a big fav.
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Playing bridgebase individual yesterday, having advanced(!?) partner, I got the following hand, nobody vulnerable

 

K109874--K1094--54--4

 

The bidding started with 1 dia from my left followed with partner's blocking 3cl. This looked pretty bad for a while, but only for seconds... as soon as RHO bid 3H, everything was much better. I passed with sight of relief and was very impressed with next call from left side - 3 spades! Such kind of sequence usually leads to difficult--to--play--as--well--as--defend 3NT, but that idea was not allowed to materialize by my partner, who bid clubs once more at level four (is that allowed in such good bridge clubs as BBO?). My headache was about to start once more, but even faster than before, it was changed with a sort of different fascination - RHO bid FOUR SPADES.  I almost doubled but after short evaluation, I decided, I could not be sure that 5 dia is not much better contract, even doubled, than four spades passed. In fact, I still somewhat did not believe that LHO is willing to pass such nice (for me!) contract, but voted for waiting. Very fast, LHO passed (OJ!) and....very fast...my patner bid clubs for the third time (OUCH!!, is THAT allowed in such a good bridge club as BBO?). Surprisingly, the opponents were not very eager to bid 5 spades, they doubled five clubs for absolute top.

 

The hand of my partner is not that important - void--AJ3-872--KQ108752. For me, the important question is (since I AM NOT sure, I made a generally correct decision): Would you prefer to double four spades in this situation?

sounds like this Partner hasn't heard a ptetty good rule about prempter not bidding again unless FORCED to by his p :o BUT to bid his suit TWO times more is SUICIDIAL :)

 

Your passes looked good to me :)

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OK, I must admit, I was not that unclear about the general correctness of my decision in that board (still leading to fatal result). But how about the following case taken from just one BBO tournament later?

 

My hand (nobody vulnerable):

4--K7432--J83--A1053.

 

The bidding started LHO with 1 club, then my partner blocked with 3 spade call followed with 4H from RHO. Would you double?

 

If not, be prepared for one more bid of your partner (4 spades) doubled and down two for 3.4% result (4 H doubled would have been found very tricky contract, which might have been made or not, on the base of several declarer and defenders decisions).

 

It seems to me that I will have to double more, at least here, during individuals.

sounds like this Partner(like your last ) hasn't heard a pretty good rule about prempter not bidding again unless FORCED to by his p :o

 

I guess that's why INDY'S are a lottery ( and I agree that one can meet SO many of the same players that MAYBE the software has a glitch of some kind making it NOT truly random??)

 

Having said that I find them a fun thing to play and take NO notice of the result --- and occasionally ( if playing a 2 board INDY) I have met played with some LOVELY folks :)

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I agree with Hannie and Free. It can be frustrating. I had a similar experience to the one you describe. Partner should have passed my original opening bid, holding a q and 2 j in his hand but found 3 free bids on the hand, leading me to double the opponents in 5 when they were cold for 6 :lol:

 

But I definitely agree with Free in that you must continue to play on the assumption your partner knows what he is doing and just bid your hand. Otherwise, when you do meet a good partner you may continue to bid erraticly and then you are the one making the foolish/strange calls. It's a very bad habit to get into, one that I have struggled with myself. It is far better to get a poor result with a poor partner than find yourself masterminding a hand with a good partner.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Playing bridgebase individual yesterday, having advanced(!?) partner, I got the following hand, nobody vulnerable

 

K109874--K1094--54--4

 

The bidding started with 1 dia from my left followed with partner's blocking 3cl. This looked pretty bad for a while, but only for seconds... as soon as RHO bid 3H, everything was much better. I passed with sight of relief and was very impressed with next call from left side - 3 spades! Such kind of sequence usually leads to difficult--to--play--as--well--as--defend 3NT, but that idea was not allowed to materialize by my partner, who bid clubs once more at level four (is that allowed in such good bridge clubs as BBO?). My headache was about to start once more, but even faster than before, it was changed with a sort of different fascination - RHO bid FOUR SPADES.  I almost doubled but after short evaluation, I decided, I could not be sure that 5 dia is not much better contract, even doubled, than four spades passed. In fact, I still somewhat did not believe that LHO is willing to pass such nice (for me!) contract, but voted for waiting. Very fast, LHO passed (OJ!) and....very fast...my patner bid clubs for the third time (OUCH!!, is THAT allowed in such a good bridge club as BBO?). Surprisingly, the opponents were not very eager to bid 5 spades, they doubled five clubs for absolute top.

 

The hand of my partner is not that important - void--AJ3-872--KQ108752. For me, the important question is (since I AM NOT sure, I made a generally correct decision): Would you prefer to double four spades in this situation?

well I guess you were unlucky that your partner had not realised that it is not NORMALLY a good idea for a premptor to bid again (LET alone TWICE)

 

I think your passes were entirely reasonable as I too would have expected that 5 might be a better spot for opps then if I had doubled 4 ( so why let them have a free ride to find it ??)

 

However indys are notoriously difficult to play in - so if I choose to play them I just hope to meet a few reasonable players and take NO notice of the results ( they are rather like lotteries and you lose FAR more times than you win :rolleyes: )

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Teach your pard a lesson - bid 4H! If they can play a Moysian fit, so can we!!!

 

Seriously, though, technically correct is pass; practical best is double to shut up idiot of a partner, though this may allow them to make....rather have a chance at them going down in 4Sx'd though than doubling us at idiotic 5C.

 

Remember, the goal is to get the best result possible, not the best possible result.

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