One for fun

[mw64ahw]

[hv=pc=n&w=sa8765hak987dk43c&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=1s2c2s4c?]133|200|Anyone open 1♥? If so you get the same sequence with ♥s.

The 2♣ overcall is sound with 5+♣

Imps[/hv]

 

 

[hv=pc=n&s=st4h53dj652cajt73&w=sa8765hak987dk43c&n=sq32hj2datckq9542&e=skj9hqt64dq987c86]399|300[/hv]

 

 

[Cyberyeti]

I don't open 1♥ with this, make a small diamond the A I do (you get to express the 5th spade and huge hand over 1N at a lower level than if you open 1♠ absent any gadgets).

 

I bid 4♥ here.

[Winstonm]

4H also

[AL78]

Put me down for 4♥ as well.

[mw64ahw]

[hv=pc=n&e=skj9hqt64dq987c86&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=1s2c2s4c4h5c?]133|200|What now and why?[/hv]

 

Post edited to show East's hand

[Cyberyeti]

[hv=pc=n&w=sa8765hak987dk43c&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=1s2c2s4c4h5c?]133|200|What now?[/hv]

 

Are E and S passing, or are you giving the problem to your partner's hand from the spoiler ? (in which case I bid 5♥ or X either of which are fine)

[mw64ahw]

Are E and S passing, or are you giving the problem to your partner's hand from the spoiler ? (in which case I bid 5♥)

Edited to show East's hand; South will Pass

 

 

 

[Winstonm]

My partner has shown a good 55 or possibly 65 hand so the chances are quite reasonable of a singleton club. With all of our cards working outside the club suit I think a 5H bid is appropriate - the diamond queen is not quite enough for anything more..

[DavidKok]

I'd have bid 3♣ on the first round with that East hand. That being said, we have a huge hand for the auction thus far. Unfortunately our diamonds are too weak for 5♦ (shows a control and a double fit), so I'll have to settle for 5♥.

[nige1]

[hv=pc=n&w=sa8765hak987dk43c&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=1s2c2s4c?]200|300|

mw64ahw ' The 2♣ overcall is sound with 5+♣Imps. Anyone open 1♥? If so you get the same sequence with ♥s.

++++++++++++++++++++I

As West i open 1♠ and rebid 4♥ over 4♣.

On a good day, as East, I might bid 5♥ over 5♣,

[/hv]

 

[hv=pc=n&s=st4h53dj652cajt73&w=sa8765hak987dk43c&n=sq32hj2datckq9542&e=skj9hqt64dq987c86]399|300|

+++++++++++++++++++

I hope we play in ♥s.

5♥ seems a much safer contract than 5♠.

[/hv]

|

[apollo1201]

Late on the thread but I bid 4H just in case they bid 5C, to motivate partner (or cool her down) to bid on.

 

Seems it was a well thought move, since now with only good news for me (good S, 4H to the Q and a DQ that will necessarily be useful), partner will gratify me with a 5H bid.

[mw64ahw]

I'd have bid 3♣ on the first round with that East hand. That being said, we have a huge hand for the auction thus far. Unfortunately our diamonds are too weak for 5♦ (shows a control and a double fit), so I'll have to settle for 5♥.

That seems a bit toppy for East and likely to go down opposite a minimum?

[mw64ahw]

5♥ it is

[hv=pc=n&w=sa8765hak987dk43c&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=1s2c2s4c4h5c5hp?]133|200|Any Wests keen for the slam?.[/hv]

[apollo1201]

5♥ it is

[hv=pc=n&w=sa8765hak987dk43c&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=1s2c2s4c4h5c5hp?]133|200|Any Wests keen for the slam?.[/hv]

Partner has at max 10 HCPs and we need S KQ, HQ, and some of D points, which are probably not well positioned after the overcall on the left. Major Jacks could help as well, given distributions will not be flattish.

That is asking too much.

The fact that slam makes doesn’t mean we should be in it.

[Winstonm]

5♥ it is

[hv=pc=n&w=sa8765hak987dk43c&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=1s2c2s4c4h5c5hp?]133|200|Any Wests keen for the slam?.[/hv]

I will be happy to make 5

[mikl_plkcc]

Isn't 4♥ a control-showing cue bid here?

[Winstonm]

Isn't 4♥ a control-showing cue bid here?

 

No. A slam try after a simple raise is beyond rare. All you are doing here is searching for the best fit while describing your hand.

[DavidKok]

No. A slam try after a simple raise is beyond rare. All you are doing here is searching for the best fit while describing your hand.

The 'best fit' part is incidental. By the time 4♣ comes around you know what you want to do right now (bid game), but you don't know what to do over their 5♣. So, anticipating this problem, you make a new bid to better describe your hand. The goal is to involve partner in deciding what to do over 5♣. A lot of pairs also play forcing passes there, so partner will have the three options of bidding on (an aggressive or double fit hand), doubling (a defensive or misfit in the side suits hand) and passing (something in between). This is miles better than the blind shot you are often faced with in 5-over-5 situations.

If the opponents are silent over 4♥ I expect partner to almost always convert to 4♠ - even with a 4-card heart suit. Opener might well be 6=4 in the majors and wanted to prepare for 5m. As such they really are not about finding a better strain, but about uncovering a potential double fit (or side suit misfit) for future decisions.

 

That seems a bit toppy for East and likely to go down opposite a minimum?

The hand is ♠KJ9, ♥QT64, ♦Q987, ♣86. I agree this would be a sharp 3♣ on the first round, but I think there's a few reasons why it would be a good bid. We have no wasted values in clubs and even have shortage there, with all our points in long suits. We have good intermediates. LHO is likely to be weak, with partner and RHO making constructive bids (so our red suit queens are often useful). Lastly, these days I'd happily bid 2♠ on ♠xxx, ♥xxxx, ♦KJ9x, ♣xx. I evaluate the actual hand to be almost two kings stronger than that, and I'm worried we might miss game if partner has, say, ♠Axxxxx, ♥KJx, ♦AJ, ♣xx or ♠AQxxx, ♥AKx, ♦x, ♣xxxx - I'm not sure I would invite with either of those hands over a 2♠ reply but 4♠ is on a diamond finesse and the spade situation on the first hand and pretty much cold on the second. Swap the jack of diamonds for a small heart in the first hand and game is even better.

I agree 3♣ might get you too high, although even then it could well be a profitable sacrifice. But to me it's a better description of the hand (on the auction I'd evaluate this as a solid 9, maybe shaky 10 points). It also protects us if the auction gets competitive, because partner has a better idea of which side has the balance of power.

 

Any Wests keen for the slam?.

No. Partner has denied a supermaximum with diamond stopper by failing to bid 5♦, and even if partner had bid that slam would be shaky (in fact, my 2♠ is sufficiently limited that slam is 'never' on with this West hand). I'm happy we had an informed 5 over 5 decision, now stop bidding before it all goes down the drain.

[Gilithin]

Isn't 4♥ a control-showing cue bid here?

On hands like this, where both sides have a fit and we hold a 2-suiter, the pair that can first discover the degree of fit in the second suit will usually be at a major advantage in deciding the right level to compete to. It is because East can determine that there is a double fit that they can bid 5 over 5 here. That can only happen if we are able to provide that information on the previous call.