[FrancesHinden]

Vul against not, MBC imps

Scoring: XIMP

1♠ P 4♠ ?

---

[Walddk]

Yes, I will act, but I am biased because I know the hand. I don't like double with a doubleton heart and 4NT for the minors is not ideal with 6-4. So I guess I need to introduce my diamond suit.

5♦ it will be, but I accept that it can be horribly wrong. Last night I gave the hand to Danish international Søren Christiansen (sac on BBO), one of my assistants at the bridge centre. He voted for 5♦ too.

"Scary", he said, "but I've got to do something. I like pass, double and 4NT even less".

Roland

[brianshark]

5♦ for me too.

[pbleighton]

Pass.

I don't criticize a pd who bids 5D, but I think we're going down if he does.

Peter

[whereagles]

vuln vs not..? not sure if I'm brazen enough for it.. if I decide to act at at table, it will be with 4NT.

[Walddk]

whereagles, on Jan 11 2007, 02:52 PM, said:

.. if I decide to act at at table, it will be with 4NT.

Getting to the wrong strain every time partner is 2-3 and 3-3 in the minors (why would he bid diamonds with 3-3?). You are right when he is 1-4. How do you fancy your odds?

Roland

[FrancesHinden]

As a slight side point on the double vs. bid decision: there is nothing special about the heart suit in this auction. If you would double on a 1426, you should double here. If you would pass 5C holding a 1462 that's also the same (not quite, if you would pull 5Cx to 5D).

One thing I'm certain of is that if partner will always do the right thing, then double is defnitely correct. It caters to everything: partner having a trump stack; nobody making anything; our side making; conceding 590 instead of 800. The difficulty is that stupid partner doesn't always do the right thing. He won't know if we are 0544 or 1345 or 0535 or... and we may find we are defending 4Sx with an 11-card fit of our own.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

I pass, I am not going to introducing the diamond
suit on the 5 level, and I dont bid 4NT, which should
show 5-5, ... and I am not going to double.

With kind regards
Marlowe

PS: I take it, that the opponents dont play a limited
opening systems, since I assume it would have been
mentioned.

[Walddk]

FrancesHinden, on Jan 11 2007, 03:12 PM, said:

... partner having a trump stack.

Which trump stack? Unless your opponents are complete lunies, they have a least 9 spades between them, sometimes 10.

Roland

[FrancesHinden]

Walddk, on Jan 11 2007, 01:42 PM, said:

FrancesHinden, on Jan 11 2007, 03:12 PM, said:

... partner having a trump stack.

Which trump stack? Unless your opponents are complete lunies, they have a least 9 spades between them, sometimes 10.

Roland

stack is an overbid, but something like KQx QJxx xxx xxx where partner will pass the double happily.

[neilkaz]

Tough choice...pass is my preference, but I think this is close to 5♦, I don't care for 4Nt when 6-4 with my 6 carder being a decent suit.

[mikeh]

5♦.

It is a bidder's game. Yes, you will sometimes go for a number, but you have several ways to win... and it pays to have a reputation as a forward bidder.

Plus, while there are laws against speeding, not all speeders get caught.

It's a lot easier for me to bid 5♦ here than at the table, but I do believe that bidding is best in the long run:...too dangerous to bid, you say? Too dangerous to pass, I say.

[inquiry]

4NT is wrong, that shows two places to play, and you don't want to play in clubs UNLESS partner really wants to play in clubs (note on this auction 4NT does NOT show 6♦ and shorter but real club suit).

Pass seems too timid to me.

5♦ will be popular bid, and maybe should be the winning bid, but I like double. What? With only two hearts? It is one thing to double 4♥ with a doubleton spade. Partner will stretch to play in 4♠ rather than five of a minor. It is quite another to double 4♠. Partner will not be in any hurry to bid hearts over a minor since 5 of any suit is game. And, partner with "two places to play (say hearts and a minor) can bid 4NT to get feedback from you. So I think I probably would go with double at the table, and have voted thusly. However, I feel like 5♦ is also a possible bid.

Double is the "flexible" bid. It keep ♣'s and penalty pass in play (as well as 5♥ and 5♦, while 5♦ puts all your eggs in one basket.

[Al_U_Card]

Pard has 2 ♠ cards? or is this one of those top-heavy limit raises with 3?....If I come in it is with 5♦ (The ♣ will always take tricks). The downside being I would like a ♣ lead vs 5♠ which LHO may bid with AQ of ♦........

[cherdano]

Al_U_Card, on Jan 11 2007, 07:17 PM, said:

Pard has 2 ♠ cards? or is this one of those top-heavy limit raises with 3?....If I come in it is with 5♦ (The ♣ will always take tricks). The downside being I would like a ♣ lead vs 5♠ which LHO may bid with AQ of ♦........

Trust me, if LHO has ♦AQ, you will have other things to worry about than partner's lead.

[pclayton]

I pass.

Just a little too much potential defense with a broken ♦ suit.

[HeartA]

4NT. Though clubs are shorter, it is much stronger and can cover pd's 4-carder.

[FrancesHinden]

As everyone is so fond of saying, one hand doesn't prove anything... but the 5D bidders are going to win the prize this time (so are the 4NT bidders, but I still don't like 4NT!):

Scoring: XIMP

1♠ P 4♠ x
5♠ x all pass

---

As I said at the table "One of us should have bid a minor"

On best defence, 6D is -500 by you and -800 by partner (2 club ruffs) but that needs then not to cash their aces, which they might find difficult defending at the 6-level. Anyway I bet on the auction 1S - P - 4S - 5D - 5something - 6D - P that opener is not going to defend 6D in case it's making, and you will defend 6 major (on the spade finesse) going off.

As a slight side note, West's 5S bid (rather than 5H) was quite clever as it stopped us working out what we were doing in the minors.