Rate choices

[nige1]

[hv=pc=n&s=sq5hk8dkqj742cj83&d=w&v=b&b=4&a=2h(Weak)2s3h(Pre-emptive)]133|200|League of 8 Match (imps). You play 2/1 without any relevant special agreements. After stating your first choice, please rate any other calls that you consider and suggest continuations (if any).[/hv]

[mycroft]

I can't answer this, because I don't play bridge (at least, above club game) without one relevant special agreement - how strong action over their preempts is.

 

With my regular partner, I make 3NT in a breeze if partner has quicks and 4♠ with more slogging if partner has slows (if she has 6 spades, I guess); unfortunately, we don't play this double as penalty, so I would have to pass and hope partner comes back in if I want to take the "sure plus" rather than guess which game makes.

 

With many of the people around here, who overcall on "anything reasonable" instead of soundly, they might have 8 roundsuit tricks and a card without thinking hard and we may not have anything.

 

Also, what does "weak" mean for these people? Is it 'well, of course 6 to 2/top 3', or is it 'well, I assume she won't be jack high vulnerable', or is it 'I don't know, just "weak"'? Kx is *probably* the worst holding to have (except in 3NT-takes-the-first-9-tricks), but I know a lot of stronger pairs where the A is in righty's hand, even at equal red at IMPs - possibly even in partner's!

[Phil]

I'd probably punt 3N.

[P_Marlowe]

3S.

 

I considered X, we play it as inv. to 4S, seeing the vote 3NT seems also ok,

but it did not cross my mind.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[Jinksy]

Nasty. I'm too much of a chicken for 3N - it's the most likely game, but if we're not cashing the first 9 tricks (which seems a lot < 50% likely), we're going for a looot of 100s. There might be a way to cash 7 or 8 tricks giving up on the contract (eg spurning a finesse into E's hand), but we obviously wouldn't take it.

 

4♦ feels about right strength-wise, and I'd like to be able to play it as showing spade support (which would overstate what I've got in spades, but not as much as a vanilla 4♦ understates it) - but without that agreement, I don't see how P will ever know to bid 4♠ when it's right. And 5♦ is a long way off.

 

4♠ just feels like too much of an overbid. Even when it's making, P might get excited and drag us a level too high.

 

I'm not a million miles away from passing, but I can't do that with a 12 count vul, even if my KH is only worth about 1/4 of a trick.

 

So I've cornered myself into 3♠. Slightly too little support, slightly too many working values - hopefully these things will balance us out, and when P raises us to 4 we'll have a play for it. Even if not, it should only be one or two off, vs a potential -4 in 3N - and P will have the insurance to play to make the contract.

[nige1]

[hv=pc=n&s=sq5hk8dkqj742cj83&n=SKT934H74DACQT965&d=w&v=b&b=4&a=2h(Weak)2s3h(Pre-emptive)]200|200|

North gave me this problem. Her hand was as above. At the table, South bid 4♦. They ended up in 4♠X and lost a large penalty.

What do you think of the 2♠ overcall?

With the South hand, if you pass, double, bid 3♠, or even 3N, you probably escape undoubled.[/hv]

[Zelandakh]

After stating your first choice, please rate any other calls that you consider and suggest continuations (if any).[/hv]

3NT. My first thought was X but we are probably going to miss 3NT when it is right too often. Spade and diamond calls entered the mind briefly but were quickly rejected.

 

 

What do you think of the 2♠ overcall?

It is a Muiderberg/Woo 2♠ opening. A good guide is not to preempt over a preempt. Acting on this hand in isolation is probably a positive but it makes it far too difficult when combined with all of the other hands you need to take action with so it is better to pass and accept getting fixed occasionally.

[P_Marlowe]

[hv=pc=n&s=sq5hk8dkqj742cj83&n=SKT934H74DACQT965&d=w&v=b&b=4&a=2h(Weak)2s3h(Pre-emptive)]300|300|

North gave me this problem. Her hand was as above. At the table, South bid 4♦. They ended uo in 4♠X and lost a large penalty.

What do you think of the 2♠ overcall?

With the South hand, if you pass, double, bid 3♠, or even 3N, you probably escape undoubled.[/hv]

The hand is too weak for a 2S overcall, move the Ace of diamonds to the spade suit, and 2S becomes

sensible, still borderline, but sensible.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[rmnka447]

The hand is not good enough for a vulnerable 2 ♠ overcall.

 

I'd devalue the responding hand with the ♥ Kx in front of the ♥ length. After 3 ♥, I just don't find enough to compete further now. If it goes, 2 ♥ - (2 ♠) - 3 ♥ - P - P -? and partner finds a further bid, I might reconsider. But pass seems right now.

[mr1303]

We've all done this from both hands. Thin actions from both sides in a bidders world and it goes loads off on bad breaks. Often undoubled, thankfully, but this might start to change soon.

[apollo1201]

At least N didn't bid 4C😀