Double or 2 Diamonds?

[miamijd]

The alternatives provided really don't cover the range of possibilities too well.

 

2D is such a huge underbid that it should not even be on the list! Surely, if you think it is right to bid your diamond suit naturally, 3D is far superior.

 

So, I chose Dbl. But I don't really like Dbl much since partner has, for all practical purposes (if partner has some reasonable values), denied the presence of a 5 card major. It sure doesn't require much to overcall 1H or 1S unless your partnership practices a very stodgy, super sound overcall structure!

 

But, as I mentioned, other bids occur to me. One is the aforementioned 3D. The other is 3C - if partner will understand this to mean that I have a solid 7 card suit - is 3C. I would not trot 3C out at the table undiscussed, so for me, 3D seems best.

 

3C showing the solid 7-card suit and an outside A is fine if you play it that way; I would say "standard expert" is preemptive (3H over 1H and 3S over 1S are the seven-carder). The biggest problem with 3C is that you're going to go set in 3NT on hands that may make 6 of a suit (partner will bid 3NT with xxx KQJx xx J9xx, where 3NT may go set and 6H is likely cold).

 

3D is fine, too, but it takes up a lot of bidding room (you might have a slam in any of four denominations).

 

Also, both of these bids give up on playing 1cX. Partner could have xxx xxx void AQT9xxx, you know.

 

Your comment about partner denying a 5-card major is not correct. Partner could have a 7-card major for all you know:

 

xx Kxxxxxx x xxx

 

Partner isn't going to bid anything with this hand, but you can likely make 7H.

 

I think X, 3C (if agreed that it's this hand), and 3D are reasonable; each has its pluses and minuses.

[MrAce]

3C can be one of two things depending on partnership agreement. It can either be preemptive in clubs or else a bid showing a solid 7-card suit and asking for a stop for 3NT. Depends on partnership agreement. I'd say preemptive is more common for clubs against a standard bidding system.

 

3D over 1D is the same, although I'd say that's more 50-50 in terms of how people treat it.

 

3H over 1H and 3S over 1S are always showing a solid 7-card suit (usually a minor) and asking for a stop for NT. Usually you'll have the seven-card suit and one outside Ace, so that partner's stop is trick 9. Partner typically bids 3NT with a stop and 4C (pass or correct) without one, but if partner has a game-force hand with no stop, he bids 4D.

 

Cheers,

Mike

 

Hi Mike.

 

From your posts before I think you are a good player. Maybe you misunderstood, because this is the first time I find myself in total disagreement with what you wrote. We are talking about 1♣-pass-pass-3♣. This 3♣ in balancing seat can be anything but preemptive. So I am assuming you misunderstood the position. Or are you really suggesting that 3♣ in balancing seat is preemptive?

 

Otherwise in direct seat instead of balancing, 3♣ says he has a stopper and asks for a solid suit! http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif

[miamijd]

Hi Mike.

 

From your posts before I think you are a good player. Maybe you misunderstood, because this is the first time I find myself in total disagreement with what you wrote. We are talking about 1♣-pass-pass-3♣. This 3♣ in balancing seat can be anything but preemptive. So I am assuming you misunderstood the position. Or are you really suggesting that 3♣ in balancing seat is preemptive?

 

Otherwise in direct seat instead of balancing, 3♣ says he has a stopper and asks for a solid suit! http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif

 

You are correct; my mistake. 3C in balancing seat obviously isn't preemptive the way it is in direct seat. The jump cue in balancing seat doesn't come up very often; I would take it as a running 7-carder asking for a stop in NT or otherwise a description of the hand (cheapest bid being the negative bid).

 

3C here is very reasonable. I slightly prefer X, because it's more flexible in case partner has a major suit or a huge club stack, but 3C, 3D, and X are all reasonable.

 

Good catch.

 

Mike