[Mosene]

You are dealt this (I forget vul)

♠Q76542
♥865
♦AK8
♣10

Do you open 2 spades?

If not, what do you bid after it goes:

P (by you) - 1♣ - 1♥ - 1NT
??

thanks - My bidding was terrible - just looking to see how to approach this hand. Particularly if you do not open 2 spades (maybe that was the problem)

[mtvesuvius]

Yes. 2♠ now.

EDIT: Misread the bidding... I thought partner opened 1♣. Anyway... Here I think I'll bid 2♥.

[JLOL]

2C now, I would only have opened 2S NV.

[hanp]

I would also open 2S.

2C is clear now.

[inquiry]

I would have opened 1♠ with these 26 ZARS. If for some reason I was not allowed to open 1S I would have passed and then raised to 2Hearts here.

[gnasher]

JLOL, on Apr 2 2009, 08:12 PM, said:

I would only have opened 2S NV.

hanp, on Apr 2 2009, 09:42 PM, said:

I would also open 2S.

I wouldn't open 2♠ at any vulnerability. Is that a first?

[whereagles]

I wouldn't have opened 2♠, regardless of vuln.

2♥ is enough here. It blocks LHOs 2♣ bid, which is essential. If you cue, LHO might double and you'll probably have to take the push to 3♥, which is under threat by RHO's NT bid.

[hanp]

gnasher, on Apr 2 2009, 04:39 PM, said:

JLOL, on Apr 2 2009, 08:12 PM, said:

I would only have opened 2S NV.

hanp, on Apr 2 2009, 09:42 PM, said:

I would also open 2S.

I wouldn't open 2♠ at any vulnerability. Is that a first?

When I said I would open 2S I thought that we were NV. Obviously I would not open 2S vulnerable.

[Mosene]

Thanks all. 2 hearts is pretty much the limit of the hand as they are divided 4-1 with RHO having QJxx if I remember right. I think 2 hearts or 2 clubs gets you there. And the opps cannot make 3 clubs.

In full confession mode, I bid the embarrasing 2♠'s over the 1nt bid thinking the bidding would not end there and I would support heart's next. But, of couse, the bidding did end there - down 1 (Even more sadly, I can probably make it).

[kenrexford]

What the heck was partner's hand? If partner had been allowed to say out loud, before my bid, "Please don't go past 2♥ because my hand is horrible," I'd still make a game try. With such a comment, how can you stop at 2♥?!?!?

I understand that my thinking as to overcalls is a tad conservative (one-level is arguably an opener, or better) but wild as to jump overcalls (I'll bid 2♥ here with lousy hands), but opposite myself I'd blast a fit-bid 3♠ with this hand. I cannot imagine a style where this hand for dummy is not meriting strong action, though.

So, although I'd open this hand (torn between 1♠ and 2♠ somewhat, but strongly leaning 2♠), I think pass-then-2♣ is the conservative bid, pass-then-3♠ as a fit bid makes sense if partner makes sound overcalls, and pass-then-2♥ is just plain bizarre.

The big question is whether I pass 2♥ after my 2♣ call. This is almost good enough to bump one more time.

Another question is whether 2♠ actually makes sense as a fit-bid without the jump, which would be really appealing if it would mean that.

[Mosene]

Partner had

♠x
♥AKxxx
♦Qxx
♣109xx

I was thinking my bid must show some heart support - but based on the comments (except Ken's) I really overbid it.

FYI - I was second seat (not 1st as I thought) non vulnerable. I hated bidding 2 spades with such awful spots. Yet - that did not stop me from bidding it at my second turn

[hanp]

Ken in part of your post you seem to realize that you are once again way out there, in other parts you do not. At least be consistent.

[kenrexford]

hanp, on Apr 3 2009, 02:20 PM, said:

Ken in part of your post you seem to realize that you are once again way out there, in other parts you do not. At least be consistent.

I don't think I was inconsistent.

What I said was that I would want to have an agreement where a 1♥ overcall by partner in this sequence showed an opening hand abnd that, if this was the agreement, I would bid 3♠ as advancer.

I then said that, because I do not expect partner to have that strict of a heart range in the actual problem, I would in this actual situation bid 2♣, which had a fairly strong support among others.

I ended by commenting that passing partner's 2♥ call after my 2♣ call would be difficult.

I don't see the inconsistency.