[rbforster]

After the opponents bid to a cautious 4♥ contract, I balanced at favorable vulnerability with 4NT for the minors. Partner thought for a while and eventually passed! All the while I was wondering how hard can it be for him to find his better minor?

In retrospect, pass was a thoughtful call with roughly equal minors (AQx and QJ9). With our ~14 pts or so, it seems likely we will take at least a few tricks in 4NT, and, at a mere 50 a piece, the opps must set us 7+ tricks to do better than 5 of a minor, doubled and -2 for 300. When the opps balanced with double, I was able to choose my longer minor and reach a superior contract than if partner just guessed. (As it turned out his better minor was also my longer minor and the opps forgot to double and we ended up -100 vs 140 for 2♥+1 at the other table, but I digress)

I have been amused of late with bidding situations where you can pass a clearly inferior contract, but that the opponents must double for sufficient compensation. Then partner can correct to a better contract in light of the information conveyed by your pass. Other examples of this include:

• 2♥ NF multi - a weak 2 in either major. Pass with any bad hand, letting partner correct if doubled.
  
• psycho-suction (over strong club) - showing the suit bid or next two higher suits. Again, pass until doubled lacking a fitting hand to both alternatives.

These sorts of things come up when the opponents have the majority of the points but you have some compensating distribution. Any other examples I might have overlooked? Maybe some forcing pass systems have things like this come up when you pass the fert bid with a weak hand?

[EricK]

A similar situation is where one player makes a lead directing bid at the six level with the intention of running to the known fit if doubled, but having indicated the defense if the opponents bid to their slam.