[Free]

You're playing with me (I rate myself between advanced and expert, a little closer to expert), and the bidding goes:

(all NV, imp scoring)
pass - 1♥ - 2NT* - Dbl
?

* = unusual

and you have following hand:

Scoring: IMP

---

What do you bid?

[Ulrich]

"You're playing with me (I rate myself between advanced and expert, a little closer to expert),"

Well in that case you are significantly below my standard, but never mind....obviously you are paying me.

There are a number of possible bids 5D of course springs to mind.
With a player of my ability, rare I know, I would bid 4S, but as you are not an expert you probably would not understand this; this would be a suggestion to lead a singleton S.

However, if you are the opponent sitting opposite me I will take charge and bid 4H here. I suspect my rho has made a poor bid with double, when he has 4!! bids at his disposal: 3C to show a forcing raise for H 3D to show a forcing S bid, and 3H as a competitive raise and 3S to play. What I am hoping is that my 4H bid will induce a S lead against a possible 5D contract. Also if they X 4H the situation may well become confused and I may just be able to play 5D doubled - unlikely I know.

If this does not work out I may consider offering you a small refund on the very large fee I am charging to play with you.

Sincerely

Freiherr Ulrich von Lichtenstein PSPEM
(President of the Society for the Preservation of European Monarchies.)

[Fluffy]

Tough problem, I seem to have the exact strenght so opponents can´t make game, and we aren´t as well, but is that possible when there is a double fit?

Something rare is going on with all those ♠ hidden, decision may depend on how much can we trust east to have a penalty double in ♣ (wich makes our ♣K useless in defence).

Lets hope they aren´t able to ruff ♣, or cannot find it. Bid 5♦.

[Dwingo]

can anyone tell me the meaning of Rdbl in this sequence?

(all NV, imp scoring)
pass - 1♥ - 2NT* - Dbl
Rdbl

* = unusual

[helene_t]

Dwingo, on May 23 2004, 11:42 PM, said:

can anyone tell me the meaning of Rdbl in this sequence?

I think rdbl means "There are 60 HCP in this game so somebody has psycked (it could be me)".

[the hog]

Would suggest that xx should show a good 4441 or similar shape with the ability to penalise either Major and have a decent play in a m. Can't really think of another useful possibility. Don't think it has ever come up?

Really quite like Ulrich's 4H bid. All of this depends on the quality of the 2N bid though, so this is a difficult question to answer. If 2N bidder is likely to bid this on
x xx KJxxx Jxxxx like some do, then I don't want to know anything about it.

Ron

[bridgeboy]

In my partnerships, Redouble means: " I have no strong preference for your minors but I do have a good Spade suit, lead S if they buy the contract"

[Cascade]

Ulrich, on May 23 2004, 09:07 PM, said:

With a player of my ability, rare I know, I would bid 4S, but as you are not an expert you probably would not understand this; this would be a suggestion to lead a singleton S.

Is this after spades become the trump suit?

[Cascade]

For this bidding to make sense the distribution needs to be something like:

1♥ opener 5701 (5710)

Partner 3055 (2155)

Doubler 3334 (4234)

You 2353

Although I am not counting on it.

I would like to know a little more about the 2NT bid. Have we agreed a range?

At any rate we ought to be able to make a lot of tricks.

And they ought to be able to make a lot of tricks.

XX gives them too much room.

Pass gives them too much room.

3♦ gives them too much room.

4♦ probably still gives them too much room and is not game for us in case we get left to play there. Yes sometimes people let you away with murder.

A couple of weeks ago my partner overcalled 3NT

(1♠) 3NT (P) P
?

Opener with 6160 passed this out.

5♦ might still give them too much room.

I am definitely not bidding less than this and more could easily be right.

It would be nice to be able to tell partner you are bidding this with real prospects of making maybe 4NT tells partner that.

(1♥) 2NT (X) 5♣/5♦ to play

(1♥) 2NT (X) 4NT I want to play in 5-minor and I have real stuff.

Maybe you have to bid 4♥ or 4♠ but I don't even want to give the opponents this much space.

[mishovnbg]

Begin guess
Becuase all are not vul, 2NT can't be very weak, but also probably is not too defensive - not 2 A for example, because possible sacrifice by p can be bad with sure 2 tricks.
RDBL can't be with 4 fit, else will search own contract instead of penalty.
RDBL can't be with very long ♠ (7+), probably not even good 6, else with such good suit and fit game is more attractive.
RDBL is with penalty for ♣ with at least 4 cards there, sequence expected.
RDBL is short in ♦ and expect p do dbl them.
RDBL have enough defensive tricks.
End guess

Expected deal:

---

Suggested bid: 4NT RKCB, to know how high to sacrifice or to not let opps to use it . If my p take it as willing to sacrifice in his better minor, I can pull his ♣ preference any time to ♦

Misho

[Gerben47]

I bid 5♦ to steal maximum room away from my opponents.
They don't know if they can make 6 like on Misho's deal or if 5 goes down.

4NT might work as well but could go wrong if partner has no hearts.

Pass would be "pick a minor" and redouble "2NT redoubled is okay and if you bid something I'm gonna double ya".

Gerben

[Free]

This was the full hand:

Scoring: IMP

---

Traveler NS score (we were EW):
3H= NS (6 times) +140 +2.93 imps
5D*-1 EW (3 times) +100 +1.87 imps
5C*-1 EW (1 time) +100 +1.87 imps
3H-1 NS (2 times) -100 -3.47 imps
4D= EW (4 times) -130 -4.53 imps

4♥ has no chance since ♠K is onside (2♠ and 2♣ losers). 4♦ is just made, and 5♦ also doesn't stand a chance. My partner bid 5♦ right away and it was doubled for -1, losing 1.87 imps.
I know my unusual wasn't the best (only 5-4), but I had only 6 losers as well, and wanted to take more bidding space away than 2♣. I have noooooo idea what the Dbl meant, sure no penalty Dbl in one of the suits .

The thing I wondered about was weither to bid 4♦ or 5♦. Imo the hand has too much defense for an immediate 5♦, however I'd still bid 5♦ I think. Also a double fit is known, and if you put my ♣J away and make my ♦Q the K instead, the contract has a chance!

Remark: IF someone would bid 4♠, I'm sure I'll pass it, since I have a 3 card support and imo 4♠ should be natural...

[mishovnbg]

Hi Frederick!
"I have noooooo idea what the Dbl meant, sure no penalty Dbl in one of the suits ."
-> This is main reason why good players don't like to play against i...
Misho

[inquiry]

Couple issues real quick.

1) South's bid is exactly 3♥ over 3NT. This is competitive and less than normal limit raise (3♣ would be limit raise). Ok, all the experts here understand unusual versus unusual.

2) As misho points out, dbl here should desire to penalize eithe a 3♣ or a 3♦ contract. Someone at the table was confused.

3) If south bids 3♥, and WEST passes (that part will not occur), north has easy pass (and if you want, you can do ZAR or Goren math, all the same).

4) Free suggest he has 6 losers, but he wears Rose Colored glasses. With partner passing and opponents bidding, only a very optomistic person would consider EAST hand as having only 6 losers. I would count 7 (3♠, 1♥, 2♦ 1♣), but that ♦ suit is primed for an additional loser if things turn badly.

5) 2NT isn't the worst bid in world, but at imps, do you really want to go there? After 2NT, your partner has no choice but 5♦, perhaps going through 4NT as misho points out. Or you could try to muddy the picture by bidding 3♥ first, and then correcting 4♣ to 4♦. But I think if they bid 4♥ WEST will never stand for it anyway.

Ben

[Flame]

I would 4D as a premptive bid, if 4D show value then i would bid 3D. I dont like 5d because imo the chances they have a game arent too high.
3nt could be a nice psych bid here.

[inquiry]

Flame, on May 24 2004, 10:16 AM, said:

I would 4D as a premptive bid, if 4D show value then i would bid 3D. I dont like 5d because imo the chances they have a game arent too high.
3nt could be a nice psych bid here.

A reasonable style is here...

3NT = suggesting save in 5 of a minor, low defensive value.
4m = to play, does not suggest a save.

Use 3NT when you lack defense, 4m with some defense. Problem with this hand, is opposite a strongish 2NT you will have some play for 5♦, opposite a weak 2NT, they will roll 4 of a major. So 5♦ is a double shot, 5 minor may make, 4 major may make. At imps, going to 5 (instead of cute 3NT/4D combo) seems clear.

[Free]

inquiry, on May 24 2004, 10:48 PM, said:

4) Free suggest he has 6 losers, but he wears Rose Colored glasses. With partner passing and opponents bidding, only a very optomistic person would consider EAST hand as having only 6 losers. I would count 7 (3♠, 1♥, 2♦ 1♣), but that ♦ suit is primed for an additional loser if things turn badly.

When I bid 2NT, I don't know where all HCP are. I don't know the Dbl is coming, but you have a point somewhere. Make it 6,5 losers

[Trpltrbl]

I have played with you and know you can( and have ) do it on 4-4 minors. So I am somewhat cautious, I will bid 4♦.

Mike

[the hog]

Bad problem. I thought 2NT was meant to be unusual. This hand is playable in 3 suits. Anyone for the obvious takeout double?

Where is the hand you held in the bidding?

[Fluffy]

The_Hog, on May 24 2004, 10:17 PM, said:

Bad problem. I thought 2NT was meant to be unusual. This hand is playable in 3 suits. Anyone for the obvious takeout double?

Of course you can count on me Ron, pretty obvious IMO as well. You can argue that 2NT has too much losers or not enough shape, but that is not the point, the reason I dislike 2NT is that you have intermediate strenght.