[Gerben47]

Okay, it's IMPs and no one is vulnerable. You have:
♠ AJxxx
♥ Jxxxx
♦ Jx
♣ x

and you hear the following auction:

Pd RHO You LHO
1♣ 1♥ 1♠ 1NT
2♦ pass ?

What do you bid and why?

[mishovnbg]

2NT sign off, for 3♣ in this case. My p have probably 6♣-4♦ at least and is not enough strong to bid 2♥ cue bid, so we didn't have game. We are in missfit and 2♠ will be probably doubled by 1NT bidder, whlie 3♣ I hope not.
Misho

[Free]

This hand stinks! Just play 2♦ (so pass now), you might be able to trump a ♣ loser in dummy...

[xx1943]

Pds 2♦ is undoubtly forcing. So I'll never pass. I showed 5!S with my first bid.
I don't know ihis minors 4:5, 4:6 or 5:6. I don't know the quality of his minors. Therefore 2NT is the least of all evils.

Al

[luis]

2s (doubtful)
Probably passing 2d is the best option but I can't eliminate the chance to play a 5-2 fit instead of a 4-2 fit.

[inquiry]

Process of elimination.

1) Pass is out. Your partner reversed (yes, I know some people play only forcing bid by opener here is a cue-bid, but real world, you patner rebid 2♦ expecting you to take another call. Don't disappoint him.

2) 2♥ is out. Sure you have five of them, but your partner will be leaping to slam if you cue-bid and he really has good strong reversing values. After a free-bid between two freely bidding opponents, with a 1♥ bid that only shut out ♦, I think WESTIE has a goodish hand, and partner is light for the reverse. But still, cue-bid has to be good hand.

3) 2♠ is at least biddable. Conveys just about the right infortmation, other than placig too mch emphasis on spades. Two spades is one of my top two choices.

4) Another, 3♣ false preference in a forcign auction ==> NOOOOOOOOO. I don't mind the false preference part, but your hand isn't strong enough for this. You just got to play 2NT here as good/bad, lebehnshol, Ingberman (or what ever you want to call it). So with club support (even fake club support), you have to bid 2NT and then pass partner's 3♣ rebid.

5) 2NT here SHOULD NOT BE NATURAL. I play it as Ingberman, and as misho suggested, you could bid 2NT here and pass partner's 3♣ rebid.

So the only real choice is 2NT==> to get to 3♣ and convey weakness, and 2♠. My feeling is if partner had ♠ support and good hand, he would not be mucking around with 2♦ reverse, he would have raised ♥ or cue-bid. On the other hand, in ♠ my hand is worth maybe 3 trircks, in ♣ it is worth one. Patner rates to be 1-2-4-6. 2-1-4-6. pr better. So I will have to weigh the advantage of 5-1 ♠ fit over 1-6 ♣ fit. I think I would finally settle for 2♠, but don't find 2NT (with correct Ingberman meaning) at all objectionable.

Ben

[Fluffy]

2NT trying to stop below game, I consider myself in forcing situation and won´t pass.

Next question comes after partner bids the expected minimum: 3♣, I think I´ll stay there.

[Gerben47]

To all the 2NT bidders, natural or not: LHO doubles, pass, pass, any thoughts?

[luis]

Gerben47, on May 26 2004, 03:33 PM, said:

To all the 2NT bidders, natural or not: LHO doubles, pass, pass, any thoughts?

Not a 2NT bidder but if 2NT is doubled and passed around I think the best option is to play 2NT doubled.
Pass

[whereagles]

Hum... while I agree that in theory 2♦ is forcing, I'm going to put my money that opponents aren't bluffing me and pass 2♦. So what if pard has a reverse? If he does, it will be a minimum reverse 110% of the times and we're going nowhere. I'm not going to bid 2♠ because the suit is bad and LHO may be salivating.

From the bidding, I'm almost sure pard has a mild, shapely 6-5. Wanna bet that's what he has and pass is the right bid?

[flytoox]

inquiry, on May 26 2004, 01:02 PM, said:

Process of elimination.

1) Pass is out. Your partner reversed (yes, I know some people play only forcing bid by opener here is a cue-bid, but real world, you patner rebid 2♦ expecting you to take another call. Don't disappoint him.

Ben

Ben, I think 2D should not be forcing here. Pd is marked with shapy hand, not strong hand. Otherwise he would dbl 1N. I think pass 2d is right.

Hongjun

[mishovnbg]

Gerben47, on May 26 2004, 05:33 PM, said:

To all the 2NT bidders, natural or not: LHO doubles, pass, pass, any thoughts?

Happy and certain of success bid 3♣ and stay there.
Misho

[Fluffy]

Partner has a doubt of playing in 2NT doubled, if he was sure he would have redoubled, and if he disagreed would have already scaped.

I don´t totally disagree with the contract, lets throw the ball back to him: redouble.

whereagles, on May 26 2004, 03:52 PM, said:

Hum... while I agree that in theory 2♦ is forcing, I'm going to put my money that opponents aren't bluffing me and pass 2♦. So what if pard has a reverse? If he does, it will be a minimum reverse 110% of the times and we're going nowhere. I'm not going to bid 2♠ because the suit is bad and LHO may be salivating.

Pass can be right, but some day your partner will have a very strong 2-suiter, and opponents will have nothing, after that day your partner will hate you for the rest of your/his life for trusting opponents more than him.

[tysen2k]

If I have 2N as a puppet to 3♣ then I'll take it, otherwise I pass even if it is a reverse. We have a total misfit and need to get out ASAP.

[the hog]

2NT Blackout, or Ingberman as the Americans call it.

Pass is out of the question as theis auction is forcing and I don't pass my partner's forcing bids. Bad for partnership morale for one thing. Also we don't open strong 2 suiters with 2C unless super strong, so there are still chances for game. One final point, I prefer to trust my partner rather than the opposition.

"Ben, I think 2D should not be forcing here. Pd is marked with shapy hand, not strong hand. Otherwise he would dbl 1N. I think pass 2d is right."
It is certainly forcing in my partnerships - why on earth would opener want to X 1N with a hand where he knows the opps can probably safely escape. He loses a tempo in the bidding. Also with a medium shapely hand he would have opened 1D, even with 6C and 5D.

[whereagles]

Fluffy, on May 26 2004, 11:09 PM, said:

Pass can be right, but some day your partner will have a very strong 2-suiter, and opponents will have nothing, after that day your partner will hate you for the rest of your/his life for trusting opponents more than him.

I can live with that, as long as I score well in this particular board. Which I'm almost sure I will I used to be of the brigade "trust pard, not opps", but time has thought me that I should see things in a broader perspective. I can hardly believe opps are bluffing here..

By the way, if pard's so strong, why didn't he bid 3♦ ?

[Gerben47]

Okay here goes. Partner's hand is:

x
AQx
AKTx
QJTxx

3♣ is a violation of Burn's Rule and will be doubled by LHO, he has K9xxx. Hearts are 5-0 but that does not matter much because you can crossruff, elope and whatever.

Or you can go down in 2♦ or 2♠ undoubled. Or in 2NT or higher doubled.
3♥ would be 530 but do you dare?

[Flame]

I really dont like the 2nt here, i hope i can make 2 something by some quick ruffing, i would pass, 2sp is my second choice.

[whereagles]

I'd like to ask pard why he didn't double their 1NT

[flytoox]

whereagles, on May 27 2004, 05:44 PM, said:

I'd like to ask pard why he didn't double their 1NT

cannt agree more.