Big 6-5

[pclayton]

IMPs - short matches you pick up:

 

[hv=d=s&v=e&s=shkqjtxxdxxcaqjtx]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

You open 1♥, LHO doubles. Pard bids 1♠ (transfer to 1N, showing 6 to a poor 10). He doesn't deny 4♠, but he won't have 4 good ones. RHO passes.

 

Note: Obviously you aren't compelled to accept the transfer, so don't get all confused about the structure. If you can't conceptualize the problem, just pretend pard bid 1N over the x.

 

(Ben / Gerardo - if you want to add 2 and 3 hearts to the poll, please do so)

[SoTired]

What did RHO bid?

[inquiry]

ADDED...I did vote considering a 1♥ opening bid... but... Just open 3!C MisIry.. hehehehe...

[pclayton]

What did RHO bid?

RHO passes (I edited the original post).

[Fluffy]

4♣ sounds appealing.

[Guest Jlall]

4H. seems practical.

[pbleighton]

Nice problem.

 

3C and 3H are both bad.

 

I bid 3H. I play 3C as absolute GF, which may be old fashioned.

 

Peter

[Al_U_Card]

Since RHO passed, you have to bid over pard's 1S, right? Contemplating anything but 2H over an erstwhile 1NT response seems to be wrong-headed to me...... <_<

[Guest Jlall]

really? When I can make game opposite xxx xx xxxxx Kxx it seems wrongheaded to me to NOT bid a game. The only question in my mind is whether I should try for slam or not! It seems like the spade suit is missing, so I think there are tactical advantages to blasting and giving up on slam. I really don't understand not bidding at least game though.

[Al_U_Card]

Since the 1S was alerted (hopefully) RHO doesn't have 5S and 8 hcp or 4S with 9+ hcp, and LHO rates to have 4S and 4C and 4D (in a perfect world which is usually what occurs when I am South). <_<

 

So pard is balanced and RHO may have a H stack (albeit in front of you) so they force with S and when you run out of trump they start cashing Diamonds or what?

[Al_U_Card]

really? When I can make game opposite xxx xx xxxxx Kxx it seems wrongheaded to me to NOT bid a game. The only question in my mind is whether I should try for slam or not! It seems like the spade suit is missing, so I think there are tactical advantages to blasting and giving up on slam. I really don't understand not bidding at least game though.

He did bid 1NT 6-10, with the right hand he will carry on, will he not? Perhaps 2H IS conservative (read chickensh#t) but they have spades and the bidding is unlikely to go 2H-p-p-p....... <_<

[Guest Jlall]

I agree that it is unlikely 2H will get passed out, but what do you accomplish then by having only bid 2H if you will later bid game? I don't see why partner would see any reason to bid on with a random 6-9 point hand when that is what he has already shown.

[Al_U_Card]

Besides, my pards always have Jxxx, xx, KQxx, xxx on this sequence (honest! it happens all the time.... <_< )

[Al_U_Card]

Familiar with Murphy's Law? He was a bridge player or at least should have been. I happily accept that the hand has tons of upside potential and that when you compete with C over their S bid(s) pard will be well placed to act.

[Guest Jlall]

Familiar with Murphy's Law?

Yep, but I do not apply it when it comes to game bidding <_<

[Al_U_Card]

ADDED...I did vote considering a 1♥ opening bid... but...  Just open 3!C MisIry.. hehehehe...

See higher up for the hand I proposed for pard. When you complete the description with 3H over 3D (that is correct, is it not?) can (should) he pass with that hand?

[han]

I voted 4H, the only other bid that I considered was 3C. Even though you won't always make it, 4H seems practical and unrevealing.

 

I think that 3H is too conservative, won't comment on 2H.

 

 

BTW, Doesn't Murphy's law state that once something goes wrong, you should expect more things to turn against you? So far things have gone pretty well, we picked up a good and interesting hand and partner has shown a balanced hand without spade length/strength.. what more can we expect?

[han]

Besides, my pards always have Jxxx, xx, KQxx, xxx on this sequence (honest! it happens all the time.... <_< )

1) Surely Phil's partner can count more intelligently, this is not even a 6-count.

 

2) You might make game anyway.

 

3) Expecting the worst is bad bridge. Expect the most likely.

[SoTired]

Opps have a 9+ spade fit that they've not bid yet. Although I am suspicious hearts are breaking badly and with bad luck 4HX could be -800. Even so, then 4S is likely making.

 

This is a 4-loser hand with a self-sufficent suit. 5C needs 2 cover cards. Why give opps an easy chance to find their spade fit?

 

4H

[Blofeld]

I bid 3♣ because that's what I've got.

 

I'm an optimist, and still have slam ambitions. 4♥ cuts those out (though it's the only other bid I'd consider).

[mike777]

3clubs, I do not want to give up on slam yet.

 

FTL=13-2+(0 or +1)=11 or 12 tricks

13=total tricks, minus 2=combined 2 shortest suits, Plus zero=19-21 whcp, plus one =22-24 whcp.

[pclayton]

Part II

 

I bid 4♥. Pretty hard to construct a hand that makes more in clubs than it does in hearts. Surely, pard has some spade card that can stop an annhiliation in hearts via a tap.

 

Now - the opps have 9+ spades. The spade void tells me that we might have a double game swing - especially if they are double fitted with diamonds.

 

Say you bid 4♥. LHO (as expected) bids 4♠. Pard doubles. Do you pull?

[Guest Jlall]

hell yeah I pull :P The opps have 10 spades...i have 1 trick... seems like a deep view to sit this one out.

[SoTired]

SLAM :P

 

you have 4 losers. The missing cards are ♥A, ♦AK and ♣K. To make slam you need partner to have 3 of those. Tell me how you can find 3 of them in your partner's 6-9 (bad 10) hand? Would you call xxxx xx AKxx Kxx a "bad" 10? (not counting the fact it is PERFECT).

 

3C gives LHO a chance to bid his big hand with 5 bad spades at the 3-level. Make him decide at the 4-level.

[Al_U_Card]

BTW, Doesn't Murphy's law state that once something goes wrong, you should expect more things to turn against you? So far things have gone pretty well, we picked up a good and interesting hand and partner has shown a balanced hand without spade length/strength.. what more can we expect?

Anything that can go wrong, will. (sooner or later, I suppose) You have a fair fit and half the deck with good prospects for a competitive situation. Jacking the hand may be the best option, but pard has given you a warning (advice?) with the 1NT. Maybe they will overstep their hands.....who will blink first?

 

I concede that my position is so conservative (somewhere right of Atilla the Hun) that I accept a bid of 3H as reasonable. (For me, of course.)