[jdeegan]

Scoring: MP

1NT-P-P-??

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MP's against moderate opposition. You are not playing any convention in the pass out seat over 1NT. Do you balance? If so, how?

Also, do you recommend playing a convention in the pass out seat on this auction? If so, what? Would it change your bid on this hand?

[kenrexford]

Although 1NT-P-P-? is forcing when white versus white, it is much less so red versus red. Add to that no conventional approach, and I'll defend with good defense and no clear direction, myself.

Give me the ability to bid 2♦ to show diamonds and either the majors or just spades, and I might take a stab here at declaring.

[Apollo81]

I'd usually pass, although I might double in certain circumstances.

White on white I would take my chances with a 2♠ bid.

[cherdano]

Pass, it's red on red.

[jdonn]

Pass at this vul. Bid (often with far less and the same shape) at other vuls.

[skjaeran]

2♠.

[whereagles]

I would definitely bid. What, I don't know, but I would

[Gerben42]

I prefer some convention here, probably the same as in direct seat. Dbl showing ♠ + X (or rarely, any great hand). Without one i'd pass and talk with partner about it later.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

playing no convention at all, Pass.
If partner is strong you will have a fair chance of beating
the contract -2 being in the picture, i.e. you have a chance
of getting 200, without the risk.

To answer your 2nd question: Yes you should definitly play
a convention to increase the safety level, take your pick,
I like Lionel, which would mean I have to X to show spades
(Gerben also mentioned the convention), but you should be fine
with any convention.
Some conventions dont work to well in pass out, e.g. DONT
(if I recall it correctly), but playing one is better than natural.
The adv. of an convention is, that you cane enter with 1 and
2-suiters, having a fair chance to find a reasonable place.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[helene_t]

Pass. What Ken said.

I think it's nice to play some kind of convention that allows us to show two-suiters. It's ok for me to play the same defense regardless of seat, scoring, vulnerability and NT range. I have no strong preference for any particular defense. Except that the conventions to use by a passed hand must emphazise two-suiters that don't fit in the preempt structure.

[bid_em_up]

jdeegan, on Jun 11 2007, 10:15 PM, said:

MP's against moderate opposition. You are not playing any convention in the pass out seat over 1NT. Do you balance? If so, how?

Also, do you recommend playing a convention in the pass out seat on this auction? If so, what? Would it change your bid on this hand?

I'm somewhat surprised by the number of 2S bidders here, unless they are making that choice because this question is being asked in the beginner/intermediate forum. I would probably recommend that the beginner/intermediate player bid 2S (or pass) as well. But....

X has to be a far superior choice (to 2S), imo. This hand should play well in 2D, 2H, 2S or 1N doubled if partner manages to leave the double in. So double gives you four chances (or more, since you can take still make calls when partner bids 2♣) to find your best fit/contract, as opposed to one chance by bidding 2S and hoping partner doesn't put down some 1-5-4-3, 1-6-3-3, 2-5-3-3 and so on.

On this particular hand, it's close between pass and double for me. Double is usually going to win me over though.

Personally, I prefer NT interference systems (capp, dont, landy, take your pick) to be off in the balancing seat.

[jdeegan]

The vote for Pass versus bid was 7 versus 10. I think this reflects the fact that this hand is, given the adverse vulnerability, on the cusp. In this particular case, balancing worked out well for us, only because the opponents were extremely 'moderate' in their defense and allowed our poor contract to make.

Scoring: MP

1NT-P-P-Dbl
P-2♣-P-2♠
P-P-P

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Decent defense gets 3♥, 2♠, 1♦ and 1♣ for down two. Perfect defense can do even better.

[kenrexford]

What happens to 1NT?

North undoubtedly leads some club. This gives Declarer an immediate problem. He probably ducks, is my guess.

South now leads a small spade to dummy. Dummy leads hearts from the top, winning two of them. Now, a small diamond yields Queen-Ace, in hand.

A small spade to dummy is then won by South and returned.

Declarer cashes the heart and club Aces (two spades, one club, one diamond, three hearts, for seven tricks). He exits with the diamond Jack to South's King. South now takes two more spades, for three spades, one club, and another diamond for six tricks.

So, Declarer makes +90.

How South avoided even down one is beyond belief. (Oh, a diamond lead -- ugh!)