[Apollo81]

I pass and hope a round-suit king is offside.

5♠ seems fine.

[mike777]

1) pass 4s
2) pass now

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

it would also be good to know, how weak your 4S
can be. And who is sitting in the shoes of LHO on the
other table.

You can choose between 7S, X and pass, if you dont
want to pass, X is better than 7S (in case it is agreed),
because, it gets partner involved.

If you bid 7S, you rate to go down -5 at most, i.e. 1100,
if they bid 6D on the other table or 6S you loose at most
300.

Throw a dice, this time I will pass.

With kind regards
Marlowe


PS: I agree with 5S.

[mikeh]

I agree with 5♠... take away the easy cue-bid and make them guess as to level.

As to what to do now....

My own experience biases me: I usually talk myself into passing on the rationale that I have forced them to guess and by saving I am betting that they guessed right. If I am going to assume they usually guess right, then maybe I should have done something else (what that might have been escapes me). So, in the few occasions this type of problem has arisen, I usually pass.... and my experience has been dreadful.

But surely my logic (or is it merely cowardly rationalization) has to work sometime... I am going to hope that either my ♥ honours come into play or partner has a useful ♣ holding.

If this turns out to be wrong, well, maybe next time in real life I will finally get the hint: save, save, save!

[inquiry]

P_Marlowe, on Feb 21 2007, 03:05 PM, said:

And who is sitting in the shoes of LHO on the
other table.

i was

[cherdano]

I would have bid 5S and will pass now. However, I have no idea what is right and would be very curious about the opinion of players who have played really many boards in their lifetime.

Arend

[Free]

1. Obviously depends on style...
2. I'll pass.

[hrothgar]

1. I'm torn between 5♠ and pass. Sometimes supressing a fit makes it more difficult for the opponents to evaluate their hands. Even so, at the table I suspect that I'd bid 5♠.

2. I find double strangely attractive. The opponents seem to be prepared for a Spade lead. A Heart might cause them some trouble. Then again, I might be reading too much into the fact that you posed the question to beging with...

3. In retrospect, maybe I should have bid 5♥ as a lead directing raise in Spades...

[fred]

I am not sure what I would do over 4NT - lots of possibilities (including some interesting psychs).

I am pretty sure I would bid 7S now. Most people don't jump to a grand slam unless they think they are making it. There is nothing about my hand that makes me think we are going to be able to win a trick on defense. Meanwhile 7S could well go down less than the value of small slam and it is certainly going to be a good save against a grand slam (assuming the are making it).

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

[skjaeran]

Over 4NT there's several possibilities; pass, 5♠, 5♥ for the lead or some psyche. Nothing is "correct", and it's just guesswork what would work in practise.

I'd surely bid 7♠ now. I really expect opps to make their grand after this bidding.

[SoTired]

If I am having a good or unknown game, then 7S because:

If 6D is the right contract, everybody will sac at 6SX, so 7SX is only -200 off the norm.
But -1540 is way off the norm and will result in disastrous IMP loss.

So we are risking giving up a good gain to prevent a disastrous loss.

If we are having a known poor game, I would pass or maybe even double, hoping for an opp disaster to save our game.

[Fluffy]

My thoughts are LHO can't know if his partner has minors or hearts and a minor, therefore the 7 can't be very sound, I'll pass and hope the best from my ♥KJ

5♠ is as good bid as any other, best psycke is probably a double.

[inquiry]

Jlall, on Feb 22 2007, 10:40 AM, said:

We did go -800. There was a twist though, partner had a stiff diamond! RHO had made a strange bid with 1246. Just goes to show you never totally know what's going on

The auction at our table was even more problematic for me... I held somethiong like...

S-
H-AQ98xxx
D-AQ9x
C-xx

The bidding to me was quite different...

(4♠)-5♣-(5♠-6♣
(pass)-Pass-6♠--?

I had failed to bid a seven card heart suit, it is not clear to partner that 6♣ was bid to make, it is not clear to me we do not have a club loser as 5♣ does not under-write a solid suit. 7 of either minor rolls home, but here I doubled (would you have bid 7♣, serioiusly?). When I bid 6♣ I fully expected them to bid 6♠ (so no need to double 5♠ even if 6♣ is off one), I wonder if a tatical 7♣ was called for? If RHO had a club trick, I surely would not get away with that!! So for justins good bid of 7♠ he lost 7 imps, but saved a bucketfull compared to pass.

[FrancesHinden]

Jlall, on Feb 22 2007, 03:40 PM, said:

B ) LHO will have longer diamonds than clubs as he didn't give his partner a choice of minors by bidding 6S.

C) LHO can have at most 4 diamonds given that I have 4 and RHO has 5 presumably.

D) This leaves LHO with 0 spades, 4 diamonds, and at most 3 clubs. So he has at least 6 hearts (This would explain why he wasn't afraid partner had clubs and diamonds).

I like this logic.

p.s. I would bid 5S over 4NT. I don't see the point of 5H "for the lead"; it gives LHO the chance to cue 5S and it's not obvious partner will be on lead anyway.

[mike777]

Good post, I am surprised by the number of people sacking against a grand slam. I assume this was shortish Imp match and not a long knockout. A grandslam that involves a bit of a guess as opposed to full science and a finesse.

I always thought that once you make them take the final guess, esp at the 7 level, you leave well enough alone. I see many great players disagree with that general theory.

[pclayton]

Fun hand in a fun match I was Justin's LHO.

I love my 7♦ call. Pard's 4N was pretty bizarre, although its about the only vehicle to get us to this grand.

If he overcalls 5♣, I suppose it goes 5♠ - 6♥ - swish, but you still might sac.

[pclayton]

inquiry, on Feb 22 2007, 08:02 AM, said:

Jlall, on Feb 22 2007, 10:40 AM, said:

We did go -800. There was a twist though, partner had a stiff diamond! RHO had made a strange bid with 1246. Just goes to show you never totally know what's going on

The auction at our table was even more problematic for me... I held somethiong like...

S-
H-AQ98xxx
D-AQ9x
C-xx

The bidding to me was quite different...

(4♠)-5♣-(5♠-6♣
(pass)-Pass-6♠--?

I had failed to bid a seven card heart suit, it is not clear to partner that 6♣ was bid to make, it is not clear to me we do not have a club loser as 5♣ does not under-write a solid suit. 7 of either minor rolls home, but here I doubled (would you have bid 7♣, serioiusly?). When I bid 6♣ I fully expected them to bid 6♠ (so no need to double 5♠ even if 6♣ is off one), I wonder if a tatical 7♣ was called for? If RHO had a club trick, I surely would not get away with that!! So for justins good bid of 7♠ he lost 7 imps, but saved a bucketfull compared to pass.

I didn't love your 6♣ call, but I suppose its practical. 5N is OK too I think, but I'd probably show my 7 bagger.

I thought you had a clear FP over 6♠.