[microcap]

First problem: You hold

Scoring: BAM

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The bidding goes: RHO 1♣-you pass-LHO 1♠-partner bids 2♦, RHO passes, you pass, LHO bids 2♠, partner doubles--RHO passes again. Back to you? What do you bid? Scoring was BAM, and we would be interested if your answer is different at IMPS or MPS.

Second Problem: Assess the percentage blame:

Scoring: BAM

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The bidding went: North- Pass East - 2 spades- SOuth pass-West pass--North 3 ♥-Pass around. Making 5 hearts as they split 3-2. All of North -South bids are debatable I think--the original North pass, South's first pass, the 3♥ balance, and South's second pass. Who is most at fault, and which bids do you agree with if any?

Thanks in advance for all replies!

[han]

On the first hand I play that partner's double is "take out", so it is very unlikely that we'd have this auction while I have this hand. If we do, I have an easy 4H bid. It would be nice to know what your agreements about the double are. If it is penalty then I will sit.

On the second hand I would open with North's hand, but this is a matter of style, not right or wrong. However, if you have the agreement that you open these hands, then north should open.

Both passes by south are very bad. Double the first time is absolutely clear, no discussion possible imo. The second pass is very strange. Sure, partner is balancing and is a passed hand, but (s)he is doing it at the three level, and the south hand is huge in support of hearts.

I would not balance with North's hand, because north has 3 spades. I think 3H is wrong, but not nearly as wrong as either of south's passes. Perhaps north regretted the first pass, but regret is usually not a good guide in bridge.

[HeartA]

For the first hand, I wouldn't pass after my pd overcalled 2♦. I would overcall 2♥.

For the second hand, South took 90% of the blame, if not 100%.

[the hog]

On the first hand I overcall 1H. I don't pass. You have a decent 5 card suit, surely you want to bid for the lead.

Second hand:
Well Nth passed a clear opening bid - 5 controls, a 5431 shape, you have to be kidding!
Secondly Sth passed over 2S when he should have made a takeout double, thirdly South passed again! This is too timid for words. Percentage blame? Nth 40%, South 60%.

[inquiry]

1st hand. I play this double of 2♠ as takeout, partner is forcing me to bid, at the three level, on maybe not much. I have five strong hearts and we have a fit (if partner has spades and short hearts, he must not double). I jump to 4♥.

2nd hand.
A.) North has an opening bid
B.) South has a "prebalancing double of 2♠
C.) Norht's 3♥ on King-empty fiftth with three spades is wacky, how can partner have enough points and enough hearts to keep this from being killed given he did not misbid and pass over 2♠ with a hand like he held.
D.) South's pass of 3♥ is insane.. did he look at his hand? Maybe he has seen his partner's balancing 3♥ bids before on King empty.

Neither partner bid so well. North thought his hand wasn't worth a one level bid and so ended up entering the auction at the three level. South thought his hand wasnt' worth a bid on either round of the bidding. I hate to figure out who bid worse, but the contract is a direct result of south's timid bidding. So I give him the majority of the blame. How about 63.71% on south and the remainder on north.

[Walddk]

inquiry, on Mar 16 2005, 05:38 PM, said:

1st hand. I play this double of 2♠ as takeout, partner is forcing me to bid, at the three level, on maybe not much. I have five strong hearts and we have a fit (if partner has spades and short hearts, he must not double). I jump to 4♥.

2nd hand.
A.) North has an opening bid
B.) South has a "prebalancing double of 2♠
C.) Norht's 3♥ on King-empty fiftth with three spades is wacky, how can partner have enough points and enough hearts to keep this from being killed given he did not misbid and pass over 2♠ with a hand like he held.
D.) South's pass of 3♥ is insane.. did he look at his hand? Maybe he has seen his partner's balancing 3♥ bids before on King empty.

Neither partner bid so well. North thought his hand wasn't worth a one level bid and so ended up entering the auction at the three level. South thought his hand wasnt' worth a bid on either round of the bidding. I hate to figure out who bid worse, but the contract is a direct result of south's timid bidding. So I give him the majority of the blame. How about 63.71% on south and the remainder on north.

I agree with everything Ben says on both accounts, except one thing:

I give both 100%! Perfect partnership

Roland

[mike777]

1) There can be a lot of advantages to overcalling light over 1 of minor openings NV with a response structure. May cut down or make balancing decisions easier.
2) There can be advantages to opening light with a follow up structure. May cut down or make balancing decisions easier.
3) Be prepared to bid once, early, and get out.
4) Be willing to be doubled or play underpoint games where you may need a small defensive mistake to make.
5) Advantage of playing very sound is you may be able to Double alot of this light bidding and kill it.

[microcap]

Followup to problem one. Now you are the other hand and you hold:

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When the bidding goes 1♣-p-1♠-2♦ by you, Pass-Pass-2♠--now back to you--again, you are playing BAM and you are vul vs nv--

And now all of you know why I titled this "adventures" with Rex and Jay. Our bridge is imperfect, but if there was a competition in sarcasm, we could challenge Garozzo-Belladonna at their peak!

[han]

Pass.

If double is not for penalty, don't double for penalty. (that makes sense, doesn't it?)

I disagree with those who give north part of the blame because he didn't open on hand 2. If Rex and Ray are uncomfortable opening 11 counts than they should not be forced to open 1H. The 3H bid is bad, but should have lead to the right spot, therefore north also gets no blame for that bid!

Besides, giving only 60% or 63.71% of the blame to south is too little.

[the hog]

I think most are forgetting this is Bam. At Bam an overcall on KQJxx is as important as at Mp. They would be able to find an easy Bam x if the opps competed to 2S.

Hannie what 11 point hand are you talking about? I see a 5431 shape with 5 controls; this is not an 11 point hand in my book.

[awm]

I think the 2nd hand depends a lot on partnership style. With a partner who tends to force game on any twelve-count, and who opens aggressively in third seat on balanced tens, I would feel much more comfortable to pass with north's cards. On the other hand, if partner tends towards very sound game forces without a fit and doesn't open particularly light in third seat, then the first hand is an opening. Anyways, I can see reasonable partnership agreements where north's cards are a pass.

However, I don't see any reasonable partnership where south's hand isn't worth a raise of the 3 heart balance to game. The 3h bid itself is bad, but certainly should have had the opposite effect that it actually did (i.e. might reach a bad game, shouldn't keep us out of a good one). 100% of the blame to south, neither of whose calls were reasonable.

[pclayton]

On the 1st, my pet treatment is to play this double as penalty. Why?


1. Its frequently a misfit auction. RHO can't support or make a support double. Why can't pard hold: AQJxx, x, x, AKxxxx?

2. Pard is sitting over the bidder.

3. 2N is available as a takeout to show diamonds and secondary hearts.


I know about the bromide about doubles below 2♠ being takeout, but can anyone actually construct a hand where this makes sense? A cooperative double I can see, but not takeout.

[han]

The_Hog, on Mar 16 2005, 08:14 PM, said:

I think most are forgetting this is Bam. At Bam an overcall on KQJxx is as important as at Mp. They would be able to find an easy Bam x if the opps competed to 2S.

Hannie what 11 point hand are you talking about? I see a 5431 shape with 5 controls; this is not an 11 point hand in my book.

Ron, I do not think that this hand is close either, but if they are uncomfortable opening his hand then they shouldn't. Clearly Rex and Jay are not competing at the level that you are, and they should play methods they feel comfortable with. I would never say that passing is "wrong".

I do agree that the overcall on KQJxx is mandatory.

[han]

pclayton, on Mar 17 2005, 10:03 AM, said:

I know about the bromide about doubles below 2♠ being takeout, but can anyone actually construct a hand where this makes sense? A cooperative double I can see, but not takeout.

How about x Axx AKJxxx K10x? Is this hand any less likely than the 5-6 hand you just posted (given that our hand is unknown)?

I prefer to have very clear rules about when a double is penalty and when a double is for take-out, and I'm willing to play slightly inferior methods if they guarantee that we never have misunderstandings about this. I'll believe you if you say that it is better to play the double as penalty, but my rules say it is not. These rules have served me in the past.

[luke warm]

Quote

First problem:  You hold

Dealer: East Vul: NS Scoring: BAM

♠ x ♥ KQJxx ♦ xx ♣ 1098xx

  The bidding goes:  RHO 1♣-you pass-LHO 1♠-partner bids 2♦, RHO passes, you pass, LHO bids 2♠, partner doubles--RHO passes again.  Back to you?  What do you bid?  Scoring was BAM, and we would be interested if your answer is different at IMPS or MPS.

i would have (as others have said) overcalled 1H... with the given bidding, i guess i'd bid 3H now...

Quote

Second Problem:  Assess the percentage blame:

Dealer: North Vul: Both Scoring: BAM

♠ Axx ♥ K7xxx ♦ x ♣ Axxx ♠ x ♥ AJ9 ♦ AJxxx ♣ KJxx

  The bidding went:  North- Pass  East - 2 spades- SOuth pass-West pass--North 3 ♥-Pass around.  Making 5 hearts as they split 3-2.  All of North -South bids are debatable I think--the original North pass, South's first pass, the 3♥ balance, and South's second pass.  Who is most at fault, and which bids do you agree with if any?

i can't really fault north too much for passing, tho i'd have probably opened it... i don't like south's pass very much... a double here should easily find the game... i have to give 100% to south, as north's pass isn't really "wrong"...

[whereagles]

If you're going to overcall on this, bid TWO hearts. That shows a weakish hand with good suit and high offense-to-defense ratio.

Isn't that that you have??

[microcap]

I appreciate everyone's responses--they have been very interesting. The biggest surprise to me is the number of people in hand one that overcall 1♥ with the 1-5-2-5 6 count. That never occurred to me--Rex says he thought about it but didnt feel it met our partnership standards so he passed. In the same hand, we didn't have a clear agreement for my double over 2♠. My number one intent was: This is BAM, and I think letting them play 2♠ undoubled and not vul is a sure loss to the other table LOL So bid something or leave the double in, whatever you think is best. I disagree with the 4♥ jumpers for that reason-- the opps have opened and responder has bid twice, so we are unlikely to have much more than half the deck. 4♥ is unlikely to make unless you catch the doubler with 4 card support, and that is unlikely. So I think 3♥ is plenty.

[cherdano]

whereagles, on Mar 18 2005, 11:23 AM, said:

If you're going to overcall on this, bid TWO hearts. That shows a weakish hand with good suit and high offense-to-defense ratio.

Isn't that that you have??

Well, at this vulnerability (red vs white), 2♥ for me also shows a hand that can expect to take 6-7 tricks. This is not quite what I have. At any other vulnerability, I would agree with you.

[Walddk]

whereagles, on Mar 18 2005, 06:23 AM, said:

If you're going to overcall on this, bid TWO hearts. That shows a weakish hand with good suit and high offense-to-defense ratio.

Isn't that that you have??

Yes, I like 2♥ too. Never mind the missing 6th heart, this 5-bagger is adequate. I expect a bit more in terms of high cards for a 1♥ overcall.

Roland