[Winstonm]

Scoring: IMP

The auction:
W N E S
3D 4D 5D P
P 6D P ?

---

What now? What do you bid and why?

[Free]

As far as I'm concerned, I still think partner asks me to bid A Major. ♥ is the best Major, so I think 6♥ is the best choice...

Obviously, this wouldn't be a problem if 6♥ would be the correct bid. Probably 6♠ or even pass is best...

[Winstonm]

Guess I should have clarified this a little better....sorry.

The question is: What do you bid - six hearts or SEVEN hearts?

[Stephen Tu]

Definitely 6 only. In a preempted auction partner is allowed to hope you have a useful card. Wouldn't he bid this way with AKQJx AQJTx - AKx ? Don't hang him by bidding 7.

[cherdano]

Stephen Tu, on Mar 10 2005, 02:11 AM, said:

Definitely 6 only.  In a preempted auction partner is allowed to hope you have a useful card.  Wouldn't he bid this way with AKQJx AQJTx - AKx ?  Don't hang him by bidding 7.

So how should he bid AKQJx AQJT9 - AKQ? A direct 6♦, maybe? (I agree with 6♥, btw.)

Arend

[hotShot]

Cool bidding you got there.
But without some data on your bidding system and style it's hard to say whats going on.

Trust your Partner or get another new one .



I can imagine 3 different meanings of 4♦:

1) Your partner is short in ♦ and STRONG, at least stronger than takeout.
2) Your partner is 5-5 in the majors, you should pick one.
3) Your partner is trying to uncover a psyche by west.
4) Someone missclicked, and everything we suggest is *censored*.

If he meant 1) he can dbl 5♦ to get something like 800 to 1100, since you have nothing. I don't think 6♦ is a good follow up bid.

If he meant 2), he can hardly expect you to understand 6♦ he should bid one of his 5 card suit at 5 level.

If he meant 3) he can dbl 5♦ for a massacre and if west runs, you know it was a psyche.

That leaves 1) and 4) as options.
So i think your partner holds 544 (or maybe 553) and a ♦ void with lots of hcps.

So i can't resit to bid 7♦ and let partner choose his favorite major.

[pclayton]

I just don't know how strong the inference is of a direct 4♦ vs a direct 6♦. In theory, pard should be playing us for one useful card, but this hand looks mighty good. Content yourself with 6 and discuss the nuances later.

I'll bet they sac anyway.

[whereagles]

Indeed. Bid 6 and discuss stuff later seems the sensible approach at table.

[luis]

6 is fine and if we make 7 6 is still fine.

[joker_gib]

6♥ of course !

[han]

cherdano, on Mar 9 2005, 09:16 PM, said:

Stephen Tu, on Mar 10 2005, 02:11 AM, said:

Definitely 6 only.  In a preempted auction partner is allowed to hope you have a useful card.  Wouldn't he bid this way with AKQJx AQJTx - AKx ?  Don't hang him by bidding 7.

So how should he bid AKQJx AQJT9 - AKQ? A direct 6♦, maybe? (I agree with 6♥, btw.)

Arend

My partner's tend not to have such good hands Arend.

[mikestar]

7H. Partner is already gambling that we fit one of his majors, he shouldn't be gambling on a high card. We have the King of hearts and a double fit, he couldn't have caught us with a better hand if he stacked the deck.

If we won't bid 7H with this hand, what will it take?

By the way this is very much like a hand that S. J. Simon has in Why You Lose At Bridge he regards 7H as correct if you trust your partner.

[cherdano]

Hannie, on Mar 10 2005, 04:50 PM, said:

cherdano, on Mar 9 2005, 09:16 PM, said:

So how should he bid AKQJx AQJT9 - AKQ? A direct 6♦, maybe? (I agree with 6♥, btw.)

Arend

My partner's tend not to have such good hands Arend.

Now you know why they usually don't bid 6♦ over 3♦.

Arend

[Stephen Tu]

Quote

7H. Partner is already gambling that we fit one of his majors, he shouldn't be gambling on a high card. We have the King of hearts and a double fit, he couldn't have caught us with a better hand if he stacked the deck.

If we won't bid 7H with this hand, what will it take?

It's not much of gamble that you'll fit a major. When the opponents have big fit, you're guaranteed to have a fit. It'll be in a major the vast majority of the time. Occasionally your fit is clubs but if partner has the suit solidity to justify bidding this way, 7 cd fits will often be enough.

I'd bid 7 with 2 covers, definitely not 1.

If partner has the 2 loser hand, how can he expect you to raise to slam with xxx xxx xxx Qxxx? He has to bid what he thinks he can make. There's no sensible bid for him after 5d other than 6d with the 5-5-0-3 monster. He'll be dealt the 2 loser hand many times more often than the 1 loser hand just on probability. If he has to wait until he has only 1 loser to bid 6, then he will miss many slams, and many chances to dbl 7d when the opponents take a phantom sac opposite a confidently bid 6. The losses from these boards will outstrip gains from being able to bid 7 with this hand. He'll also lose a lot from not being able to bid 5 lest you raise to 6 on your one useful card, if you are taking the position that one should only bid what one can make opposite a yarborough.

When the opponents preempt, give partner some maneuvering room, let him bid some of your cards, assume you have a little help. If he's not allowed to assume you have anything, the opponents will rob you blind.

[joker_gib]

mikestar, on Mar 10 2005, 12:18 PM, said:

If we won't bid 7H with this hand, what will it take?

Partner has been preempted and has no room to ask for a lot of information.

I'll already be pleased to play 6 and don't want to go down in 7 which is catastrophic !!

If there was 7, I can live with it and will congratulate opps for their good preempt

Please also don't forget that with a 1 loser hand, partner can bid 6♦ directly

[Winstonm]

A little more for thought.
It seems likely partner has a 2-suited major takeout for his 4D bid.

So why didn't he follow that with:

A) 5N pick a slam or
B) 6H

WinstonM

[HeartA]

Stephen Tu, on Mar 10 2005, 05:45 PM, said:

When the opponents preempt, give partner some maneuvering room, let him bid some of your cards, assume you have a little help. If he's not allowed to assume you have anything, the opponents will rob you blind.

Well said.

[Stephen Tu]

Quote

So why didn't he follow that with:

A) 5N pick a slam or
B) 6H

6H should show longer hearts than spades I think. Why not bid 5nt? Without prior discussion, one shouldn't make too many assumptions. Perhaps he just felt 6d was least likely to be misinterpreted, or perhaps he wanted you to declare if you happened to want to bid 6nt. With discussion, perhaps 6d shows longer spades with 5nt showing equal length. Or perhaps 5nt implies tolerance for 6c. Or maybe one sequence invites the grand with 1 cover but not the other.

[beatrix45]

Technically you should bid 7, I guess 7D to offer choice. The alternative is 6H, but only if after losing 13 IMPs the match is survivable.

Trixie

[Fluffy]

♠xxx is not a good holding on secondary suit, that is something to undervalue your ♥K.

I expect this from partner:

AKJxxx/AQJxxx/-/x

and even 6♥ might be down.