[rogerclee]

IMPs, Red vs White, Second Seat

♠A ♥QJ9x ♦ATx ♣KQxxx

(4♥) - P - (P) - 4♠
(P) - ?

[Hanoi5]

4NT? I'm not sure though, how many points does partner expects from my hand when he bids 4♠ as advancer?

[hanp]

Just wondering, what is 4NT here? Probably RKC as the rest makes even less sense?

[655321]

Pass.

We might have 13 tricks, or 4♠ might be our limit. In the end I pass for fear of a heart loser and a spade loser. With more spades and a similar hand I would happily bid. Maybe pass is too timid - tough hand!

If 5♠ is available as a general invitation it is probably a better option. But for me 5♠ asks about heart control, and I don't really want to force to slam opposite a singleton heart.

[jdonn]

I know I would pass. Partner can even have 5 spades, especially 5-5 with spades and a minor. If spades break badly then for all I know we can even be down here, although that is pessimistic. But people seem to forget it's possible. If partner really has the nuts then tough luck.

[Fluffy]

pass, and hope we don't ahev a better strain.

[OleBerg]

Pass without much thought, but painfully aware that we might end up looking a little silly.

[whereagles]

I would bid 5♣. Maybe pard pulls it back to 5♠ and we go 1 down, but at least I know I'll be playing in the right strain.

In general, I prefer to guess the level than rather the strain. It's USUALLY less embarassing

[hanp]

What is 5C?

[gnasher]

hanp, on Mar 12 2009, 07:58 PM, said:

What is 5C?

I think it's a cue bid for spades. We can still get to another suit if partner bids slam in a minor now, but the only game we can play in is spades.

I think this is different from 4♥ 4♠ pass 5♣, which ought to be natural and to play.

[jdonn]

I would take 5♣ as natural. I take it as a cuebid only when partner jumped to his bid, such as 3♥ 4♠ p ? since that is a stronger statement about playing in that suit. Direct seat versus balancing for the overcall makes no difference to me though.

[Cascade]

gnasher, on Mar 13 2009, 12:52 PM, said:

hanp, on Mar 12 2009, 07:58 PM, said:

What is 5C?

I think it's a cue bid for spades. We can still get to another suit if partner bids slam in a minor now, but the only game we can play in is spades.

I think this is different from 4♥ 4♠ pass 5♣, which ought to be natural and to play.

Partner bids what could be a five-card suit - sure it might be more but I have seen the hands often two-suited where the majority recommend a spade overcall on a five-card suit - and the only game we are allowed to play is a 5-1 fit.

That just doesn't make much sense to me.

[cherdanno]

I am really tempted to bid 5NT. On a really good day we will make 6♣ instead of going down in 4♠...
I would pass, though.

[gnasher]

Cascade, on Mar 13 2009, 03:45 AM, said:

Partner bids what could be a five-card suit - sure it might be more but I have seen the hands often two-suited where the majority recommend a spade overcall on a five-card suit - and the only game we are allowed to play is a 5-1 fit.

That just doesn't make much sense to me.

It might be a five-card suit, but it might also be a 7-card suit. Given this uncertainty, we need a good reason to correct it to five of a minor. How often will we have been dealt such a reason and not have been able to bid over 4♥?

[hanp]

This hand came up when Roger and I were trying out the new BBO partnership bidding. Even though the robots are still quite weak, I think this feature is really excellent. Thanks Fred and Uday!! (and maybe others?)

We dealt one of the robots 8 hearts and 4-9 points and let that robot open the bidding. Almost always it opened 4H. The other robot almost always passed, even if the grand slam was laydown or if we could go down 5 after competing. (I will email Ari about this)

The first thing we noticed is that bidding over 4H is incredibly tough.

The second thing we noticed is that our results quickly improved. (Thanks again!)

The third thing we noticed is that it was nice to know that the opponents always had 8 hearts. We tried to deal it 7 hearts but the robot refused to open 4H and I believe the flash version doesn't allow you yet to force it to open 4H. That would be a nice addition.

If I remember correctly, on the actual hand partner (me) had 6 decent spades and AJxx of clubs. 7C is laydown but 6S goes down. Roger passed which I think is probably right, though of course 5NT is more succesful.

I noticed that whenever I had a long minor and short spades, it was right to correct to 5m when I passed, and wrong when I chose to bid.

[jdonn]

I hadn't thought of 5NT but it definitely seems like the best bid if you are going to bid, I would say.

[petergreat]

I would tend to expect a six-card suit more often than not.

But since it's a balancing bid I'd pass.