2 suited openers, best defence?

[jddons]

[hv=pc=n&s=sha7dkq85ckqt7654&d=w&v=n&b=12&a=2hpp]133|200|2H is 5-5 in the majors, 5-10 hcp.[/hv]

Playing swiss teams, 8 board matches, this was the first board of our first match and we had not had an opportunity to discuss how we played. What would you choose? And what methods are experts using against 2 suited openings?

[Endymion77]

I think I bid 5♣ and try to make it

[P_Marlowe]

#1 5C

#2 we play unusual vs. unusual, if the shown 2-suiter is 5/5

if one of the shown suit could be a 4 carder, we play the cue as natural

except for that, natural, X is T/O ( or Dixon style, if the suit bid,

is not necesarrily implied, but in the given seq. the passer implied the

suit, so back to T/O)

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

 

PS: Given the colors, even, if alerted, I would not be too surprised, if

2H could be 54.

[Cyberyeti]

The OP gave me this one in person yesterday. My questions were:

 

What are X, 2♠ and 3M here ?

What is 4m ?

 

Is it wise to use 3♥ as a form of western cue ? If not should it be clubs with secondary diamonds ? Otherwise should 4♣ be this with you having to choose between 3 and 5 with just clubs.

[helene_t]

I am not really interested in 3NT so I will just bid some clubs in order not to confuse partner. 4♣ is defently not LM, we have plenty of cuebids available so no need to sacrifice a useful natural call.

 

Without discussion I would assume that hearts shows clubs and spades shows diamonds but 3♥ takes away a lot of space so it should be more specific. At the same time we want to show stoppers in a way that allows partner to navigate a 3NT contract in our hand in case he stops the other major. So what about:

 

- 3♥ asks partner to bid 3♠ with a spade stopper or 3NT with both stopper. IOW it denies a spade stopper. Direct 3♥ shows long clubs, via 2♠ shows long diamonds.

- 3NT shows a spade stopper and asks partner to pass with a heart stopper. Direct 3NT shows long clubs, via 2♠ shows long diamonds.

- With both majors stopped and gf strength you have to double first. Now 2♠ is lebensohl so this doesn't wrongside 3NT.

- 2♠ ostensibly shows both minors. Now 2NT is Lebensohl. This doesn't wrongside 3NT because a hand suitable for trying 3NT opposite a Lebensohl response would probably have started with double instead of 2♠.

 

But maybe it is better not to distinguish between onesuiters in clubs and in diamonds. That would allow us to show two-suiters in more ways.

[Zelandakh]

Building on helene's idea, perhaps we can do better by making 2♠ show clubs instead of diamonds. Then we can usefully split the diamond hands up between X, 3♣ and 3♦ without getting too high:-

 

X = takeout, including diamond-based hands too strong to bid 3m (rebid 3m) and hands looking for stops for 3NT (rebid 3M)

2♠ = clubs (a 2NT advance showing diamonds now seems interesting)

2NT = natural

3♣ = diamonds with 4+ clubs

3♦ = natural (diamonds only)

3M = 5-5 minors plus shortage

[fbuijsen]

I am not at all sure that I want to describe my complete distribution to partner (and opponents) at all on this auction. It will just help the opponents in their defense.

 

3NT and 5♣ are by far the most likely game contracts we can possibly make. If we have no game, I want to be in clubs, as low as possible.

I play an Ekren variation myself and find that there is considerable merit in bidding 3NT while not having both majors stopped: the opponents will need to find the right lead.

That gives me a certain respect for just bashing 3NT here.

However, the chance that we won't be able to take 9 top tricks is way too large for this, so I choose the mundane 3♣ answer, giving us a chance to reach 3NT if partner has enough useful cards to bid on. If he can't, odds are there isn't a game for us anyway.

I dislike 4♣ because it goes past 3NT, so I would prefer the 5♣ bash if I decide to pass 3NT.

[kenberg]

I seem to be the only 2♠ bidder. I am saying what I would do, under the assumption we have not discussed it. I have no intention of playing this in NT, my concern is whther it belongs in 5 or 6. Probably it belongs in clubs but it is just barely possible it belongs in diamonds. I expect that if I first bid 2♠ and then 5♣, partner will ask himself why I did that and come up with a reasonable guess.

 

Of course the opponents may well have jacked the level to 5M by the time it gets back to me, but it seems more likely that I will be bidding 5♣ over 4M by them. If they had hands suitable for 5M I would not expect the bidding to begin 2M followed by two passes.

 

Maybe I am going off the deep end here, but on hands like this I think we can forget that the five level belongs to the opponents. There will be action, and the question is whether to bid 6. Starting with 2♠ may help decide this.

 

These hands always involve guess work. No way around that fact. I think that 2♠ will help.

 

Added: I imagine that U / U (with agreement, but it is stipulated that we have no agreement) is appropriate for this auction, but the following occurs to me: 3♥/♠ can be strong in ♣/♦, still leaving 2♠ free for a good hand that is not suitable for U/U. With that agreement. it would seem that 2♠ followed by 5♣ would pretty clearly show the diamonds, and about this length. I could have just bid 3♥ showing clubs only, or, with some diamonds also and a less pronounced preference for clubs, I could have started with 3♥ and then bid 4NT. Starting with 2♠ and then bidding 5♣ would show a hand with clubs and diamonds that is not suitable for 3♥ followed by 4NT.

[jddons]

At the table, I reasoned that partner was likely to have wasted values in spades and/or that east may be sitting on a hand with values. I therefore bid 3C knowing it could be unduly pessimistic. I played there on the lead of K♠. Dummy went down with xxx KJxx AJxxx x. With AJ9x♣ with east, I made 10 tricks. Opponents reached 5♦+1 after, I believe, an uncontested auction. 6D looks a reasonable contract on a spade lead since east has to duck a club from dummy and now after AK♥a cross ruff produces 12 tricks. Thanks for your thoughts on how to show these unbalanced 2 suiters, and also how to manage tricky situations when they are undiscussed. :). Being used to people leaping around the auction with a semblance of a fit when green v red, what a cracking pass from east! One worth remembering?