Thought this one was clear cut

[hrothgar]

The hand looks too weak for a 15+-18 HCP 1NT overcall.

(K+R evaluate the hand as 13.55 HCP)

Does the K+R evaluation take into account the fact that East opened the bidding 1D? In my judgment that makes this hand worth more than 14 HCP, not less.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

Good point that I hadn't considered...

 

The K+R evaluator considered hands in isolation.

It certainly seems reasonable that the QJxx is worth more sitting over Diamonds...

[fred]

The hand looks too weak for a 15+-18 HCP 1NT overcall.

(K+R evaluate the hand as 13.55 HCP)

Does the K+R evaluation take into account the fact that East opened the bidding 1D? In my judgment that makes this hand worth more than 14 HCP, not less.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

Good point that I hadn't considered...

 

The K+R evaluator considered hands in isolation.

It certainly seems reasonable that the QJxx is worth more sitting over Diamonds...

The 9 of diamonds is also a very strong card and both the heart and spade holdings have improved as a result of the 1D opening.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

[han]

It seems to me that almost any time we have a nice balanced 14 count with some diamond honors, our hand is going to look better after the 1D opening. So should we overcall 1NT with all these hands? Fine, but than we shouldn't say that 1NT is 15+ to 18.

 

Overcalling 1H is not my style, but I have no problem with it. I think double is out of the question.

 

I pass, even though this will make it much harder to get to game.

[flytoox]

The worst case scenario I can picture is if the auction were to proceed (1♦)-p-(3♦)-P-(P)-... I would be hard pressed to decide whether to double here. My thinking tho, as described above, is that I should pass, expecting that if we can't beat 3♦ we probably can't make anything at the 3-level either.

What about:

 

1D-p-1NT-p-p-?

 

What do you do now ?

Good time to dbl for blood. You know all cards are misplaced for the declarer.

[jdulmage]

nothing wrong with 1NT - but a lot will bid 1H here - not clear cut always

[HeartA]

The 9 of diamonds is also a very strong card and both the heart and spade holdings have improved as a result of the 1D opening.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

That is what I said :P. But I couldn't it it anywhere from this thread. Maybe I just talked to Mike last night on BBO (Mike, did I?) or the post was lost somehow.

[whereagles]

In life, like in bridge, the only clear-cut thing is there are no clear-cut things :P

[pclayton]

1N; QJ9x in RHO's suit is basically AKx, although lack of power may make higher contracts problematic, especially if pard has a club problem too.

[Rebound]

I've just re-read my own post and I've noticed it implies that I'm saying that on this hand any plus is a good plus. Now that I think about it, I believe it to be true, but what do you folks think?

Disagree.

 

Game for your side is a live possibility. If you pass you are essentially giving up on getting to game.

 

So +100 on defense may not be good (if your side can make +600 in 3NT for example).

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

Thanks Fred. Good Point. I would be interested to know what happened in the rest of the auction in the actual game.

[mcphee]

I make the choices pass or 1NT, this looks like the wrong time to overcall 1H. I think I would go aggressive and bid 1NT much of the time. I also do not think this is clear cut.

[cherdano]

Here is a hand with a somewhat similar topic, that I held recently in a team league match:[hv=d=w&v=n&s=sa876hk752d3cakt9]133|100|Scoring: IMP

RHO opens 1♣ (5-card majors) in 3rd seat.[/hv]

 

What would the BBO panel bid?

 

Arend

[luke warm]

i'd have to pass this one... nothing else really stands out

[fred]

Agree with Luke. This one is a clear pass in my view.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

[the hog]

Neither M is good enough to overcall, and you don't have the strength or pips to overcall 1NT.

[pclayton]

Maybe this is the hand in the other thread where the auction starts (1C) - dbl -( rdbl) -1D - (P) - pass - (dbl) - pass (pass) - rdbl.

[helene_t]

Pass. If it's passed out to pd, he will keep it open if it's right to do so. Otherwise I'm happy to defend. (Refering to the original problem. The second one is clear-cut)

[Free]

Here is a hand with a somewhat similar topic, that I held recently in a team league match:[hv=d=w&v=n&s=sa876hk752d3cakt9]133|100|Scoring: IMP

RHO opens 1♣ (5-card majors) in 3rd seat.[/hv]

 

What would the BBO panel bid?

 

Arend

Clear pass...

[Fluffy]

pass as well, 1♥ some day maybe.

[joker_gib]

Pass, 1♥ when pigs fly ! ;)

[Walddk]

PASS without hesitation. Could that be the hand where, in another thread, partner doubled and then was in serious trouble when LHO redoubled and I bid 1♦ that got doubled?

 

If so, 2♣ is definitely the spot for us, but I don't like to guess, so please pass next time. A simple rule is worth following in most instances:

 

Pass in 2nd seat after RHO opens the bidding does not deny an opening hand

 

It only denies a hand that is suitable to take any action - either because it's weak or because it has been kept out of the bidding with too many cards in the opening suit.

 

Roland

[cherdano]

Ok ok, I better confess immediately -- while double didn't occur to me, I like my ♣T9 and the vulnerability too much to pass, and overcalled 1NT. Of course it could have worked out badly, playing 3♦ in a 6-1 fit, but on the actual hand it worked out well:

[hv=d=w&v=n&n=s53haqj863dt87c84&w=sqt9h4daj9542c752&e=skj42ht9dkq6cqj63&s=sa876hk752d3cakt9]399|300|Scoring: IMP

(P)-P-(1♣)-1NT

(2♦*)-2♥-(P)-3♥

(P)-4♥-AP

*=non-forcing.[/hv]

If 1NT may have been an overbid, the hand had become a maximum when the bidding came back...

 

Of course, pass shouldn't miss game here, either.

 

(You may not agree with partner's pass in 2nd seat, but for us, 2♥ at this vulnerability/positiong would need 6 tricks in partner's hand.)

[pclayton]

Well, you'll likely get to 4♥ anyway after (1♣) - pass - (1♦) - 1♥.

[Gerben42]

It worked out well but notice that you have not missed the boat if you just pass quickly. Partner will come in in hearts and you'll be happy :)

[HeartA]

Here is a hand with a somewhat similar topic, that I held recently in a team league match:[hv=d=w&v=n&s=sa876hk752d3cakt9]133|100|Scoring: IMP

RHO opens 1♣ (5-card majors) in 3rd seat.[/hv]

 

What would the BBO panel bid?

 

Arend

PASS without hesitation, as Roland said. This seems a really clear-cut for me.

[mike777]

Thank you all for your insightful comments.

 

An everyday hand with an everyday auction playing a system played by 99.9% of the non-experts in North America and many around the world and we get 4 possible bids: 1NT, 1H, X, Pass.

 

If bridge players are describing this simple hand and overcall with 4 possible bids I find it a wonder we comprehend any of our partners bids if this common hand has 4 bid options.

 

On this hand I passed, LHO bid 3nt and went down 2 when they were locked out of their hand with 8 running clubs.

 

The other table made a take-out x and somehow ended up in 1NTX.

 

My guess is a 1H overcall will end up being safe as P will pass with his 2HCP and the opp will end up in some number of clubs or 3nt. If P gets frisky and raises to 2H that will not work well.