[Echognome]

Scoring: IMP

1♠ - (X) - ?

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Partner's 1♠ was 10-15, and showed 5 cards.

Your choices are:

1NT - Relay (shows game invite plus)
2♣ - Natural, NF
3♣ - Natural and fitted
4X - splinter
3NT/5♣ - Natural to play

I can't think of any others for the moment, but ask if you are thinking of something.

I'll carry on the auction later, but wanted to ask for an initial view.

[Blofeld]

3♣.

I expect this auction to bounce quickly, so 1N is out. 2♣ isn't that bad as it's unlikely to be passed out, but then it's hard to get any useful information out of partner as it conveys nothing like this hand. Splintering carries the wrong message about the other red suit, as well as making it very hard to play in clubs. I don't want to play in 3NT, and 5♣ seems too unilateral.

While I don't actually expect partner to have a club fit (and 3♣ may make it harder than I'd like to eventually play in the suit), it will tend to get partner to devalue points in the red suits, which seems the best effort that I can make here.

Second choice 5♣.

[whereagles]

I was toying with the idea of 4NT when I realized 5♣ is probably the percentage bid.

[pbleighton]

5C. Sometimes you have to ignore the 8 card major suit fit. I didn't, in a very similar hand about 6 months ago, and watched all of my lovely club tricks but one come to naught.

Peter

[Echognome]

I agree with all of you. 5♣ right now should hit the deck. I did not find that bid.

I was under some mistaken impression that i could relay and the opps would be silent. Call it a momentary loss of sanity.

So it continues:

1♠ - (X) - 1NT! - (2♥)
P - (P) - ?

5♣ now or making a different move?

[whereagles]

Echognome, on Feb 4 2006, 11:06 PM, said:

I agree with all of you. 5♣ right now should hit the deck. I did not find that bid.

I was under some mistaken impression that i could relay and the opps would be silent. Call it a momentary loss of sanity.

So it continues:

1♠ - (X) - 1NT! - (2♥)
P - (P) - ?

5♣ now or making a different move?

Well, as you see, there was no need to shoot at 5♣ right away It wouldn't surprise me THAT much if you could relay the opps to oblivion. After all a 5431 or 5440 hand opposite isn't so unlikely.

As for what to bid now, after pard's pass a slam is clearly out of the pic, so 5♣ seems par.

The alternative is a 3♥ cue, checking for a stopper. *Shock horror*.. I can't believe I mentioned the s-word!

[Winstonm]

Jlall, on Feb 4 2006, 04:17 PM, said:

5C. I will not play spades anyways unless partner has 8 of them. It's possible this could miss a slam, but i'd really like to blow the opponents out of the water right now.

5C is exclusion Gerber.