[Echognome]

Scoring: IMP

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West open 4♦ natural.

This is the first hand where there is heavy preemption. Although this is often a question of judgment, it is also one of style and and systems in competition.

The first question is, of course, what to do over the preempt. Should North just bid hearts, or double, or bid some type of two-suited overcall? You will see that all of these choices were made. I'd be interested to hear the thoughts of the bidders on why they felt their choice had the best chance to work out.

We now turn to South. South has an interesting hand after action from his partner. He has four card spade support (if North happens to show the majors), two honours in hearts, and a doubleton club. However, South has one major liability, in my opinion. He has 5 diamonds under the preemptor. For a 4-level preempt, I would expect West to have either 8 diamonds or a 7-4 shaped hand. Since the hand is flawed if that 4-card side-suit is a major, I'm banking on an 8 card preempt. This leaves none for partner, but also none for RHO. Can anyone say trump promotion? (Although it doesn't make any real difference on this board.)

The limit on these hands is 5♥ or 5♠. Should be interesting to see how the pairs faired.

[Elianna]

Adam had the north hand, and bid 5♦, pick a major. I bid 5♠, after some thought, because I figured that my diamond cards were not working, as you said in your previous post, and I am an eternal pessimist about things like this.

The interesting thing is, what happens if West bids 5♦. Does Adam bid hearts (and would I raise)? Does he force us to game with 6♦? etc..

[hrothgar]

I felt that this was one of the best hands of the set. MUCH more interesting than, say, number 8...

I decided to start with a highly imperfect takeout double, hoping that partner would be able to show a major. From my perspective, double is a terribly flawed bid -

Even if partner has 4 Spades, the hand could play better in Hearts...
There's no really good rebid over 5C...
Patner could decide to convert for penalties...

there are SO many ways that this could backfire - but nothing else looks any better.

4♥ substantially understates the playing strength of the hand
4NT and 5♦ use far to much bidding space to intelligently explore slam - btw the time you sort out shape, you'll never be able to describe controls...

Our auction

(4♦) - X - (P) - 4S
(P) - 5♦ - (P) - 4♥
(P) - 5♠ - all pass

[MickyB]

Woah. I'm always passing on the south hand if you double 4♦.

I bid 5♦, pard bid 6♠. Not sure whether I'd have gone for 6 on his hand.

[Cascade]

I bid 5♦ over 4♦ and partner decided to bid a quiet 5♠.

5♦ must show a hand that has a play for 11 tricks opposite not very much. Partner here has some useful cards - the ♥A obviously and the major suit Jacks. I think she is very close to bidding 6♠.

I didn't mind using the space consuming cue-bid here. I was describing the two suited nature of my hand and my playing strength. We are not going to be able to bid precisely over this level of pre-emption. I think partner should expect me to push a bit with this call and therefore that she was right to be a little conservative with her hand.

[Robert]

Hello everyone

Point out the coward. I try to avoid getting to thin slams over preemptive auctions.

Sometimes suits are breaking badly after they open a natural 4D bid.

My style is to overcall 4Hs. I am likely to survive opposite xx and finding AJ in dummy will not hurt my chances to make game.

Should my partner make a takeout double of 4Ds, I will pass the double.

I suspect that opening bidder will not be able to pick up my trumps for no losers.

If partner bids 4D-5Ds-I bid 5 spades.

Regards'
Robert

[inquiry]

Wow.. i really, really don't like Richard's double with this hand. Now, I can say that, because i am fairly sure no one else made my bid on this one (i had the major two suited hand)...

(4♦)-4NT!-(pass)-5♥
All pass

This is very tough hand to bid. The options are bid 4♥ and maybe go down with 6♠ cold, double for takeout and have partner pass, bid 5♦ for pick a major and respect the level your partner bids, or go with my admittedly odd choice of 4NT.

4NT here is generally thought of as two places to play, but when you skip both majors, people tend to think one of those places has to be clubs. I used 4NT as two places to play, planning on pulling 5♣ (certainly partner will bid that, I thought, boy was i wrong) to 5♥, admittedly this 4NT choice will not be popular. But I had the thought that this method of forcing to 5♥ or 5♠ might convey some additional information to partner not present in the 5♦ cue-bid. The big risk of 4NT is partner might jump to 6♣, but then at least when I bid 6♥, we might get to the right strain after all. Over partners 5♥, it is clear that we are probably high enough, as with both majors and two aces, he would have bid 6♥.

[han]

btw, I bid 5H because I didn't want to play in clubs if partner has the black suits.

[Fluffy]

I think 5♦ is a mistake, 5♠ will play poorly if partner doesn't have 4. This hand will almost always play better in ♥s. I would bid 4♥ and end the auction.

[cherdano]

I really like Ben's 4NT. When I tried bidding these hands, I chose an awful....6♦.

[mike777]

we bid 5d and then 5s and then pass.

[han]

Mike, who is we and how did you bid them? What were your methods, who had which hand and what were your thoughts?

[mike777]

Hannie, on Nov 21 2005, 02:37 PM, said:

Mike, who is we and how did you bid them? What were your methods, who had which hand and what were your thoughts?

Kimmel Jones bid 5d(majors) and here is his comment.


"had partner bid 5H, rather than spades, I'd raise that to 6, as there would then be less chance of a spade loser.."

I would have bid 4h not 5d but I think the decision is very close. I tend to be more conservative in my slam bidding then many on bbo and Kimmel.