[Free]

You're sitting South holding the following hand:

Scoring: ?

---

You hear partner opening 1♠ which is a decent opening (2/1 style). RHO intervenes with 4♣. What's your plan?

Continuation:

Spoiler

If you decide to Dbl, your partner rebids 4♠. Now what?

EDIT: does the scoring matter?

[hanp]

I'd bid 4H.

[Codo]

I double.

If partner bids 4 spade I let it go, over any other bid Imake a slam try.

[JLOGIC]

FoUr HeArTs

[pooltuna]

JLOGIC, on Sep 13 2010, 04:33 AM, said:

FoUr HeArTs

FUHAT for me too. At any other colors I would probably X

[hanp]

I don't see how the colors are relevant here, I did not look at them.

[Fluffy]

agree with proffesor peters

[fromageGB]

Transfers over intervention. Agree that you play forcing pass over a 4 level overcall, then on this hand 4♦ transfer to hearts, followed by 4♠. That just about describes it. Shows the hearts, shows the spades, shows the slam interest if partner has hearts.

[karlson]

If I wanted to play transfers here, which I think is a great idea, I would just play that 4d shows hearts, and either 4h shows diamonds or 4h shows spades and 4s shows diamonds.

Playing forcing pass over a 4-level preempt with an opening bid opposite potentially nothing seems pretty crazy.

With normal methods, I agree with 4h, but I think it's not that far from double. I would double if we were w/r.

[pooltuna]

hanp, on Sep 13 2010, 09:09 AM, said:

I don't see how the colors are relevant here, I did not look at them.

at unfavorable playing IMPs you stand to gain 600+ while a set of two will only score 300. at equal vul you stand to only lose 100 if your game makes instead of 300.

[TylerE]

4♥.

[bucky]

hanp, on Sep 13 2010, 09:09 AM, said:

I don't see how the colors are relevant here, I did not look at them.

Because some may think about X, then you would have to consider the consequence of double getting passed out when partner has 5323 shape and each side has 9-card fit, in which case white against red *might* win.

[mikeh]

4♥....wtp?

Yes I have a good hand and yes we may miss a slam but what other choice do I have?

Double gets passed too often, and even when he bids, we may end up in the wrong suit (if he is 6=3 majors we'll be in spades not hearts) or the wrong level.....do we have 5-level safety on this auction over 4♠?

BTW, I don't understand the benefit of playing transfers here....more accurately, I see benefit when you hold lots of cards but I think it is truly horrific unless you routinely hold slam interest hands opposite 1st seat openers.....when you hold a flat 4 count (and we all hold even less on occasion) to hear the opps preempt to the 4-level will start to cause you to sweat and tremble. While as your LHO, holding a good hand short(ish) in clubs, I go from being disappointed by my partner's preempt to starting to salivate when your partner alerts your pass as forcing!

Given the hands that so many posters happily open, the prospect of redoubled overtricks or +800s on partscore hands seems awfully enticing to me.

[hanp]

mikeh, on Sep 15 2010, 01:06 PM, said:

BTW, I don't understand the benefit of playing transfers here....more accurately, I see benefit when you hold lots of cards but I think it is truly horrific unless you routinely hold slam interest hands opposite 1st seat openers.....when you hold a flat 4 count (and we all hold even less on occasion) to hear the opps preempt to the 4-level will start to cause you to sweat and tremble. While as your LHO, holding a good hand short(ish) in clubs, I go from being disappointed by my partner's preempt to starting to salivate when your partner alerts your pass as forcing!

Given the hands that so many posters happily open, the prospect of redoubled overtricks or +800s on partscore hands seems awfully enticing to me.

It seems to me that this paragraph has little to do with transfers, correct?

If you meant to write you hate forcing passes here, I agree.

[fromageGB]

mikeh, on Sep 15 2010, 07:06 PM, said:

BTW, I don't understand the benefit of playing transfers here....more accurately, I see benefit when you hold lots of cards but I think it is truly horrific unless you routinely hold slam interest hands opposite 1st seat openers.....when you hold a flat 4 count (and we all hold even less on occasion) to hear the opps preempt to the 4-level will start to cause you to sweat and tremble. While as your LHO, holding a good hand short(ish) in clubs, I go from being disappointed by my partner's preempt to starting to salivate when your partner alerts your pass as forcing!

Given the hands that so many posters happily open, the prospect of redoubled overtricks or +800s on partscore hands seems awfully enticing to me.

I agree it can be a very good idea to have a natural weak pass. It's also a good idea to have a penalty double. As well, it's a good idea to have X as a transfer to the next suit. But you can't do it all.

I prefer X as transfer to 4♦, but you could give up that level, and just have the cue bid (5♣) being a transfer to ♦. Then keep your existing X (whatever), keep the natural pass, but also have the benefits of transfers. It is not just the given powerhouse that benefits from transfers. With a long suit and shortage in both bid suits it is handy to transfer to play.

However, it is much more useful after a 3 level overcall, as transfers can be very useful as game invitation bids, and the 4 level is different. My partnerships have not really discussed it, so we would implicitly do the same at the 4 as the 3. But it may not be best.