[Walddk]

Scoring: IMP

---

1♣ - pass - pass - dbl
pass

RHO opens 1♣ (normally 4+), you decide to pass and so does LHO. Your partner doubles in the balancing seat, and opener passes.

Plenty to choose from. What is your call?

Roland

[whereagles]

Do we have agreements? If 1NT = 9-12 and 2NT = 13-14, I might try 1NT (2NT on a good day). Otherwise I'll just bid 2♠.

[Walddk]

whereagles, on Dec 5 2007, 02:05 PM, said:

Do we have agreements? If 1NT = 9-12 and 2NT = 13-14, I might try 1NT (2NT on a good day). Otherwise I'll just bid 2♠.

I assume that your partner's double shows 8+, which I think is pretty standard. A balancing 1NT would have been 11-14.

Roland

[Blofeld]

This feels borderline between 1♠ and 2♠. I think I'll bid 2.

[P_Marlowe]

1 NT.

Take away a King, you have 9HCP,
I have a stopper in clubs and am
bal, hence I show the shape and my
point range.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[hrothgar]

I had a phenomenal hand and need to be able to show it

I'm torn between 2♣ and 2NT. I would probably bid 2♣ at the table.

[jvage]

I chose 2NT, considering this a small stretch, but better than the alternatives. The club-holding and 4333-shape indicates NT, we will often make as many tricks in NT as in spades even if partner got 4 (he will often have only 3, and then there may even be fewer tricks in spades). Our club-holding and the opponents silence makes it more likely that partner is also balanced, he would often double instead of bidding 1NT with 2-3 small clubs and a balanced 11-14. Since West would only pass 1♣ with very minimal values we know where almost all the opponents high cards are placed, making the play easier. With our wellplaced club-honours 3NT will often make if partner got around 13-14 HCP. With that he would always pass 1NT and often pass 2♠ when 3NT makes. If partner is strong and unbalanced we have support for any suit he may bid over 2NT. Finally a double is very unlikely if partner is minimum and 2NT fails.

John

[whereagles]

Walddk, on Dec 5 2007, 12:08 PM, said:

whereagles, on Dec 5 2007, 02:05 PM, said:

Do we have agreements? If 1NT = 9-12 and 2NT = 13-14, I might try 1NT (2NT on a good day). Otherwise I'll just bid 2♠.

I assume that your partner's double shows 8+, which I think is pretty standard. A balancing 1NT would have been 11-14.

Roland

Oh.. sorry, I meant 1/2NT by advancer, not doubler.

[Walddk]

whereagles, on Dec 5 2007, 03:58 PM, said:

Walddk, on Dec 5 2007, 12:08 PM, said:

whereagles, on Dec 5 2007, 02:05 PM, said:

Do we have agreements? If 1NT = 9-12 and 2NT = 13-14, I might try 1NT (2NT on a good day). Otherwise I'll just bid 2♠.

I assume that your partner's double shows 8+, which I think is pretty standard. A balancing 1NT would have been 11-14.

Roland

Oh.. sorry, I meant 1/2NT by advancer, not doubler.

For you to judge when you know what your partner (doubler) can and can't have. Perhaps consider your call with your actual hand compared to a hand like

♠ xxx
♥ xxx
♦ Axx
♣ KJxx

or

♠ Kxx
♥ Jxx
♦ Qxx
♣ Q10xx

Roland

[whereagles]

huh? I don't get it. Where are you trying to get at?

[Walddk]

whereagles, on Dec 5 2007, 04:12 PM, said:

huh? I don't get it. Where are you trying to get at?

I am trying to make you bid the actual hand. If it is 1NT showing 9-12 as you said in an earlier post, what do you bid with the other two hands I gave you?

I am not saying that 1NT is wrong with the 12 count in my initial post, but if it's right, you must bid something else with the other two. What would that be?

Roland

[Codo]

1. descission: This hand is about NT not about spades.
2. Book bid may be 1 NT, but my points are so good, I upgrate to 2 NT.

[keylime]

This is an interesting hand - I voted for 1NT because the 4333 hand is going to slow me down and I need a lot of help from pard to make 2 or 3NT. Pard can be balancing in on a lot of hands and I want to give him some room here.

[whereagles]

Walddk, on Dec 5 2007, 02:20 PM, said:

I am trying to make you bid the actual hand. If it is 1NT showing 9-12 as you said in an earlier post, what do you bid with the other two hands I gave you?

Ah, ok. I'd bid 1♦ on both.

By the way, I play 1/2NT as 9-12/13-14 because of this: if

(1x) dbl (pass) 1/2NT = 7-10/11-12

then, by the "add a queen" argument, I define

(1x) pass (pass) dbl
(pass) 1/2NT = as above, but add a queen. Thus it's 9-12/13-14.

Obviously, this isn't so strict if suit x is a major.

[ASkolnick]

Well, if my partner's bid only shows 8+, I will take a call, but I don't believe balancing that light is really a winning action in the long run. This is not matchpoints, its IMPS. So if you go plus on a part score, you are OK. When my partner doubles, I expect the same values as re-opening 1N, just with no stopper.

I am going to take the middle of the road action, but go against the grain and pass. I am not sure where the opponents tricks are coming from. I have most likely 4 tricks sitting in my hand. I expect my partner's hand to be balanced since he could bid 2X with a decent hand.

I will expect more often than not I am going +300 possibly against a game, but I don't expect the game to always make. I have 4 offensive tricks, but I also have 4 defensive tricks.

[jtfanclub]

ASkolnick, on Dec 5 2007, 10:39 AM, said:

Well, if my partner's bid only shows 8+, I will take a call, but I don't believe balancing that light is really a winning action in the long run. This is not matchpoints, its IMPS.

I am curious as to what experts feel on that point.

I have convinced myself (with very little evidence) that after 1m-P-P, you should pass with less than opening count and no suit. Outside of the 1NT call, you shouldn't 'steal a queen' on the balancing seat, even if it's Match Points.

Is there a general consensus about this?

[bhall]

The positional value of my clubs convinces me to overbid a bit. I start with 2♣, to see if partner bids 2♠. If he rebids in a red suit, I will try 2N.

Really, I would expect partner to balance with a suit holding only 8-9 HCP, unless he has two quick tricks and perfect shape. A balancing bid of 1M does not promise more than 4 decent cards in the suit. So I expect to be playing 2N opposite a (more or less) balanced 10-count that lacks a club stop. Say,

♠Kxx ♥QJ10x ♦KJxx ♣xx

I certainly wouldn't criticize a choice of 1N, but either spades or NT could produce a game our way.

[Walddk]

jtfanclub, on Dec 5 2007, 05:58 PM, said:

ASkolnick, on Dec 5 2007, 10:39 AM, said:

Well, if my partner's bid only shows 8+, I will take a call, but I don't believe balancing that light is really a winning action in the long run.  This is not matchpoints, its IMPS.

I am curious as to what experts feel on that point.

I have convinced myself (with very little evidence) that after 1m-P-P, you should pass with less than opening count and no suit. Outside of the 1NT call, you shouldn't 'steal a queen' on the balancing seat, even if it's Match Points.

Is there a general consensus about this?

I don't think there is a consensus, so I can only speak for myself. I would double with as little as 8 hcp if I have ideal shape. 4441, 4351, 4531 and 5431 if my hearts and spades, respectively, are weakish. With a good 5-card major I would often bid that instead of doubling.

♠ Qxxx
♥ Kxxxx
♦ Kxx
♣ x

...

♠ Axxx
♥ xxxx
♦ KJxx
♣ x

...

♠ Kxxx
♥ AJx
♦ xxxxx
♣ x

as a few examples of a double in the balancing seat. My experience is that it's losing bridge in the long run to sell out to 1♣.

With ...

♠ xxxx
♥ AQJxx
♦ Jxx
♣ x

I am inclined to re-open with 1♥ because I have a preference, and because I pinpoint the lead if opener's next call is 1NT (18-19 balanced), or 2♣, 3♣, whatever. It could easily still be their hand.

Roland

[han]

Nice question, and most answers (except pass) seem reasonable. I'll go with 2S because both 1NT and 2NT seem wrong. We are really a top 1NT or a very light 2NT. 2S is right on values but our shape is not great. So be it.

I would expect partner to balance with KQxx K10xx Jxxx x as a rough minimum. I cannot imagine passing that at any form of scoring. An 8-count is pushing it but I'm not going to argue about one point.

[jdonn]

1NT, if partner invites then clearly I can go. I don't find this hand to be worth an upgrade with this shape and awful spot cards (2NT = 13-bad 15 to me), club tenace notwithstanding.