[jillybean]

Dealer: North Vul: All Scoring: IMP

♠ T2 ♥ J74 ♦ QT98763 ♣ 7

West North East South

 -     1♦    Dbl   ?  

1♦=4

[han]

I'd bid 5D.

[Cascade]

5♦ seems perfectly normal.

[mikeh]

I bid 4♦, a call I normally detest since the 4♦ bidder almost never knows what to do over a major suit game. But I make the call anyway, because I don't need to make the partnership decision.

Assume they bid 4♥. Partner will save if he has short hearts.. imagine Qxx x AKxxx Kxxx

He will pass with Qxx Qx AJxx Axxx and we may go plus on defence, and (if not) we'd be going either 500 or 800 in 5♦, so -620 is hardly a bad result.

And once in a while, partner has a big hand loaded for bear (ok, probably not, when we have a stiff club)... and we are turning a modest plus into a modest minus if we bid 5♦... and if he can make 5♦ (which is even more far-fetched) he can still bid it over my descriptive 4♦.

[han]

I thought about 4D. My estimate is that partner won't bid 5D often enough, especially not over 4S. If partner passes then I expect that 500 vs 620 is the most common result.

It is true that we might go for 800 in 5D but on the other hand, they might have slam or they might compete over 5D when it is wrong to do so. It is so much easier for the opponents if they are allowed to bid 4M first, and then decide again once our partner has bid 5D.

[655321]

5♦

My thoughts on this hand are pretty much the opposite of mikeh, in that I often like to bid 4m, but here I prefer 5♦.

Not sure why it looks to me like a 5♦ bid rather than a 4♦ bid - perhaps because the hand is so weak that as long as the opponents find an 8 card major fit, they will make their game most of the time, therefore we we won't be going plus very often when they guess to bid 4M over 4♦.

[jdonn]

Wow 5♦ seems hyperactive to me when vul. I think partner is surely saving after 4 if it's right. True I let them get their bid in but that is no reason to go nuts. I mean what are we expecting, a 500 save if partner couldn't save on his own? And it could even be a phantom since 4 gives them trouble finding the best major potentially.

Mike where are you! I was just the first 4♦ vote

[rogerclee]

I think 5♦ will go for 800 a little too often to just hammer it out. I'll bid 4♦; partner will probably save if he has shortness in their major and won't if he doesn't. Either seems okay to me.

[the hog]

4D for me. 5D is a bit rich on this hand.

[jillybean]

Scoring: IMP

---

West North East South

 -     1♦    Dbl   4♦
 4♥    5♦    5♥    Pass
 6♥    Dbl   Pass  Pass
 Pass  


Here's the full hand, I like the company Im keeping with the 4♦
I thought 4♦ best to put the opps under pressure and let partner decide what to do.

Second question, does your bid change without the double?

Dealer: North Vul: All Scoring: IMP

♠ T2 ♥ J74 ♦ QT98763 ♣ 7

West North East South

---- 1♦ (Pass) ?

[the hog]

"Second question, does your bid change without the double?"

No, I would bid the same way, double or no double.

[jdonn]

Personally I would bid only 3 without the double. For one thing it's more likely partner has a good hand and I don't want to preempt us. Also it makes them guess anyway. For example if LHO wants to bid 3♥ it has a wide range, and if RHO wants to decide between raise or pass it also has a wide range. Or maybe they have to double offshape and get to the wrong suit. They could easily misjudge. I still wouldn't hate 4♦ though (would hate 5 even more than I already do.)

Edit: I should mention I assumed 3♦ was preemptive when I gave this answer

[pclayton]

5D over the double. Let em guess. Pard gets to guess over 4M if we only 4D.

4D without the x.

[CSGibson]

Jlall, on Mar 11 2008, 10:04 PM, said:

I would have just bid 4

Yeah, but who are you, anyway? Not someone who could compete with the Meckwells of the world, right?

(Good luck in the next round of the Vanderbilts)

[whereagles]

4 or 5, depending on the brand of wine I had for dinner

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

it is either 4D (my first impulse) and 5D,
but since on reflection I wont pass 4H / 4S,
if this comes back, 5D is better, thats why
I voted for it.

6D is crap, ... you are commiting yourself to
a minus score in lost of case, you could have
bought the contract 1-2 levels lower.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[P_Marlowe]

jillybean2, on Mar 11 2008, 08:14 PM, said:

<snip>

Second question, does your bid change without the double?

Dealer: North Vul: All Scoring: IMP

♠ T2 ♥ J74 ♦ QT98763 ♣ 7

West North East South

---- 1♦ (Pass) ?

Yes, 3D in case it is preemptive, if
not you have to go with 5D, because
2D and 4D is not an option.

Any higher bid assumes the opponents
will bid upto 4H / 4S compete and you
need to make an advance sacrifice.
But without the double the opponents
have not enter the bidding yet, and it is
unclear if they ever will over 3D.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Zelandakh]

Are we not allowed to psyche a major? How about 3♠ or 3NT for example? Most of the time I'd bid 5♦, but the first thing I think of on these hands is how to mess them up since for the most part I know where we are heading. I am surprised noone mentioned it, even if just to dismiss on the way to bidding 4/5♦.


(-: Zel :-)

[Cascade]

Zelandakh, on Mar 13 2008, 05:21 PM, said:

Are we not allowed to psyche a major? How about 3♠ or 3NT for example? Most of the time I'd bid 5♦, but the first thing I think of on these hands is how to mess them up since for the most part I know where we are heading. I am surprised noone mentioned it, even if just to dismiss on the way to bidding 4/5♦.


(-: Zel :-)

When I psyche in this sort of situation I am usually disappointed at how well a simple preempt would have worked.