[Poky]

IMP. Only we are vul.

Scoring: IMP

1♠ - pass - pass - 2♦
Dbl - pass - ???

---

Is this problem trivial?

[guggie]

Well Mrs. Guggenheim should not want to defend 2♦X. And she has 4 spades. Obviously p has a 19HCP hand or something like it. Well, I have 4 spades but that is the only positive feature of my hand so i say 2spades and i hope the feeling of disgust with which i press the keys will be apparent at the other side of the ocean;-)

[Poky]

guggie, on Jun 8 2004, 08:40 AM, said:

Well Mrs. Guggenheim should not want to defend 2♦X. Ans she has 4 spades. Obviously p has a 19HCP hand or something like it. Well, I have 4 spades but that is the only positive feature of my hand so i say 2spades and i hope the feeling of disgust with which i press the keys will be apparent at the other side of the ocean;-)

19 HCP, you say? So you are expecting something like...
♠AQJxx(x)
♥AQx(x)
♦x
♣AQx(x)
...and bid 2♠?

[guggie]

Yes. How often can p reach dummy to take all those finesses? If I had 4 spades and any king i would say 3 spades, but the jack of diamonds doesnt turn me on

[the hog]

Am I missing something here? 2S, what else, 5NT GSF?

[mishovnbg]

Hi Poky! My vote is for 3♠.
Problem is trivial for me, but not for most of players. "Principle of shell" of Mike Lawrence is very simple, but very few of players know it and can menage hands like in your example. Passed hand denied already 4 fit and sing/void for preempt, so 3♠ will show 4 fit and doubleton - exactly hand in example. This doubleton is valuable because very high chances partner to have ♥.
Misho

[Free]

This problem doesn't apply for me since the bidding starts 1♠-pass-3♠ (0-5 4+♠).

Anyway, if you don't play it this way, I'd only bid only 2♠! My hand isn't great, opps will know if they have to Dbl,... And I don't want to push them somewhere. Imo, partner has some nice hand with stiff ♦ or so, but there still might be a possibility for opps to have a game somewhere (even 3NT).

[whereagles]

3♠ is the perfect bid to me

Showing shape, and not too many points for a passed hand. Would bid 3♦ with Txxx xx xxxx KJx.

[Fluffy]

The_Hog, on Jun 8 2004, 08:31 AM, said:

Am I missing something here? 2S, what else, 5NT GSF?

I am afraid Ron, some people will take 5NT as 'pick a slam', not GSF, leaving you with a guess when partner bids 6♥ on next round .

On the hand, do I want to play 3♠? NO, I want to play 2♠ or 3♦.

[inquiry]

I play a Barry Crane-like Drury even after first seat openings, so I could have raised 1♠ to 2♠ on the first round (all fair riases to 2M begin with 2♣), but hti shand is very unattractive even for that "rasie", but I would have bid it. Technically, I also have avaliable a jump to 3♠ on the first round, but this hand is too blah for that.

As far as what now? If I passed initially, I will jump to 3♠ now. True, my ♦J is useless, but my doubelton ♥ and fourth ♠ are golden. 2S sounds like xx xxx xxxx xxxx to me.

ben