[cjames]

MPs first seat NV vs VUL you are dealt:

♠AQx
♥K9542
♦K9xxx
♣-

And open 1♥, then the bidding goes:

1♥-(2♣)-4♥-(5♣)-? your bid?


Still MPs, NV vs VUL you hear the bidding go:

(1♦)-3♠-(4♦)-?

What do you bid now with these cards:

♠KQJx
♥AKJ72
♦xx
♣8x

[CSGibson]

1) I'm passing. It could be wrong.

2) I was bidding 4 spades without the interference, now I'm bidding it anyway.

[655321]

(1) 5♥ for me. This one is not a WTP for me, though. Of course pass could work out better.

(2) 4♥ WTP - we want a heart lead against 5♦.

[mikeh]

1. 5♥. 5♦ might work on a weird day, but I don't want to two-step this sequence to 5♥. Passing might work on any given day but it is losing bridge in the long run.

2. 4♥ for the lead. Of course, you may get passed there when they make nothing and 4♠ plays far, far better, but the odds of that happening are low. I would be more comfortable at imps where -200 probably isn't much a loss. We are going to 4♠ if we have a chance, but the real question must be whether we defend 5♦. After all, they rate to make if either of them is void in spades... but, since that isn't necessarily so and since we may have 3 heart tricks when it is, my vote is to defend.

[gwnn]

5♥, non wtp

4♠ (or 4♥ if we have agreed that this asks for a h lead) wtp?

[whereagles]

5H, 4H and yes it's wtp to me

[rogerclee]

1) 5♥, not close.
2) 4♥, not close. Will have to pass 5♦.

[andy_h]

1) 5H. Looks like 5C could be making, or we could be making 5H on a good day.

2) Hmm, is it really definite that they'll be bidding 5D? Maybe partner can be aggressive at this vul? Anyway, without any discussion I'd bid 4S because we're not a passed hand and don't see how it imples spade support.

[skjaeran]

1. 5♥. Definitely.
2. 4♠. 4♥ is a good idea, as long as someone makes another bid. That's not certain at all.

[Cascade]

1. 5♥ I have lots of extra distribution.

2. If I bid 4♥ how will partner know I have spade support? I don't like it. I am going to bid 4♠ and not risk playing a 5=0 heart fit. wtp?

[the hog]

Agree with Wayne's comments above.

[mikeh]

Cascade, on Mar 10 2008, 04:12 AM, said:

2. If I bid 4♥ how will partner know I have spade support? I don't like it. I am going to bid 4♠ and not risk playing a 5=0 heart fit. wtp?

the problem is partner's lead against 5♦

[kfay]

1) 5♥. Could be a double game swing. Also could be a nice sacrifice.

2) 4♥. I'm not worried about this being passed out at all.

[zasanya]

mikeh, on Mar 9 2008, 03:45 PM, said:

1. 5♥. 5♦ might work on a weird day, but I don't want to two-step this sequence to 5♥.

Could you elaborate on why 5♦ is weird?

[pclayton]

1. 5♥. I have nice shape, and very dubious defense against their vul. game.

2. 4♥. Sorry, but this is clearly a lead director with support. Once you come to that conclusion, this is an easy call.

[ArtK78]

1) 5♥. I don't think this is close.
2) 4♠. And I am not selling out to 5♦.

On the second hand, 4♥ is a good idea if (1) it is clearly for the lead, which is far from clear to me; and (2) you plan on passing 5♦. If 4♠ gets doubled, you have a much better chance of making 4♠ if you don't bid 5♥. You never know when RHO will get the bright idea to lead a heart against 4♠x.

If you bid 4♠ and they bid 5♦, NOW is the time to bid 5♥. It is unambiguously for the lead on this sequence, and it will eliminate the problem that may arise if they bid 6♦ over 5♠.

[mikeh]

zasanya, on Mar 10 2008, 10:09 AM, said:

mikeh, on Mar 9 2008, 03:45 PM, said:

1. 5♥. 5♦ might work on a weird day, but I don't want to two-step this sequence to 5♥.

Could you elaborate on why 5♦ is weird?

It's not that 5♦ is 'weird', but that it would be a weird day when 5♦ worked. I'd see 5♦ as a slam try... given that the opps are in clubs, not spades, both our suits outrank them so it is unlikely that they will save at the 6-level. Thus 5♦, to me, is a slam try. It would, in my view, be improbable (weird) for partner to have the hand that makes slam.. so I wouldn't bid 5♦.