[inquiry]

Quote

Who went wrong the worse in this disaster... IMPS, both vul                    ª
                  ªQ7
                  ©AKQJT6
                  ¨J84
                  §QJ

ªT63                          ª AKJ9542
©7                              ©94
¨9763                        ¨KQT5
§T9754                      §void
                    ª8
                    ©8532
                    ¨A2
                    [font="Symbol"]§AK8632

Bidding
N  E  S  W
1H X 4H P
P  4S X  P
P  P

4Sx making five, lost 16 imps. Six hearts laydown for NS. Who made the big mistake.

[Free]

Seems a clear splinter (i dont play fit jumps in this case), rdbl you'll only get 4S back at you and then where do you stand?? I think the hand is strong enough if partner has good trumps... Maybe bidding 5H, but you might be too high already.

[EricK]

I am not sure how I should be replying to this poll!

If I played fit-jumps, then both 3S and 4C would be fit-jumps so I would bid 4C. If I played splinters then both 3S and 4C would be splinters so I would bid 3S.

I happen to think that fit-jumps are better in this situation, but I don't think that is the question you are asking.

Certainly I would bid this one to at least the 5 level as South.

Eric

[Trpltrbl]

Well South is to blame. I myself wud have bid 3, y have a great hand. 4 trump, singleton and 3 Quicktricks with first round control in 2 suits. 4 is so horrible that I am almost speechless. But by far the worst bid ever is X of 4. Really speechless...........................................

Mike


still speechless.................................................

[inquiry]

Hi Erik,

The poll is really to stimilate comments and let people decide how to continue. There are soooo many ways to bid this hand depending upon your partnership agreement. You might be able to play 2C over dbl as forcing, but if you play new suit at two level as non-forcing, then you might could jump rebid to 3C, but if you play that as weak... where are you going.

I myself am a huge fan of Robson/Segal methods and would bid 4C fit jump. In my younger days, I would bid 3S splinter. Some might try 2NT (fit, limit raise or better). The answer to south's hand is partnership specific, but whatever you play, 4H just can't be right, at least imho. What i hoped to spur is a poll answer and then a disucssion of the various options.

One might argue, however, that North should know there is no spade stack (he is looking at two after all and they bid 4 vul, and not taking many hearts.... partner has four at least, so if you are beating 4S you must be making 5H. Still, I think 4H is horrible bid.

Ben

[mikestar]

South's 4H is at least semi-premptive. Either South is taking a sacrifice if partner is minimum, or he hopes to make but has a poor hand for slam. He must bid 3S or 4C on these cards according to his partnership's methods. X after 4H means "I expected to make 4H, and I have some defense."

[cherdano]

I guess we all agree that 4H is off the track. And the deal illustrates a good point about these preemptive game raises. You should know what to do if the opponents bid on. You have told so little about your hand (in most partnerships, this bid just shows 5 trumps and max. 10 points, I'd think), that you cannot reasonably expect to involve partner in the decision.

Btw, even if I played splinter in that situation, I would prefer to start with a forcing natural club bid, which would just be 2C for me. Surely such a nice 6cd suit should get mentioned at some point in the bidding?