[pclayton]

Tried out a new partner last night in the club last night:)

He just made his DLM, and is one of those players that has a zillion BRQ's from a lot of Bracket I KO's, but hasn't tried much of the NABC events, but he wants to start.

Anyway, only one minor bidding misunderstanding, and were fixed 6-8 times by poor opponents that suddenly gained clarity sitting at our table. We were dealt a 55%; ended up at just below average.

Two bidding decisions - all matchpoints:

1. ♠ATx, ♥K, ♦KJxx, ♣AKxxx. RHO opens 1♠ as dealer (red/red).

2. ♠AKx, ♥Qx, ♦Txxx, ♣Qxxx. Opps are silent: 1♠ - 1N - 2♣ (2+) - 3♠ - 3N - ?

[inquiry]

2♣ and pass

Two clubs is automatic for me. I will not double with a singleton heart, and even if I didn't pllay raptor, I wouldn't over call 1NT with this.

Pass is even more automatic. I described this hand with the existing auction (limit value, 3 card support), I see no reason to override 3NT.

[jdonn]

1) 1NT, influenced very much by the ten of spades, singleton being the king, and bad (meaning lack of interior) clubs. I think I'm too strong for 2♣ when there is another perfectly reasonable alternative, partner will pass a lot of random 8 or so counts without a club fit where 3NT is good. People worry about 5-1 heart fits if partner transfers, but thats less likely to happen than a 5-1 club fit if I overcall.

2) Pass but it is very close and could easily be wrong. Partner is some 5332 so either he has 2 hearts and that suit could be big trouble, or he has 3 and we lose the trick we could have gained from a ruff in my hand. But if he has something like AKx, KTx, KJx, even maybe worse then we didn't need the ruff. As is usually the case when deciding to play 3NT or 4M on two balanced hands, there is no way to be so sure.

[Fluffy]

pclayton, on Mar 3 2007, 06:42 PM, said:

He just made his DLM, and is one of those players that has a zillion BRQ's from a lot of Bracket I KO's, but hasn't tried much of the NABC events, but he wants to start.

The only one I think I understood is KO, but isn't that used in boxing (j/k

I'll bid 1NT at first, but could live with 2♣

pass on second, I think Qx is better in NT than suit.

[glen]

This may be the start of a great partnership, so I would try to make the book bid, and then ask later what he would do with my hand, which is far more important than knowing what I would do with your hand. So the book bid on the first is clearly 2♣, unless this contradicts the upper limit for overcalls on your convention card. On the second, I’ve noticed that DLMs in 3NT are quite effective, so I try that with a cheerful "good luck partner", but I would find out after the hand if he thinks I should have 3♥s for my pass, given he does not have 4 of them.

[Double !]

pclayton, on Mar 3 2007, 01:42 PM, said:

We were dealt a 55%; ended up at just below average.

Don't you just hate it when that happens?

dhl

[pclayton]

1. I made the offbeat 1N overcall for the same reasons Josh mentioned - I really like that ♠10. I bought: ♠Qxxx, ♥Txx, ♦x, ♣Jxxxx. I won a cheap heart trick at T1, but that was the only gift I got. +120 lost to all the 130's in the room.

2. Pard held this hand and he passed 3N. I put down: ♠J9xxx, ♥Kxx, ♦Kx, ♣AKx. The defense led the heart, he knocked out the spade, they found the ♦ shift; no squeeze - +400.

Any criticisms of 3N? Feels right even though I'm a minimum with the slow spade tricks and nice stops.

[pclayton]

Double !, on Mar 3 2007, 03:29 PM, said:

pclayton, on Mar 3 2007, 01:42 PM, said:

We were dealt a 55%; ended up at just below average.

Don't you just hate it when that happens?

dhl

Some nights are like that.

I'm 'usually' dealt a 70-75% game.

[mike777]

1) 2clubs
2) pass
3) well 3nt may very well be the winning bid but too deep for me, I bid 4s hoping to ruff with my small spades.

[Fluffy]

pclayton, on Mar 4 2007, 01:35 AM, said:

Any criticisms of 3N? Feels right even though I'm a minimum with the slow spade tricks and nice stops.

No strong conviction but since you are asking....

Bad trumps aren't great in NT (except 4-4 fit when you can just forget that suit)
Unless you wanna buy an exactly 9 tricks, I believe Aces and Kings are a bit better in suit than NT, Queens, Jacks and Tens on the contrary do better in NT.

[dake50]

1NT more likely if we have game -3NT. 2C only wins on partials that make 3 or 4. Just what happens always when I choose.

Partner suggests scattered honors, wanna try 3NT? Yes.

[hrothgar]

1NT and Pass

[helene_t]

1NT. A heavy overcall is ok if I can follow up by doubling 2♠ but I can't do that without hearts.

4♠. Partner denied a 4-card hearts and opps know which suit to lead.

[Winstonm]

Jlall, on Mar 3 2007, 01:58 PM, said:

1) 2C. Nothing else appeals much. I will overcall 1N with a stiff but typically would be 4144 or at least have more in spades and a weaker clubs uit.

2) Pass. I can't understand not passing to be honest.

Me, too.

[Winstonm]

pclayton, on Mar 3 2007, 08:35 PM, said:

1. I made the offbeat 1N overcall for the same reasons Josh mentioned - I really like that ♠10. I bought: ♠Qxxx, ♥Txx, ♦x, ♣Jxxxx. I won a cheap heart trick at T1, but that was the only gift I got. +120 lost to all the 130's in the room.

2. Pard held this hand and he passed 3N. I put down: ♠J9xxx, ♥Kxx, ♦Kx, ♣AKx. The defense led the heart, he knocked out the spade, they found the ♦ shift; no squeeze - +400.

Any criticisms of 3N? Feels right even though I'm a minimum with the slow spade tricks and nice stops.

It's a coin flip, depending very much on parner's hand - I don't see how 3N or the pass can be too terribly wrong - just unlucky.

[pclayton]

Winstonm, on Mar 4 2007, 11:27 AM, said:

pclayton, on Mar 3 2007, 08:35 PM, said:

1. I made the offbeat 1N overcall for the same reasons Josh mentioned - I really like that ♠10. I bought: ♠Qxxx, ♥Txx, ♦x, ♣Jxxxx. I won a cheap heart trick at T1, but that was the only gift I got. +120 lost to all the 130's in the room.

2. Pard held this hand and he passed 3N. I put down: ♠J9xxx, ♥Kxx, ♦Kx, ♣AKx. The defense led the heart, he knocked out the spade, they found the ♦ shift; no squeeze - +400.

Any criticisms of 3N? Feels right even though I'm a minimum with the slow spade tricks and nice stops.

It's a coin flip, depending very much on parner's hand - I don't see how 3N or the pass can be too terribly wrong - just unlucky.

Well if its a coin flip, I want to be in 3N.

I just thought it odd that every other table found their way to 4♠ with a 5=3=2=3 opposite a 3=2=4=4.

In a better field, I would expect more field protection in 3N.

[helene_t]

How big was the field? In addition to some 1♠-1NT-2♣-3♠-3NT-pass bidders I would expect some openers to pass the 3♠ invite (or a 2♠ invite after an initial 2♣ response) or maybe even to pass 1NT, some weak-nt'ers to bid 1NT-pass and some intermediate-nt'ers to bid 1NT-3NT.

[pclayton]

7 tables; Friday night in Anaheim. Pretty good field for a club game; most pairs had over 2,000 points.

[pclayton]

Fluffy, on Mar 3 2007, 01:30 PM, said:

pclayton, on Mar 3 2007, 06:42 PM, said:

He just made his DLM, and is one of those players that has a zillion BRQ's from a lot of Bracket I KO's, but hasn't tried much of the NABC events, but he wants to start.

The only one I think I understood is KO, but isn't that used in boxing (j/k

I'll bid 1NT at first, but could live with 2♣

pass on second, I think Qx is better in NT than suit.

DLM = Diamond Life Master. 5,000 - 7,499 attendance points.

BRQ = Blue Ribbon Qualifiers. 1st or 2nd in open regional events earn you one. There's other ways as well, but most get them in regionals.