Bidding judgement

[nige1]

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My robot opponents talked me out of a vulnerable game on this deal.

They bid 1♦ - 1♠ - 2♣ - 2♠.AP

LHO couldn't show his 5 card ♥ suit..

My bidding judgement was poor.

I confess that I passed throughout :(

North Robot wisely led ♠AK, to defeat the contract by one trick.

 

 

At the other table, over RHO's 1♦ opener, Cherdano sensibly overcalled 1N

And the focus turned on his partner.

In spite of finding the 4-4 ♥ fit, the North Robot settled for the safe 3N.

Excellent imp judgement because 4♥ fails on the 5-0 trump break :) [/hv]

[FelicityR]

I'm with you some of the way here, Nige1, because as sensible as it is overcalling 1NT here as the hand warrants it, opposite a passed partner at adverse vulnerability it sometimes pays not to do it. Furthermore, should you end up defending, it also alerts the opposition where the majority of the points are.

 

However, all things being equal, I would have opened 1NT (15-17) with the South hand every day of the week, so denying yourself a bid in a competitive auction is, to me, going against the grain. It's not even a borderline in my eyes as the intermediates cards are in the longer suits, and potentially there's a double stop in ♦s. With that slight inference that the ♦A is potentially on your right, too, the hand looks better than just a 15 HCP count.

[Cyberyeti]

It looks an obvious 1N overcall, tbh I'd prefer to overcall 1♥ to pass. 4♥ looks like it might well be beaten but it's far from certain that it will.