[microcap]

Playing 2/1 but with a 13-16 1NT HCP, both sides vul. Partner opens 1♠. RHO overcalls 2♦. You hold

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. What do you bid? After I get a few responses one way or another, I will ask the next question and finish the story. Thanks to all!

[inquiry]

In a perfect world you would pass and wait for the inevitable reopening double. However, you have soo many diamonds, the double may not come. Many players iwth a void will not open with reopen double. Second, your daimond spots are not that good and your spade length is too long. IF there is an entry to dummy, declearer may score 5D perhaps with a ruff, the entry to dummy for six, and possible a side suit winner as well.

So as much as I like the concept of pass waiting for reopening double, this is not the hand for it. The diamond ACE might provide a parking place for a club loser. The heart singleton might give you two heart ruffs, and since your partenr is short in diamonds (probalby one or two at most), the club QT are very useful.

I actually have visions that this hand is stronger than it appears. But I will bid just 2♠ for now, and will accept a game try if partner makes one. If he moves towards slam, I will also cooperate, but less enthusiastically than towards game.

ben

[luis]

I bid 2s, I don't like the diamond ace it's either a waste or it will be ruffed out after the dK opening lead.
I won't pass expecting a double because someone, my pd or my LHO will pull to hearts where are the 12 hearts?

[whereagles]

I bid 2S too because of...
1. It tells the most important thing of my hand: spade support.
2. It shuts out the heart suit, which opps rate to have.

[microcap]

My partner will be glad to know you agreed with him, since I passed. He felt I should have supported right away. But assume you passed, LHO passes, and now partner jumps to 3♥, so you were right and the reopening double wasnt there. a) what does partner show in terms of strength and distribution? RHO passes now and what now? Thanks again!

[luis]

Pd's jump to 3h shows a strong two suiter most frequently 5-5.
Now I think a 3s bid is pointless and we are fixed to bid 4s just in case it makes, the diamond ace still looks bad but we have a singleton and the club queen so in many contexts 4s might make.

[HeartA]

2♠ for me, too

[inquiry]

microcap, on Feb 15 2005, 03:48 PM, said:

what now? Thanks again!

4!S

[the hog]

2S is clear. Had I passed for some reason and the bidding progressed as per your post, I would now bid 4S.

[flytoox]

2S, I dont think u shld try to set a trap pass with this hand.

[joker_gib]

2♠ and then 4♠ for me too !

[microcap]

And now, the final indignity. You hold

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You open 1♠, LHO overcalls 2♦, Partner and RHO pass. You rebid 3♥...partner now bids 4♦. What does your partner have and what now? Of course, this is the same problem from the other side of the table LOL

[whereagles]

I would take 4D as heart support, since he didn't support spades before. Maybe a trap pass of diamonds with some hearts.

[inquiry]

microcap, on Feb 16 2005, 03:22 PM, said:

And now, the final indignity. You hold

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You open 1♠, LHO overcalls 2♦, Partner and RHO pass. You rebid 3♥...partner now bids 4♦. What does your partner have and what now? Of course, this is the same problem from the other side of the table LOL

Partner has a strong hand that wanted to play 2♦X. Since he is strong, he doesn't have spade support, and since he has gone beyond 3NT he does have heart support. So this is a cue-bid in support of hearts and a strong hand. I would have taken 4♣ as a similar hand but with a club control.

Since I bid first or second round controls up the line, for 4♦ partner has a hand like...

♠-X ♥-KTxx ♦AQxxx ♣Qxx

Note, lack of ACE or king of clubs (no 4♣ bid). Partner may have a doubleton spade of course, but three little clubs in my hand and my poor spade spots (so no club discards from his hand), suggest caution... of course, on a diamond lead, I can throw one club away, and the club king might be where it should be. So 6♥ maybe on ice. My hand is just slightly too strong to signoff at 4♥, I think I will bid 5♣ planning on bidding 5♥ or passing 5♥ if partner bids that. I think (hope) this will encourage him to bid slam with the hand given above, but to stay in five hearts if his hand no better than this...

♠xx ♥-KTxx ♦AQxxx ♣Qx

Biddign 4♦ on the hand shown ealier is just trying to punish partner for not reopening with a double... it says.. "partner you so dumb.. why didn't you reopen with a double"... you will get away with it with a partner who will rebid 4♥ for your to pick a major... but with someone who is trying to guess what 4♦ really means, you are CERTAIN to get to high if you bid like that.

[cherdano]

For me, the 4♦ is unambiguously a cue bid agreeing hearts: If partner has shown a two-suiter, a cue-bid is always a cue-bid for the last bid suit (as support for the first-bid suit could be shown cheaper). Anyway, is looks like partner has made a misguided trap pass on 1st round

But I doubt this is standard, and can definitely not be assumed without discussion.

About what to do now: My hand looks great, but it seems to me I have shown this already with 3♥. I just bid 4♥. If partner really has enough useful stuff outside of ♦ to make slam good, he should have bid on the first round.

Arend

[HeartA]

Agree with Ben with one exception: pd could have CK depending on the agreement (if Ace is cuebid prior to King).

[mcphee]

I think the guy who bid 3H is standing to close to the gas pumps when he fills his car !!

I also feel it is clear to raise S first time and do not at all agree that the opps have a H fit, not that I would care. Who thinks you are going to do damage to 2D dbled? The overcaller could easily hold 6 strong D with Kx S. I thot the object was to bid what you have in an attempt to reach a game.

If I had a partner who bid 3H I would think he had something to j/s opposite a hand that failed to raise S in addition to making a neg dble.