[cherdano]

Free, on Feb 20 2006, 07:14 PM, said:

Ok, so apparently most people bid 3NT. Now partner bids 4♠. What now?

2♦* - pass - 2♠* - 3♦
3♥ - 3NT - pass - 4♠
pass - ...

I have a huge hand for partner now, a grand is possible. I am sure someone will say 4N is obviously 6-KCB now, but I have my doubts... 5♣ seems clear, I think I would follow-up with 6♠ over pretty much anything.

Arend

[han]

I think that 4NT is no form of keycards, it should be to play. We have 3 big cards for partner and a nice fit, I agree with 5C followed by 6S over partner's likely 5D or 5H. This should show that we have nothing to cuebid besides the club ace but several other useful features.

[mikeh]

One poster earlier commented (accurately, in context) that this hand looked like a bad one for multi, in that a 2♥ - 3♥ sequence would prevent north from bidding 3♦.

Now it looks as if the multi worked out ok. Over 2♥ 3♥, partner would be bidding 4♥ and we'd be back to where we are.

Sometimes it takes more courage to pass than to bid, and this may be one of those hands. Partner may well have the hand suggested by Justin: certainly we'd all (I think) bid that way with it.

He may also have the equivalent of AKJxx x AKJxxx x, and bid the same way.

One thought: the ♠ are likely breaking: if LHO held 4 ♠, it seems unlikely, at white v red, that he would bid 2♠. Either he has 2 and RHO 3 or he has 3=4 in the majors, and in that case it is entirely possible that partner is 5=0=6=2 .

That means that we may not need the ♠J or that a suit of only AJ10xx may be enough in slam: AJ10xx x AKxxxx x is not great, but may well make slam in either pointed suit.

After considerable torment, I am bidding a (not very convinced) 5♣. Should partner bid 5N, choice of slams, I choose ♦. Should he bid 5♦, I pass.

[Echognome]

As a related note, my view on the weakness of the multi is that it's susceptible to natural overcalls in a minor (which I play roughly as 10-13 with a decent suit). Responder is now apprehensive to make a call if he doesn't have both majors and they may miss an easy game or sometimes a slam. I've seen it happen.

[Gerben42]

I am with Justin on this one and Pass. Partner did not bid Leaping Michael's, remember?

A typical hand:

KJxxx
x
AKxxxx
x

or possibly even less.

Anyway, if I had passed as in my previous post, partner bids 3♠ and I raise to 4. One overtrick, next board please.

[mikeh]

I did remember that partner did not make a leaping michaels

Did you remember that a jump to 4♦ would leave 3 of the players guessing as to which major North held?

Thus, unless we are told differently by the original poster, the lack of a leaping michael's call is irrelevant.

[luis]

Pass, it's not a good idea to look for miracles when you are under pressure. Pass simplifies the bidding a lot.

[han]

OK, I am convinced, pass.

[Blofeld]

Pass seems to make sense.

[akhare]

Pass -- pard may have seven semi-solid ♦s and partial ♥ stop, it's crap shoot to bet on it and bid 3N...

Atul

[SteelWheel]

Quote

As a related note, my view on the weakness of the multi is that it's susceptible to natural overcalls in a minor (which I play roughly as 10-13 with a decent suit). Responder is now apprehensive to make a call if he doesn't have both majors and they may miss an easy game or sometimes a slam. I've seen it happen.

This is the essence of my defense to multi 2♦, which I insist on playing in any partnership:

X=I have a good overcall in a major and will clarify later in the auction (or I have such a good hand that I can handle whatever comes our way)

2♥=A good 3♣ overcall, usually a good 13+ HCP with a good suit
2♠=A good 3♦ overcall, usually a good 13+ HCP with a good suit
2NT=15-18 balanced, hopefully with some reasonable holdings in the majors
3♣/3♦=natural, with an approximate HCP count in the area of 8-12

Main idea here is that if they're going to try to hurt you, you must try to hurt them back. If you can overcall their multi open with what is essentially a good weak-two, but showing it at three-level, you will often shut out your LHO who is sitting there with his 5-1 in the majors, and no longer has an economical "pass or correct" call available. You can often steal the pot with your 3♣ overcall, while their 9 or 10 card fit in one of the majors remains undisclosed.

[nikos59]

Quote

X=I have a good overcall in a major and will clarify later in the auction (or I have such a good hand that I can handle whatever comes our way)

What is partner to do over your double (if the other oppo. passes)? Just relay?

[Echognome]

One variant of defense is Multi over Multi. The irony is that although the multi is often restricted in meanings, the defensive multi is often unrestricted. So, for example, I could play:

X = Either a weak 2 in a major, a strong 2 in a minor, a 3-suited strong hand, a balanced strong hand, etc...

I'm not saying it is optimal, just that it is less restrictive.

Now over the double, partner can act as though you opened a multi with a similar structure to your own multi.

A similar structure to a double of a weak NT. Suppose partner doubles a weak NT showing 15+ and RHO makes a natural or conventional bid. I play with most partners that I will treat my actions as though partner opened a strong NT and RHO bid. Of course partner may have a different hand type to a strong NT, but it is the most common. Thus we use Lebensohl or Rubensohl (depending on the partnership).

Over a multi, I personally prefer the Dixon idea that you double with 13-15 balanced OR various strong hands. The reason is that you would not normally be able to compete as easily with 13-15 balanced, EXCEPT that it is impossible for the opponents to judge when to leave 2♦X in. Thus, direct seat can compete on some hands that might be difficult over a natural weak 2.

Because of that and the vulnerability to natural overcalls in a minor, I find the multi less effective than natural weak 2's. However, as a positive, it is a space saving bid and I do like being able to sort out my various strong hand types in case there is competition.

As an extreme consider:

2♣ = Weak with both majors OR bal 22+ OR a strong single-suiter
2♦ = Weak 2 with a single-major OR bal 20-21 or a strong 3-suiter
2♥/2♠ = Lucas or Dutch or whatever you fancy preempt
2NT+ = Weak preempt or strong 2-suiter (a la Misiry)

Now when you open 2♣ and there is competition, opener can pass with the weak hand, double with the strong balanced hand, and bid his suit with the single-suiter.

When you open 2♦ and there is competition, opener can pass with the weak hand and double with the strong hands (which are of a similar type). Although I usually agree that you do not double immediately if your shortness is their suit.

It makes competition flow much smoother.

All that being said, I still prefer a strong club. Go figure.

[Walddk]

Echognome, on Feb 21 2006, 11:40 AM, said:

One variant of defense is Multi over Multi. The irony is that although the multi is often restricted in meanings, the defensive multi is often unrestricted. So, for example, I could play:

X = Either a weak 2 in a major, a strong 2 in a minor, a 3-suited strong hand, a balanced strong hand, etc...

The 2♦ Multi opening is only as restricted as you want it to be. You can effortlessly include all of this in the opening too. 4 or 5-legged Multi is not unusual where I come from.

Roland

[Echognome]

Ah. Thanks for the reminder Roland. It's easy to get caught up with your own regulations. In England you are restricted as to the number of meanings, but I am sure that is not true elsewhere.

[Free]

At the table something really nice happened. South didn't bid 3NT, he bid 3♠! The reasoning was (like Gerben started, but failed in the end) that the ♠ must be somewhere. West had bid 2♠ so he's short (otherwise he might as well bid 3♥), and East can't have 4♠s, this gives 5♠s with partner almost certain! Now North liked his hand (obviously) and bid to 6♠.

The entire auction at the table:
2♦ - pass - 2♠ - 3♦
3♥ - 3♠! - pass - 4NT
pass - 5♦ - pass - 5♥
pass - 6♠ - all pass

LHO leads ♥8 (1/3/5 leads). How do you plan the play from here (especially trumps)?

Scoring: IMP

6♠ by south, lead ♥8

---

[Gerben42]

I think 3♠ is a very nice bid but it depends a bit on who my opponent is.

Anyway the point of the hand is to not lose two trumps. Since West's ♥ are broken and it seems he can be trusted to have "something" for his preempt, I will guess he will have♠A.

I ruff the opening lead, cross in ♣ and lead a small ♠ planning to play the King if West plays low. This is better than finessing the J directly as West can have doubleton AJ.