Do you bid Michaels?

[Trick13]

[hv=pc=n&s=s4hkt975djt5432c3&d=n&v=e&b=9&a=p1s]133|200[/hv]

IMPS

[mikeh]

[hv=pc=n&s=s4hkt975djt5432c3&d=n&v=e&b=9&a=p1s]133|200[/hv]

IMPS

Michaels may work very well, but with this hand, and partner passed, against good opps, I’d rather pass and hope that they go done on bad breaks, which Michaels will warn them about.

 

Btw, passing now doesn’t mean passing forever, tho I suspect that I will not bid later.

 

Edit: against bad opps, there’s usually no need to go nuts anyway. Against medium opps, and with an understanding partner, Michaels is more attractive

[pescetom]

mikeh, any differences if it was MP?

[ahydra]

I would pass. It might make a difference if the suit was spades (so can get out at the 2-level) and if it was matchpoints.

 

ahydra

[mikeh]

mikeh, any differences if it was MP?

I’d pass even more comfortably at mps. ahydra’s point about spades is very good. Sacrifices at mps are less attractive than at imps. Meanwhile, if they outbid us, as seems likely, the roadmap we give them is even more costly. Say partner has Qxx in spades. He will usually score that if we pass, and rarely score it if we bid. -650 is a disaster at MPs when, had we been silent, it would be -620, while at imps it rarely costs much even at vps

 

In a strong field, say the last day of the LM Pairs, if we needed to create swings, maybe, but that’s not my style anyway. And when one’s partner knows one’s style, it rarely pays to step out