Bad hand, desperate measures?

[kjpod]

On the last hand of and up-and-down club (matchpoint) game where you still have hopes of a scratch, you get this lovely hand at favorable vulnerability.

 

♠ 109763

♥ 1062

♦ 832

♣ 43

 

Playing a simple form of Precision, partner opens 1♣. RHO bids 1♥. Pass back around to partner who reopens 1NT, which shows 18-19 balanced by your agreements. RHO persists with 2♥.

 

Do you compete with 2♠ or do you stay out of it?

 

If you pass, it's not over. Partner, known to get creative at times, reopens yet again with 2NT. This time RHO passes.

 

Do you transfer to spades now, or do you keep silent? Or do you think of something else?

[sfi]

I pass the first time because I have no tricks. If partner has spade support we are likely to get too high and if partner doesn't we are likely to be in trouble. They may be as well, so bidding could trade a plus for a minus.

 

I pass the second time because partner could have doubled for takeout with interest in spades. I would expect partner to have a source of tricks in one of the minors, a heart stop or two, and would not thank me for pulling to a poor spade fit.

[akwoo]

I think I bid (the second time).

 

Give partner

 

♠Kxx

♥KQx

♦KQx

♣KQxx

 

a pretty awful for offense and good for defense hand, and it looks like either 2♥ makes for them or 2♠ makes for us. Yes there are even worse hands for partner to have where they have only 2 spades or have 4 hearts, but on the other hand partner could also have a hand with ♥Ax or a 4th spade.

 

It's true that partner will probably act on hands with 16 total tricks if it gets passed to them, but you want them to act on hands with 15 total tricks, and I don't think they will. Acting is wrong with 14 total tricks, but I think that's less likely than 15.

 

Note, at IMPs, where you don't really gain by acting on 15 total trick hands, I pass, but I'm assuming MPs.

 

EDIT: If I pass the second time, I also pass the third time. Partner can't have 3 spades and might not even have 2 for that bidding.

[TylerE]

Easy (lebelsohl) 2♠ the 2nd time.

 

It's matchpoints. We have spades. Stop overthinking.

[TylerE]

Easy (lebelsohl) 2♠ the 2nd time.

 

It's matchpoints. We have spades. Stop overthinking.

[mikeh]

partner has a good, long minor. Maybe something like Kx AJx AKJxxx Kx

 

even thinking about bidding, over 2N, is an overbid.

 

Had RHO passed 1N, I would have transferred. However, my attempt to get to 2S would not have been because I think we can make it, but because I think it 'may' go down less than 1N. At that stage I have no reason not to play partner for a balanced 18-19

 

when he bids 2N, he has what he thinks/hopes is a source of tricks, which do not rate to be useful on defence.

 

edit: bidding 2S over 2H seems too risky, even at favourable. We have the worst possible heart holding, and we don't really want to be declarer on a heart through, and then dummy exposed.