balancing with 2-suiter

[Winstonm]

I believe a jump cue bid is the best call here and should be played as a balancing "super" Michael's bid - either a strong 5-5 or a good-to-strong 6-5.

 

WinstonM

[P_Marlowe]

2C perfect, if it shows the mayors.

 

You are mimimum for the bid, so you pass

a simple preference.

 

Marlowe

[Guest Jlall]

2C perfect, if it shows the mayors.

 

You are mimimum for the bid, so you pass

a simple preference.

 

Marlowe

I really don't think this is a minimum. This hand makes game opposite Kxx of spades and out. This hand makes a grand slam opposite x KTxx AQxx xxxx. I think you underestimate the power of this hand if you catch some fitting honors/length.

 

I would certainly bid 2C with AQxxx Kxxxx x xx as well in balancing, and this hand is MUCH stronger.

[Guest Jlall]

sorry double posted, not sure how that happened Edited April 5, 2005 by Jlall

[whereagles]

2C perfect, if it shows the mayors.

 

You are mimimum for the bid, so you pass

a simple preference.

 

Marlowe

I really don't think this is a minimum. This hand makes game opposite Kxx of spades and out. This hand makes a grand slam opposite x KTxx AQxx xxxx. I think you underestimate the power of this hand if you catch some fitting honors/length.

 

I would certainly bid 2C with AQxxx Kxxxx x xx as well in balancing, and this hand is MUCH stronger.

Well, I think he means since 2C is forcing, you can start with it. For instance,

 

1C pa pa 2C

pa 2H pa 3S

 

now pard should have clear idea of your hand, and will pass with, say, xx xxx xxxx xxxx.

[P_Marlowe]

2C perfect, if it shows the mayors.

 

You are mimimum for the bid, so you pass

a simple preference.

 

Marlowe

I really don't think this is a minimum. This hand makes game opposite Kxx of spades and out. This hand makes a grand slam opposite x KTxx AQxx xxxx. I think you underestimate the power of this hand if you catch some fitting honors/length.

 

I would certainly bid 2C with AQxxx Kxxxx x xx as well in balancing, and this hand is MUCH stronger.

Hi Jhall,

 

the hand is nice, but only if you find a fit, you make the Grand, if you have fit.

But the direct Cue Bid shows already an opening bid with 5-5, some even play,

that the cue is showing a 5 looser hand, so would just bid 1S with your given

hand.

I would make the Cue, but then, i am more concerned in winning the part score

battle, than in reaching game, when I reopen.

 

I am probably a little bit to conservative, my regular partner would probably

make another move, but personnally I hate to go down -1 in a partscore,

when nothing is on.

 

If partner has some fit, he will raise, probably not with Kxx in spade and out,

but with the more realistic hand Kxx + ???.

 

But if he gives just a simple preference, I have more fear that he is 1-2 in the

mayors, than that we miss anything. And these probabality is slightly higher,

when I hold 6-5, but the last argument is ..., well, ... ignore it.

 

I really hate it, going down, when I could have written plus. Take your choice,

and drive / invite to game if thats your style, but be aware that there are risks.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[tysen2k]

One more thing to consider. It also looks like this could be a big misfit hand. We have extreme shape and the auction is relatively non-competitive. I'd say neither side likely has a good fit.

 

I believe Modern Bridge Conventions by Root and Pavlicek defines a cue in the balancing seat as Michaels, "intermediate or better" strength.

[han]

A cuebid followed by 2S would have been perfect imo. Not quite forcing to game, but showing serious playing strength.

 

 

My friend overcalled 1S and then bid 2H and played there opposite Kx xxxxx AKx xxx, making 6. I think both partners seriously underbid.

[flytoox]

A cuebid followed by 2S would have been perfect imo. Not quite forcing to game, but showing serious playing strength.

 

 

My friend overcalled 1S and then bid 2H and played there opposite Kx xxxxx AKx xxx, making 6. I think both partners seriously underbid.

Certainly responder, not sure the overcaller.

[Guest Jlall]

certainly both. 1S then 2H could be very weak, it was just a balance.

[beatrix45]

:)

Seems like 2C has to be a general purpose cue bid. You have to have a bid here that shows a powerful offensive hand that is unsuitable for defense. Basically, a double should promise no club void since a penalty pass is not too unlikely, and defending at the one level can be a tough way to score points if you can't lead a trump through, and the extra trumps you don't have in your hand show up in the dummy.

 

In this case, you have some play for game opposite four small spades and a doubleton heart. So, raising partner's one heart or one spade bid as a game try looks just right. Even a raise of one spade to three can be defended. Partner shouldn't play your bid as Michaels, so he/she might bid diamonds, and, if so, you can either bid spades or re-cuebid to elicit a major suit preference.

 

The other tactic is to 'walk the dog' with a quiet 1S bid with a heart follow up if necessary. I don't think anyone can say this is tactic is right or wrong, it just depends on the caliber of the opposition, your partner, the state of the match, and your feel of the table. If it works, you are right. If it fails you are wrong.

 

Trixie

[Chamaco]

Partner shouldn't play your bid as Michaels, so he/she might bid diamonds, and, if so, you can either bid spades or re-cuebid to elicit a major suit preference.

 

Repeated cues are often prone to misunderstandings: their meaning is clear in the mind of the cuebidder, but his/her partner often has quite a headache, such as guessing whether the cue is a hand with fit in advancer suit and slam interest OR "pick another suit pls".

 

This is not theory but practice- unfortunately - it has happened to me in a similar sequences, when one partner of mine (a good player who participated to several italian National finals) was playing with me for the first time, and was not 100% sure of the meaning of my 2nd cue: he had a reasonable doubt, but in an undiscussed pship, he settled for a "practical" bid which landed us in a wrong strain.

 

This obviously would not have occured if the same repeated cue would have been made by his regular pard, but I guess the lesson is that, unless the partnership has discussed everything in detail, I'd try to avoid them altogether.

[Karma]

1 - I did consider 4♣, leaping michaels.

2 - I don't think it is clear that balancing 2♣ is michaels, it is too useful as a natural bid. You can certainly play it as Michaels, but that was never the intention of the Michaels cue bid. For one, it doesn't pre-empt the opponents. Also, 2NT balancing is NOT unusual NT, why would it be Michaels?

3 - I opt for a simple 1♠, then I am prepared to rebid ♥ at any level.

4 - The hand type is also interesting to discuss if the ♠and ♥ are reversed, i.e. 5-6 in the majors. With this hand, I would bid ♥ then rebid ♠ at any level.

[fred]

2 - I don't think it is clear that balancing 2♣ is michaels, it is too useful as a natural bid. You can certainly play it as Michaels, but that was never the intention of the Michaels cue bid. For one, it doesn't pre-empt the opponents. Also, 2NT balancing is NOT unusual NT, why would it be Michaels?

If you have a hand appropriate for a natural 2C overcall, just pass out the opponents in 1C. If you are at unfavorable vulnerability and you have such a strong club 1-suiter that you are afraid you might have a game, then treat your hand as a notrump hand.

 

Don't worry about preempting the opponents when the bidding goes 1C-P-P to you. Do you really think they rate to need space for a delicate constructive auction when the auction starts this way? Besides 2C is more preemptive than your suggestion of 1S.

 

2NT is often played as natural (ie not unusual) in the balancing position because it is a useful natural bid to have. The same is not true of the cuebid (which is not a useful natural bid).

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

[Guest Jlall]

Also, 2NT balancing is NOT unusual NT, why would it be Michaels?

Think of the NT ranges like this:

 

11-14

15-18

19-21

22-24

25+

 

Now if we are in direct seat then:

 

11-14=pass (could be X depends on hand)

15-18=1N

19-21=X then NT

22-24=X then jump in NT

25+=whatever

 

In Balancing seat though 11-14 cannot pass. So we have

 

11-14=1N

15-18=X then NT

 

especially if the auction has gone 1S p p X p 2C p 2N...we are already very high with 15-18. We cannot use X then jump in NT as 19-21 since we would have to jump to 3N opposite what could be 0. So we need a 2N balance as 19-21 so that X then jump in NT is still 22-24.