[neilkaz]

4 or 5♣ at this vul, and 5♣ at any other vul for me.

[nige1]

CSGibson, on Aug 7 2008, 12:55 AM, said:

Dealer: East Vul: N/S Scoring: IMP

♠   ♥   ♦ KT983 ♣ QT986542

(1♥)-? I got dealt this weak freak and had no clue how to bid it.  I am curious what the majority of people would do.  I considered: 2♣ 2N 5♣ Any thoughts on what the strategy should be with a hand like this?

Is 3♣ is weaker than 2♣? If so, then
IMO 3♣ = 10, 2♣ = 6, 2N = 5, _P = 4, 5♣ = 3, 4♣ = 2.
After bidding 3♣, you can try a 3N rebid if given the chance.

[NickRW]

SoTired, on Aug 7 2008, 02:37 PM, said:

4 or 5C. Never pass.

It is my opinion that freaks like this is what decides world championships. Everybody knows how to bid normal games and slams with normal hands, but it is hands like this where nobody has any bidding rules nor experience that really differentiates a great player from another great player.

Such hands, if and when they come up - and there will be a few freakish hands even if none quite as extreme as this - mainly tend to add a randomising factor.

However at the IMP game much of your advantage (or lack of it) comes from bidding and making thin games that the other side didn't find or couldn't make. Also not being tempted into the games that are just too thin. This is a high value decision that occurs frequently.

Slams are even higher value decisions, but occur less frequently.

Managing to make a plus both ways on partscore boards also scores moderately well and occurs frequently.

The above three things are the "bread and butter" of a match. Over a long match one or two "random" boards may have an effect if the result is close, but otherwise are not too important.

[the hog]

5C for me.