[sailoranch]

Scoring: MP

-------(P)-1♠
(P)-2♣-(2♦)-?

---

Hi everyone, here's a hand that came up on BBO the other day. We ended up in 6NT after a confused auction, and I'm wondering what the most effective route would be.

Also, the 2♣ call is game forcing.

Thanks in advance.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

I would make forcing pass as South,
and pass Norths double.

I would not reach slam, I am not
good at judging the quality of the slam,
but +800 should be good enough.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[awm]

I would bid 2♠ with the south hand (definitely six since I could pass 2♦). Trying to defend is a huge position, with six spades and a club fit. It wouldn't surprise me for 2♦X to go down one (most likely RHO has 4♥/6♦; otherwise it doesn't make much sense that he can overcall 2♦ but not preempt some number of diamonds).

After this the auction might continue:

2N - 3♣
3♦ - 3♠
3N

Here 2N is natural (no worry about right-siding with the 2♦ bidder on lead), 3♣ shows the club fit (likely 3-card with no direct raise), 3♦ is a cuebid, 3♠ is a cuebid (denying a top heart honor), 3N is an offer to play. Probably south passes 3N, although he could potentially pull to 4♣ which might get you to the so-so 6♣ (it will make if clubs are 3-2 and spades are 4-2, but the 2♦ overcall reduces the odds).

[han]

I would start with 3C, I want to get my club support in before it is yoo late.

[jdonn]

My auction would be the exact same as Adam's, except I think it's totally clear for south to pull 3NT to 4♣. It should be obvious to south that north will not be keen on bypassing 3NT himself since his clubs must be bad. How it continues from there is far from clear and probably not appropriate for the B/I forum, but to answer the question clearly I would bid 2♠ as south over the interference, I see no reason not to show my good 6 card suit.

[mike777]

sailoranch, on Nov 23 2008, 12:52 AM, said:

Scoring: MP

-------(P)-1♠
(P)-2♣-(2♦)-?

---

Hi everyone, here's a hand that came up on BBO the other day.  We ended up in 6NT after a confused auction, and I'm wondering what the most effective route would be.

Also, the 2♣ call is game forcing.

Thanks in advance.

IF you play support doubles are on here, and I do, I start with x, showing 3 clubs.
After that it may be hard to stay out of 6c.

As others may have said, I, South, will bid over 3nt.

[jdonn]

mike777, on Nov 23 2008, 07:10 PM, said:

IF you play support doubles are on here, and I do, I start with x, showing 3 clubs.
After that it may be hard to stay out of 6c.

Mike, aside from the fact that it's completely nonstandard to play support doubles after a 2/1 response, I think it's a very bad idea. A penalty double would be far more valuable here.

[mikeh]

I agree with josh and adam, in that I would ALWAYS bid 2♠ here.. I will (usually) have time to show clubs later, but I will never show this spade suit if I don't rebid it now.

I agree with 2N, then 3♣, but I hate 3N by North... to me, this is an easy 4♠ call... that spade Queen is a very valuable card opposite any rebid suit by South, and we have, after all, shown a diamond stopper, and, to me, 3N would suggest the makings of a second stopper.. maybe AJx....

In fact, I would go so far as to suggest that 3N ought to be passed... this is matchpoints so I am not really aiming for 5♣, and partner should hold at most a spade x, so I am not aiming for 4♠ either... how many times do I have to rebid this suit in order to get him to raise with the Q?

Ok, I missed a decent slam... not a big deal since if rho is to be believed, the odds are heavily against both blacks breaking.

[jdonn]

mikeh, on Nov 23 2008, 08:13 PM, said:

I agree with 2N, then 3♣, but I hate 3N by North... to me, this is an easy 4♠ call... that spade Queen is a very valuable card opposite any rebid suit by South, and we have, after all, shown a diamond stopper, and, to me, 3N would suggest the makings of a second stopper.. maybe AJx....

Interesting view. It's not so much that I mind having stiff Q to raise at that point and your point that such a holding is good in context is a valid one, but I view the 3NT bid not as showing any more diamond strength but as confirming heart strength. It seems to me opener's auction to that point is consistent with weakness in hearts which for all he knows aren't stopped at all.

[mike777]

jdonn, on Nov 23 2008, 07:15 PM, said:

mike777, on Nov 23 2008, 07:10 PM, said:

IF you play support doubles are on here, and I do, I start with x, showing 3 clubs.
After that it may be hard to stay out of 6c.

Mike, aside from the fact that it's completely nonstandard to play support doubles after a 2/1 response, I think it's a very bad idea. A penalty double would be far more valuable here.

ok, ty for feedback. I will play it as penalty.

[mikeh]

jdonn, on Nov 23 2008, 08:18 PM, said:

mikeh, on Nov 23 2008, 08:13 PM, said:

I agree with 2N, then 3♣, but I hate 3N by North... to me, this is an easy 4♠ call... that spade Queen is a very valuable card opposite any rebid suit by South, and we have, after all, shown a diamond stopper, and, to me, 3N would suggest the makings of a second stopper.. maybe AJx....

Interesting view. It's not so much that I mind having stiff Q to raise at that point and your point that such a holding is good in context is a valid one, but I view the 3NT bid not as showing any more diamond strength but as confirming heart strength. It seems to me opener's auction to that point is consistent with weakness in hearts which for all he knows aren't stopped at all.

I agree that 3N requires something in hearts, but I remain of the view that it suggests that 3N is more playable from N's pov than is 4♠, and that while one can construct hands where 3N is biddable on a single diamond stop, such will be usually based on the expectation that clubs will run, which cannot be the case here, or because nothing else appeals at all. Here, 4♠ is infinitely preferable to a 1-stopper 3N, to the point that 3N strikes me as very seriously misguided.

[jillybean]

han, on Nov 23 2008, 01:07 PM, said:

I would start with 3C, I want to get my club support in before it is yoo late.

Are you bidding 3♣ on AQJ?

[sailoranch]

Thanks for the replies and for the sensible auction. As South, I incorrectly placed partner with spade doubleton and landed us in the dubious slam, but I should have known better. As it turned out, we got lucky and spades broke 3-3.

One thing I wanted to take away from this hand is how to better judge the correct strain at matchpoints. If North does bid 4♠, how confident should South be about the score? As South, my concern was the diamond ace. I was worried that 4♠ would go down on two quick diamonds, whereas clubs had play from the other side if the spades ran. Of course, I am probably missing something.