[helene_t]

Matchpoints, white vs red, weak field, not much at stakes other than having fun and practicing a little, fairly advanced but somewhat unpredictable p.

(p)-p-(1♥)-4♣
(p)-4♦-(4♥)-p
(p)-4♠-(p)-?

x
xxx
Jx
AQxxxxx

[Gerben42]

Easy problem. You have to bid 5♦. Partner has a 7-5 and didn't have a suitable opening bid before. Let's hope his 1 is a ♣

[TimG]

Pass. No double, no trouble.

[bhall]

Partner's 4♦ is showing a club fit, expecting to play 5♣ if you hold your usual overbid, but hoping for a slam. His 4♠ is suggesting that lead if the opps compete to 5♥. If you should pass 4♠, partner will long remember your failure to honor his attempts at cooperation.

Who among us would bid 4♦ to play in such a situation?

[hotShot]

If your partner is running from 4♣, he must think there is a better contract.
He should not convert a minor to a minor unless he is sure there is a better fit. So I'm sure he has a ♣ void and has at least 7 cards in ♦.

[TimG]

bhall, on Jul 16 2007, 09:59 AM, said:

Partner's 4♦ is showing a club fit, expecting to play 5♣ if you hold your usual overbid, but hoping for a slam.

Partner is a passed hand.

[Walddk]

He has 7 diamonds and 5 spades (no pre-empt with a 5-card major), so I'll give preference to diamonds.

Roland

[mikeh]

Ok, I'll try something different:

Axxx void Axxxxx Jxx?

And he is trying for slam?

Sure, this is silly, but so is his bidding... he should not be 5-7 in the pointed and too weak to bid initially...that hand calls for a pass of 4♣, not an unpassable 4♦ call: he should reason that 4♦ is not passable since it makes no sense to want to land in 4♦ rather than 4♣.

So I bid 5♣... aware I may make 6 and aware that this may be a silly spot

[pclayton]

mikeh, on Jul 16 2007, 07:16 AM, said:

Ok, I'll try something different:

Axxx void Axxxxx Jxx?

And he is trying for slam?

Sure, this is silly, but so is his bidding... he should not be 5-7 in the pointed and too weak to bid initially...that hand calls for a pass of 4♣, not an unpassable 4♦ call: he should reason that 4♦ is not passable since it makes no sense to want to land in 4♦ rather than 4♣.

So I bid 5♣... aware I may make 6 and aware that this may be a silly spot

Perhaps 4N caters to this possibility.

I'm a 5♦ bidder. This isn't a terrible dummy opposite a 7-5.

[mikeh]

pclayton, on Jul 16 2007, 10:30 AM, said:

mikeh, on Jul 16 2007, 07:16 AM, said:

Ok, I'll try something different:

Axxx void Axxxxx Jxx?

And he is trying for slam?

Sure, this is silly, but so is his bidding... he should not be 5-7 in the pointed and too weak to bid initially...that hand calls for a pass of 4♣, not an unpassable 4♦ call: he should reason that 4♦ is not passable since it makes no sense to want to land in 4♦ rather than 4♣.

So I bid 5♣... aware I may make 6 and aware that this may be a silly spot

Perhaps 4N caters to this possibility.

I'm a 5♦ bidder. This isn't a terrible dummy opposite a 7-5.

If he has 5=7 (or such) then 4N does cater to it: certainly 4N has the aura of confusion appropriate to the auction and my state of mind.

However, if the genius across the table thinks that his bids clearly show the hand I am visualizing, then 4N says that I like my hand for slam purposes but not enough to jump to 6♣.... and I don't like my hand enough to bid that way.... the xxx in ♥s is great but my trump are weak and I don't like my ♦ holding. I'd bid 4N with AK10xxxx of clubs and the same hand.

Of course, to indulge in this level of subtlety on this auction suggests that I've ben smoking from the same pipe as partner

[skjaeran]

Jlall, on Jul 16 2007, 07:15 PM, said:

I would bid 4N and pass whichever minor partner bids since I have no clue what he's doing. I don't like bidding 5D with such an easy safety play available.

Good point. When you've no clue whatsoever what partner is up to, find the bid that forces him to place the contract.

[helene_t]

I bid 4N. Justin said why. Partner wasn sure what 4N was supposed to mean, and bid 5♣ with his 5-1-6-1. Down four while 5♦ would prbably have been down two only.

Afterwards I wondered if that was unnecessary cryptic. While 4♦ will typically be based on a clubs fit, 4♠ suggests that he has a two-suiter. Anyway I think p should have passed 4♣ and that he should have understood 4N.

[bid_em_up]

What has p been smoking?

Silly me, I thought the poll choices were going to be:

Rabbit Tobacco
Pot
Herion
Opium
Hash
Coke
other

[Fluffy]

bidding a natural 4♠ over an 8 card suit is nonsense, 4♠ is lead directing or just confusing opponents.

I don't know if he has diamonds (walking the dog with initial pass) or clubs, I'd bid 4NT and let him bid the final contract.