[MFA]

mikeh, on Apr 12 2010, 11:58 PM, said:

quiddity, on Apr 12 2010, 04:33 PM, said:

Wow, 3H?  I assume this sets up a force over anything LHO might bid.  If he bids 4S and partner doubles do you pass or pull to 5C?

I pull to 5♣, and think it is clear.

When LHO bounces to 4♠, even red/white, it creates a fp for our side, at least in my agreements: 3♥, like it or not, was gf, announcing ownership of the hand. Yes, there are hands on which, even when I have a 'real' 3♥ call, the opps own the hand, but bridge is a game of percentages, and one cannot design one's methods with the expectation of perfection.

So when partner doubles, he is NOT announcing a trump stack: he is denying interest in 5♥. Ok...now he has to have club length: at least 4 and often 5, especially if, as I always do, one opens 1♦ with 4-4 minors.

Now not only is our offence huge, but our defence is reduced. Not only may we not beat 4♠, but we might make 5♣. This hand has many of the characteristics of a double game swing....picture Jxx x AQxx KQJxx where we score 2 diamonds and a club on defence and lose only 2 red tricks on offence.

I like pass & 3♥, but I don't like X of 4♠ with that hand there. If we double 4♠ we should at least have something in spades. A singleton heart is imo not reason enough to make a warning double of 4♠ with three 'small' spades. I think that hand is a painless forcing pass.

[mikeh]

Rodney26, on Apr 12 2010, 05:21 PM, said:

mikeh, on Apr 12 2010, 04:58 PM, said:

quiddity, on Apr 12 2010, 04:33 PM, said:

Wow, 3H?  I assume this sets up a force over anything LHO might bid.  If he bids 4S and partner doubles do you pass or pull to 5C?

I pull to 5♣, and think it is clear.

When LHO bounces to 4♠, even red/white, it creates a fp for our side, at least in my agreements: 3♥, like it or not, was gf, announcing ownership of the hand. Yes, there are hands on which, even when I have a 'real' 3♥ call, the opps own the hand, but bridge is a game of percentages, and one cannot design one's methods with the expectation of perfection.

So when partner doubles, he is NOT announcing a trump stack: he is denying interest in 5♥. Ok...now he has to have club length: at least 4 and often 5, especially if, as I always do, one opens 1♦ with 4-4 minors.

Now not only is our offence huge, but our defence is reduced. Not only may we not beat 4♠, but we might make 5♣. This hand has many of the characteristics of a double game swing....picture Jxx x AQxx KQJxx where we score 2 diamonds and a club on defence and lose only 2 red tricks on offence.

I really like the cut of your jib with these posts Mike. I like your recommended strategy because I think it helps partner make the best pass or defend decision at the five level and it is best to explore all three lower suits battling spades. I'm fairly certain though that a lot of my partners would launch a level or two higher on just about any excuse on the auction below; is 6 down one a frequent problem? Do you have methods/principles to differentiate a more serious slam move here from 5 level competition?

Well, pass and pull traditonally shows strong slam interest, thus partner could pass the hypothetical 4♠. If you bid, then you are showing an offensive hand and with the pass and pull, he can bid slam.

Or if you double, then he pulls, which shows a stronger hand than had he bid immediately.

Some very good pairs play an inversion, wherein the forcing pass describes the hand that wants to double (to slow us down) while the double describes a hand that would prefer to bid.

The gain from the second is that sometimes partner really has a good defensive/poor offensive hand and we aren't forced to the 5-level simply because the direct bidder has some extras.

And on the former, where we pass to show a poor offensive hand, partner is in a good position to decide what to do, including (often) space to make a forward going descriptive bid...thus maybe on the example hand backing into a 5-5 or 5-6 club fit rather than hearing opener bid 5♥ on a 3 card suit and extra offence.

I haven't played the inversion so I don't know all of the ramifications. Maybe others can help. I suspect it is more efficient....that's one of the characteristics of meckwellian gadgets.

But as for bidding tto many slams...that's not been my experience, altho I don't have records on which to base this. Plus my approach of overbidding on these hand types is new for me...I adopted it about a year ago...ask me this 18 months ago and I would have made a takeout double.

[nige1]

Phil, on Apr 12 2010, 10:32 AM, said:

IMPs, long matches
1. KJxxx x Ax Qxxxx
(1♥) - 1♠ - (pass) - 3N;
(pass) - ?
Note: Opponents play a version of Blue Club, so 1♥ is 4+ and could include a longer side suit.

2. void, KTxxx, xxx, A9xxx (w/r)
1♣ - (2♠) - ?

IMO

• Prefer Michaels, not vul. Now pass 3N.
  
• 4♥ (fit jump) and Pass (NF) if opps bid 4♠.