Balance or No Balance

[billw55]

I also considered that partner could have middling values, but no call because he has diamonds. Maybe something like Kxx xxx Kxxx xxx, where (I would think) bidding 1NT freely suggests more like 8-10. This would give the opponents more spades .. but us more high cards. Admittedly though my own ♦QJx makes this scenario less likely.

[P_Marlowe]

1H

[PhantomSac]

I also considered that partner could have middling values, but no call because he has diamonds. Maybe something like Kxx xxx Kxxx xxx, where (I would think) bidding 1NT freely suggests more like 8-10. This would give the opponents more spades .. but us more high cards. Admittedly though my own ♦QJx makes this scenario less likely.

 

Absolutely this kind of hand is possible, but the opponents are going to do quite well in spades and probably not so well in diamonds when partner has this hand type. They can ruff diamonds to dummy etc, best case we probably get 2 clubs 1 heart and 1 spade so they can make 3S.

 

Bidding 1H will probably hurt us more than it will help us in this scenario. Bidding 1N might work, but partner will bid at least 2N and if they lead a spade we won't make, if they lead a diamond we might not even make (or we might). But 1N has other dangers, for instance partner might bid 2S if he has 5 spades.

 

Even given this scenario it's not clear that passing will not be best, and it will very likely be better than 1H. QJx of diamonds is really a bad holding.

[eagles123]

I think you meant to ask "1♥ or 2♥?", right?

 

no

[helene_t]

There is no point being better than the field if all we are trying to do is to go with the field.

The "go with the field" argument comes up quite regularly and is sometimes used as an explanation for the phenomena that most experts play fairly mainstream methods.

 

I apply it myself when I am at 59% after board 11 in robot rebate and just need to avoid a bottom on board 12. But that is a very artificial situation.

 

Usually we are not very risk-adverse. We don't really know if we need a swing or if we need to avoid a swing.

 

Then there is the argument that we should aim at playing the same 3nt contract that everyone else plays and make an overtrick which the rest of the field misses. But maybe most of the field gets an undeserved overtrick due do a defense mistake so in that case we would have to bid a better contract to avoid a poor score. We simply don't know what the field does. So don't worry about it.

[GrahamJson]

I don't play much on BBO largely because my Wifi isn't very reliable. When I do, I seem to score pretty well by bidding rather less than others. My main observation from watching on BBO is that most players get too busy and bid (and double and redouble) too much.

 

This problem is tricky. I wouldn't criticize 1H, which could work out well, but I think pass is the percentage call. If you have a decent partner he will try hard to scrape up a bid over 1D, particularly if holding spades, so he rates to have a very poor hand.

[daffydoc]

Arguments that opp may have a spade game or even slam are interesting and certainly possible - but not bidding here does not sit well when I clearly have the best hand at the table - if they fit spades we fit hearts or clubs and will be willing to push them to the 3 level at MP. daffydoc

[case_no_6]

I pass. Partner had a chance to bid 1S or Dbl over 1D and partner likely has 3 or 4 spades. If partner had anything of value and 4 hearts, Dbl would have been easy, so the chances of a heart fit seem very meager. What's more the chances of the opponents having a spade fit seem pretty substantial - partner won't often have 5 spades on this auction. I think they have an 8 card spade fit most days with at least half the deck. It seems like a good MP result to let them take their tricks at 20 points apiece in diamonds instead of 30 playing in spades.

 

Megan

BBO name: Case_No_6

[Trump Echo]

1H

Yes.

[eagles123]

and the result is... 6s is cold for NS - their hands are

 

[hv=pc=n&s=sj764ha73dact9763&n=sakt32hjdkt76542c]133|200[/hv]

 

Cheers,

 

Eagles

[cherdano]

I apply it myself when I am at 59% after board 11 in robot rebate and just need to avoid a bottom on board 12. But that is a very artificial situation.

Except I have never figured out what the field does in a robot rebate. Sometimes it's opening 1NT (15-17) on a completely normal 14 or 18 count. On another day, that's a high-risk gamble.

[gszes]

I am probably as anti field as one can imagine and here it seems tactically sound to back in with 1n. I am not that happy with backing in with 1h mainly because of the soft values in diamonds which are all too easily ruffed away. It is almost impossible for p to have a hand where they failed to bid over 1d and yet feel compelled to bid 2s. The 1n bid also may make life much tougher for the opps to find any spade fit they have. Very difficult for the opps to find a successful x of 1n and we rate to score 6 tricks opposite an unlikely zip which will beat a lot of positive scores the opps might make. If my partner has used up their daily supply of antiacid I can find a pass.

[PhilKing]

and the result is... 6s is cold for NS - their hands are

 

[hv=pc=n&s=sj764ha73dact9763&n=sakt32hjdkt76542c]133|200[/hv]

 

Cheers,

 

Eagles

 

Looks like the bidders were right - surely the oppo will now bid to Seven one down. :angry: