[inquiry]

Scoring: IMP

You hold, and you hear this auction..
West North East South

 -     2♣    4♥    Pass!
 6♥    6♠    7♥ --- ? ?

2♣ was strong and forcing.
BTW, you should have made takeout double of 4♥, but that is different story

---

[han]

Partner bids 6S expecting to have a play. Clearly 7S must have play opposite this hand!

7NT is crazy, I'd say it's more likely that partner has a voiid than that he has the ace.

[inquiry]

Jlall, on Jan 21 2005, 03:46 PM, said:

I'm finding it impossible to construct a hand where 7S is not cold...

yes, of course, 7♠ is the place to be....

[Flame]

The 7NT alternative could be intresting at mp, if i think partner having the A of heart is more then 50% but even then i would choose 7S, at imps i dont see any other choice.

[Flame]

Jlall, on Jan 21 2005, 02:46 PM, said:

I'm finding it impossible to construct a hand where 7S is not cold...

Maybe something like this

---

[Cowology]

Jlall, on Jan 21 2005, 02:46 PM, said:

I'm finding it impossible to construct a hand where 7S is not cold...

Yup.

[bearmum]

Flame, on Jan 22 2005, 11:16 AM, said:

Jlall, on Jan 21 2005, 02:46 PM, said:

I'm finding it impossible to construct a hand where 7S is not cold...

Maybe something like this

---

I don't think that hand is good enough for a 2♣ opener - far better to open 1♠

[Free]

bearmum, on Jan 22 2005, 11:52 PM, said:

Flame, on Jan 22 2005, 11:16 AM, said:

Jlall, on Jan 21 2005, 02:46 PM, said:

I'm finding it impossible to construct a hand where 7S is not cold...

Maybe something like this

---

I don't think that hand is good enough for a 2♣ opener - far better to open 1♠

Painful! Your partner passes and you're screwed

7♠, get it over with

[Fluffy]

pass should be 1 ace unless I think for 143 seconds and there is no screen.

BTW amazing how Ben found 5 different answers when the bidding was already at 7♥ and we had fit .

[arrows]

I am looking for 8♠ in the bidding box....

[Winstonm]

This is the only hand that fits the bidding. You are in a forcing pass auction. Pard's bid shows a heart loser. Otherwise, he would pass and pull your double to 6S. Ace of clubs is worthless. No choice but to trust partner and pass.

---

[Winstonm]

Clarification: I must double to let partner know we have no first round heart control and to prevent him from taking a phantom sacrifice in 7S.

WinstonM

[flytoox]

Winstonm, on Jan 24 2005, 09:05 PM, said:

This is the only hand that fits the bidding. You are in a forcing pass auction. Pard's bid shows a heart loser. Otherwise, he would pass and pull your double to 6S. Ace of clubs is worthless. No choice but to trust partner and pass.

---

I dont think this hand is a 2C opening. Honestly, I canot imagine a hand without HA yet bid 5S missing so many key cards.

[Winstonm]

[QUOTE] Flytoox: "I dont think this hand is a 2C opening. Honestly, I canot imagine a hand without HA yet bid 5S missing so many key cards."

This is a 10-winner hand and many count this as a 2-club opener, although it is surely debatable, but this "Acol-style" 2C opener has its proponents.

Aside: I argued once with a director until I was brought up to committee (no action against me was ruling) that it was unfair for the opponents to be able to open 2C with QJxxxxxxxxx, x, x, void and also open it with AKx, AQx, AJxx, KQJ because the risk of entering the auction was unknown until opener had clarified his hand. Unfortunately, the director (National) said that as long as the opponents card was marked, "9 tricks or points" then either hand was legal.

So you see, although we may not agree with the opening 2C, not everyone sees it that way.

[whereagles]

It's hard to guess whether opener has

KJTxxxxxx
x
AKQ
--

or not. Assuming a pass now would show willingness to play 7S, if you double pard could be tempted to bid 7S with a heart void and pass with heart singleton. That seems to be a solution... HOWEVER, how is he supposed to guess you have the spade ace??? I don't think he'll bid 7 'cos he'll have a lot of explaining to do if we're in 7 with the trump ace out

And honestly... if he did open 2C on that, why on Earth did he bid 6S, when there's no guarantee you hold an ace, let alone the SPADE ace? With that hand it's better to pass 6H and then take perhaps a shot at 6S if you double.

What I mean is, I find it hard pard bid 6S as a save. So he bid 6S to make. Without the spade ace, he must surely hold a heart void for his 6 bid and I'm going in to 7H. Maybe this is stupid, but that's what I'm going to do

[Winstonm]

I believe this is a better problem than most are giving credit for. The real question involves the pass of 4H. Most I know play the pass after a 2C opening as card showing and a double as a weak hand. If this is the case, partner knows you have some values; he doesn't know if the opps can make 6H, which they may do if one hand has a singleton diamond and the other a spade voide or if you make the wrong lead. Partner is taking your pass as (hopefully) holding an Ace in your values and is taking the 2/1 shot that it is either the spade Ace or heart Ace and NOT the club ace.

Note that the decision level is very high and very little information has been exchanged by our side.

The above is the thinking I would expect from partner and therefore would double to take any pressure off his hand. If unexpectedly he does show up with a heart void, he is not forbidden from bidding 7 spades, although from his point of view it is certainly no guarantee that I hold the spade Ace; however, my double does deny the HEART ace, so if I do hold an Ace it is now even money that it is in spades.

WinstonM