[Elianna]

This hand was the cause for some style disagreement between partner and I. You are in fourth chair, and you hold:

Scoring: MP

---

. This is matchpoints, btw.

The following auction has been generated:

LHO...CHO...RHO...you
1♥....pass...1NT....pass
2♦....pass....2♥...pass
pass...2♠....pass...???

What do you bid?

How do you feel about your previous passes? What do you think that partner can/should have?

As a side note, I don't really remember any hands from the Red Ribbons. This was from the day after.

[Codo]

You should never punish part for his balancing. But otoh: If they have, what they promised, they have at least 11+6=17 and pd had balanced with 6 HCPs without having a weak two and knowing, that they have no real fit.
This is clearly a matter of style, but if I believe, that pd won´t do this, I must bid more, beliving, that they did something funny, like playing forcing NT and having a 2-4 HCP raise in Heart.
So I give it one more try.

I had passed too in the previous rounds.

[P_Marlowe]

Pass, give partner Jxxxx in spades
and overall a 5-6 count and he will
bid 2S, and if you want him to bid
2S again, pass.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[hotShot]

Partner has included all you have into his balancing bid.
So you have to pass.

Sometimes this is the only way to get the jackpot, this time it's a mistake.

[awm]

This is not a good time to balance on nothing. The opponents are not in a fit-showing auction, and could easily have up to 23-24 high. It will not be hard for them to find a double in this case.

So I think partner has a few cards to be balancing on this misfit auction. Sure, partner is counting some of my cards for me... but I don't think partner has some four-count. Keep in mind that today's players open a lot of ten-counts (ZAR anybody? any rule of 20ers out there?) and happily respond on an ace or even less. Pass with seventeen high in an auction where partner is bidding and you will be robbed blind.

Really I think the choice is between 2NT and 3NT. The good thing about 3NT is that spades are often breaking on this auction. Give partner Kxxxx of spades and that could easily be five tricks. Forcing notrumper doesn't usually have four spades, and opener would have to be exactly 4531 to have four spades (much more likely spades are 3-3). Give partner what I think is a fairly minimum hand of Kxxxx xx xxx Axx and I actually like my chances of making 3nt on the normal heart lead. On the other hand, if your partner tends to be rather frisky a 2NT call might be safer. Surely this shows a good hand and is trying for a game.

[Free]

Imo partner doesn't have Jxxxx since he didn't bid the 2nd round! He must have a somewhat poor 4 card suit! So I bid 2NT. It's MP, balancing goes on nothing at 2-level

[MickyB]

Love all at matchpoints, you want to do anything reasonable to have your side play the contract. Despite the non-fit auction, I would certainly protect on "nothing", particularly if it had a bit of shape but didn't qualify as a WJO in this partnership.

[bid_em_up]

Pass is fairly clear cut.

The heart Ace rates to be over you, making the HK semi-worthless. Same goes for the diamond suit. It sounds to me more like partner has 3-8 points and 6+ spades (assuming your partnership style is not to make aggressive wjo's). Give partner J10xxxx xx xx Qxx, and he might well balance here. He already knows that your hand contains a reasonable amount of hcp (and probably extra based on the weakness of his hand, and the auction to this point). Dont punish him for making a good call.

As far as the original passes go, once you pass the first time, you are almost forced to pass the 2nd time, imo. I would pass the first time also, but I would not claim that an X of 1N is a bad call, either. I prefer to let the opps hang themselves when I am holding this many hcp. Just a matter of style, and trusting your partner to do the right thing, when he ends up in the balancing seat. To bid now, violates that trust.

jmoo.

[mike777]

pass, Partner could not bid 1s over 1h NV, that says it all.

[pclayton]

I pass.

I agree that pard isn't balancing on air, and frequently the 1N--> 2♥ bidder is on a semi-psyche. If pard has ♥xx, balancing over 2♥ is fairly routine with a poor 5 card spade suit. Pard ALSO realizes that the delayed 2♥ call might be made on air, and needs to balance, even though its a no or semi-fit auction. Bear in mind that my 1♠ overcalls over 1♥ aren't underwritten by Lloyd's, especially at white on white.

Assuming that our heart spots are meaningless (are they?), we have to run 9 tricks before the opps take 4 more in hearts. Pard would seem to hold: ♠Jxxxx, ♥xx, ♦Kxx, ♣Axx. I don't like my chances at 3N at all.

Sometimes, RHO actually has a 6-8 count with a doubleton heart (as advertised), and we don't have a prayer at the 3 level.

Frequently, pard won the board with an agressive balance. Why are we trying for a no play game?

2N might be interesting, but I'm willing to bet that 140 in spades is more likely than +150 in NT.

[joshs]

Elianna, on Apr 11 2006, 01:34 AM, said:

This hand was the cause for some style disagreement between partner and I. You are in fourth chair, and you hold:

Scoring: MP

---

. This is matchpoints, btw.

The following auction has been generated:

LHO...CHO...RHO...you
1♥....pass...1NT....pass
2♦....pass....2♥...pass
pass...2♠....pass...???

What do you bid?

How do you feel about your previous passes? What do you think that partner can/should have?

As a side note, I don't really remember any hands from the Red Ribbons. This was from the day after.

Pass.

I expect something like Jxxxxx and a 9 count. Opposite that hand I don't think I am making game, and even 3S isn't safe. I lack a second heart stopper or the ability to run a long suit.

There is nothing like +110 on our 26 high


Actually the funny thing here is that the weaker partner is, the better chance 3N will make. I might balanced here on KJxxxxx and a king. But with that good of a suit, and any more values I would have bid 1S....

[whereagles]

Pass for now. Maybe bid 2NT if 2♠ gets doubled.