[hatchett]

Scoring: IMP

---

P 1♣ 1♠ P
P X P P
?

[barmar]

I have 2-card support for partner (including an honor!), and no reason to believe that we have a better fit somewhere else. I pass.

[awm]

I've found that against good opponents it's often right to run here. I remember watching Boye Brogeland pick up a boatload of IMPs on just such a hand in the Cavendish.

Spades are breaking really badly on this hand. Normally you have seven of them but they are 5-1. 1♠ won't make. Your other seven card fit is probably breaking substantially better. Even at the cost of playing at the two level it's often right to run.

Of course, if your opponents are clueless then who knows? Sitting could be right.

[Walddk]

Pass; I am not even going to think about it. If he has overcalled 1♠ on

9xxxx
AKQx
Jx
Qx

he'd better change his style if he wants our partnership to continue. And I don't follow Adam when he claims that we have another 7-card fit. Can't he have a 5-1-3-4 shape? Right, we have 7 clubs between us. Do you want to play there?

Finally, why can't he be 6-1-3-3 with spades breaking 5-0? You certainly don't want to play anywhere else if he has.

Roland

[mikeh]

I am not worried about Roland's 9xxxx AKQx hand, but I would be worried about Axxxx AKxx xx xx

Worried enough to jump from the frying pan of 1♠ x'd to the fire of wherever we end up? Not quite. That ♠10 may yet prove to be of value: who says partner lacks the J. If I knew that he had 3+♥, it'd be a no-brainer but why should he? Remember that, from the opp's point of view, a close double of 1♠ is low-risk... if it makes it is only 160. So my hand may be a pleasant surprise for partner and an unpleasant one for RHO. I pass.

[barmar]

And even if we do have a better fit in a red suit, there are still several problems:

1) We're a level higher.
2) That suit may not be breaking well, either.
3) If RHO has good spades (as he should to leave in the double), he can force me to ruff and LHO will be able to overruff or get his trumps promoted (depending on whether we're in my ratty ♥ suit or OK ♦ suit.
4) Which red suit is our best fit? If I were 4-4 or 5-5 I could redouble, but not with such disparate length.

Putting someone down 2 in a 1-level contract is hard. I'm willing to risk it, rather than guess what's better.

[pclayton]

Table feel is very important. In the past couple of weeks, I've been in the penalty passers seat. I've had hands like: Q9xxx, xxx, Kxx, xx which is a dubious pass but taking 7 at spades could be easier than taking 7 at 1N.

I've also held KQJ-6th and an outside card and killed 1S.

Would my reactions at the table be the same with these two hands? I'd like to think so, but probably not.

[whereagles]

Walddk, on Oct 5 2006, 10:43 PM, said:

If he has overcalled 1♠ on

9xxxx
AKQx
Jx
Qx

he'd better change his style if he wants our partnership to continue.

I'd be very happy if you never overcall on that playing against me. Honest.

[hatchett]

This was a hand from the last set of the 2006 Vanderbilt semi-finals.
Twist was correct when partner had Axxxx A87 Tx Kxx.
Spades were 6-0 so 1♠ doubled was -800 and 2♥ was only -200 (KQ9x over your hearts).
At the three tables where this natural auction happened Smith and Stansby sat for -800 and only Brogeland who may have had other considerations ran for -200.

[pclayton]

hatchett, on Oct 9 2006, 12:08 PM, said:

This was a hand from the last set of the 2006 Vanderbilt semi-finals.
Twist was correct when partner had Axxxx A87 Tx Kxx.
Spades were 6-0 so 1♠ doubled was -800 and 2♥ was only -200 (KQ9x over your hearts).
At the three tables where this natural auction happened Smith and Stansby sat for -800 and only Brogeland who may have had other considerations ran for -200.

I think the hand that ran had JT-6th of hearts and a stiff spade. I may be thinking of a different hand.

[hatchett]

Quote

I may be thinking of a different hand.

You are!