[HeartA]

Board #1

Scoring: IMP

bidding (opps were silent):
North South
1♦ 1♠
2♦ 2♥
2♠ 4♠

---

4♠-2 (with different line and defense error, could be made), while 3NT could be easily made with a possible over-trick.

Board #2

Scoring: IMP

bidding (opps were silent):
North South
1♦ 1♠
2♦ 2♥
2♠ 4♠

---

4♠-2 while 5♦ was makable (♦K off-side, ♣K on side)

Board #3

Scoring: IMP

bidding (opps were silent):
North South
1♦ 1♠
2♦ 2♥
2♠ 4♠

---

5♦ dbl off 4 (the other table 4♠-1, makable) and we lost 15 imps.

[TimG]

Hand one: I can't see why south would choose 4S over 3N, especially since with 3262 opener could still pull to 4S.

Hand two: I think north just over bid. South has shown a hand with less than enough strnagth to bid an immediate 2D and has basically denied four spades. North knows the partnership doesn't really have enough strength for game and knows the heart ruffs are going to be taken in the wrong hand.

Hand three: at first I assumed south was the one who doubled -- that almost makes sense. North's double is sort of off the wall. North knows that south is short in spades, so might have stretched to take action over 2S, yet passed. North can hope that 2 hearts will cash, but that's hardly a sure thing.

[inquiry]

Hand one.. The 2♠ preference is nonsense. Bid what you got 2NT or 3♣ if you want to "right side" the 3NT contract. Now you get where you belong.

Hand two. 4♠ over 3♥ is crazy. 4-3 fits are ok, if the hand with THREE trumps is short in their suit, not the hand with four trumps. At this vul, maybe 3♥X is right. but if north is going to bid again, 4♦ paints the right picture. 4♠, 5♣, 3♦, 1♥ enough to compete towards possible game.

Hand three. OMG, someone holding four spades the QJ9x, AK twice in hearts against vul opponents who bid 4♠ and partner freely makes a takeout double? Visions of my lugging bags of cash to the bank as I collect on this penalty would be dancing in my head over the double. Yes, I play this double as takeout, but you know what, I would leave this takeout in everytime. So I don't agree with bidding 4NT with this hand. As for south's takeout double VUL. What planet is he on? The bidding here should be 2S-P-4S-all pass. Without the clue where the spade spots are sitting, declarer will surely go down... but even so -62o is a lot better than -1100.

[mike777]

1) Rebid 2nt not 2s, may even rebid 1nt not 2d.
2) I would pass not make neg x and later balance over 2h
3) I would pass with north hand and defend 4s.

[flytoox]

1.2S, 2N is the right bid.
2.x, 2D is the right bid.
3.x. North's double is wrong. pass quickly.

[luke warm]

HeartA, on Mar 7 2005, 02:50 PM, said:

Board #1

Scoring: IMP

bidding (opps were silent):
North South
1♦ 1♠
2♦ 2♥
2♠ 4♠

---

Board #2

Scoring: IMP

bidding (opps were silent):
North South
1♦ 1♠
2♦ 2♥
2♠ 4♠

---

Board #3

Scoring: IMP

bidding (opps were silent):
North South
1♦ 1♠
2♦ 2♥
2♠ 4♠

---

board 1 - north.. i'd bid 2nt

board 2 - south... i'd bid 2♦ instead of double

board 3 - north... takeout double? not me

[HeartA]

inquiry, on Mar 7 2005, 04:59 PM, said:

......
Hand three. OMG, someone holding four spades the QJ9x, AK twice in hearts against vul opponents who bid 4♠ and partner freely makes a takeout double? Visions of my lugging bags of cash to the bank as I collect on this penalty would be dancing in my head over the double. Yes, I play this double as takeout, but you know what, I would leave this takeout in everytime. So I don't agree with bidding 4NT with this hand. As for south's takeout double VUL. What planet is he on? The bidding here should be 2S-P-4S-all pass. Without the clue where the spade spots are sitting, declarer will surely go down... but even so -62o is a lot better than -1100.

Ben,
You might mis-read hand #3. It was North who made the dbl. South's only (and questionable?) bid was 4NT.

[HeartA]

luke warm, on Mar 7 2005, 05:46 PM, said:

board 1 - north.. i'd bid 2nt

board 2 - south... i'd bid 2♦ instead of double

board 3 - north... takeout double? not me

Jimmy,
Do you really think that South is strong enough to freely bid 2D? Did you notice that North-South didn't play NFB (negative Free Bids)?

[flytoox]

HeartA, on Mar 7 2005, 10:54 PM, said:

luke warm, on Mar 7 2005, 05:46 PM, said:

board 1 - north.. i'd bid 2nt

board 2 - south... i'd bid 2♦ instead of double

board 3 - north... takeout double? not me

Jimmy,
Do you really think that South is strong enough to freely bid 2D? Did you notice that North-South didn't play NFB (negative Free Bids)?

2D is a bit light, but that is the least of evil I think. 4S is apparently a wrong bid. This 4-3 fit wont play well. Perhaps north should raise 3D to 5D.

[luke warm]

HeartA, on Mar 7 2005, 04:54 PM, said:

luke warm, on Mar 7 2005, 05:46 PM, said:

board 1 - north.. i'd bid 2nt

board 2 - south... i'd bid 2♦ instead of double

board 3 - north... takeout double? not me

Jimmy,
Do you really think that South is strong enough to freely bid 2D? Did you notice that North-South didn't play NFB (negative Free Bids)?

absolutely i do... just because the hand falls within the range (6-11 or so) of a nfb doesn't mean bidding 2d is necessarily wrong... not playing them, i think 10+ is strong enough for a free bid... besides, the actual responder bid 3d later, eh? if he wasn't strong enough for an immediate 2d, 3d seems a bit pushy (unless he took 2s as showing more strength than it obviously did)

[HeartA]

luke warm, on Mar 8 2005, 08:37 PM, said:

...... besides, the actual responder bid 3d later, eh? if he wasn't strong enough for an immediate 2d, 3d seems a bit pushy (unless he took 2s as showing more strength than it obviously did)

There are paradox on the systems (2/1, sayc, etc). Say you got a hand xx Qxx, xxx, AQJxxx, and your pd opens 1S, you respond 1N, right? and your pd rebid 2D, what do you do now? Wouldn't you bid 3C? So you were not strong enough for 2C, how could you bid 3C now? huh?

In my style, when not playing nfb, direct 2-level overcall is equivalent (or very close to) 2/1 response without interference. Thus, dbl and then bid a suit later shows a WEAKER hand. Besides, the South hand has 9 (effective) hcp only. He inferred that his pd's ♥ was short, and had some kind of ♦ support, from opp's (and pd's) bidding.

[the hog]

On board 1 I see no point to 2S. Why not bid your hand with 2NT

On board 2 the 3D bid totally overstates the D suit. You want to bid to the three level on that motheaten suit? 4S is of with the faeries. Bid 4D if anything. Why not defend 3H doubled?

Board 3

♠ QJ97
♥ AK
D 9875
♣ 942

♠
♥ JT9643
D KT32
♣ Q73

Well, through what level do you play takeout doubles? No one can answer your post unless we know the system. If the double was for penalties then partner should pass; if the double was takeout, then I don't see the point of 4N. Why not 5H?

I would suggest most here play Xs through 4S as takeout and a 4N bid over 4S as a 2 suited t/o.

[han]

HeartA, on Mar 7 2005, 03:50 PM, said:

Board #1

Scoring: IMP

bidding (opps were silent):
North South
1♦ 1♠
2♦ 2♥
2♠ 4♠

---

4♠-2 (with different line and defense error, could be made), while 3NT could be easily made with a possible over-trick.

Board #2

Scoring: IMP

bidding (opps were silent):
North South
1♦ 1♠
2♦ 2♥
2♠ 4♠

---

4♠-2 while 5♦ was makable (♦K off-side, ♣K on side)

Board #3

Scoring: IMP

bidding (opps were silent):
North South
1♦ 1♠
2♦ 2♥
2♠ 4♠

---

5♦ dbl off 4 (the other table 4♠-1, makable) and we lost 15 imps.

On these hands both partners could have done better.

On the first, the 2S bid is not good, but neither is it right to jump to 4S, as partner could have given a simple preference.

On the second hand, it is standard to play that the double shows 4 spades (though many posters here play that it actually denies 4 spades, good to have an agreement). If you do, then double is not good. The 4S bid was lazy, the perfect 4D bid was available.

The last hand I don't understand at all. If the double is penalty (but who plays that?!), south should pass, if the double shows "cards" or is for take-out (but north hsa neither), then south should bid 5H.

[luis]

1. Shared, both 2♠ and 4♠ are bad calls, there's no need to make any of those north could bid 2NT and even over 2♠ south can bid 3♣ to offer some help in clubs, after all south has 5 spades and he already said he has 5 so 4♠ doesn't make sense.

2. I don't like the neg X, I prefer to bid 2♦, negative doubles usually deny a biddable suit.

3. The double of 4♠ is out of this world.

[HeartA]

I was South.

#1. I can't hardly image a hand from North that has to bid 2S with 2-small support. 90% of the times in the sequence, North should have 3-card support or at least 2 with an honor (Qx). The only distribution for that possibility that North had to bid 2S would be 2362. Even if so, South's bid of 4♠ was still reasonable because North denies stopper(s) in clubs (else why not 2NT?), and should have good cards in ♥ (else North could rebid 3♦). To bid 3♣ to ask help didn't sound right to me.

#2. As I wrote in another post here, I don't think South's hand was qualified for direct 2♦ over call without NFB. After my lho raised to 2♥ and my pd's free bid of 2♠, I could tell that we had the strength close to game and yet opp's bid to 2H. My pd had to be short in ♥, most likely singleton. If he didn't have 6-card of ♣, then he should have (most likely) 3-card of ♦. Idealy, I need 6th ♦ for me to bid 3♦ over 2♠, I believe my 3♦ was still very reasonable. Coincidentally or not, we had indead good chance to make 5♦ (♠Q was with my lho).

#3. I didn't bother to ask why my pd would dbl 4♠. Maybe I should pass, maybe I should bid 5♥. After all the strange bids, I lost my judgement. I didn't know what was going on. We didn't have discussion about this kind of dbl. But I figured that the dbl must be based on a powerful hand. With only good trumps, I wouldn't dbl in this situation. Even if it was vulnerable (both sides), 4S could still be preemptive. So I chose to bid 4N, intended to "corrected" to 5♦ if my pd bid 5♣.

[the hog]

"I believe my 3D was still very reasonable."

No. As most posters have pointed out, 3D was a poor bid on a poor suit. Pass 2S. I too prefer 1N to the X if not playing nfb