[flytoox]

Sitting at south, you hold:
S: KQTX
H: AXX
D: X
C: AJTXX

East opened with 1H as dealer, what do you do?
1) Dbl; Spade is shown, but if pd bid 2d, you are stuck;
2) 2C, you now risk spade fit.

This hand is not too good, not too bad either. How to handle this kind hand?


Many thanks.
HOngjun

[hrothgar]

In many partnership, I play a direct seat NT overall as showing
4 cards in an unbid major with a longer unbid minor.
Would work very well on this hand.

Even if I am playing standard, I'd still be very tempted to bid 1NT
Gets the strength across, easy to find a spade fit, and how often will partner want to play in Diamonds?

If I'm playing with a partner who would get upset with 1NT, I'd overcall 1S

[luis]

You can play the "Raptor" NT convention where an overcall of 1M shows 4 cards in the other major and a 5 card minor suit. This hand is just perfect for that treatment :-).
(Playing Raptor over 1m 1NT shows 5om and 4M)

If you don't play that then a 2c overcall seems to be normal, if pd has values to bid 2d or cuebid 2h you have an easy 2s rebid if pd bids 2s then you can bid 3s. It doesn't seem to be a problem.

Dbl is surely wrong, you will be in trouble or in a wrong spot if pd bids 2d.

[luis]

Quote

In many partnership, I play a direct seat NT overall as showing
4 cards in an unbid major with a longer unbid minor.
Would work very well on this hand.

Even if I am playing standard, I'd still be very tempted to bid 1NT
Gets the strength across, easy to find a spade fit, and how often will partner want to play in Diamonds?

If I'm playing with a partner who would get upset with 1NT, I'd overcall 1S

Hehe, I also mentioned the Raptor 1NT overcall, maybe that's why we play the same system :-)
I really don't like the 1s overcall if they play the hand you want pd to lead a club not a spade and if you end up playing 4s in the 4-3 fit with a good 8/9 card fit in clubs pd will not be happy.
I like 1s with a bad 5 card minor or when I have just a few points and want to introduce spades just in case we can compete if pd has some strength. In this hand 1s can attempt against your own constructive bidding...

[hrothgar]

I'd bet dollars to donuts that Marshall Miles would recommend a 1S overcall with this hand.

[luis]

Maybe we have a "master solvers forum" hand here :-)
I'd vote for 2c and score 100 you crazy 1s bidders get your 80 and stop crying :-)))
Life is not only about spades.
Votes?

[Codo]

And here are the votes of my jury:

100 points for 1 NT raptor
80 for pasing, good pds will often reopen
60 for 2 Club
40 1 Spade
20 double
0 two Heart
l
I asked all bridge players in my village (me) and we all agreed on this rating.

Kind Regards

Roland

[flytoox]

Thanks all. IN the field, about 60% bid 2c, and about 35% dbl, 5% choose pass.
Pd holds:
S: J98XXX
H: KX
D: KTX
C: XX

4S IS an easy make.

I overcalled 2c, but pd passed, maybe downvalued his hk for east opened 1h. So our talbe is the only one playng 2c:(

1N convention seems nice, so for the normal overcall nt hand, you will dbl and rebid nt?

As for 1S overcall, I thought about it finally gave up. I actually think 1s is not that bad, coz KQTX is really very solid.

[Antoine Fourrière]

That hand would open 2C in Polish club or for some Precision players and 2C here runs less chance of ending the auction than would a 2C opening. 1N is slightly wrong on pattern and nearly wrong on strength. 1S might turn out very right or quite wrong. Hence the votes of my jury:

2C: 100
1N: 90 (not Raptor)
1S: 80
Pass: 30
2H: 20
double: 10 (argh!)

[lifemonster]

If you do not play Raptor 1NT(which used to be popular among Canadian juniors, especially in the campus of Univ. of Waterloo), a delayed takeout double works better. You are planning

1H-pass-2D-pass
2H-dbl

Now it's perfect shape for delayed double.

If my memory serves me right, there is a classical delayed double hand by Soloway in Spingold years ago. I have yet to find it out.

[the hog]

Choice 1 a raptor 1NT overcall.
Choice 2 a canape overcall of 1S (if available and if not playing in the US)
Choice 3 a natural 1S overcall
Choice 4 a 2C overcall
Choice 5 Pass. Hoping to come in later - see Lifemonster's post
Choice 6 double

Double is clearly the worst of all possible actions, leaving you very badly placed if pd bounces in Ds. Even playing equal level conversion you can get into serious strife by doubling on this hand.

[lifemonster]

OK here it is, from 79 Spingold.

Q8632
J
10962
Q42
4 A75
K75 AQ10632
AKJ743 Q5
J107 65
KJ109
984
8
AK983

The bidding went
N E S W
p 1H p(1) 2D
p 2H dbl(2) p
4S(3) 5H p p
5S(4) x all p

(1)They didn't play Raptor;
(2)perfect delayed double now
(3)choose to sac
(4)choose to sac again

EW plus 100. In the other room, South overcalled 2C and spades were buried. EW 650.

[mishovnbg]

Hi friends, instead of comment i will give you an example from last tournament.

My hand P hand

AJxx 1098xx
xxx xx
Axxxx KQxx
A Qx

Bidding: Opp open 1HE before me, o overcall 1SP ( thanks to Marshall Miles "21"), p raise to 4. Lead JDI, Result =

Misho