[pclayton]

2nd Final Session - Fast Pairs

♠AQ9xx, ♥A9xx, ♦98xx, ♣---

2 passes to you and you open 1♠. Pard bids a SF 1N. You try 2♥, p, p, 3♣ on your right, you pass, LHO passes and pard greets it with a x.

Do you sit or not?

[HeartA]

I pass. I had at least 2 defensive tricks, maybe 3.

[whereagles]

Pass. Pard is salivating.

[Blofeld]

I pass. I've been wrong before.

Here, we know that there are a certain number of hands where partner will double and it is right to pull. Equally, there will be some where it is right to double. It's guessing which is more likely (along with the associated gains and losses: relevant even at matchpoints!) that's the question. My instinct here is that pass is better in the long run.

I certainly can't know that partner is salivating, though.

[Codo]

I pull to 3 Diamond. I have exactly 2,5 tricks against a club contract. Do I believe, that a partner, who had passed my 2 Heart bid can win 3 more tricks?

Sorry, I doubt that and run.

[mcphee]

Well I may not be getting rich, but this seems like the time to take a swing at them. Does partner know I can have this little, I think they do and this is not the best looking D suit to intorduce. Playing for 5 tricks looks easier than trying for 9 to me and it is possible we might beat it 2.

[mikeh]

I pull to 3♦.

If this were imps, I'd pass like a shot, since partner, knowing that I could be this weak, will have 3♣ beaten opposite this hand. He won't be afraid to pass and collect +50 if his hand is not truly good defensively.

But at mps, we were about to play 2♥ in an uncontested auction... he expected us to get a modest plus score and he cannot pass 3♣ merely because we MIGHT have this piece of c**p. We MIGHT have this, but we might equally well hold AKxx Axxx Kxx x, for example.

Add to the mix the fact that he did not bid over 2♥ and the odds are getting pretty good that the opps hold more hcp than we do.. and while hcp are far from everything, they also hold more trump than we do ... and that is not a healthy sign.

I say this knowing full well that I may be turning a plus into a minus. I also say this as someone who, when playing with a less-experienced partner for the first time, always tells partners, during the pre-game discussion: never pull my penalty doubles

[mike777]

3d, the opp have more hcp and pard may only have 4 clubs in front of the club bidder. I hate to be on lead without a trump to lead.

[awm]

I'll pass. Admittedly I've opened a pile of junk, but this really seems like a misfit hand. On the plus side my points are aces. Will partner expect more than two defensive tricks for my opening bid? I don't think he should.

Most likely if partner had four hearts he would not be doubling here. If partner had two spades and three hearts he correct to spades. So partner probably has some pattern like 1345 or possibly 1354 with good clubs. In any case I will lead the spade ace and continue a spade for partner to ruff. Even if pd has only one natural trump trick and no diamond cards, we may set via two aces, two ruffs, and partners trump trick. And who knows, partner can be 1336 and this could go for a huge number.

[joshs]

I expect a 1345 8 count opposite. I pass and take my chances. I have 2.5 tricks and partner has 2.5-3 tricks (depending on club intermediates). I am leading a diamond.

[neilkaz]

If the opps are vul..I pass all day long and hope for +200..if they are NV..I probably still pass.

[pclayton]

Scoring: MP

---

I held this hand and passed. -570 later I was wondering if I did the right thing.

I thought the E player bid the hand a little strangely. I'd open, and if I passed, I'd certainly find a call over 1N.

I gave the hand to Chris Larsen who thought pass was pretty clear too. He thought pard should have a maximum of 2 spades and 3 hearts and thought a club stack was fairly evident. I appreciate Mikeh's comments and they echoed what my other regular partner said - who pulls.

My thoughts: Sure we are in 3rd chair, but this is a hand that everyone opens. I'm a little worried about my club void but my major suit aces are huge here. Why can't pard hold something more like: x Kxxx, Kxxx, QJTx?

[Winstonm]

If it is any consolation, I sat for it, too. As MikeH pointed out so well, this is only a problem at pairs - at imps the north hand passes and tries to go plus.

Can't really blame partner too much for not bidding 3H in pass out seat, either, as his hand looks pretty defensive as well. Maybe the real problem is north did not raise 2H to 3H the first time. Seems to have not done so is somewhat wishy-washy: pass the first time in case you have opened light, then double the second time around in case you have full values.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

did I open in 3rd seat?
Did partner see, that
I opened in 3rd seat?

Yes.

Do I have place to hide?

No.

=> Pass.

With kind regards
Marlowe

PS: I dont like the double by partner,
he has a fit, he has the King of spades
and shortage in spade.
Either he passes or he bids 3H, direct
or delayed, I prefer direct, after all I
could have a real opener, and if they
dont bid 3C we may miss game.

[mike777]

Why did partner not bid a direct 3H over 2H?

I think I am convinced I should have passed the x of clubs, pls change my vote.

[mikeh]

while I remain of the view that pulling to 3♦ is (very slightly) my preferred action, my view is not affected by the actual hand, on which North made 2 egregious errors. He passed 2♥ when he has an easy 3♥ raise... passing 2♥ should find partner with AQxxx AQxxx x Kx for example... and shouldn't we be in game opposite even less?

Then he compounded matters by making a fit-denying penalty double.

While I can understand (and came very, very close to making) the pass of the double by south, I cannot come close to condoning N's actions.

[neilkaz]

With 4 card support and 10 HCP as well as a likely useful king in spades, your PD should have raised directly to 3H.

His decision to cloud the issue by doubling rather than balancing 3H is a VERY poor one.

Why cloud the issue when you have at least 8 cards in H ?

It is important to not makes bids that may be missinterpreted and result in a disaster, and if this was a card showing or cooperative double, then that is just what happened.

[whereagles]

hum.. North makes two serious misevaluations. Surely South cannot be obliged to guess how bad North bid

[the hog]

I really think pass is automatic. I also cannot understand why people are describing my hand as weak. I have 4 controls after all.
Partner bid very badly by doubling and should also have to 3H ather than passing 2 on the previous round.
Get a new partner.