[cherdano]

Scoring: IMP

2♥-P-2♠-X
P-3♣-P-3♥
P-4♣-P-?

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IMPs, short BBO match against expert++ opponents. You don't know LHO much, but probably his 2♥ bids aren't junior style. RHO is a junior only by age, but his reliable judgement includes knowing when it pays to mix things up.

You hardly know partner but he is probably pretty good.

Three questions:
1. Do you agree with the bidding so far?
2. What do you do know?
3. Guess the contract and result when this was actually played.

Arend

[whereagles]

6NT, wtp?

[Free]

whereagles, on Mar 27 2006, 11:10 AM, said:

6NT, wtp?

Exactly my thoughts

[luke warm]

7NT

[mikeh]

1. Do I agree with the bidding so far? I cannot answer that question with any certainty unless I know what 3♣ showed. There seem to be three ways it could be played:

: the most descriptive noise possible: could be 2=3=4=4 0 hcp
: definitely the longest suit (2N as a grope) so usually at least 5 unless something like 4=3=2=4
: values: 2N as lebensohl, therefore not necessarily long ♣ but a decent hand

2. What do I know so far? See above: not much.

3. What was the final contract? Since slams appear the most likely final destination in a random partnership (ie S is guessing to some degree simply because of a lack of agreement about methods), I am going to guess that S tried something cute here and it blew up. I am going to guess that the final contract was 4♠: that S bid 4♠ as a cue and that N (correctly, in theory) read it as natural.

As to what the correct contract should be, see the above questions.

As to what I would bid, guessing, I think that 4N should be a good description: with just 23 or so I would have bid 3N over 3♣. 4N is a tad conservative, but bidding 6N is too aggressive and I have trouble seeing a middle ground. 5N is obviously in the middle, but what does it mean? Pick a slam seems weird on the auction; GSF must be silly.

BTW, 4N is NOT keycard: if you have a keycard hand, you would have bid 4N over 3♣: going through 3♥ and then learning nothing makes it illogical to than use 4N as keycard.... assuming that 4N can ever be keycard, which is debatable.

[cherdano]

mikeh, on Mar 27 2006, 06:33 PM, said:

1. Do I agree with the bidding so far? I cannot answer that question with any certainty unless I know what 3♣ showed. There seem to be three ways it could be played:

: the most descriptive noise possible: could be 2=3=4=4 0 hcp
: definitely the longest suit (2N as a grope) so usually at least 5 unless something like 4=3=2=4
: values: 2N as lebensohl, therefore not necessarily long ♣ but a decent hand

Well as I said, this was a pickup partnership, so you know as much as I do. In fact, you may know more than I do, since you might know better than I what to guess here opposite a good partner.

Arend

[whereagles]

mikeh, on Mar 27 2006, 04:33 PM, said:

BTW, 4N is NOT keycard: if you have a keycard hand, you would have bid 4N over 3♣: going through 3♥ and then learning nothing makes it illogical to than use 4N as keycard....

I wouldn't be so sure even in a seasoned partnership, let alone a pick-up one

[Fluffy]

I have no idea what to bid, 6♣ is probably enough after such madness

[han]

Partner really needs something for us to have slam. A natural 4NT would be nice here.

[jdonn]

mikeh, on Mar 27 2006, 11:33 AM, said:

BTW, 4N is NOT keycard: if you have a keycard hand, you would have bid 4N over 3♣: going through 3♥ and then learning nothing makes it illogical to than use 4N as keycard.... assuming that 4N can ever be keycard, which is debatable.

I totally disagree, you are completely reversed on general principles. How do you show big balanced hands when the opponents open? You double then bid notrump. If you want to bid keycard then you cuebid after partner bids a suit before bidding 4NT.

The truth is in practice most people would take both 4NT bids as blackwood, if for no other reason then fear that partner probably means it that way. But double then 4NT right away should be natural, and I think should have been bid here. This hand is a minimum for that action.

[cherdano]

Ok, since 3H seemed like a cue-bid searching for the best strain, I tried another cue-bid of 4H, agreeing clubs, hoping partner would understand that just a little something is enough for 6C.

Partner passed, assuming I was trying to expose the psych.

I think 6N is a serious overbid. Partner suggested 6C, seemed also like an overbid to me. It was making by ruffs since partner had 4 hearts.

I like Josh's suggestion to bid 4N directly over 3♣ best.

Arend

[civill]

5♣ for me.