[karlson]

matchpoints red/white

Scoring: MP

---

1♥-p-2♥-x
p-3NT-ppp

-300

[maggieb]

East's bid is unbearably bad to me. One of two things has happened, and the first is either likely or much more likely (or 100%) depending on your opponents:

1) Partner has taken a normal light matchpoint action. If this is the case I'm not sure what your equity is but I bet it's around 10-15% (versus declaring 3♣ or defending).
2) Partner has full values. If this is the case, you can get lucky and basically be on a finesse through the opener, but normally game will require finding AQ of hearts both with opener and maybe a little bit more, or it can still have no play (KQJx xx KQx Qxxx).

[Jlall]

East had an auto 2N bid...

[mich-b]

Jlall, on Nov 22 2009, 01:51 AM, said:

East had an auto 2N bid...

Do you play 2NT here as natural rather than scrambling/Lebensohl?

[pooltuna]

karlson, on Nov 22 2009, 01:03 AM, said:

matchpoints red/white

Scoring: MP

---

1♥-p-2♥-x
p-3NT-ppp

-300

East for not Xing 1♥ and West for Xing 2♥

[pooltuna]

Jlall, on Nov 22 2009, 01:51 AM, said:

East had an auto 2N bid...

yeah but -200 is going to be a good score?

[Jlall]

mich-b, on Nov 22 2009, 01:57 AM, said:

Jlall, on Nov 22 2009, 01:51 AM, said:

East had an auto 2N bid...

Do you play 2NT here as natural rather than scrambling/Lebensohl?

No obv 2N is not natural in this auction

[Jlall]

pooltuna, on Nov 22 2009, 10:49 AM, said:

Jlall, on Nov 22 2009, 01:51 AM, said:

East had an auto 2N bid...

yeah but -200 is going to be a good score?

???

[awm]

I'd blame west here. Pre-balancing aggressively is all well and good, but this hand with nine points including a wasted singleton queen seems over the top. E/W are even vulnerable, increasing the risk of this crazy action.

East has a legitimately hard problem. Given the garbage people open/raise on these days, it is certainly possible that 3NT could be making. There is also the issue that 2NT is probably not natural (so we can't invite). Bidding 3♣ could easily lead to a 4-3 fit which probably won't make unless 3NT makes too. Bidding 2NT scramble is okay, but could also lead to a 4-3 diamond fit with the short hand being totally flat (again, might play worse than 3NT). Obviously which of these three options is best will depend on partnership style (and opponents bidding style) and I can't claim to know for sure, but bidding 3NT seems reasonable enough.

[eyhung]

I blame the partnership for not being on the same page with their pre-balancing style. If West can double on an aceless 9 with a bad queen (not my cup of tea at this vul), then East can't bid 3NT -- but if East expects a sounder sandwich double then West is to blame for doubling. I don't have a strong opinion on the merits of an aggressive vs. sound pre-balancing approach, but it's important to be on the same page!

Re: the first-round pass, I actually held this hand as East in the same game. Doubling on the first round felt terrible to me -- you have no shape, nothing in spades, soft values in hearts, and the vul is the worst. The opponents actually went 1NT P 2H P P so partner didn't even think about doubling, and we took all our tricks to beat 2H a trick for average-plus.

[eyhung]

pooltuna, on Nov 22 2009, 08:49 AM, said:

Jlall, on Nov 22 2009, 01:51 AM, said:

East had an auto 2N bid...

yeah but -200 is going to be a good score?

OP didn't mention that on normal play declarer will probably take 7 tricks in notrump. -100 would be average-minus, -200 was a near-bottom, and -300 was a cold bottom, so perhaps declarer took an anti-percentage play in an attempt to get back to -100.

[Jlall]

I think the point on how many tricks we will take in 2N is pretty moot since I don't expect partner to pass a scrambling 2N I honestly don't know of anyone good who would play 2N as natural in this auction.

[mike777]

karlson, on Nov 22 2009, 01:03 AM, said:

matchpoints red/white

<!-- EASTWEST begin --><table border='1'> <tr> <td> <table> <tr> <td>Dealer:</td> <td> North </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Vul:</td> <td> E/W </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Scoring:</td> <td> MP </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td> <table> <tr> <th> <table> <tr> <th class='spades'>♠</th> <td> KJTx </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='hearts'>♥</th> <td> Q </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='diamonds'>♦</th> <td> KTxx </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='clubs'>♣</th> <td> Txxx </td> </tr> </table> </th> <th> <table> <tr> <th class='spades'>♠</th> <td> 98x </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='hearts'>♥</th> <td> KJx </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='diamonds'>♦</th> <td> AJx </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='clubs'>♣</th> <td> KJxx </td> </tr> </table> </th> </tr> </table> </td> <td>  </td> </tr> </table><!-- EASTWEST end -->

1♥-p-2♥-x
p-3NT-ppp

-300

I think west did too much with x as an unpassed hand, at unfav vul.


I would just pass.


After x I admit I would play pard for a full opener and bid 3nt.


Of course east has a max pass over one heart. Double over one heart would show 11 hcp and 4s or......less than 4s but many more hcp.

[maggieb]

I just want to add that I think west's double of 2♥ is aggressive but normal and I would do it with a pickup expert partner even without discussion.

[kenrexford]

The funny thing is that 3NT is not down yet. I mean, there are all sorts of things that MIGHT happen.

Heart lead, back a heart.

One option -- play Responder for the spade Queen. End up with two hearts, three spades, and two diamonds, for seven tricks. Now, if you can just pick up diamonds...

[mike777]

maggieb, on Nov 22 2009, 11:59 PM, said:

I just want to add that I think west's double of 2♥ is aggressive but normal and I would do it with a pickup expert partner even without discussion.

Me thinks you have again hit on the main point

If x is normal,,....standard........or is pass...normal...standard........

[eyhung]

kenrexford, on Nov 22 2009, 10:25 PM, said:

The funny thing is that 3NT is not down yet.  I mean, there are all sorts of things that MIGHT happen.

Unfortunately, in real life it's impossible to take 9 tricks if the defense doesn't screw up, because hearts are 3-6 and responder holds the spade ace, club queen, and four diamonds to the ten (OP mistakenly gave West the DT -- he had the D9).