[mikegill]

Scoring: MP

P P 1♦ 1♥
1N 2♥ ?

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You don't have any conventional agreements about this auction.

[Echognome]

3♣ for me. This is a fairly pure two suited hand.

[whereagles]

3♣, and willing to go to 5m if necessary

[hrothgar]

I have two Spades and partner couldn't find a negative double.

Looks like they have a double fit in the majors and we have a double fit in the minors. To me, the big question is whats the best way to make sure that they don't end up declaring 4M (or defending 5mX)

3NT is looking mighty tempting... (Wish I knew whether partner has a position Heart stopper. I won't be happy if they open lead a Spade and punch a Heart through partners Kxxx).
2♠ might also work, as could pass.

Make me down for

4♦ 10% of the time
3N 25% of the time
3♦ 15% of the time
3♣ 30% of the time
2♠ 10% of the time
Pass 10% of the time

All values are approximate and might even add to 100%

[Halo]

3C

I'm competing.

[Robert]

Hi everyone

Double shows the minors with 4 clubs. A three club bid should show 5 clubs.

Why are we worried about this hand 'if' we have no agreements?

Play Good Bad 2NT* and your bidding will inprove.

Playing with random partners, good results are often random.

Regards,
Robert

[Apollo81]

Most of you are forgetting that we could easily be cold for game this hand, and even if we are not, the opening lead will give it to us a lot of the time.

I think that if it were red IMPs then this is a fairly automatic 2NT bid since that is our only way to guarantee a good hand. I don't relish playing in 2NT if partner passes, but you gotta do what you gotta to to get the 600.

Since this is MPs, it's less clear what to do.

[pbleighton]

3C.

Peter

[P_Marlowe]

3D.

3C should show 5-5.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Free]

3♣, shows a good hand.

[helene_t]

3♣ 100% of the time. Not approximative but it does add up to 100%

[Robert]

Hi Apollo81

I like to play Good Bad 2NT so both my 3C and 3D bids would show a good hand here.

Does partner think that a 2NT bid 'wthout prior agreement' would be the bid made by someone holding 14HCP and 6-4 in the minors?

Isn't partner going to double the other pair at a higher level after you show a good hand with a 2NT bid. The 6-4 minors with 14HCP might be a big disappointment.

Regards,
Robert

[mikegill]

I don't see where 3♣ can show either 5-5 or a good hand. You just can't sit and wait around for 5-5 shape or a good hand to bid at matchpoints over their 2 of a major. Are people seriously going to pass with Kxx x KQTxx AJ9x over 2h in this auction? Partner probably has a flat hand with length in hearts and he's going to pass it out, and that's not going to get you a good score.

And I understand that good-bad 2NT is better than no agreement, but I'm pretty sure playing good/bad 2N when partner is not is significantly worse than no agreement. So... let's stick to the judgment issue here, please.

I assume that standard bridge means 2NT is a game try, and 3c and 3d are competitive, and anything else is game-forcing. If you think this is not what "standard" is, feel free to correct me.

[awm]

There are a number of possible bids here, including:

Double
2NT
3m

It doesn't make much sense for double to be "pure takeout" since the odds of having a spade fit in this auction are virtually nil. Double is also the only bid (other than pass) which gives the 1NT bidder the option to defend. It seems like when opener holds a big hand with roughly balanced shape, it's nice to give partner the defending option. So I'd interpret:

Double = balanced or nearly so (maybe singleton heart) with extra values, encourages partner to pass with a suitable hand (two trump tricks?) and consider game otherwise.

With this meaning for double, there is no real reason for 2NT to show a "natural invite." I would interpret 2NT in the relatively popular style as "two places to play" probably the two minors. Obviously this is not some shoddy minimum, but it's not a "real" invite unless partner can envision running a minor, and it certainly doesn't encourage partner to pass 2NT (everyone's favorite partscore?).

With this interpretation, which I think is not all that far from "expert standard" (I think most would take 1M-P-2M-2NT as two places to play even though this is not "standard bridge" or codified anywhere I can find) it seems like 2NT is a standout call.

[joshs]

In Washington DC, 2N in this auction shows 6-4 in the minors...

[mikegill]

Since most people bid 3♣ (this is what was bid at the table), let's say now that RHO competes to 3♥ in passout seat, and now it's your call again. If you pass, partner will X in passout seat. Are people passing and sitting, passing and pulling, or pulling directly?

[keylime]

I wish I had some form of G/B 2NT here.

I agree about 2NT being 6-4 in minors locally; have had it used against me twice.

I will not sit a double here, and I probably pull directly.

[Halo]

Pass and sit.

If I am going to speculate on the best result it might as well be +200.

[awm]

Passing partner's double seems like an easy decision.