what is partner doing?

[Fluffy]

♠KQ32

♥QJ64

♦J

♣KQJ2

 

opps vul, IMPs

 

(1♦)-double-(1♥)-1♠

(2♦)- 2 ♠ -(3♦)-3♥

(pass)-??

[ArtK78]

Partner is bidding his cards. He has hearts. I raise.

 

The 1♥ bid by LHO may have been a psyche. In any event, if partner doesn't have hearts he can correct to spades. He must have a game try, and I have a game bid.

[CSGibson]

Partner has a max 1♠ call and no interest in defending diamonds. 3♠ would just be competitive, so this is a game try. I accept.

[kayin801]

Partner has a max 1♠ call and no interest in defending diamonds. 3♠ would just be competitive, so this is a game try. I accept.

 

This. If X would be penalty then partner has no other way of inviting (assuming 3♠ is just competitive)

[the_clown]

I would bid 4♦ to let partner clarify. Surely we are not playing slam after I could only raise 1♠ to 2 so 4♦ should be pick a game.

[gnasher]

I'd bid 4♥. If partner is 4-4 in the majors, It's better to play in the suit where we have the minor honours, and if we play in spades and LHO hasn't psyched we'll probably lose at least one heart ruff.

 

Partner will never pass 4♥ without four of them, so I can't see any risk of misunderstanding. 4♦ would suggest more equal majors.

[Fluffy]

partner bid a dreadful 3♠ with:

 

♠Jxxx

♥A10

♦109x

♣Axxx

 

He later said he should had bid 3♥, I told him I was sure I could find players for whom 3♥ would be natural :P.

[cherdano]

Why did partner not bid 2♠ first time?

[gnasher]

partner bid a dreadful 3♠ with:

 

♠Jxxx

♥A10

♦109x

♣Axxx

 

He later said he should had bid 3♥, I told him I was sure I could find players for whom 3♥ would be natural :P.

 

You're partner's right, though possibly not for the right reason. In a sequence like this, where it's possble that they've psyched and also quite likely that we'd want to play in the suit, you should pretend that hearts are an unbid suit. If double would be for penalties, I think 3♥ is just an artificial game-try, in the same way as it would be after 1♠ (2♦) 2♠ (3♦).

 

However, 3♥ is also what he'd bid if he had a game-try with four hearts. As we have enough to accept, we should still bid 4♥ on the way to 4♠.

[rhm]

partner bid a dreadful 3♠ with:

 

♠Jxxx

♥A10

♦109x

♣Axxx

 

He later said he should had bid 3♥, I told him I was sure I could find players for whom 3♥ would be natural :P.

No his initial 1♠ in response to the takeout DBL response was terrible. His hand is worth between 10-11 HCP. I would never bid game after 1♠, which denies two bullets.

Even though 1♠ was unforced it is still strictly limited by the failure to take stronger actions. Later actions in the bidding can only refine your holding within limits of your initial action.

All those game suggestion over 3♥ are terrible overbids in my opinion with no first round controls, 2 kings and an assortments of quacks.

I would have bid 2♠ initially, after which game might be reached. Make the hand any stronger, say a fifth spade and I would force to game.

 

Rainer Herrmann

[gnasher]

I think 1♠ is fine. If partner has four spades, he will raise on any hand where game is makeable. If he has only three spades he'll need a lot for us to make game. If he has a minimum with three spades, I don't necessarily want to play in 2♠.

 

Rather than 2♠, it seems a much better description of my hand to bid 1♠, planning to make a game try opposite a raise, or a value-showing double if the opponents compete to two of a red suit and partner passes.

[ArtK78]

Once upon a time, responders to takeout doubles were supposed to jump with 8+HCP and a presumed suit fit. This hand qualifies for a 2♠ bid under those criteria.

 

It is much more common today to make a simple response on the minimum portion of that range. In this case, with only Jxxx of spades and a 10 count, a 1♠ bid (and certainly a free 1♠ bid) is adequate. This also takes into account that the standards for takeout doubles today are much lower than they used to be.

 

My regular partner likes to adhere to the older standards. With him, I might bid 2♠ on the advancer's hand here. With others I would bid 1♠. It all depends on the style of your partnership.

[rhm]

I think 1♠ is fine. If partner has four spades, he will raise on any hand where game is makeable. If he has only three spades he'll need a lot for us to make game. If he has a minimum with three spades, I don't necessarily want to play in 2♠.

 

Rather than 2♠, it seems a much better description of my hand to bid 1♠, planning to make a game try opposite a raise, or a value-showing double if the opponents compete to two of a red suit and partner passes.

I do not like this philosophy.

The point is not whether opener raises with four spades, he almost always does, at least in competition. The problem is that in the modern style opener also raises when game is not makeable. Otherwise you get stolen blind often.

With your philosophy advancer's hand does not get limited while openers spade raise is wide ranging starting from minimum values and four spades.

That way you can not stop in 2 spades when opener is minimum, but advancer has more, nor can advancer properly describe the values of his hand. (too wide ranging)

Jumping to 2♠ immediately just tells opener that you got at least four cards in spades and game might be on if opener has also four spades and a little extra.

If opener has 3 spades you just play 2 spades unless opener has substantial extras. Big deal. Probably the best partial for our side anyway.

Here you were lucky that opponents bid hearts but then competed in diamonds, which at least allowed for a 3♥ bid. But for me this bid still denies the values to bid 2♠ initially

 

Rainer Herrmann

[Fluffy]

It is much more common today to make a simple response on the minimum portion of that range. In this case, with only Jxxx of spades and a 10 count, a 1♠ bid (and certainly a free 1♠ bid) is adequate. This also takes into account that the standards for takeout doubles today are much lower than they used to be.

 

The big difference is that 1♠ is a free bid, over a pass he would had bid 2♠ 100% sure. But when you add pass into the mixture the ranges move.

[the hog]

As partner should have bid 1S even if you take away one of his Aces, I think 2S is totally obvious here!