[paulg]

1.

Scoring: IMP

(2♠) - ?

Your call?

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2.

Scoring: IMP

(2♠) - ?

Your call?

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[gwnn]

3NT one of the yuckiest gambles but nothing else carries any appeal.

3♦ I don't like pass on xxxx but it might be the winning call.

[Fluffy]

First hand 3NT.

Second hand I'd take out the double and bid 3♦.

[han]

1. 2NT, maybe a slight underbid.

2. At matchpoints this would be an easy pass I think, tricks and the heart void. I'm not sure if I'm brave enough at IMPs, I would probably bid 3d.

[hrothgar]

Hand 1: 2NT

As Hannie says, a slight underbid.

Hand 2: 2NT

I mgiht pass at MP, but this is IMPs. I'm on opening lead, which makes it much more difficult for us to score many heart ruffs. Partner has implied Diamond length which decreases the defensive strength of my Diamonds.

[ArtK78]

1) 3NT. What else? This is IMPs.

2) 3D. Partner asked me to bid. I have AKQx of diamonds. What is the problem?

[pclayton]

1. Double and...

A. 3N over 3H
B. 3D over 2N (and 3N over 3H (gulp)
C. Something strong over 3 minor

2. 3D.

[cherdano]

On 1, I think double then 3N is wrong, partner will correct to 4♥ too often (which this sequence allows). It is between 2N or 3N for me, I would pick 2N.

3♦ on 2.

[Echognome]

1. 2NT
2. 2NT. The hands don't fit well and I'm not going to defend with xxxx. Of course I mean 2NT as scrambling.

[ArtK78]

cherdano, on Aug 1 2007, 05:21 PM, said:

On 1, I think double then 3N is wrong, partner will correct to 4♥ too often (which this sequence allows).

Correct to 4♥? How about when partner bids 4♥ over your double? How would you like that?

And there is no obvious second call when partner jumps to 4♥, which could be based on a lot of hands with long hearts and little else or a hand with 4 hearts and values.

[cherdano]

ArtK78, on Aug 1 2007, 04:58 PM, said:

cherdano, on Aug 1 2007, 05:21 PM, said:

On 1, I think double then 3N is wrong, partner will correct to 4♥ too often (which this sequence allows).

Correct to 4♥? How about when partner bids 4♥ over your double? How would you like that?

And there is no obvious second call when partner jumps to 4♥, which could be based on a lot of hands with long hearts and little else or a hand with 4 hearts and values.

Partner won't jump to 4♥ with four hearts ever. (Yes he could with 5 hearts, and that will be bad, agreed.)

[Echognome]

cherdano, on Aug 1 2007, 03:02 PM, said:

Partner won't jump to 4♥ with four hearts ever. (Yes he could with 5 hearts, and that will be bad, agreed.)

Lebensohl to the rescue! Partner can bid 3♥ (or 3♦ if playing some form of transfer lebensohl) if 5♥. He should have 6♥ to jump to 4♥. Then the singleton K in support is looking a lot better.

[cherdano]

Echognome, on Aug 1 2007, 05:36 PM, said:

cherdano, on Aug 1 2007, 03:02 PM, said:

Partner won't jump to 4♥ with four hearts ever. (Yes he could with 5 hearts, and that will be bad, agreed.)

Lebensohl to the rescue! Partner can bid 3♥ (or 3♦ if playing some form of transfer lebensohl) if 5♥. He should have 6♥ to jump to 4♥. Then the singleton K in support is looking a lot better.

The way most people play Lebensohl over (2S) X, 3♥ is invitational, but not forcing.

[mikeh]

While it is unlikely that partner will commit us to 4♥ on a 4 card suit, it remains possible, especially if LHO bumps to 3♠ (partner with 1=4=(53) may well decide that 4♥ is better than risking either a responsive double or bidding a 5 card minor and thus missing the heart fit altogether.

And I would still be worried even if he holds 5 cards in the suit: one of my favourite rules (I am not big on 'rules') is Burns Law of Total Trump: never play in a contract in which the total number of trump held by the opps exceeds the total held by your side.

I would bid 2N: I would far rather do this than bid either double or 3N. When I jump to 3N over a weak two, I am making my contract (most of the time ). I am not announcing the equivalent of a balanced 20 count: with that, I double first.

On the second auction, it depends.

Against a team I expect to beat, I pull... I am not going to hand them a chance to score a lot of imps when I rate to beat them unless I beat myself.

Otherwise, I am passing.

We may well score -470, and I certainly would have pulled even as recently as a year ago... and maybe will again in another year. In the meantime, I am trying to turn into practice advice attributed to Kokish.. that most modern experts don't inflict enough penalty doubles/passes on the opps.

Here, RHO has, almost for sure, a major 2-suiter, and a heart lead would help his cause. Fortunately, I can't fall into that trap. I am going to lead diamonds.

If partner has, say Axx AQJxx Jxx xx or the like, this could get bloody.

And it is not as if bidding 3♦ is running to daylight: in diamonds, I still have a lot of losers to get rid of, and I expect a short spade lead through dummy (and despite the example I gave above, dummy rates not to hold the spade A) and little club help.

[ArtK78]

I find it hard to fathom the comments like "partner won't bid 4H on a 4-card suit" and the like.

What is he supposed to do with a 12 count and 2-4-3-4 distribution? 3S?

And what is partner supposed to do with, say, Ax T8xxx AJx QJx? 3H? I don't think so.

[ceeb]

2NT unconcerned.

Pass -- considerably concerned but there's not clear route to a plus, and this can be a bonanza.

[Double !]

Just a little question about hand 2:

Why did this hand not open 1 diamond in the first place?

DHL

[mikeh]

Double !, on Aug 1 2007, 10:49 PM, said:

Just a little question about hand 2:

Why did this hand not open 1 diamond in the first place?

DHL

Wild horses couldn't get me to open 1♦.

I have zero rebid problem in a purely constructive auction (after 1♣), and I will take the risk of having problems in a competitive auction in order to not distort my shape. I am only embarrassed if the opps bid spades, and my holding 4 of them diminishes that risk.

I am one of those who are very strong in the view that 4=5 minor hands are opened 1♣ (I'd make an exception for, say, x AJx AKQx xxxxx)

But I would be willing to bet that even those experts who often open 1♦ on 4=5 mostly wouldn't do it here.

[jdonn]

First hand, 3NT I guess. I agree it's pretty minimum. I can't see any good reason to double first.

Second one, I can not fathom passing this double. It seems like just a prayer, I have 4 small trumps! I would run to 2NT with the understanding that it is not natural on auctions like this.

[paulg]

On the first I bid 2NT. I abhor double and did not think I had the tricks for 3NT. Partner had ♠xxx ♥Axxx ♦9xx ♣Qxx, ♦J was doubleton onside, clubs 3-3 and I made +210. Partner clearly had the perfect hand opposite and I'd probably bid 2NT next time too.

On the second, you can pass for a scary +100 or bid 3♦ for a less scary positive score.