[biggerclub]

ACBL Regional Open Pairs MPs

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Despite Partner having a stiff ♥ and 3 small ♦s, ♥s plays better (as well as being 1 level lower).

Given that I was willing to play in ♥ opposite a stiff, or even void, I wondered in the PM if I should have treated this as a 1-suited hand.

[steve2005]

Could just as easily play better in ♦. all you need is J♦ from partner and now you have danger of losing a ♦ ruff in hearts

[WesleyC]

I think the sequence you had at the table was fine. You described a hand that wants to play in 4H but with diamonds on the side, holding 1H and 3D, I would pass.

Partner should appreciate that you had a LOT of other ways to describe a diamond/heart 2 suiter. Over 3C you could double, bid 3D, 3H, 4C and 4D which all describe various shapes/strengths. Of those bids 4H must be the strongest suggestion of hearts - usually a 75 or similar.

[Jinksy]

The question isn't just which will play better. You also risk just missing game if 2♦ gets passed out and (prob more realistically) risk giving the opps room to find theirs/find a good sac. So for me it's a 4♥ bid directly over 1N.

[Zelandakh]

What does a 2NT overcall mean in your methods? If you had started with 2♥ (presumably natural) you could have followed up with 4♦ so it is not really right to say that it automatically means treating the hand as a 1-suiter.

[dboxley]

Jinksy, on 2015-October-31, 19:26, said:

The question isn't just which will play better. You also risk just missing game if 2♦ gets passed out and (prob more realistically) risk giving the opps room to find theirs/find a good sac. So for me it's a 4♥ bid directly over 1N.

I agree, I wouldn't want the opps (or partner) to know about the diamonds.

[biggerclub]

Zelandakh, on 2015-November-02, 15:14, said:

What does a 2NT overcall mean in your methods? If you had started with 2♥ (presumably natural) you could have followed up with 4♦ so it is not really right to say that it automatically means treating the hand as a 1-suiter.

We are playing DONT so 2♥ would show ♥s + ♠s. Of course, blasting to 4♥s is to play.

[SteveMoe]

Zel's on to a good line of thinking...
Even if you play 2N as minors, Starting with 2N on all strong 2-suiters (4 losers) is a good idea.
When partner chooses a minor, your ♥ bid reveals the strong ODR hand.

[Vampyr]

SteveMoe, on 2015-November-03, 22:46, said:

Zel's on to a good line of thinking...
Even if you play 2N as minors, Starting with 2N on all strong 2-suiters (4 losers) is a good idea.
When partner chooses a minor, your ♥ bid reveals the strong ODR hand.

We do this in theory, but have never really discussed the followups. Does anyone have a good scheme?

[Zelandakh]

Vampyr, on 2015-November-04, 11:19, said:

We do this in theory, but have never really discussed the followups. Does anyone have a good scheme?

Logical would seem something like:-

(over 3♣): 3♦ = ♠+minor; 3♥ = ♥+♣; 3♠ = ♥+♦; 3NT = ♣+♦; 4♣ = ♥+♠
(over 3♦): 3♥ = ♥+another; 3♠ = ♠+♣; 3NT = ♣+♦; 4♣ = ♠+♦; 4♦ = ♥+♠

or
(over 3m): 3NT = ♣+♦; 1st suit step = ♥+minor; 2nd suit step = ♠+♣; 3rd suit step = ♠+♦; 4th suit step = ♥+♠

...but both involve committing past 3NT with ♠+♦ where partner prefers diamonds, which is not ideal. Unfortunately there is simply not enough space after a 3♦ response to get everything in. Moving a GF hand with both minors to a direct 3NT overcall would fix this but good luck on remembering that in 30 years when it comes up for the first time!