Passing in the sequence 1H (X) ???

[WesleyC]

A couple of years ago, I noticed a hand where a top polish player passed in the auction:

 

1H - (X) - ???

 

despite holding 5 spades, short hearts and the values to respond. This worked out amazingly well when the opponents stretched to 4Sx in an 8c fit.

 

Since then I've experimented a little bit with the same principle to reasonably good effect. By slowing down the auction on misfit deals, it feels like you can avoid getting too high and also allow the opponents to make the last mistake.

 

Does anyone else have an experience with this idea?

[rhm]

If I would know a deal to be a misfit I would keep quiet most of the time.

The problem does not arise when we do not have a spade fit but when we do.

How do you find that spade fit when you pass initially. e.g. 1♥ (DBL) Pass (2♦) Pass (3♦) ?

Of course most of the time LHO will hold 4 spades. So "values to respond 1♠" should mean a reasonable suit.

 

Rainer Herrmann

[WesleyC]

The hand which triggered me thinking about this idea again was

 

1D (X) ???, holding : [AJ32 98x x J98xx]

 

Where 1D promises 4+D usually unbalanced.

 

Would anyone pass this hand?

[karlson]

I agree with the sentiment in the original post and Rainer's reply -- it only makes sense to bid 1s over 1h-x with a good suit.

 

But on the second hand, I'd bid 1s, especially at MP. If it happens to be that their suit is hearts and it's a partscore hand, we have to find spades.

[Fluffy]

This sounds interesting, but last time I trusted a theory from BBF it made me collect loads of bottoms for playing against the field at local level :P (I still hate you awm! :P )

[Tramticket]

There was a time when a 1♠ bid seemed to be a short suit (psych) more often than not ...

[helene_t]

This sounds interesting, but last time I trusted a theory from BBF it made me collect loads of bottoms for playing against the field at local level :P (I still hate you awm! :P )

In a weak field, maybe you should always pass here if opps are red and you don't have a fit for partner? Doubler will keep bidding on his 12-count until you double them :)

[fromageGB]

But on this hand (1♦ open), you almost certainly do have a fit. Partner could easily be 2-suited and you have a lovely club fit. Opener may not wish to rebid 3♣ if you pass and LHO bids 2M. If partner is 3-suited, then you have a 2-suited fit with cross ruffs. I bid my normal reply as over a RHO pass.

[WesleyC]

But on this hand (1♦ open), you almost certainly do have a fit. Partner could easily be 2-suited and you have a lovely club fit. Opener may not wish to rebid 3♣ if you pass and LHO bids 2M. If partner is 3-suited, then you have a 2-suited fit with cross ruffs. I bid my normal reply as over a RHO pass.

 

"Almost certainly do have a fit" feels like an overbid. If RHO has normal t/o double shape (say 4414 +/- 1 card), then 2362/3352/2452/3361 are probably the MOST common shapes that partner will hold and in these cases our side has no fit.

 

A counter-point to the case where parter is 3-suited, is that opposite that hand we also have a lot of defensive potential. The key to winning the board might simply be to slow partner down, so that our side defends rather than plays the hand. Bidding 1S might also lose by talking the opponents out of a doomed spade contract.

 

On a related point, I also prefer to use 1NT through 2X-1 as transfers in this sequence which already gives up the natural 1NT advance. So partner should already expect to see some misfitting 6-9 HCP hands in our pass and can adjust accordingly.