[han]

True or False:

LHO opens 1S in third seat, RHO bids 2C, drury.

With xxx AKQx xxxx xx, all white, it is now a good idea to bid a lead directing 2H.



For full credit, explain how the vulnerability influences your choice.

[Rebound]

Sorry, I won't bid in this situation at any vulnerability. There's no guarantee at all that LHO has a weakish opener. Further, a 2♥ bid now gives them warning about NT, and finally, I figure my partner for a heart lead against a spade contract anyway. Perhaps if hearts and spades were reversed and the opening bid was 1♥ I might jump in with 2♠, but no bid here. Just my 2 cents.

[the hog]

I think it is a stupid idea at any vulnerability at Imps. Might try it if I needed a few tops at MPs.

[awm]

I think this seems like a reasonable idea. A heart lead from partner will win in many instances. The most likely contract for opponents is some number of spades, leaving partner to find the best lead, and hearts certainly stands out. If we could pass a note to partner saying "lead a heart" without any other effect I think we'd all do so.

Of course, before making a lead-directing call like this we have to consider the risks. So let's look at them:

(1) Opponents might double us in 2H. Possible, but I've found that most opponents do not like to double at the two-level, holding a known 8+ card spade fit and no honors in my overcall suit. This is especially true when my side is nonvulnerable. If we were red I think a 2H bid is a bit frisky (more likely to be doubled, even at the two-level, especially if we're unfavorable) but at all white it seems quite safe.

(2) The 2H bid might talk the opponents out of notrump. Yeah okay, but they've announced a spade fit. Sure, sometimes people play 3NT with an 8-card major fit, but it's not the most frequent contract. And if I don't bid 2H, and they get to 3NT, why do I think they're not making? I have only 3-4 heart tricks to run. In fact the 2H bid may talk them OUT of a MAKING 3NT (because hearts are 4-3 when they appear 5-2, and opponents have no stopper).

(3) Partner might raise the hearts. This is possible, but partner shouldn't expect a six card suit since we didn't open a weak two bid, and partner won't expect an opening hand since we've already passed. Partner won't go crazy.

-- Adam

[myfish]

i hate this especially when my pd will raise me with 3 card ♥,opps can easily judge to double us in 2♥ or 3♥ since the responder has shown his hand

[Chamaco]

I think bidding is reckless.

Bidding over 2/1 sequences (and a Drury auction can be classified as such) without great shape is reckless in general, the more so if we have to bid a 4 card suit in a balanced hand.

Even worse is the fact that we are not even hindering opps bidding: the fact that responder is a passed hand AND has an invitational hand with spade fit is already a huge info for opener: now they are in a perfect situation to decide whether the best spot is game, slam or defending doubled.

Give the fielder's choice to opps only to suggest a good lead ? No thanks :-)

[inquiry]

False...

You have three small spades, and presumably your opponents have at least nine. Your partner didn't take any action over 1♠ despite being short (at most two) spades.

1) Odds are not bad he will lead a heart anyway
LOGIC---a--- you didn't dbl 2♣ for clubs, so down to two suits,--b-- if he has a little something in diamonds, he may not want to lead away from it

2) After htey have found their fit (2♣-drury), it is EASIER to double you than before (doubles are no longer fit searching)

3) You can't be sure a heart lead, while good, is best for your side

4) As others mentioned, partner may raise you with three small and "ruffing values) in the form of a doubleton spade.

Ben

[whereagles]

I bid a lead directing 2H at this vulnerability. If I'm playing with someone who read the same books I did, he won't take this too seriously

[han]

This hand is not a real hand, I made it up. I was wondering how far people would go to make a lead directing call.

I don't think that I would bid 2H myself, but I'm not confident that it would be "wrong".

[fred]

In my experience, bids like 2H on the hand in question are big winners at the table.

Another example of when a bid like this tends ot be effective is over an opponent's Jacoby 2NT bid (or any artificial forcing raise for that matter). Most serious partnerships don't even have the ability to double for penalties in this situation - they use their doubles to show shortness or something. Even if they can double you for penalties, the other hand often has a hard time sitting for such a double.

I have tried bids like these maybe 10 times in the past few years. So far only 1 disaster and several good things have happened. This is not anywhere close to a big enough sample size to prove anything, but the results are encouraging enough that I am certainly not going to stop making these kinds of bids!

Being not vulnerable makes these bids a lot more attractive (as does being a passed hand as you will always be in the case of the Drury auction).

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

[junyi_zhu]

Hannie, on Feb 13 2005, 04:33 PM, said:

True or False:

LHO opens 1S in third seat, RHO bids 2C, drury.

With xxx AKQx xxxx xx, all white, it is now a good idea to bid a lead directing 2H.



For full credit, explain how the vulnerability influences your choice.

I'd bid 2H, not only because it directs a lead, but also it gives partner a chance to compete at 3 level. Even if you are playing 4-3 fit in hearts, it doesn't have to be wrong because partner's short trumps control spades. If you pass, and hear 2S pass pass to you, I don't think you should bid here. So 2H can win in different ways. Also, any opps who holds HJTxx may not even double you because they have a sure fit in spades, so it's rather safe. Also, this is a pure hand and it really has a lot of advantage to show your heart value. You don't want to see partner lead a 4th from either D or C, and often,
H can be the only lead to beat 4S.

[bearmum]

I don't think it would be a good idea to bid at ALL with this hand at ANY vul