[TimG]

MP, V/NV, you hold ♠QJT852 ♥- ♦4 ♣KQ8432. Two passes to you, what is your opening bid? Or, do you try a sneaky pass?

[pclayton]

I open a sneaky 4♠.

[han]

Sneaky pass for me. We're vulnerable against not and we have spades. For once I'm going to get partner involved and try to describe my hand.

4S would be much more attractive at favorable vulnerability. 1S and 2S (planning to bid clubs no matter what) are other options that I reject.

[y66]

4S. I am not good enough to pass here.

[Codo]

wtp pass
Do I fear a passsout? Possible

[pclayton]

The reason I don't like a pass is because they probably have a profitable sac somewhere.

Why give them room to find it when 4♠ is by far our most likely game?

[neilkaz]

pclayton, on Jun 23 2008, 10:57 AM, said:

The reason I don't like a pass is because they probably have a profitable sac somewhere.

Why give them room to find it when 4♠ is by far our most likely game?

We agree and I'll note that the opps 5Red may not be a sac if they can make it, or worse yet, bid and make a red slam.

[jtfanclub]

Hmmmm...two of these hands being discussed at the same time.

A 7-4 is called a 'swan'. And an 8-4 is an 'albatross'.

I vote that a 7-5 be called a 'bidgamedammit'.

As in, when you have a 7-5, bid game, dammit!

[ArtK78]

jtfanclub, on Jun 23 2008, 11:30 AM, said:

Hmmmm...two of these hands being discussed at the same time.

A 7-4 is called a 'swan'. And an 8-4 is an 'albatross'.

I vote that a 7-5 be called a 'bidgamedammit'.

As in, when you have a 7-5, bid game, dammit!

But I am not 7-5. I am 6-6.

I open 1♠. I am not opening 4♠ on QJTxxx vul. We could be in the wrong suit, or we could be saving the opps from bidding too high on their misfit.

So call me a chicken. I intend to bid both of my suits (it might make sense to open 1♣ intending to bid spades twice, but I just can't bring myself to do that).

[mikeh]

I am opening 2♠.

There is far too much chance of 4♠ going for a number, and the vulnerability is completely wrong.

1♠ suggests far more defence than I hold, and allows the opps extra room that 2♠ takes away.

I am almost never going to be comfortable opening 1♠ and then rebidding clubs, unless, by some miracle, the auction is still low, unless partner raises spades (and then I won't bid clubs anyway.. why tell the opps where I live?)

So I bid 2♠, hoping that partner can raise, and then I am comfortable competing very high.. how high... I don't yet know.

Also, if I open 2♠ and partner doubles some high red contract, I will be happy. If I open 1♠ and he does so, I will be worried.

As for opening 1♣... wow... talk about maximizing the opps bidding space: 1♣ gives them the maximal amount of room... even more than pass, since pass offers them only an unlikely 1♣ as additional space, and 1♣ offers them double and 2N (and various cue bids). I need spades from partner, but I don't need 4 of them, so 1♣ is my last choice.

[jtfanclub]

ArtK78, on Jun 23 2008, 11:42 AM, said:

But I am not 7-5. I am 6-6.

I apologize. I misread the hand.

No, I am not bidding 4♠ on a six card suit. A 7 card suit is a fit, as far as I'm concerned. A 6 card suit is not. Gotta put a limit somewhere.

I'm very tempted to open it 3♣, figuring that I'll get a chance to bid 4♠ next time around- if I open it 2♠, I may have to bid 5♣.

[effervesce]

1♠, though pass is possible. Passing isn't bad since we have the boss suit - if we had 6 hearts instead of 6 spades, I'd certainly want to bid 1♥ not pass.

[kenrexford]

1♠. The spade suit is my longest, I have no rebid problems, and I have a four-loser hand. But, I am two-suited. If partner doubles because of my defense, I have a solution.

[gwnn]

I agree with sneaky Phil.

[han]

pclayton, on Jun 23 2008, 10:57 AM, said:

The reason I don't like a pass is because they probably have a profitable sac somewhere.

Why give them room to find it when 4♠ is by far our most likely game?

I am wondering how often 5C is better and how often we have a slam that we won't find after 4S and how often 4S goes for a huge number. Tough to estimate these.

[CSGibson]

han, on Jun 25 2008, 04:33 AM, said:

pclayton, on Jun 23 2008, 10:57 AM, said:

The reason I don't like a pass is because they probably have a profitable sac somewhere.

Why give them room to find it when 4♠ is by far our most likely game?

I am wondering how often 5C is better and how often we have a slam that we won't find after 4S and how often 4S goes for a huge number. Tough to estimate these.

We are missing 3 cards among the AK of spades, A of diamonds, and A of clubs to make slam cold, and partner is a passed hand; I would say the chances of missing a good slam are low. Going for a number (maybe against air) and 5 clubs being better are legit concerns, of course.

[han]

I missed that partner is a passed hand. I would never pass if partner is a passed hand, that would be idiotic imo.

[jdonn]

I like 4♠ this time. The odds are so small that we could actually find a better contract even if we had one that I prefer maximum pressure. There are indeed very good odds they belong in a red suit either to make or sac.

[analysismi]

you have 8HCP, which means 4th seat has 12+ and will open (probably). It is much easier to show weak 2-suiters if someone else bids first. I'd "sneaky pass." You have spades, it will be really hard for them to steal this hand.

[NickRW]

Well, since I'm playing 2♠ as about 6-9, 5/5 or better in spades and another I'm certainly not trying a sneaky pass.

Nick