Yet Another Pre-Empt From Opps

[PhilKing]

OK, I have dug up a few similar hands from the database, so try this quiz. On each hand the bidding starts 2♥-pass-4♥:

 

1. Game All. ♠ KQJ95 ♥ A ♦ T3 ♣ J9643

 

2. Vul v non vul. ♠ QT862 ♥ A6 ♦ 3 ♣ AQ872

 

3. Non vul v vul. ♠ KQ876 ♥ 96 ♦ 6 ♣ AQ832

 

4. Vul v non vul. 2♥ = Fantunes.♠ KT743 ♥ J ♦ QT ♣ AQJ84

 

So, do you feel lucky?

 

Sorry, I never gave the answers.

 

1. A fiasco. The 2♥ opener forgets to double 4♠ with: ♠87632♥KQT98♦K♣T5. But that's OK, because our partner doubles 5♥ for no particular reason on ♠T4♥Q98764♦♣A87. -850.

 

2. 4♠ bid and made - they are not cheap in 5♥.

 

3. You escape for -100 in 4♠X on soft defence. 4♥ is cold.

 

4. You get whacked for -200, but again 4♥ is cold.

[lamford]

I am not that aggressive for all 6-5 hands in same situation, as you can see in another thread by Diana, I passed J KJxxx KT876 x love all, when LHO opened 4♠ and it came to me.

I agree with you that passing on the East hand given by eagles is losing bridge. I would bid 4NT on the hand you give here if 5-6 but not if 6-5, assuming the missing card is a small one.

[lamford]

Of course I don't know that partner has four hearts, but I think it is quite likely. He always does whenever I bid 4S on this sort of hand.

Then there is a fault with your club's shuffling and dealing algorithm. Get a new one from Jeff Smith.

[kuhchung]

Thanks to eagles123's bump. I enjoyed rereading this and am not so terrified by PhilKing's examples anymore.

[rmnka447]

I didn't reply, but agree with the bidders.

 

A couple factors should push you to bid. First, the opponents have a fit, so chances are high that you have a fit also. Second, you have a very distributional hand. Shapely hands tend to play well if you can find a fit.

 

♠ Qxxxx isn't ideal to bid on, but you don't want to miss 4 ♠ if it's a make.

 

 

Side Story - Last half of regional KO 2nd bracket final, behind by 31 at the half. NV vs. Vul, LHO bids 1 ♠, partner passes, RHO bids 4 ♠ and I hold -- ♠ - ♥ xx ♦ AJxxx ♣ A108xxx. I had no problem bidding 4 NT (2 places to play). LHO bid 5 ♥. Partner bid 6 ♣ which was doubled and passed out. RHO unfortunately decided to lead the ♠ A. Partner held the ♠ Kxx, a stiff ♦, and ♣ KQJx. He pitched a ♥ on the ♠ K, ruffed out the ♦ to set them up, and made 6 for +1090. Had RHO found a ♥ lead, we would have been off 1 in 6 ♣ doubled. Once I bid 4 NT, the opponents were destined to be down at least a Vul game swing minimum if they didn't find a similar bid at the other table. If the opponents had bid on to 6 ♠, a ♦ lead by partner and easy ♦ return beats 6 ♠. One of the reasons I made the bid had been a similar experience a couple years previous holding a 6-5 hand VUL where I didn't bid. The corresponding opponent found a 4 NT call, the sac was right and it cost us a VUL game swing. So, I lived and learned not to be timid with distributional hands. (BTW, we won the final by 39.)