[Echognome]

Scoring: IMP

1♠ - (P) - 2♣ - (3♥)
3♠ - (P) - ?

---

I wasn't quite sure whether to give you this round of bidding or the next one.

1. What is your call now?

2. Would you think a 4♦ bid here is natural or a cue-bid agreeing spades?

3. Supposing you bid 4♦ and partner bids 4♠, would you pass or bid 5♣?

Luckily this was all online and in tempo, so no one saw me squirm.

[FrancesHinden]

1. 4C

2. Natural, but only in my most regular partnerships (who know I have to bid 4H to agree spades). Wouldn't risk it with a pickup partner.

3. 5C. Worried about how many hearts they can cash and/or being cut off from the clubs before trumps are drawn.

[black man]

In my opinion a 0 1 5 7 hand is always very difficult to bid.
Anyway in this hand I bid 4 d and, on p's 4 spades, I bid 5 clubs
I hope that my p, with 1 of 2 red aces and, eventually, diamond Q could bid 6, or in clubs or in diamonds
cry for my poor english
black man

[whereagles]

2. Because opener might have been pushed into his 3♠ bid, 4♦ here should be natural, 6-5. If LHO had passed, you might have a case for a spade cue, but in this case I don't think so.

3. I don't know what I would do because I wouldn't have that problem: over 3♠, I'll just make the practical bid of 6♣

Would prefer to have a heart void for this, but oh well.

[bearmum]

Echognome, on Jan 19 2006, 08:49 PM, said:

Dealer: North Vul: None Scoring: IMP

♠   ♥ 9 ♦ KJT84 ♣ AKQT984

1♠ - (P) - 2♣ - (3♥) 3♠ - (P) - ?

I wasn't quite sure whether to give you this round of bidding or the next one. 

1. What is your call now?

2. Would you think a 4♦ bid here is natural or a cue-bid agreeing spades?

3. Supposing you bid 4♦ and partner bids 4♠, would you pass or bid 5♣?

Luckily this was all online and in tempo, so no one saw me squirm.

1. 4♦
2. Natural suit
3. 5♣ showing 6/5 at least with ♣ longer than ♦ --- EXACTLY what I have WTP?

[Blofeld]

1. 4♣
2. Think it should probably be natural but I'd be worried about a misunderstanding without discussion.
3. 5♣ and sigh.

[pclayton]

4♦ looks so obvious, but its a cue for spades. Justin mentioned a good rule: new suits are not bid at the 4 level.

Whats wrong with a nice forcing 4♣?

[han]

I think that 4D should be natural here (see Justin's comment) but I wouldnt' risk it.

I can see myself bidding 6C, but 4C is probably better.

[mikeh]

This hand is about ♣. ♦ will rarely play better: most of the time a 7-1♣ fit will play as well or better than a 5-3♦ fit. Bidding 4♦ (which is natural for me) caters to partner's possible 4 card support, altho how the auction proceeds afterwards is murky at best. I prefer not to shoot at such an unlikely and narrow target, so I bid a forcing 4♣.

On one level, after a 4♠ bid over either 4♣ or 4♦, 4N could show a minor two-suiter with a two card discrepancy, but I think that it should be keycard, even tho I probably play 4N as keycard less than just about anybody.

So I bid 5♣: 6♣ is way too much with 0=1 in the majors.

[mikestar]

whereagles, on Jan 19 2006, 11:59 AM, said:

...  I don't know what I would do because I wouldn't have that problem: over 3♠, I'll just make the practical bid of 6♣

Whereagles must be getting conservative. I bid 6♣ directly over the opener. There is no way to be scientific so let's put them to the guess right away. I'll make sometimes, I'll go down sometimes, they'll miss some cheap saves and take some phantoms--and even if they guess right it will unnerve them.

[Winstonm]

To me this looks like an instance where describing my hand to partner is of more value than asking him anything - what else can he tell me and what do I expect to hear over 4C? I think although 4C is forcing the better call over 3S is a direct 5C - this to me is the only bid that gets across the message that I have a virtually self-sufficient suit and am not interested in much of anything else. This is also the bid that allows partner to look at control cards and a singleton x in clubs as being slam cards.

Winston

[inquiry]

I think 5♣ or 6♣ is the only choice. My gut feeling is 5[cll] willl be almost cold and 6♣ will have a much better than average chance to make on this auction. And remember, 5♣ does not end the auction.

[pclayton]

inquiry, on Jan 19 2006, 11:58 AM, said:

I think 5♣ or 6♣ is the only choice. My gut feeling is 5[cll] willl be almost cold and 6♣ will have a much better than average chance to make on this auction. And remember, 5♣ does not end the auction.

Chances are we have a heart loser, and maybe a club loser, in addition to whats happening in the diamond suit.

It seems more prudent to me to see what pard does over 4♣.

If you are paranoid about 4♣ (it should be, but there are some that would say it isn't), then a blast would be in order.

[han]

Indeed, why is 4♣ not an option Ben?

[inquiry]

pclayton, on Jan 19 2006, 04:08 PM, said:

inquiry, on Jan 19 2006, 11:58 AM, said:

I think 5♣ or 6♣ is the only choice. My gut feeling is 5[cll] willl be almost cold and 6♣ will have a much better than average chance to make on this auction. And remember, 5♣ does not end the auction.

Chances are we have a heart loser, and maybe a club loser, in addition to whats happening in the diamond suit.

It seems more prudent to me to see what pard does over 4♣.

If you are paranoid about 4♣ (it should be, but there are some that would say it isn't), then a balst would be in order.

Paranoia is not the problem with 4♣. If you are going to force to 5♣ anyway, that will be fine. But for me, 4♣ should leave the door open for 4♠. I would rather bid 4♦ and then pull 4♠ to 5♣ to imply a tolerance for diamonds but strong preference for clubs than bid 4♣ and then 5♣ (with only mild preference for clubs, you could bid 4♦ then bid 4NT assuming partner would figure this is not RKC for spades on this auction after he rebids spades twice).

I am not willing to play in spades even though partner might be willing to bid them again, thus no 4♣ bid. Maybe someone who is clever at it can set up a simulation... 5♣ must be nearly cold, and 6♣ requires little more than diamond Queen and a red ace in partners hand .....

Ben

[jdeegan]

7-5 hands play dreadfully in the five bagger unless pard has four card support because you get tapped out and trumps figure to be 4-1. I agree with the expert opinion. Pick the number of clubs you think we can make and bid it.

[Fluffy]

4♦ is cue to me, I would bid 5♣, 6 on a inspired day.

[dogsbreath]

hi
Isnt 4C Gerber?

Rgds Dog