[han]

Here are a few hands from the Smithtown regional, my apologies to those who dislike threads with more than 1 hand.

1.

Scoring: MP

p - (1S) - ??

---

2.

Scoring: MP

p - (1S) - ??

---

3.

Scoring: MP

p - (1S) - ??

---

4.

Scoring: MP

p - (1S) - ??

---

[helene_t]

1. 2♥
2. Abstain. Not so familiar with expert standard notrump structure.
3. 2♣ and this one I feel strongly about!
4. ♥

[SlickRicky]

Hi Han,

Hand 1 seems like an obvious Michaels bid at these colors. I hope to find a cheap sacrifice or to be able to compete in clubs. I play Michaels as weak or strong, and this qualifies as weak for me!

Hand 2 obviously depends some on agreements, I will admit that my agreements do not allow me to show 5-6 immediately. I would have to start wtih 2H then 3H over 2S showing a 5-5+ GF. Not ideal, but it does not preclude 5-6 the way I play it.

Hand 3 is strong enough in playing strength to start with a double, but I prefer to overcall 2C with a hand like this as I have a stiff heart. The auction can time out better this way.

Hand 4 I would always lead the CK, sure they probably have a club control but everything else is speculative and maybe I can just sit back and get 2 tricks with bad splits for declarer.

Ricky

[pclayton]

1. 2♠. Too many good things can come out of competing, versus just a few negatives. I am aware that we might be tipping off pard's spades here.

2. I usually have some kind of toy for 5-5 hands; either re-transfers or Weissburger. Having none of that I transfer to hearts and bid 3♠.

3. 2♣. 3N is tempting but 5 or 6♣ could be the spot. I'd need a much better hand to double, and I might not do it then.

4. K♣. Heart is a long shot but could work.

[jdonn]

pclayton, on Sep 22 2008, 01:52 PM, said:

2. I usually have some kind of toy for 5-5 hands; either re-transfers or Weissburger. Having none of that I transfer to hearts and bid 3♠.

Psyching splinter bids is usually unwise.

[han]

I was hoping for more planning on hand 2. If you show 5-5 GF then partner will bid 4S.

On 3, if you bid 2C it will go pass pass double. What next?

[MarkDean]

1. 2♠
2. 2♦ followed by 4♦. Clearly could fail badly if partner is 42 in the majors, but I think this is the most likely way to get him to bid on with the right hands.
3. 2♣. I would like a more flexible hand for x followed by clubs.
4. Diamond.

[SlickRicky]

han, on Sep 22 2008, 02:01 PM, said:

I was hoping for more planning on hand 2. If you show 5-5 GF then partner will bid 4S.

On 3, if you bid 2C it will go pass pass double. What next?

Hi Han,

Partner jumping to 4S seems really unusual over 1N-2H-2S-3H. Why wouldn't he just bid 3S to set spades and allow cuebidding? To be honest I think the auction should be impossible (or have some very tight definition that I don't know of). I would guess at the table partner is trying to do some kind of fast arrival with a terrible hand for the majors, so I would pass.

Had partner instead bid 3S, I would have cuebid 4C, and over the expected 4D I would bid 4H. If partner signs off over this I will move again (I don't need much) with 5C, and after that I will give up (partner should know good trumps are huge in this auction).

On hand 3 I would start with XX and plan to later bid spades. This should not put too much emphasis on my spades (I hope).

Ricky

[han]

Misunderstood a comment.

[jdonn]

han, on Sep 22 2008, 02:01 PM, said:

I was hoping for more planning on hand 2. If you show 5-5 GF then partner will bid 4S.

I transfer to spades and bid 3♥. I don't play with people who like to bid 4♠ over that, so presuming he bids 3♠ I will bid 4♣ (unless I'm playing 4♦ shows shortness). If he signs off over that, I will cuebid 5 of whatever minor I didn't bid 4 of. After that if he subsides again I will let it die.

If he cooperates at any point, then I will look for an opportunity to jump to 6♥ and try to suggest it may be the better trump suit. I may do this even at the expense of searching for a grand.

[han]

If you play that 1NT-2H-2S-3H shows a GF with 5-5 in the majors then partner will indeed bid 3S. Over a cuebid 4C he will bid 4D and over your 4H he will bid 4S. I think. Over 4D shortness he will bid 4S.

[Echognome]

1. I'm going to buck the trend and pass. It's not that I'm worried about getting in trouble with bidding, but rather worried about giving away my hand on defense when it's unlikely we will win the auction.

2. 5-5 GF with the rest of the folks. I will cue up to once above game.

3. 2♣ seems clear, after the reopening double, I will redouble and correct a ♥ bid from partner to spades. Of course I'm not really sure what happens next.

4. I lead an unimaginative ♣K.

[mike777]

han, on Sep 22 2008, 02:34 PM, said:

If you play that 1NT-2H-2S-3H shows a GF with 5-5 in the majors then partner will indeed bid 3S. Over a cuebid 4C he will bid 4D and over your 4H he will bid 4S. I think. Over 4D shortness he will bid 4S.

I would bid the hands like this, then 4c cue, over 4d....cue 4h, now I pass.
Partner did not super accept and now I have made 2 cuebids.

[kenrexford]

Hand #1: 2♠

Hand #2: I'm still not sure if I understand the methods or if methods are optional. I'll assume that in some way I am able to show 5-5 and have partner bid 3♠ to focus spades, I'll cue 3NT if that is serious, in which case will partner now cue 4♣? I'd actually hope that 3NT is not serious but is a step-shortness of some variety, where somethiong by me shows a void in diamonds, but what are we playing here?

Hand #3: 2♣

Hand #4: What kind of wriggle and squirm did RHO exhibit? My inclination is to lead a diamond, but I might be persuaded.

[rogerclee]

1. 2♠, but I think 2♥ is ok. Pass is not ok, I would rather double than pass.
2. I am driving to slam no matter what partner bids. I'll start by transferring to spades and bidding hearts.
3. I double and think this is completely obvious.
4. I would lead a heart, but a diamond is fine too; it is very difficult to feel strongly about either red suit over the other. I would not lead a club.

[inquiry]

1. Pass
2. Show two suited major (forcing) to keep it simple via the method mentioned above... over partners 3♠ bid, I bid 5♦ exclusion. Since I have shown two suits, six keycard blackwood in effect (partner will count kings of both majors and queens of both majors)
3. 2♣ over double, I bid 2♠... on the way to at least 3♣. Redouble might not get the job done.
4. club king. Declarer can not be missing the ♦K and the heart ACE, I want to give nothing up. If he is missing them both, we might still get them when he takes a losing diamond hook later in the hand.

[P_Marlowe]

#1 Michaels
#2 Transfer to hearts, bid 3S (should be natural 6-5, ...),
raise 4M to 5M, partner will bid 6M, if he has no big wastage
in the minors.
#3 2C, XX, followed by 3C.
#4 King of clubs, wont beat it, but for anything
else I am not smart enough.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[P_Marlowe]

han, on Sep 22 2008, 02:34 PM, said:

If you play that 1NT-2H-2S-3H shows a GF with 5-5 in the majors then partner will indeed bid 3S. Over a cuebid 4C he will bid 4D and over your 4H he will bid 4S. I think. Over 4D shortness he will bid 4S.

5S.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[655321]

1) 2♠

2) Transfer to hearts, bid spades twice, probably finish in 6 unless auction times out for partner to deny a diamond control, when I might have a bash at 7. Something like:

1NT  2♦
2♥   2♠
2NT  3♠
4♠   5♣
5♥   5[NT] (GSF for me)

But realistically, if partner prefers spades, I expect to end in 6♠.

3)2♣, followed by XX, then depending what happens next, perhaps bid spades once then more clubs.

4) ♣K. Don't like a diamond with king fifth. A heart is probably fairly desperate, obviously relying on partner having the ♥A, but that doesn't mean it is a bad lead - perhaps the situation is desperate.

[han]

If you redouble 3C on the third hand then LHO bids 2D and partner bids 3C. Say you bid 3S now then partner bids 4H. Your call?