[dbsboy]

Playing 2/1

1.

Partner opens 1NT.

What's your bid?

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...assume you can signoff/invite in Clubs, or invite in NT

2.

Partner opens 1NT.

What's your bid?

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Another question: What if HQ becomes HX and CX becomes CQ

3.

Partner opens 1NT.

What's your bid?

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[pclayton]

1. Very tough, but the six clubs makes my hand more attractive for 3N, not less. I'm not signing off in clubs (assuming thats available) and will make an invitational raise. An argument could be made that this hand will rarely take exactly 8 tricks, but I have some help in other suits and I can't understand why that would be the case here.

2A. 2N

2B. 3♦

3. 2♣. I've drank the Kool-Aid.

[han]

Agree with Phil.

[brianshark]

1. Invite in NT

2a. 3♦

2b. 3♦

3. 1♠

[jtfanclub]

brianshark, on May 6 2008, 11:32 AM, said:

1. Invite in NT

2a. 3♦

2b. 3♦

3. 1♠

I don't get not bidding 1 spade on the third one. If partner has 4 spades, wonderful. If not, maybe I can talk them out of a spade lead.


On the first hand, I'd just bid 3NT. If we go down exactly 1, oops. I've got 8 hcp, and surely a 6 card suit isn't worthless if I have two side entries. 15+8+6 card suit=game in my book. May not make it, but I'll take my chances. Besides, maybe bodyslamming my way up there will keep the opponents from finding their fit.

[awm]

1. I like invite in notrump also. Inviting in clubs will cause partner to over-value the wrong cards (he will think ♣Kx is great for example). With only eight points and a lousy six-card suit I think a direct 3NT is an overbid.

2. I don't really understand what's wrong with bidding 3♦ here. We could easily have a diamond slam on this hand if partner has a bit extra or could be off a heart stopper. If partner has help in hearts we should have no problem reaching 3NT after raising diamonds. Obviously if partner is the sort who often bids 2♦ on three-card suits or we have some (I think non-standard) agreement that 3♦ shows extras here we have to bid something else, but in these cases I would prefer 2♠ to 2NT.

3. Bidding 1♠ seems conducive to finding our best fit, and might talk the opponents out of a spade lead. It's different when we have a fit for partner's primary suit (hearts), when locating values becomes important and bidding an xxxx suit is unappealing; here we need to explore for a fit and that fit is unlikely to be in clubs, so I'll bid my spade suit. If partner actually rebids 2♦ then our slam prospects are looking up, and if partner bids 2♣ I have a cheap 2♦ GF call available. If partner raises spades then I bid 3NT.

[cjames]

1. Hard one! Torn between invite and pass, I would probably pass at the table.
2. 3♦
2b. 3♦
3. 1♠

[whereagles]

1. Invite in NT. Not feeling too great about this, though. Pass is the alternative. Invite in clubs shows ♣HHxxxx and out. Definitely not my hand.

2. 3♦. If pard has 5143 we belong in the minor. If hearts are xxx, even better.

3. 3NT. But 1♠ or 2♦ or 2♣ are ok as well.

[Flameous]

1. MP I'll pass, imps I'll make some sort of invite, depending what's availible. Transfer to clubs where p superaccepts with good support would be nice here.

2. ♦ all the way

3. 1♠

[neilkaz]

1) Invite expecting 3NT to be almost 50/50 if I just bid it outright and a favorite opposite PD's acceptances.

2) 3♦ in both cases

3) 1♠ WTP..ok a weak 4 card suit, but I hate 2♣ here and can't bid 2♦ with 5.

[matmat]

hehe
there is no 2a and 2b

if you remove the heart queen it's no longer a game force imo. i think the OP is asking what happens if you trade the ♥Q for ♣Q, keeping shape the same...

[dicklont]

1. Invite

2a. 3♦
2b. 3♦

3. 1♠

[dbsboy]

Referring to Hand 2:

1. Do we raise all 1S-2C-2D to 3D whenever we have a D fit, despite our balanced hand?

2. After 1S-2C-2D-3D, what kind of 3H do you play?

[benlessard]

about hand 2.

Yes unless i have a double stopper in the 4th suit i dont see why i wouldnt raise with Kxxx.

3H should show half a stopper.

[Free]

1. invite in NT
2. 2♥
3. 1♠ wtp?

[andy_h]

1 - Invite
2a - 2NT
2b - 3D
3 - 1S

[catatonic]

how good are the clubs???
if 234567 , I sign off in clubs
if there is the possibility of pt being able to overtake a small club when he has something like AQx I bid 3NT ; Txxxxx would be a strong suit lol
2NT/ invite ? I'm with those who believe that it is impossible to find out enough to be that precise

[jtfanclub]

catatonic, on May 8 2008, 06:39 AM, said:

2NT/ invite ? I'm with those who believe that it is impossible to find out enough to be that precise

I hate inviting in NT in MPs.

If the opponents know that you just barely have enough to bid NT, they'll make the lead that's most likely to set you. On the other hand, if they think that you have a combined 29-31 hcp, they'll make the lead least likely to give up a trick. Or some sort of weird combination if they don't know.

Maybe it's just my level of opponents, but I'm betting that half the time when it could be set, they won't find the right defense to set it. I won't go so far as to say I would never invite in NT in MPs without a 4 card major or a long and strong minor, but I do know people who feel that way. Besides, most of my 3NT bids won't look like this. For every time that a dangerous lead will set the contract when I have this, there'll be a hand where it gives an overtrick for a shared top.

In IMPs, I just feel this hand is strong enough.

2NT vs. 3NT: making 3. +280 for 3NT +7 IMPs
2NT vs. 3NT: making 2. -170 for 3NT, -5 IMPs
2NT vs. 3NT: making 1. -50 for 3NT, -2 IMPs

So if it has a 1/3 chance of making 7 tricks, a 1/3 chance of making 8 tricks, and a 1/3 chance of making 9 tricks across a minimum, you're just as well off bidding the game as inviting and watching partner decline. I think this hand is at least a 33% game across a minimum, and I think the odds of exactly 8 tricks across a minimum isn't too likely.

[TimG]

1. 3NT

2 & 3 Wouldn't it be nice if a direct 2NT showed a balanced GF?