Bidding approach

[Finch]

 

You kick off with 2♣, LHO bids 2♠ and partner passes ...

I chose 3♥... LHO bid 3♠...

 

Against a LHO like that, I'm not surprised you thought you were winning the match

[Finch]

What would 2♣ (2♠) pass (pass) 3♠ show?

 

If you don't play it as showing a very strong hand with long spades you are making yourself very vulnerable.

(double = big balanced is incredibly useful)

[JLOGIC]

Definitely show the queen with 4 trumps here, the 2C opener bid hearts then keycarded over a raise, he is a massive favorite to hold 6 hearts. There are just not that many hands that can do that with only 5 hearts, obviously this is one of them but you don't hold 5 hearts and 8 solid cards outside that often. Even if he has AKxxx of hearts Jxxx is fine, if he holds ATxxx then Jxxx is extremely good. Some hand with AKxxxx of hearts and off an ace must be really typical compared to this though.

[granguru]

Regarding bidding procedures:

1. A superior approach to respond over direct interventions is:

 

Bid with 5-7 HCP.

Pass with 0-4 HCP

X with any 8+ HCP

 

A different approach is:

 

Bid with 5-7 HCP

Double with 0-4 HCP

Pass with 8+ HCP

 

Last option allows to trappassing more easily

. It is preeeminent to give distribution with the most common strenght 5-7 HCP as you can be high preempted having to guess the hand.

 

2. It is common expert style to open with a 1-level bid all strong 2-suited hands. Personally I never got stuck in that contract when we had a good game or slam.

 

So, I would suggest the following sequence:

1♥ (2♠) P P

3♠ (4 or less losers)

... 4♣

4♦ 4♥

4NT [RKCB(♥)]

... 5♣

5♦ (♥Q ask)

... 5♥ (no ♥Q)

decision time...

 

Odds: If dummy has xxxx needs 2-2, around 40% chance; if dummy has Jxxx 67%, if dummy has Qxxx 77%, if it has QJxx, then around 100%. Given opponent bids dummy is surely short in ♠. If it has some small honors, chances are that they are in ♣ and ♥. Being 8 ♥ cards outside (from declarers point of view), and 4 in dummy, it is 40% chance dummy has Q or J (10/50 each case), 30% dummy has QJ (15/50) and 30% dummy has no honor (15/50). So a guessing bid of 6♥ has a chance of success of (.67x.2 + .77x.2 + 1x.3) when opponents have a 2-2 or 3-1 split, i.e. about 58.8%. No extra for a 4-0 split as in that case you should always lose.

So, with no knowledge of (or tools to know) dummy's trump quality, the right action is to bid the slam.

 

*This answers the question of giving up or asking for the Q. Assuming p has 4 cards, if you have tools to ask before 5 ♥ then it is a must. If not your best shot is to bid the slam anyway.

If dummy might have xxx then probably best to make a Josephinelike 5♥ invitation. Parter should go on with Qxx or Jxxx or better.

 

If you open strong 2:

2♣ (2♠) Pass (0-4)

3♥ (3♠*) 4♥ *As posted, no wonder your p thought you were winning the match

4NT 5♣

5♦ (♥Q ask)

... 5♥

decision time again (See odds abovementioned)

 

As Fluffy quoted, in this sequence the ♥ suit will generally be 6th or longer, so Jxxx should respond as "Yes" to the Q ask.

 

But if you play an improuved TAB (Trump asking bid) after 0-4 HCP, such as:

 

5♣ = 0AKQ points

5♦ = Q

5♥= QJ

5♠ = K

5N = A or KJ (if an A is allowed in the 0-4HCP response)

 

After 5♣, 5♦ asks for the ♥J or, upon agreement, a K

then 4NT 5♣ = 0AKQ

5♦ TAB 5♠= ♥J or extra length

6♥ (thanks P) Pass (you are welcome)

 

I would like to ask readers if they had noticed that with just 1 entry to p hand (such as ♦10) 6♣ turns out to be a much solid contract. Probably no way to find it playing natural style.

 

It is pretty interesting to study Reese convention explained by Lovera. Although it seems to work fine with 1 suited hands mainly.

 

After opponents interfere, a jump in a suit sets the trump and asks Aces immediately. Then, another suit asks for K. Answer are positive only if dummy has 3 or more trumps and at least a K. In this hand Lovera proposes to jump to 4♦ establishing it, with 0-1-2-3 steps for 0-1-2-3 Aces, respectively; then asking for Ks. But that procedure does not solve the ♥ dilemma, immo.

A first improuvement could be to answer RKCB instead of plain Blk.

Another improuvement could be to use, after RKCB ask and answer, next no-suit as length/Q ask and other new suits as CAB and potential trump suit, if repeated.

 

What do you think?

[Lovera]

Correggo una piccola imprecisione: dopo 5 cuori interrogativi per i re la licità prosegue ancora a gradini per cui la risposta sarà' 5 picche ( non tre carte di appoggio a quadri oppure nessun re) ; nel caso la licità venga interferita (ad es. 4 quadri ? 4 picche della difesa 4 senza atout indica 0 assi)

[granguru]

Correggo una piccola imprecisione: dopo 5 cuori interrogativi per i re la licità prosegue ancora a gradini per cui la risposta sarà' 5 picche ( non tre carte di appoggio a quadri oppure nessun re) ; nel caso la licità venga interferita (ad es. 4 quadri ? 4 picche della difesa 4 senza atout indica 0 assi)

Puo fare la correggione dela imprecisione per mezzo di re-editing la prima nota.

 

che e 4 ♦(4♠) Passo o Contro?

Perque 5 ♥ e interrogativi per i Re e non 4SA o 5 ♣?

[Zelandakh]

Regarding bidding procedures:

<snip>

It is common expert style to...

Can you name any world class pair that uses your 1a+2 or 1b+2? Off the top of my head I am struggling to think of many for whom #2 alone is true and none at all when paired with either of your #1 schemes.

[Lovera]

Rispondo a granguru: 5 cuori e'interrogativa per i re nel colore richiesto (in questo caso a cuori interessa sapere cosa c'è') la convenzione prevede risposte a gradini contre carte in appoggio al colore di atout :primo gradino indica risposta negativa, il secondo indica il singolo, il terzo il re, la ripetizione del medesimo colore india l'asso o il vuoto se nella precedente risposta era stato negato il possesso di assi; per analogia richieste successive nel medesimo colore devono essere interpretate come richiesta di controlli di terzo giro (donna o doppio singolo) [ da "Il libro completo del bridge di gara" di Guido Barbone pagg. 518 e 519 parte dedicata alle convenzioni 47 REESE ].