[awm]

This was a disaster hand in a team match. Which was the worst call of this auction for E/W? How should they have avoided this result?

Scoring: IMP

---

Pass - 1♦ - X - 1♥
Pass - 2♦ - X - 2NT
Pass - 3NT - X - All Pass

The result was down three after N/S cashed the first seven tricks in the majors.

[jdonn]

2NT worst 1♥ next worse. I could be convinced to switch those, they were both very bad.

3NT next worst, partner is too likely to have a small singleton diamond and then where am I? Especially with a 4-1 break so likely.

1♦ and 2♦ totally normal.

How about 1♦ X 2♣ p, 2♦ X 2♥ 2♠, 3♣ and then we are back in the realm of normalcy for the rest of the auction.

[pbleighton]

This is a very tough hand to bid for West. I don't like 2NT, but given his choice of 1H the first time (reasonable), it seems the least evil. I don't see going gently into the night with a 12 count at imps. The alternative is treating the hand as GF and bidding 2C the first time.

East, on the other hand, has a clear correction to 3D. A holey 7 card suit doesn't make a 10 count an accept to 3NT. OTOH, vul at imps people try stuff

Overall, a tough hand, don't beat yourself up.

Peter

[han]

1D and 2D were normal, 3NT was perhaps an overbid.

1H would not have been my choice, but 2NT with xx in spades seems really wrong.

[whereagles]

Bidding is fine, except that East should have pulled himself out of 3NT into 4♦

Too much of a gamble to let it stay there.

[Free]

2NT is silly, where are your tricks coming from? So why invite for an even higher contract??

3NT is stupid as well, but what can you do... I think you should expect some ♦ fit for sure, but it's a bit pushy.

[HeartA]

Hannie, on Mar 17 2007, 02:41 PM, said:

1D and 2D were normal, 3NT was perhaps an overbid.

1H would not have been my choice, but 2NT with xx in spades seems really wrong.

Agree with Hannie

[mike777]

1) It seems passing with the east hand in second seat may keep you out of 3nt.
2) I guess west is not allowed to bid her longest suit after east opens?
3) I guess west is forced to bid 2nt with no spades?

[Winstonm]

Why is -800 so bad? Opps are cold for +620. I don't like 1H - I prefer redouble.

[Apollo81]

100% of the blame to West.

2NT was the worst call, followed by the pass of 3NTx.

I don't mind the 1♥ so much. The auction could have been salvaged if West had just passed South's double of 2♦ and then bid 3♣ at the next call. That sequence looks most normal to me.

I think West has a little much for a NF 2♣ response, and I think the hearts would get lost after the likely 2♠ call by North.

[Impact]

Any hand on which West fails to show a decent 6 card suit, can hardly be a success for methods or judgement.

Accordingly with this strength (working 11 HCP) the 1H bid is awful - but the 2NT in combination with the 1H bid is atrocious.

East's raise to 3NT is poor, but if anything after teh double he should suspect that D are not going to break well (of course he has no suspicion of 6 C tricks or that opponents can hardly fail to cash the first 7 tricks!!). East cannot remove 3NT sensibly.

regards

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

My first impression was: unlucky.

Personally I dont like 1H, I would prefer
2C, but this is certainly a style issue.
Having choosen 1H, 2NT is probably the
only bid, which is left, because you cant
force to game, but you have to invite.

Passing the double of 3NT is normal.

With kind regards
Marlowe

PS: After having read some comments, since
a direct 2C bid would have been NF, 1H makes
more sense.

[mikeh]

For those who are critical of the 1♥ bid, what do you suggest?

2♣ is usually played as non-forcing, and this hand seems a little strong for that, given that Axx x AQJxxx Axx makes 6♣ excellent even after the double of 1♦

redouble is the old-fashioned bid, but most nowadays play it as a balanced or semi-balanced hand... and with xx in ♠, redouble causes a problem if the opps bid and raise (or just preempt) in ♠s.

The hand is a good advertisement for transfer responses over t.o. doubles: responder bids (in my preferred methods) 1♠ as a transfer to ♣s and then takes another call (which call depends on what happens next, but over [P] 2♣/♦ [P], an easy 2♥).

While, if playing standard methods, 1♥ looks awkward (suppressing a KQxxxx suit never looks right when partner holds Axx) I wouldn't criticize it unduly. Besides, the 1♥ bid has nothing to do with the result.

2N was appalling. xx in ♠? On an auction in which the odds are very high that we are getting a ♠ lead through any high card we have in the suit... with no indication that we have such a high card.

The auction has actually timed out quite well for West. He has lost the chance to show the ♣ suit, but he knows, almost for sure, that partner is minimum and off shape (no 1N rebid)... so why not redouble? Stiff K looks like adequate support for me, and we get our strength across.

2N was godawful.

The raise to 3N was a shot: playing partner for Jx in ♦?

I wouldn't run from 3N as East, after the double, but I'd run like a scalded cat as West... 4♣.

In order of blame: 2N 100 (I'd like to give it 150 out of 100), 3N 70, Pass by West of 3N x'd 70, all others, no real blame... other than the use of sub-optimum methods over takeout doubles of 1♦.

[mikegill]

100% to the 2N bidder, both for bidding it in the first place and for sitting when Xed. Opener has a clear raise to 3N. The person holding the A of the long suit has to be aggressive especially if the suit is 7 cards, since he's the one who knows your side has a possible running source of tricks. 3NT is good even if responder has some silly hand like QJx QTxx Jx Kxxx.

[helene_t]

2N by far. All other bids are at least somewhat defendable.

2N might have been by choice without the double. Now 2♦ got doubed, W is under no pressure to make the least-of-evil bid. Just redouble or pass.

[Fluffy]

I voted for 2NT at first, then I realized West had an easy xx instead of 1♥, so I would vote for 1♥ instead.

[inquiry]

No contest. 2NT was worse call imho.