[sceptic]

Scoring: IMP

---

West North East South

 -     -     -     1♣
 Pass  1♥    Pass  2♥
 Pass  5♣    Pass  5♠
 Pass  6♣    Pass  Pass
 Pass  

[BillHiggin]

Apparently 2/1 agreed must not have included "inverted minors agreed".
1!H is not a bid designed to produce a sane result. I do not know what it is, it just is not a valid choice.

[pbleighton]

oops, got the hands mixed up.

[goobers]

Are the hands flipped? 1♥ currently looks very odd.

Although a 2♥ raise doesn't really make much sense to me in that case either.

[pbleighton]

"Peter I think ur looking at the wrong side the 1H was bid with 3 cards

South was 4423"

Yes, I did.

Now I'm really confused. Why did North respond 1H with 3 hearts? If you are playing 2/1, aren't you playing inverted minors?

If you are, then in my methods: 1C-2C-2NT(12-14 balanced, doesn't guarantee stoppers)-5C. I would bid 3NT at MPs, and get screwed.

Peter

[jdonn]

If (a very big if) north wants to just guess at the contract, presumably due to some combination of having no forcing club raise and just not knowing what to do, then he might as well bid 5♣ over 1♣ instead of introducing a 3 card suit first. It's not good bidding but it would avoid something absurd happening.

[Flame]

sceptic, on Apr 3 2007, 03:09 PM, said:

I never actually realise my p[ard had 3H until I saw the dummy come down, I was more interested in what I did over 5!C

Its hard to understand what you're asking, if you understood that partner is intresting in clubs and not heart and you're asking if your hand was worth another bid after 5♣ then no it doesnt you have a minimum opening and should pass.
If you took 5♣ as some kind of slam bid for ♥ slam then the question is what is 5♣ if 5♣ is exclusive then you need to answer aces, if 5♣ is splinter asking for cue bids or fit showing asking for cue bid then your bid should be 5♥ because you shouldnt go above 5♥ (the agreed suit) with a minimum and no ♦ control. Was best if you gave only your hand here.

[iggygork]

While the 1♥ response with a three card heart suit is certainly a questionable choice, I don't think a 5♠ advance over 5♣ is warranted. As 5♣ takes up so much room, it should probably be a picture bid, denying any useful values in ♠ and ♦. It is just possible that North bid 1♥ due to lack of a forcing minor raise and completed the description of his hand within one card (the missing ♥) with his picture jump.

[inquiry]

This is an OMG auction... It makes no sense whatsoever.

Playing 2/1 you should probably play 1C-2C as "inverted" and forcing. So it should start,

1C-2C

What happens next is open to agreement. Does south show solid stopper up the line. Is 2♦, 2♥, 2♠ somekind of artificial rebid? Would you bid 2NT as south? Over whatever south bids, north bids 3♥ and south bids 3♠. Walla, you found the diamond weakness for both 3NT (and with north having two small) for six clubs). Top score to those who land in 4♥.

A reasonable auction for me...

1♣ - 2♣*    *quasi-GF (to 3NT or 4♣
2♥*- 3♥    *2♥ = balanced, not wantint to bid 2NT
3♠ - 4♥
Pass

3♥ showed three strong hearts, not able to bid 2NT or 3♦. IF looking for spade stopper, allows room for 3♠ bid

3♠ = I have spades, worried about diamonds
4♥ = choice of contracts, 5♣ or 4♥.
pass = lets try the four level. I have four good hearts.

If you like, you can remove the double dummy nature of the 3♥ bid, and try 3♣ (forcing). Opener would then bid 3♥ and then 4♥ or 5♣ becomes the final resting place.

[cherdano]

Ben, you have responder bidding hearts twice, before opener ever mentioned he has 4? I think responder has a clear 4♣ call over 3♠, he does, after all, have rather decent clubs. He already showed hearts.

[mike777]

sceptic, on Apr 3 2007, 02:46 PM, said:

Scoring: IMP

---

West North East South

 -     -     -     1♣
 Pass  1♥    Pass  2♥
 Pass  5♣    Pass  5♠
 Pass  6♣    Pass  Pass
 Pass  

Wayne I am going to assume you are playing with a pickup partner. As such we have no idea how to force with this hand. I would have just bid 3S. Any decent pickup must play this as a splinter for clubs. If not I would finish the hand and leave table.

[pclayton]

1♥ and 5♣ are not partnership bridge.

I'd probably bid it:

South.....North
1♣.....3♠
3N.........4♣
4♥....5♣
All Pass

3♠ is a splinter
4♥ denies the A-K♦

3N is a lucky make with 4-4 diamonds. I wouldn't worry about it much; I think a lot of pairs would reach 6♣.

[helene_t]

Was 5♠ and answer to Exclusion Blackwood? If you took 5♣ as a natural bid, you must pass.

[pbleighton]

"Any decent pickup must play this as a splinter for clubs."

Ummm... Mike, what percentage of pickup partners are "decent"?

I would NEVER use a splinter over a minor suit oening with a pickup pd.

It is a reasonable choice with a regular 2/1 partner, though I prefer 2C. I play splinters as minimum GF, and this hand's a little too good for that.

Peter

[mike777]

pbleighton, on Apr 3 2007, 05:03 PM, said:

"Any decent pickup must play this as a splinter for clubs."

Ummm... Mike, what percentage of pickup partners are "decent"?

I would NEVER use a splinter over a minor suit oening with a pickup pd.

It is a reasonable choice with a regular 2/1 partner, though I prefer 2C. I play splinters as minimum GF, and this hand's a little too good for that.

Peter

Peter, speaking very late night, after midnight, they are almost always far better than me.

[pbleighton]

"Peter, speaking very late night, after midnight, they are almost always far better than me"

Mike, you must draw good players to you by magic.

Peter

[mike777]

It does seem that some good players have patience for a quick 6 bd late night teammatch. I think Justin sat in once with his partner and I think last week Joe Grue played as a teammate with someone from India. I did not have the guts to pair him with me.

It all makes BBO well worth the time and fun to get the rare chance to see these guys in action. BTW Justin's picture is in this month's ACBL magazine again for winning. Congrats Justin.

Bottom line I would say the vast numbers of teamplayers late night are far better than me and they are very polite most of the time.

I just avoid raising a minor, since I never have any idea what it will mean.

[skjaeran]

helene_t, on Apr 3 2007, 11:55 PM, said:

Was 5♠ and answer to Exclusion Blackwood? If you took 5♣ as a natural bid, you must pass.

Seriously, 5♣ would be Exclusion if I played with a regular partner.

I've never met a pickup partner who I wasn't confident would interpret 3♠ as a splinter. Then again, I seldom sit down and play with complete strangers.

Playing with a regular partner 3♠ would show a void. I'd respond 2♣, natural GF (not quasi GF as Ben suggested).

[Edmunte1]

I like Ben's sequence, reaching the top contract in pairs. 1♣ -3♠ it's also nice, tghough having so long and strong trumps you surely will hear nothing but sign off's from partner. 1♥ is killing bridge. I'm starting by bidding 3 card majors, when i have AKQ10xxx in trumps. I'll never succeed in bidding them now

[Gerben42]

Quote

I would NEVER use a splinter over a minor suit oening with a pickup pd.

Me neither, not with a regular partner either over 1♣... 1♦ we can discuss

Quote

Wayne I am going to assume you are playing with a pickup partner. As such we have no idea how to force with this hand. I would have just bid 3S. Any decent pickup must play this as a splinter for clubs. If not I would finish the hand and leave table.

Well you better not pick me up at the desk then!
Although on this hand with 4-card support I would have raised to 4♠ on the expected 7 - 4 fit.