[goobers]

What are your requirements for competing one level higher when fighting opps for a partscore contract?

For example, you hold

♠QJTx ♥Jxx ♦Tx ♣Jxxx

Partner opens 1S, RHO overcalls 2D, you bid 2S, LHO competes to 3D. Partner passes, and it's back to you.

Should you push on with your extra trump (LOTT)? There's no diamond shortness, so we might have 2 diamond losers, and your first raise was very thin in the first place.

What if you had only 3 trumps, still a doubleton diamond, but the top of your minimum raise? Do you compete then? What about with a singleton diamond but only 3 trumps?

Oh, matchpoint scoring.

[pclayton]

I can't bid an immediate 3♠ with this - preemptive? I would at all vulnerability other than adverse.

Having bid 2 only spades, I'll throw this in.

[jtfanclub]

goobers, on Jan 26 2007, 02:23 PM, said:

What are your requirements for competing one level higher when fighting opps for a partscore contract?

For example, you hold

♠QJTx ♥Jxx ♦Tx ♣Jxxx

Partner opens 1S, RHO overcalls 2D, you bid 2S, LHO competes to 3D. Partner passes, and it's back to you.

Should you push on with your extra trump (LOTT)? There's no diamond shortness, so we might have 2 diamond losers, and your first raise was very thin in the first place.

What if you had only 3 trumps, still a doubleton diamond, but the top of your minimum raise? Do you compete then? What about with a singleton diamond but only 3 trumps?

Oh, matchpoint scoring.

The last time I did that, the auction went:

1♠ (2♦) 2♠ (3♦)
P (P) 3♠ (4♦)
P (5♦)

There was some animated discussion on which one should have gone for slam...yes, they made 6.

That was a bit extreme, but it would not shock me at all for them to make 5. I have -1 defensive trick: the two jacks look pretty worthless, the QJ of spades aren't going to help on defense, and the 4th spade makes it more likely that somebody is short. Partner has a minimum, which is usually 3 defensive tricks. 3-1=two tricks on defense, which means they have game.

For example, Give him AKxxx xx xx Axxx. 3♠ is off two, and with a 3-1 spade split they're making 5♦. The LAW is nice, but it assumes that the points are evenly distributed. In this case, when the opponents have the lion's share of the points, I'm not in favor of competitive bidding. Pre-empting and lead directing are great, but if they're stopping below game I'll declare victory and play defense.

[ohioply]

pass. You don't have any feature except your 4th spade, and 0 defensive strength so let them play diamonds. Your partner already decided to pass that should be a clue that hes got crap too.

[brianshark]

3♠ direct is pre-emptive raise with 4♠s (or 3 but with sufficient lott adjustments to warrant 3-level, or 5 with sufficient lott adjustments to downgrade). 2♠ then 3♠ is constructive raise with (usually) 4♠. you don't have a constructive hand, you have a pre-emptive hand, so you should have bid 3♠ on first round. (Except at adverse vulnerability where I think I'd settle on 2♠.) Having only bid 2♠, you now must pass.

[Apollo81]

Practically all expert players play weak jump raises in competition. If you were playing that then you could have bid 3♠ initially.

If 3♠ initially would have been a limit raise, you are forced into the 2♠ call and then are stuck in this position. Since it is very unlikely that you would make 3♠, you should pass. Passing has several ways to win. They could have missed a game, or 3♠ could go for more than the value of their contract.

[inquiry]

goobers, on Jan 26 2007, 02:23 PM, said:

What are your requirements for competing one level higher when fighting opps for a partscore contract?

For example, you hold

♠QJTx ♥Jxx ♦Tx ♣Jxxx

Partner opens 1S, RHO overcalls 2D, you bid 2S, LHO competes to 3D. Partner passes, and it's back to you.

Should you push on with your extra trump (LOTT)? There's no diamond shortness, so we might have 2 diamond losers, and your first raise was very thin in the first place.

What if you had only 3 trumps, still a doubleton diamond, but the top of your minimum raise? Do you compete then? What about with a singleton diamond but only 3 trumps?

Oh, matchpoint scoring.

The rule here should be, bid this hand once. If you think it is worth a 3♠ preemtpive raise do it immediately. If you raise to 2♠, you are done. Once you limit your hand on shape and stregnth (2♠ or 3♠), you probably should not be considering bidding again. Let your partner decide.

One and done.... with limit raises. The 3♠ immeidate raise is based upon the law of total tricks ... and a nine card fit.