[pooltuna]

2♥>X>2♠. But I prefer to play michaels mainly as a weak and strong call and this hand falls in the middle.for me.

[olien]

I would X. However, I get to play equal level conversion. This may lie about my ♥ length, but my ♥ are pretty poor. I may get burned by missing a 5-3♥ fit, but its not the end of the world, if my partner wants to play NT, I have a pretty suitable hand for him. I also like to X because its fun. 2♥ would be my second choice, and I'm not a fan of 2♠, but that's partnership style. We require less defense and more of an offensive type hand unless GF (which this hand certainly isn't). Having 3 tricks on defense is too much for us since we don't have a GF hand. So, I'll be the crazy one to say X>2♥>2♠. I know there is little risk in getting nailed for a number by bidding michaels, but I'm just not a fan of it on this hand.

[aguahombre]

I would expect more strengh in the two suits and about this overall power if partner balanced with 2S (Michaels).

I would bid 2S

[AlexJonson]

I doubled first time round, and the more I think about it, pass looks like a long term winner.

[VM1973]

mtvesuvius, on 2011-July-07, 15:24, said:

How is 2♥ an underbid? Doubling and bidding on this hand is a HUGE overbid. I really don't like double, and it isn't like I am dying to defend 1♠x.

I don't see why you'd be opposed to defending 1♠ considering you're bringing 3.5 Quick Tricks to the defense.

If we evaluate the hand for an opening bid, we find that we have 14 HCP + 10 cards in two suits. Applying the rule of 20, this hand is an ace better than a minimum opening bid. Since we're in the balancing seat, we're entitled to 'borrow' a king from partner. As such, I would bid this hand as though it were a 19 count in direct seat. So no, I don't think doubling and bidding is a HUGE overbid. What if partner holds:

♠xxxx
♥Qxx
♦AJx
♣xxx

You might easily be able to take 11 tricks in hearts assuming ♥K and ♦Q are with the opener. Yet even after the "HUGE overbid" you're not likely to find game.

[paulg]

I don't really like this problem, can we move onto the next one please?

I normally play that a fourth seat cue bid would show a better hand than this. In particular the suits are both pretty poor.

Two hearts is a fair option, the power of the hand making up for the poor suit, but I do appreciate that the hand is a little too good for this (given I'd bid 2♥ with a six-card suit and a 9 count).

Double is also a fair option but there is the issue of what to bid over a club response, perhaps the most likely continuation being two spades from opener and 3♣ from partner. Now we will have to select between three hearts and three spades!

A very good problem imo. I'll plump for double - after all the worst does not always happen.

[aguahombre]

VM1973, on 2011-July-12, 08:18, said:

If we evaluate the hand for an opening bid, we find that we have 14 HCP + 10 cards in two suits. Applying the rule of 20, this hand is an ace better than a minimum opening bid. Since we're in the balancing seat, we're entitled to 'borrow' a king from partner. As such, I would bid this hand as though it were a 19 count in direct seat. So no, I don't think doubling and bidding is a HUGE overbid. What if partner holds:

♠xxxx
♥Qxx
♦AJx
♣xxx

You might easily be able to take 11 tricks in hearts assuming ♥K and ♦Q are with the opener. Yet even after the "HUGE overbid" you're not likely to find game.

But we might after 2S, if partner has the vision to realized how strong his hand is opposite the reds. She would inquire which minor, then bid 3H if clubs and 4H if diamonds.

paulg, on 2011-July-12, 09:10, said:

I don't really like this problem, can we move onto the next one please?

(Then follows several lines in furtherence of the thread, followed by:

A very good problem imo.