[PetteriLem]

EW vul
NS non vul

W  N  E  S
1♣ 1♦ p 3♦
p   p  3♥

What do you think east has?

Spoiler

GIB shows

Spoiler

K76

Spoiler

AQJT84

Spoiler

AK9

Spoiler

A

[hrothgar]

Alzheimers

[jdonn]

Whatever he has, I wish I had some too.

[Phil]

I don't know but West has a headache.

[gwnn]

3 hearts (the maximum possible)
3 spades (the maximum possible)
2 diamonds (he's the guy with shortness so he strained to act)
3 clubs (didn't support me first round)

significant disparsity between hearts and spades
no high honour in diamonds (he might have 1nt'd)

gotta be something like

xxx
KJT
xx
Jxx

[helene_t]

I think a 0-count with seven hearts.

Of course it it not the right way to bid such a hand: you either have to bid immediately, or not at all. But is is the most plausible.

Alternatively, 5-5 in the majors, again with zero points. There is some logic to that: a delayed action often suggests a weak hand with a shape that didn't fit in our preempt structure. We have ways of showing a weak one-suited hand immediately (by bidding 2♥ or 2♠) but not a weak 2-suited hand. By the same argument, a club/heart hand is possible, too.

[manudude03]

I am also thinking of a long weak suit, maybe QJxxxxxx and out. Again, not thinking they've bid right, a LOL point counter perhaps?

[kenrexford]

Well, using logical GP of bridge...

Weird, impossible action usually means fit. Hence, a club fit must exist.

I'll assume that Responder had a reason to not raise earlier, or to bid hearts. Perhaps 1-3 is invitational or so in comp? If so, maybe partner has a weak hand with clubs. He might have bid 2♣ or 4♣ with that, one would assume.

So, there must be a flaw. The flaw could be that his hand is swan-like, where he could not decide what to do. Maybe 6♣/4♥ and weak?

He must have thought the auction would stay alive. So, he must have expected someone to bid something and for the auction to never die. My gut tells me that he should actually be wilder in shape and troubled by the flaw. Maybe 1-4-1-7? But, then why not just get in there with the clubs? Or, why reopen this can of worms?

But, I think that's a plausible holding. Some sort of troubling heart-club two-suiter where he did not want to bid or not bid hearts and thought he could field things.

But, then how can he exect this auction to make sense to partner now? What, he is masterminding the auction but wants to back in the hearts now?

Bah. Responder is insane.

[hanp]

kenrexford, on Jun 16 2009, 06:44 PM, said:

Responder is insane.

Well done Ken.

[mtvesuvius]

East has a joint and a bottle of whiskey, west has a severe headache.

[uday]

What if E is trying to recover from his inability to use a -ve X ?

AQx
AQx
xxxx
xxx

I'm exaggerating the strength, of course, but something along those lines?
Would this hand type simply X in balancing seat?

[qwery_hi]

uday, on Jun 16 2009, 08:15 PM, said:

What if E is trying to recover from his inability to use a -ve X ?

AQx
AQx
xxxx
xxx

I'm exaggerating the strength, of course, but something along those lines?
Would this hand type simply X in balancing seat?

I would make a -ve dbl with this hand - I know it promises 4-4 in the majors, but AQx in each would certainly do. So I wouldn't think its an inability to negative dbl.

[andy_h]

East wants a partnership breakup without wanting to be the first to bring it up.

[helene_t]

uday, on Jun 17 2009, 05:15 AM, said:

What if E is trying to recover from his inability to use a -ve X ?

AQx
AQx
xxxx
xxx

I'm exaggerating the strength, of course, but something along those lines?
Would this hand type simply X in balancing seat?

A "balancing X" is for penalties here but yes if I were to pass 1♦ I would certainly double 3♦ for penalties.

The alternative is to raise clubs immediately.

[hanp]

uday, on Jun 16 2009, 11:15 PM, said:

What if E is trying to recover from his inability to use a -ve X ?

AQx
AQx
xxxx
xxx

I'm exaggerating the strength, of course, but something along those lines?
Would this hand type simply X in balancing seat?

Having passed initially I would make a penalty double with this hand.

[Oof Arted]

long weak hearts unwilling to let 3♦ go possibly void in ♦ inviting you to either pass or correct

Or of course he is a Kamikaze pilot

[JoAnneM]

This is a FltC bid showing hearts. This type of bid happens occasionally at my club.

[zasanya]

JoAnneM, on Jun 17 2009, 11:39 AM, said:

This is a FltC bid showing hearts.  This type of bid happens occasionally at my club.

I assume FltC means less enlightened players like me.Please tell me what a player should do with 6+ ♥ 0-3 hcp, short ♦ when rho overcalls 1♦.Is preempting to 2 level with 6 cards and to 3 level with 7 cards the best plan?How is it better than passing and then bidding 3♥ as here?Why should 3♥ be dismissed as insane or suicidal?A reply without sarcasm would be much appreciated.

[PetteriLem]

I suspect that people noticed the hidden text, but if you didnt... It was GIB playing and cold bloodedly passed 1st time. Very hard to imagine that it could be profitable in any simulation. If GIB was not going to defend 1♦ doubled, then how can it be right to pass? 3♥ promised unlimited hand with opening values, but I didnt quite believe it.

[Codo]

I didn*t notice the hand you described, but I would be sure that I had never ever in my life thought about that hand.

I had thought about a hand too weak for a weak two with extra trump length- but surely not of a monster like the one you showed.