[pclayton]

1st board of the night in a tough club game against pretty good opponents.

Scoring: MP

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North.....East.....South....You
1♠..........2♥..........2♠.........?

Your decision will set the tone for the evening. Thank you.

[inquiry]

We are vul, they are not. I am not willing to stop short of game at imps vulnerable with this hand opposite a 2/1 overcall.

I have great hearts, this is important, as partner overcalled vulnerable at the two level without the ones I have. This means he probably in all likelyhood has a six card suit (and if not, a good hand). So i can count 6H, and 1S for 7 trikcs, and I can always force a second spade (they very well may give me the second spade on the opening lead). So 3NT looks like a fair shot. IT is possible, but highly unlikley, that they will be able to manage five clubs or five diamonds on the go (or four in one minor and ace in the other). So I will take my shot at 3NT and expect partner with a big two suiter (where they might run a lot of minor cards against me) to pull... for instance if he is.....

S-void H-AQxxxx H-KQxxx C-xx

I would expect to hear a 4♦ call, and we can give 4♥ a shot.

Ben

[HeartA]

I voted for 2NT. If pd has more than minimum for his overcall, he is free to go for game. I had too much in ♠, I am not that optimistic about game. With a suit contract, AQJ could be totally wasted: Before you establish some tricks in S, opps might have taken their winners on pd's short minor, while it is useless to pitch the long minor. If ♠J becomes ♣J or combined into DQ, I might bid game (3NT).

[mike777]

4H, Must force to game somewhere at the least.

I get the impression from many of these posts that many players must overcall on real junk at two level or one level vul. since so many never force to game.

Guess what I would think of as a minimum, many would think of as close to supermax.

[whereagles]

3NT

[the hog]

3NT.
Hmm this has to be wrong; I just noticed whereagles made the same bid.

[whereagles]

Together in misery

[flytoox]

Interesting no pass as an option. I think I will pass, expecting pd to reopen. I dont think this hand is that good. Too much holes in minors. I dont think you have a game here. The best is to punish them.

At most, I will bid 3H, but unwillingly.

any four level cue or 4H is just too much.

[pclayton]

flytoox, on Nov 17 2004, 03:15 PM, said:

Interesting no pass as an option. I think I will pass, expecting pd to reopen. I dont think this hand is that good. Too much holes in minors. I dont think you have a game here. The best is to punish them.

At most, I will bid 3H, but unwillingly.

any four level cue or 4H is just too much.

What makes you think pard will reopen? While he's marked with s/v spade, he also has a maximum of about a 12 count on the auction.

[the hog]

I agree with Phil. I have no doubts pass will end the auction. Fly, what do you make vulnerable overcalls on? I certainly want to be in game.

[Fluffy]

Jlall, on Nov 17 2004, 08:59 PM, said:

i would X and correct whatever pard bids to 3H to show an invitational 3H bid.

These and 3NT are my options, sadly I cannot vote for double :-(.

[pclayton]

Although it felt wrong (I've played with this guy for a few months now), I crashed into 3N. Pass, and a strange pull to 4♦; doubled, settling in 4♥, doubled.

He held:

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If I'm coming on this, I much prefer a double. A-Q♦ were offside, so were -500.

In retrospect, 3N is really pushy. If pard has the perfect hand we can expect; 6 hearts and an outside card, its likely we are wide open in a minor, and these opponents will find the right lead - just not woodenly lead a spade.

I think 2N is fine, or some kind of invitational raise if you have it. In spite of the wastage, the hand is still a little heavy for 3♥.

Sorry I didn't include a double; it didn't occur to me.

[mike777]

Pclayton,

Wonderful analysis of all further bids, but what about the vul 2h overcall, is this standard expert bidding?

[cf_John0]

HeartA, on Nov 17 2004, 12:33 PM, said:

I voted for 2NT. If pd has more than minimum for his overcall, he is free to go for game. I had too much in ♠, I am not that optimistic about game. With a suit contract, AQJ could be totally wasted: Before you establish some tricks in S, opps might have taken their winners on pd's short minor, while it is useless to pitch the long minor. If ♠J becomes ♣J or combined into DQ, I might bid game (3NT).

Me too.

[flytoox]

pclayton, on Nov 18 2004, 01:47 AM, said:

Although it felt wrong (I've played with this guy for a few months now), I crashed into 3N. Pass, and a strange pull to 4♦; doubled, settling in 4♥, doubled.

He held:

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If I'm coming on this, I much prefer a double. A-Q♦ were offside, so were -500.

In retrospect, 3N is really pushy. If pard has the perfect hand we can expect; 6 hearts and an outside card, its likely we are wide open in a minor, and these opponents will find the right lead - just not woodenly lead a spade.

I think 2N is fine, or some kind of invitational raise if you have it. In spite of the wastage, the hand is still a little heavy for 3♥.

Sorry I didn't include a double; it didn't occur to me.

This shows how correct pass is.

[flytoox]

Let's do some hand evaluation here. Is your hand really good? NO. opp has broke spade suit, which means they have lots of card in minors. Should you be in game? No, you have too many holes in minors. If you change thehand to:

S:XXXX
H:KJX
D:AXX
C:QJX

then you may want to go to game.

Further your hand is too balanced, you cannt ruff.

change your hand to:

S:JTXX
H:KJX
D:AXX
C:QXX

I would agree with those 3N bidder.

Is 2S passed out that bad? No, if pd couldnot reopen, it is fine. You really dont mind defend 2S.

[whereagles]

flytoox, on Nov 18 2004, 12:01 PM, said:

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Hum.. I prefer to double 1S here. Heck even the_hog would probably double this

[Fluffy]

Thi is just a matter of styles, I myself´won´t overcall at the 2 level without 6 card suit and opening values.