[Ant590]

Scoring: MP

---

(p)  1♦   (p)   1♠
(p) 2♣   (p)   2♥(1)
(x)  p   (p)   ?(2)

I'd really appreciate your thoughts on the following...

(1) Is 3♠ a better way to proceed?

(2) What would you do here? Your agreements limited, but XX from your partner would have shown 1st round heart control; his pass shows a good stop in the suit.

Cheers,

Ant.

[Gerben42]

So it boils down to "does partner have ♦A?

3♠ directly if that was forcing. If not, proceed like here, then bid 3♠ and discuss system afterwards.

Either you were playing SJS (bid 2♠ directly) or you were playing W/IJS and 3♠ should be forcing. If you don't know, discuss

[P_Marlowe]

1) If 3S is forcing, it is certainly better,
because it would set the suit, but for
most it would be only inv., i.e. they have
to go through FSF
2) 3S, should set the suit, 2S may sound more
uncertain about what to play

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Dwingo]

If 2♥ is 4th suit Game Force, then 2♠ would be good enough setting ♠'s as trump.

If you are feeling lucky today and fancy your chances for pd to hold 2 Aces and ♣Q, you may want to set ♣ as trmp by bidding 3♣, so that enroute to 7NT, you can check on ♣Q.

[whereagles]

After 2♣ I think I know enough. 4NT, followed by some nr. of spades or a grand slam try.

[Fluffy]

whatever 2♥ was, 3♠ stablishes ♠ as trumps and forces a cue, we have a clean bid.

Passing is out of question, I would need 3 ♥ to even think about playing

[bid_em_up]

Dwingo, on Apr 23 2007, 07:33 AM, said:

If 2♥ is 4th suit Game Force, then 2♠ would be good enough setting ♠'s as trump.

If you are feeling lucky today and fancy your chances for pd to hold 2 Aces and ♣Q, you may want to set ♣ as trmp by bidding 3♣, so that enroute to 7NT, you can check on ♣Q.

You can effectively rule out 7 anything. Partner cannot have the heart A or he would have xx'd under the given conditions (under item #2 in the original post).

[bid_em_up]

Ant590, on Apr 23 2007, 07:17 AM, said:

Dealer: East Vul: Both Scoring: MP

♠ AKQJ972 ♥ 9 ♦ K7 ♣ AK5

(p)  1♦   (p)   1♠
(p) 2♣   (p)   2♥(1)
(x)  p   (p)   ?(2)

I'd really appreciate your thoughts on the following...

(1) Is 3♠ a better way to proceed?

(2) What would you do here? Your agreements limited, but XX from your partner would have shown 1st round heart control; his pass shows a good stop in the suit.

Cheers,

Ant.

1) Assuming you are playing 2/1, a direct 3♠ over 2♣ is non-forcing. It is invitational (you had the 2H FSF bid available to you but didn't make it). So no, 3S is not a better way to proceed.

2H is correct.

2) Given that partner did not XX 2H, so he cannot hold the heart A, he must hold the diamond A to have any semblance of an opening bid, imo. And he didn't bid 3C to show 5-5 in the minors either.

I'm inclined to just bid 6S. Feel free to check on the diamond A if you wish.

[pclayton]

I'm moving toward 6♠ or 6N.

I'll start with 3♠. Hopefully pard can cue the ♥KING along the way.

[Al_U_Card]

For me, his pass denies a H stopper for NT play but he has H and no extra values. What can he have for his bidding so far? Looks like the D AQJ and the C QJ with maybe Qx of H at best. Looks like a mini to me. All of your bids are GF (for me as I said) so with those cards, where do YOU want to be? Then I suggest you go there.

[han]

Interesting to play that XX shows a first round control. I've seen that after doubles of splinters but never after doubles at the 2-level. I can imagine that it is useful though (for example when partner has Qx of hearts). Without discussion I'd assume that redouble shows 4 hearts and suggests playing 2HXX.

If 3S last round was forcing then yes, that seems better. You should have an agreements on this with your regular partners.

If you had to guess now then you'd bid 6S, but just bidding 3S is more sensible. I would not be surprised if partner did show up with 2 aces so I'm likely going to check for keycards next.

[jdonn]

I know being simple and unscientific is so unfashionable, but is there a reason in the world not to respond blackwood to the opening bid? What does south think he will learn that will be of such great help? There isn't the slightest reason in the world to be worried about the third round club loser after partner can open the bidding. If ever there was a hand where all you cared about was asking for aces, this is it.

Edit: I should edit that I didn't see it was mps. I still like just responding blackwood and chancing notrump without telling them anything, but now it's hardly ridiculous to go slower and hope partner can bid notrump first. At least it's worth considering.

[han]

Josh, reading your blackwood pleas is refreshing.

[kenberg]

I'm not feeling all that lucky. I think I would try 2S over 2H. If partner bids 2N I will bid 3C, probably leading to 3D. Then I would bid 6S. If partner has the right holding and figures out what I am doing, he can convert to 6NT. Most likely he will pass, and this may well be right.

If partner gets irritated by being given such puzzles I would just bid 6S. No point in getting both a bad result and an irritated partner.

[skjaeran]

Absolutely agree with Josh here. If ever I held a hand suitable for a direct Blackwood, it's this. Btw I play a direct 4NT as old-fashioned 4-ace BW.

Strangely, just a few comments on xx of 2♥ showing the ace. I don't think that's very useful. I prefer Manco when opps double our 4th suit bid or the like. For those unfamiliar with Manco: xx shows 2-3 small, NT shows 1.5+ stoppers, pass shows 0.5-1 stopper (partner xx to ask ; then NT=1), suit bid is natural and show a singleton in the suit doubled.

[jdonn]

I very very strongly believe redouble of 2♥ by either player is to play. You have to make them pay, and there is no reason we can't have 7 hearts.

[mikeh]

I agree with Josh that redouble should show a willingness to play 2♥ redoubled. Reserving the redouble to show first round control is far too narrow a meaning, and allows the opps to make lead-directing bids with virtual impunity... never a good idea.

However, in the context of the post, it seems clear that we cannot make a grand yet, this being matchpoints, 6N has to stay in the picture. I bid 3♠ now: 2♠ would be forcing, so 3♠ should emphasize the quality of the trump suit. I confess that I am not entirely sure how I am going to get partner to choose 6N rather than 6♠... and he will be the one making the choice, not me, since he might not hold the ♥K on the auction so far. But that is a problem for a later round, and at least my 3♠ bid may allow him to later count some tricks.

[cherdano]

Hannie, on Apr 23 2007, 04:20 PM, said:

Interesting to play that XX shows a first round control.
(...)
I would not be surprised if partner did show up with 2 aces so I'm likely going to check for keycards next.

You would not be surprised if partner forgot the agreement? Maybe that should worry me...