[sceptic]

Scoring: IMP

---

West North East South

 -     -     -     2♣
 Pass  2♦    Pass  3♣
 Pass  3♦    Pass  4♦
 Pass  5♣    Pass  5♠
 Pass  6♣    Pass  6♦
 Pass  Pass  Dbl   Pass
 Pass  Pass  


needless to say I was South here, I misunderstood 3!d and got carried away, what should I have done (or bid 3!S look for the 3NT first)

[hotShot]

2♣ openings with a long minor are a problem, because you could hold a 4 (or even a 5, if the minor has 6+cards) card major. In these situation you reach the 3 level without getting any information about partners hand. This is why playing 2♦ as a meaningless relay, is not a good idea.
But this time it is not your fault, 3♦ is the wrong bid from north. It makes no sence to bid a new minor, as he knows you have a ♣ fit. I guess north tryed not to pass 3NT and to allow the strong hand to bid NT, but bidding a HCP-less suit is not helpful.

[the saint]

I dislike the 3♣ and 3♦ bids.

Your hand is balanced so show it as such. And the same goes for North with no interest beyond game unless you have extra values beyond your 2♣ opener.

[luis]

When you have a balanced hand bid it as a balanced hand
2♣ - 2♦
2NT

Etc.
It's simple :-0

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

your 2nd bid should be 2NT or 3NT, depending
on your agreed range.

I dont like 3D, since this should show a better
suit, but North has a hard time finding a good
bid, most likely he should bid 3NT, but since
you put him in this situation, you are responsible.

Over 5C, you should simply pass, sry partner says,
he is weak, he has no intrest, and you march on,
no pity, ... buy him a beer next time you see him
face to face.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[luke warm]

i agree with others, opener's rebid should be 2nt.. outside of that, i really hate 3D... so given the bidding to that point, i don't see much wrong with your 4D... but like i said, i think 2NT is the correct rebid

[hatchett]

Interestingly 6♣/6NT are cold. Say west leads a Heart. Win A. Spade to the Q. Spade A. Cash 5 rounds of clubs. Cross to the Spade J. Diamond to J and Ace say. Exit in hearts, and take another diamond finesse. Easy game.

[cherdano]

luis, on Apr 2 2006, 05:49 PM, said:

When you have a balanced hand bid it as a balanced hand

Yessssssssss!

[mikeh]

As others have said, 2♣ opening bids, based on a long minor, are difficult hands. That is why many experts will strain to open at the one level or to treat the hand as a notrump hand: which is what I (and just about everyone else who has posted) would do. Exactly how is a matter of agreement.

There is a very useful treatment known as the Kokish Relay, which comes into play after a 2♦ response: a bid of 2N shows your agreed-upon 2 point range stronger than a 2N opening: if you play that 2N = 20-21, then 2♣ 2♦ 2N is 22-23 and with the next range up (which includes this hand) you bid 2♥.

2♥ is either ♥ or a big notrump: responder HAS to bid 2♠. Now 2N by opener shows 24-25 (and 3N shows 28-29, but don't hold your breath) while any suit bid confirms that opener has real ♥'s.

So the answer here is to show a notrump hand, by whatever method fits your agreements, and partner will get you to 3N: the place you belong.

As for the actual auction (assume that you had a clear 3♣ call), many experts use 3♦ as a waiting bid, saying nothing about ♦.

Why?

There are two main reasons:

1) it allows opener to rebid 3N on many hands, and it is opener whose hand will likely benefit from being led up to rather than through

2) it allows opener to rebid a 4 card major: this is probably the biggest reason: imagine opener with a huge 4=2=1=6 or so and responder with 4=4=3=2

As against that, all you give up is the chance to have ♦ as trump: a very low frequency situation, given that responder was unable to make a positive response in ♦ over the 2♣ opener.

[kenrexford]

Add another ojection. I not only see no problem with the 3D call, I consider it to be nearly mandatory on this hand. 3D is not a problem as waiting -- partner could have been 3D directly over 2C with a positive in diamonds. 3D merely allows pattern completion.

For that matter, is this such a bad hand? 3C should be about a three-loser hand. With a side Ace and three-card support, slam is very close. The spade Jack might be enough. Or, the diamonds might come in. LOL. Funny part -- 6C might make opposite a terrible 3C call, on a stiff diamond lead. Win the Jack, pull trumps. Cross to the heart and finesse the spade. Drop the King for a re-entry, and then repeat the diamond finesse. Voila!!!

The club slam is even closer than that. Suppose a heart lead. Win the Ace, and then finesse the spade. Pull trumps, all of them. Now, cash the spade Ace, dropping the King, and enter dummy for a diamond finesse. RHO will split.

Your last cards are ♥J, ♦A10. If RHO came down to ♥K and ♦Qx, endplay him. If ♥KQ, ♦Q, drop the Queen. Hence, 6C absolutely makes on this actual hand if you read the situation right. LOLOL


The problem was the 3C call, the 5S call, and pulling it from a making 6C to 6D.