[bridgeboy]

Matchpoints, EW Vul,

You sit South and held:

KT9
AK8
K953
KQ4

Partner opened 1C* (3+) RHO wriggled a little and came up with an annoying 3H.

You have the standard 10 seconds to make your call... what is it?

Just in case, No real discussion what 4NT will mean but you get the feeling he will not take it as quantitative (Should he?)



* systematically, all 4441 with 44 minors will open 1C.

[mcphee]

pass and wait to collect the blood is an option which loses when you can make a slam and only beat it 3 tricks.

[bridgeboy]

Only worry is the blood may not come?

Doesnt partner needs a considerably better hand to make a balancing double here?

Not too sure what are the prevailing thoughts.. is a balancing dbl automatic with any hand?

Thanks.

[inquiry]

This is why they preempt. Pass and go for +500 or +800 is on attractive possibility. You beat anyone not in slam. Is it really possible that EAST can have 8 tricks? Not likely. The only problem is if partner has three hearts.. the manditoryness of the reopen double sort of disappears... is RHO a total idiot who might preempt on QJ-seventh and out at this vul?

But I guess I like double. Parnter will most likley bid 3♠ and I will know he his minimum (with four sapdes and extra he would jump to 4♠). But if he rebids 4♣ then we know we have adequate club support and if he rebids 4♦ we assume he has four diamonds and long clubs. I will make the assumption that partner will also bid 3♠ on 3-2-4-4 minimum hands (what is your 1NT range).

Note, my double is not "penatly" but rather takeout, so when I double the contract will never be 3Hx when I have the AKx of hearts.... my rebid plans...

Over 3S by partner, a 4H cue then over 4S, a bid of 4NT which is quantatative if I wanted to blast away asking for aces, I would have done so immeidatley over 3♠, If partner instead cooperates over 4♥ cue-bid, we have slam for sure anyway (any random 13 he would not cooperate).

Over 4S by partner, blackwood followed by some slam, probably 6NT

Over 4C by partner, that is enough to get me to start cue-bidding or asking for aces, depending upon agreement.

Over 4D, then same, we are going slamming....

Over 3NT by partner, I want to call the director... something really odd has happened....

[inquiry]

bridgeboy, on Jan 12 2005, 12:56 PM, said:

Only worry is the blood may not come?

Doesnt partner needs a considerably better hand to make a balancing double here?

Not too sure what are the prevailing thoughts.. is a balancing dbl automatic with any hand?

Thanks.

No... all partner needs is an opening hand with heart shortness....

[Chamaco]

inquiry, on Jan 12 2005, 05:00 PM, said:

bridgeboy, on Jan 12 2005, 12:56 PM, said:

-- cut --

is a balancing dbl automatic with any hand?

No... all partner needs is an opening hand with heart shortness....

Yes, that's why I pass, trusting p to reopen.

Defnding doubled them has many ways to win, and only way to lose is when we have slam NV and set them undoubled by 3 tricks only.
Even in this case, we win vs all those who will not bid it.

[Free]

I also pass and collect the money after partner doubles. He should in this vulnerability...

[HeartA]

To wait for pd's reopening dbl is not an option for me. With minimum opening hand, I don't think opener should dbl even with shortness in ♥. What if (over half of) the strength you have were split into your opp's hand? I don't like the idea that opener has to make a reopening dbl as long as he is short in opp's suit even if he has minimum.

I would dbl myself. Partner could pass with a balanced hand, since I didn't cue-bid my hand is (close to) flat as well. As Ben wrote, if he bid 4C, then I would try club slam by cue-bidding 4H.

[whereagles]

I find it very bad strategy to evade one's responsibilities to take charge with an 18 hcp hand. That being said, I think I would bid 3NT and hope for the best. Maybe 6NT if I need a top.

[flytoox]

This is the one you should NEVER pass and hoping pd to balance. You have 3 card in heart. Pd could have two or three hearts and he is entitled to pass rather than balance with dbl if he has no shape. I think realistically there are only two choices: 3N or 4N. I vote for 4N. This should be natural. If pd misintepret it as RKC, that is fine. I dont mind to try 6N.

[luke warm]

i would double, and i agree with ben's bidding scenarios

[the hog]

HeartA, on Jan 13 2005, 04:50 AM, said:

To wait for pd's reopening dbl is not an option for me. With minimum opening hand, I don't think opener should dbl even with shortness in ♥. What if (over half of) the strength you have were split into your opp's hand? I don't like the idea that opener has to make a reopening dbl as long as he is short in opp's suit even if he has minimum.

I would dbl myself. Partner could pass with a balanced hand, since I didn't cue-bid my hand is (close to) flat as well. As Ben wrote, if he bid 4C, then I would try club slam by cue-bidding 4H.

We had a thread about a re opening X with shortage in the opponents suit some weeks ago. Virtually all agreed that a shortage is the only requirement for a re opening X - there certainly is no requirement for extra strength. (Admitedly there was one dissenter.)

You have a number of options -
Pass and wait for the re opening X
3NT
X

If I bid 3N I would be worried that I had made the wrong decision till I saw dummy. I like Ben's thinking on this problem and believe X is best, however....
To some extent this depends on the system you play. IF we were playing a big C system and IF partner had opened 1D instead of 1C then I would bid 3NT and be far more confident this was the right decision.

Ron

[joker_gib]

4NT for me because in my partnership 4NT is quantitative !

It becomes Blackwood only after dbl or cue bid

[Fluffy]

Double, if partner has ♥ shortness LHO may bid 4, making it kinda clear that partner has fit on a minor.

[HeartA]

The_Hog, on Jan 12 2005, 10:28 PM, said:

We had a thread about a re opening X with shortage in the opponents suit some weeks ago. Virtually all agreed that a shortage is the only requirement for a re opening X - there certainly is no requirement for extra strength. (Admitedly there was one dissenter.)

I don't remember how many people agreed and how many people did not. But at least I disagree with "that a shortage is the only requirement for a re opening X".

[han]

I would not have passed (double seemed clear), but the more comments I read, the more I like it. I'd better be sure that partner also thinks that reopening is mandatory with heart shortness.

[jikl]

In a couple of partnerships I played in we would alert the reopening pass as showing no shortage.

Sean