An ugly hand

[coyot]

[hv=d=n&v=e&s=s532hk532dkq5ca86]133|100|Scoring: MP[/hv]

 

North opens bidding with 1♦, which promises longer or worse minor. (You play 1NT 15-17), East overcalls with 1♥.

 

What is your bid and why?

 

(I will show you all both hands and our bidding later :))

[mike777]

Dealer: North Vul: E/W Scoring: MP

♠ 532 ♥ K532 ♦ KQ5 ♣ A86

 

North opens bidding with 1♦, which promises longer or worse minor. (You play 1NT 15-17), East overcalls with 1♥.

 

What is your bid and why?

 

(I will show you all both hands and our bidding later :))

2d showing weak hand, with no shortness very often.

I am really used to partner opening on junk very often.

[the hog]

Eh!!!! You have a weak hand???? Pd opened and you have a 12 count. You must have misread this problem.

2H for me

[Echognome]

2NT for me which in my agreements shows a sound raise to at least 3♦ with a heart stop.

 

Playing with a pickup expert partner it would be 2♥.

[mike777]

expect 2h to be consensus bid but this is MP so I will just try for a plus score with 2D. My partner may open really junky.

Of course this may be why I never win at MP.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

2NT, wtp?

 

Natural and invitational strength.

 

2H is out, since it should show fit,

which I donot have.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[coyot]

At the table, I decided to go for a big underbid, 1NT.

 

My reasoning was simple:

I see one heart trick, probably 4 diamonds, one club. Partner rates to have 7-9 more HCP. Unless he has a good shape, it is quite likely that some of the black honors will be behind him, in the overcallers' hand. Now, given my heart holding, I cannot stop opps from developing 4 heart tricks. Unless I can cash 8 more winners straight away, I'm toast, even if partner's hand is good enough to accept my invitation.

 

At IMPs, I would bid 2NT, though.

 

Partner's likely shape is 4243 or 3253. Unless his black suits can provide 3 top tricks, we're going down in 3nt. But, if his shape is better, he might bid again over my 1NT.

 

And this was exactly what happened :). Partner bid 2♣, showing 5-4 in minors. RHO bid 2♥. Now the chances are much better, so I jump to 3NT. Partner turns out to have Kx-Q-Axxxxx-Kxxx, 9 sure tricks. The opps had a chance, but spade honors are split favorably, QJxx in leader's hand does not look too attractive with his partner bidding hearts twice - and the obvious heart lead gives me ninth trick.

[cherdano]

I don't think I agree with your reasoning coyot. If partner has ♦Axxxx, you can see 7 immediate tricks after a heart lead, and you have only used 4 of partners hcps for that. Your club ace means you can develop a club trick without RHO gaining the lead there. Etc etc.

I think this is a balanced 12 point hand, with a (somewhat big) minus for the bad shape and horrible spots, but a plus for a well-placed ♥K, for the excellent KQx in partner's suit, and an ace. Hence I bid it like a balanced 11-12 hand, 2NT.

 

Arend

[helene_t]

Not sure what the options are. If 1♠ denies spades I might bid that. If 2NT is natural and non-forcing I might bid that.

[Fluffy]

You bid 1NT, I would just bid 3NT, somethign should be wrong, but we all end in the same contract, and we relax on the sight of a beautiful day playing an easy contract and thinking how easy this game is.

[coyot]

I don't think I agree with your reasoning coyot. If partner has ♦Axxxx, you can see 7 immediate tricks after a heart lead, and you have only used 4 of partners hcps for that. Your club ace means you can develop a club trick without RHO gaining the lead there. Etc etc.

I think this is a balanced 12 point hand, with a (somewhat big) minus for the bad shape and horrible spots, but a plus for a well-placed ♥K, for the excellent KQx in partner's suit, and an ace. Hence I bid it like a balanced 11-12 hand, 2NT.

 

Arend

There are some things to consider:

1) partner's suit may be a 3 or 4card

2) your combined hands are most likely to have one heart stopper.

 

I don't want to push partner into game on general "values" principle. 1NT seemed to be a good idea, because it gave me the room to find out wherher partner has some extra shape or not.

 

I was ready to carry the blame, should partner have KQ in clubs, AJxx in diamonds and A in spades.

 

Note that if I had as little as extra 9 in hearts, I would bid 2NT straight away - the only reason for the underbid are the clear heart tricks opps have developed after the opening lead.

[pbleighton]

I would bid 2NT - I have the values, shape, and stopper.

 

Peter

[inquiry]

Misho has a "transfer advance" method (termed equality) that for its other "flaws" (many will not like it),deals with this hand in a logical manner. The trick to his method is that" 1NT and 3NT are natural, raises are natural, transfers start with Double and the last "transfer" available at the one or two level shows balanced hand unsuited for NT bid or the unbid minor. Here is a link to one place where he discusses this exact auction (the 1H overcall of a minor). http://forums.bridgebase.com/index.php?sho...indpost&p=31190

 

For misho (like helene_t) suggested, a 1♠ bid denies spades, and shows one of two hand types. A hand with 5+ diamonds (so if 1S shows diamonds, you guess what 2D shows) or a balanced hand unsuited to bid 1NT (too strong or too flawed) or 3NT (maybe want to right side the contact).

 

Over 1♠, you get to hear whether partner is relatively balanced. You get a good chance to right side the contract in NT if he has Qx of hearts. All without having to give up and blast 3NT immediately.