[jvage]

This was a funny hand from last weekends Southern Norway International, scored as butler pairs.

Opponents are national champions (RHO is also former European Junior Champion) and are known as aggressive bidders. Your partner is also a national champion. You don't play together regularly, but when it comes to style he had preferred a more conservative style than me on the only earlier board where this had been an issue.

You are in fourth hand at unfavourable, and all hopes of an uninterupted, long and scientific sequence are soon shattered:
LHO Pard RHO You
3♣ 3♥ 5♣ ?

AKQJ2
AJ73
83
AK

Now what?

John

[mike777]

jvage, on May 16 2007, 06:36 AM, said:

This was a funny hand from last weekends Southern Norway International, scored as butler pairs.

Opponents are national champions (RHO is also former European Junior Champion) and are known as aggressive bidders. Your partner is also a national champion. You don't play together regularly, but when it comes to style he had preferred a more conservative style than me on the only earlier board where this had been an issue.

You are in fourth hand at unfavourable, and all hopes of an uninterupted, long and scientific sequence are soon shattered:
LHO  Pard  RHO  You
3♣  3♥  5♣  ?

AKQJ2
AJ73
83
AK

Now what?

John

I guess our aggressive partner will never have KQ of hearts and A or AK of diamonds for their 3H unfav. call. I can only assume 5H has no play.

[ochinko]

Since I have the excuse that I should bid conservatively, I will only go to 6♥, not 7.

Yes, I could start with 6♣, but that will only give opps a chance to find a better lead.

[P_Marlowe]

6C, if he bids 6D bid 7H.
If he bids 6H pass.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[FrancesHinden]

The problem with 6C is that I don't think it forces partner to cue the ace of diamonds if he holds it; with a minimum 3H overcall he should probably be allowed to sign off.

There's a serious risk that partner has a red 2-suiter and we are off the ace of diamonds. But the chances are that we have 13 tricks.

To be honest, I think I would just bid 7NT. While it's possible we are making more tricks in hearts than NT, it's also possible that we are off the ace of diamonds and I'd rather have LHO on lead (give partner 10x KQxxxx KQxxx - say and watch LHO squirm after 7NT P P x).

[whereagles]

5♦ (lead-inhibiting psyche), followed by 7♥.

[mikegill]

I can't imagine not bidding 7n. I can't find out what I need to know, and I might make this even if we're off an A.

[FrancesHinden]

whereagles, on May 16 2007, 01:56 PM, said:

5♦ (lead-inhibiting psyche), followed by 7♥.

Sadly the dummy appears in 5D

[whereagles]

FrancesHinden, on May 16 2007, 01:49 PM, said:

whereagles, on May 16 2007, 01:56 PM, said:

5♦ (lead-inhibiting psyche), followed by 7♥.

Sadly the dummy appears in 5D

you jealous of my brilliant bid??

[han]

I like the 7NT bid.

[SoTired]

7N seems right to me. Even if partner does not have the ♦A, RHO may have it and LHO has to guess which suit to lead.

[jdonn]

whereagles, on May 16 2007, 07:56 AM, said:

5♦ (lead-inhibiting psyche), followed by 7♥.

This auction says to any good opponent "please lead a diamond". Since if you were always jumping to a grand they start to wonder why you cuebid first. Like gee, his partner didn't cuebid clubs in return and he jumped to 7, hmmmmm. I have to admit you could use game theory in this, like on this hand bidding 5♠ then 7♥ to make it look like you want a spade lead, but in practice this is extremely rare.

I would mind much less if you just jumped to a grand and gave away no information at all

[mikeh]

FrancesHinden, on May 16 2007, 07:49 AM, said:

The problem with 6C is that I don't think it forces partner to cue the ace of diamonds if he holds it; with a minimum 3H overcall he should probably be allowed to sign off.

There's a serious risk that partner has a red 2-suiter and we are off the ace of diamonds. But the chances are that we have 13 tricks.

To be honest, I think I would just bid 7NT. While it's possible we are making more tricks in hearts than NT, it's also possible that we are off the ace of diamonds and I'd rather have LHO on lead (give partner 10x KQxxxx KQxxx - say and watch LHO squirm after 7NT P P x).

Frances beat me to it: 7N seems clear.. if we are off the ♦A, then we still rate to have 13 winners (he has to hold 6+♥s if he is rational and lacks the ♦A) so long as they don't lead a ♦.

I actually feel so good about this that I'd redouble if RHO doubled... I think the imp odds make that a sensible call.... plus it is a good story even when I'm wrong... but I won't redouble if LHO doubles

[whereagles]

jdonn, on May 16 2007, 03:25 PM, said:

whereagles, on May 16 2007, 07:56 AM, said:

5♦ (lead-inhibiting psyche), followed by 7♥.

This auction says to any good opponent "please lead a diamond". Since if you were always jumping to a grand they start to wonder why you cuebid first. Like gee, his partner didn't cuebid clubs in return and he jumped to 7, hmmmmm. I have to admit you could use game theory in this, like on this hand bidding 5♠ then 7♥ to make it look like you want a spade lead, but in practice this is extremely rare.

I would mind much less if you just jumped to a grand and gave away no information at all

jd, this is double-double crossing Next time I do the same with

AKQJx
AJxx
Ax
xx

and they lead... a diamond

[Fluffy]

I was thinking if 7♥ or 7NT (7♠ is kinda lead directing) was a better contrract, just whoom do you think it is more likelly to hold the ♦A?

[gwnn]

duh. i'll bid 6♣ and leave the -15 IMP's for the others.

chickin gwnn

[jdonn]

whereagles, on May 16 2007, 04:33 PM, said:

jd, this is double-double crossing Next time I do the same with

AKQJx
AJxx
Ax
xx

and they lead... a diamond

Ha, people SAY they will do that, but they never ever do. All they ever do is either psych the cuebid in the weak suit, or just jump to the grand and make them guess completely. Because frankly, few people are willing to look that foolish, especially since there are so many players who will automatically lead the ace of their own suit regardless of the auction.

[han]

mikeh, on May 16 2007, 10:26 AM, said:

but I won't redouble if LHO doubles

Hell no, they might run!

[cherdano]

jdonn, on May 16 2007, 09:25 AM, said:

whereagles, on May 16 2007, 07:56 AM, said:

5♦ (lead-inhibiting psyche), followed by 7♥.

This auction says to any good opponent "please lead a diamond". Since if you were always jumping to a grand they start to wonder why you cuebid first. Like gee, his partner didn't cuebid clubs in return and he jumped to 7, hmmmmm. I have to admit you could use game theory in this, like on this hand bidding 5♠ then 7♥ to make it look like you want a spade lead, but in practice this is extremely rare.

I would mind much less if you just jumped to a grand and gave away no information at all

Well, once you bring game theory into it I will content that any serious opponents have an agreement what suit a lead-directing double of 7N after this auction asks for