[jillybean]

Dealer: North Vul: EW Scoring: IMP

♠ 64 ♥ KT652 ♦ AJ763 ♣ 7

West North East South

 -     1♣    1♠    Dbl
 Pass  1NT   2♠    ? 


Your bid

[jtfanclub]

At this vul, I'll take my chances and bid 3♦.

[jocdelevat]

In my beginner -int opinion I would have bid 2h instead of x because now I cannot show any of my 2 5 card suits. My pard denny 4 card in hearts(1nt) and diamonds (1c). Im chicken to x for penalty and Im not brave enough to go for 2nt so pass for me.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

Pass, not easy.

I guess one could bid 3D, which should show
a competitive hand with 6 diamonds, a hand
which was to weal to bid 2D direct.
(=> The 3D bid would now cancel the message,
that you hold 4 hearts.)

But if you fear, that partner would treat the bid
as forcing, pass is better, you may loose some
IMPs due to a part score swing, but you risk
loosing more, if partner goes nuts.

Double would still be for t/o, but the hand is too
weak to make a 2nd t/o, ... you have to be
prepared that opener passes.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[kfay]

Double. It's t/o.

[P_Marlowe]

kfay, on Feb 7 2008, 09:40 AM, said:

Double.  It's t/o.

Just because double is t/o, does not
mean partner cant pass.

What do you expect partner to bid
with 4333 and 12HCP?

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Cascade]

This is a relatively tough hand.

You haven't shown either of your five-card suits and nor do you have a good way of bidding either now.

Your choices are pass, double or 3♥/♦.

Partner will expect a six-card suit for 3♥/♦ and neither of my suits are that strong.

Double is takeout - how can you have a takeout double of 1♠ and a penalty double of 2♠? I guess its barely possible but it seems much more likely given your negative double that you have a hand that wants to compete now. Partner might pass a double but that is not necessarily bad. You have a couple of sharp cards, a singleton in partner's suit and a couple of trumps. Finally if partner bids 3♣ you can correct to 3♦ offering a choice between diamonds and hearts.

Pass - well I don't have anything ideal to bid so this could be right.

However I think I will double and hope it works out. Maybe partner will even think to bid a three-card heart suit but perhaps that is hoping for too much.

[jtfanclub]

P_Marlowe, on Feb 7 2008, 03:57 AM, said:

(=> The 3D bid would now cancel the message, that you hold 4 hearts.)

I've never heard such a thing. If I had a weak hand with 6 diamonds without 4 hearts, I'd bid 3♦ the first time (Weak Jump Shift in competition, which is standard around here). For those who don't play WJS in competition, I'd pass the first time if I wasn't strong enough to bid 2♦. I don't know anybody who plays X then 3♦ as denying 4 hearts.

Quote

Double would still be for t/o, but the hand is too weak to make a 2nd t/o, ... you have to be prepared that opener passes.

I don't think the second X should really be called t/o, since as others pointed out partner will commonly pass with with little extra strength. Maybe "Action" or "Extras" or something.

By bidding 3♦, I'm showing 4-6 in the reds whereas I'm really 5-5. Unfortunately, I don't have a good way of showing 5-5, and at this vulnerability I'd rather make the lie. If I pass, I expect partner to pass.

[P_Marlowe]

jtfanclub, on Feb 7 2008, 01:15 PM, said:

P_Marlowe, on Feb 7 2008, 03:57 AM, said:

(=> The 3D bid would now cancel the message, that you hold 4 hearts.)

I've never heard such a thing. If I had a weak hand with 6 diamonds without 4 hearts, I'd bid 3♦ the first time (Weak Jump Shift in competition, which is standard around here). For those who don't play WJS in competition, I'd pass the first time if I wasn't strong enough to bid 2♦. I don't know anybody who plays X then 3♦ as denying 4 hearts.

If you dont play weak jump shifts in comp., e.g. if you play fit jumps,
and if you dont play NFB, than neg. X followed by bidding a suit, shows
a comp. hand with a long suit.
Of course you may be 6-4, but dont have to.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[han]

jtfanclub, on Feb 7 2008, 01:15 PM, said:

I don't think the second X should really be called t/o, since as others pointed out partner will commonly pass with with little extra strength.  Maybe "Action" or "Extras" or something.

I think "competitive" is the right word.

I agree with you that the negative double shows 4 hearts. Not "4 hearts unless I have such and such".