2 quiizzes

[mike777]

West North East South

1D 2NT* DBL# ?

* Clubs & hearts

# Values - 10+ pts

 

What is your call as South holding:

10432 J102 765 A63

 

------------------------------------

 

2. IMPs, Both Vulnerable

 

West North East South

3C 3D Pass ?

 

What is your call as South holding:

AK64 A1043 83 972

[Winstonm]

#1. Pass, even with 2 8-card fits. I don't want to suggest a sacrifice and I don't have a preference. If motivated, I may bid 3C for a lead director.

 

#2. 5D. There is no sensible way I know to reach a 4-4 major at this point, even if partner is 64, so I will assume he is 1-suited and raise his suit.

[PhilKing]

Board 2. I have mentioned before a meta rule that I play raises to 4m in competition as forcing and using the cue bid as the way to stop (where both are available). In this style the cue bid is either a raise to four diamonds or looking for an alternative strain. Usually, 3NT will still be in the picture (eg 2♥ by them and pard overcalls 3♦) so we can cue to see if 3NT is in the picture and still stop in 4m when it is not.

 

Anyway, the same principle can be used here, so it's 4♣ for me. I will pass 4♦ or 4M. It's anti-intuitive to play the cue as potentially weaker than the simple raise, but it works.

[diana_eva]

1) 3♥ confidently. I would not pass.

2) 4♣ planning to pass if pd bids 4♦ or 4M

 

PS: I don't know if 4♣ should be GF, is it?

Edited August 19, 2014 by diana_eva

[mike777]

1) 3♥ confidently. I would not pass.

2) 4♣ planning to pass if pd bids 4♦ or 4M

 

PS: I don't know if 4♣ should be GF, is it?

 

with no discussion I would assume a cuebid by an unpassed hand at the 4 level is gf. Of course if you have an agreement...

[Zelandakh]

Phil, what do you think of the idea of playing 3♥ in this auction as the equivalent of your cue and a 4♣ advance as showing hearts?

 

I think it is a good rule that raising to 4m is forcing when slam is in the picture and there was an alternative bid looking for 3NT. That is less clear when the alternative cue is 4♣ and I am not so sure you can consider these auctions equivalent.

[PhilKing]

Phil, what do you think of the idea of playing 3♥ in this auction as the equivalent of your cue and a 4♣ advance as showing hearts?

 

I think it is a good rule that raising to 4m is forcing when slam is in the picture and there was an alternative bid looking for 3NT. That is less clear when the alternative cue is 4♣ and I am not so sure you can consider these auctions equivalent.

 

It's fine to play 3♦ over ♣ as a random force, although the benefit is marginal (but probably real). I have evidence that some of the Italians do this.

 

But 3♥ over 3♦ is just too valuable as a natural bid.

[mike777]

ok thanks all I thought there may be some merit in bidding 4c on both hands.

 

 

This is part of a bidding challenge in my old district newspaper..ok my very old district newspaper in Urbana Il.

 

http://home.comcast.net/~dist8adv/

[Zelandakh]

I do not like 4♣ at all on the first hand - either a simple 3♣ or whichever of Pass and XX asks partner to choose in a discouraging way. On hand 2 4♣ has a lot more going for it and will probably be the majority choice; 3♥ and 4♦ are alternatives, albeit not without risk.

[gszes]

Hand 1

 

My hand is miraculous when one considers the bidding that has taken place so far.

2 eight card fits with AJT all concentrated in p 2 suits. Having said that 5c

and even 4h are a long way off if p cannot bid some more. The very least I can do

is make some kind of noise even if it seems only to show a preference with no power.

 

3c

 

Yes same call might happen with xxxx xx xxx xxxx but like I said game is a long way away

and if p wishes to sac in clubs at least I have given them something to think a sac could

be worthwhile. There is another advantage to 3c in that I may get a chance to introduce

hearts later. 3C might also end up being a great lead director in case we have to defend.

BTW if p does invite game I am way more than happy to accept (and almost confident enough

to xx though that would be a dumb thing to do anyway).

 

hand 2

 

I do not wish to bury partner but this hand has a ton of potential. I do not really like 5d

since it is unilateral and takes away all chance of slam bidding. 4c cue bid seems possible

but sure seems ugly without a real fit OR a club control. P chose 3d for a reason so that

means at least 1 of their major suits is probably length defective. That means I would not

concern myself with p having some 4351 shape. I would choose a simple

 

3H

 

bid. While I would convert 4h to 5d I can safely raise 3s so I have a 50% chance of getting to

a major suit game when we have one available. Not only that but the 3h bid keeps slam in the

picture.