[sceptic]

Scoring: IMP

---

West North East South

 -     -     Pass  Pass
 1♥    Pass  1NT   Pass
 2NT   Pass  3♦    Pass
 3♠    Pass  4♣    Pass
 4NT   Dbl   5♣    Pass
 Pass  Dbl   Pass  Pass
 Pass  

well here I am sitting in 5 clubs x, can you make this ?

[sceptic]

comments on the bidding welcomed

[Walddk]

The bidding:
Noth could have overcalled 1NT, and NS would have ended up in 2♠. When North decided not to come in, I think the bidding was ok (2NT perhaps a slight overbid) until East's 3♦.

East wants to sign off in 3 of minor with that hand, but why he would choose his lousy diamonds (5-card suit) rather than his good-ish 6-card club suit I don't understand. Over 3♣ West should pass, as he should have over 3♦.

3mi is weak and a sign off. If East had been interested in game he would simply have raised to 3NT.

The play:
The contract has no play on any lead. Even ♠A will not help declarer. He has too many diamonds to get rid of.

Roland

[sceptic]

I bid 3 diamonds as I did not know my p and if he bid over 3 D looking for 3nt I can cop out in 4Clubs, I take it I still have a way to go before I am any good then LOL

[Walddk]

sceptic, on Apr 3 2005, 03:19 PM, said:

I bid 3 diamonds as I did not know my p and if he bid over 3 D looking for 3nt I can cop out in 4Clubs, I take it I still have a way to go before I am any good then LOL

I understand what you are saying Wayne, but it's not a good idea to bid a shorter suit before a longer. The way you bid you will never make partner believe that you have more clubs than diamonds.

The thing to realise now is that you must sign off in the best possible partscore. I am sure you agree, by looking at your own hand only, that you want to play in exactly 3♣. So bid it and tell partner afterwards why he should not have bid on.

Roland

[GijsH]

Maybe I am missing something here, but assuming you play 2/1 GF, East has an obvious pass: what game are you missing if West has a 21 count? Especially with a singleton in pd suit, East should further downgrade his hand.
Of course South will back in with 1 or 2 Spades. West passes, eagerly awaiting to pass East's t.o. double, but East disapoints him by bidding Clubs (or 2NT for the monirs for an experienced partnership). Now EW are on the same wavelength and this silly 5C will be avoided.

After 1H-(p)-1NT, I think a 2S reverse is also very obvious.

5C double after a mandatory trump lead is unmakeble.

[Walddk]

GijsH, on Apr 6 2005, 03:40 AM, said:

5C double after a mandatory trump lead is unmakeble.

As I pointed out in an earlier post it's dead and buried on any lead, even a low spade!

Roland

[joker_gib]

I also pass on 1♥ with the east hand ! (will come back later if possible)

[Walddk]

joker_gib, on Apr 6 2005, 04:54 AM, said:

I also pass on 1♥ with the east hand ! (will come back later if possible)

I don't mind 1NT, but I do mind if opener does not respect my sign off in 3♣ later.

Roland

[joker_gib]

Walddk, on Apr 6 2005, 05:09 AM, said:

but I do mind if opener does not respect my sign off in 3♣ later.

Clear and I agree of course !

Alain

[luke warm]

justin can get away with bidding 1nt, but with the east hand i'd pass 1h... now if for some strange reason i have to bid later, west knows i'm pretty broke

[Chamaco]

I would pass pard's 1H opener.
I'd bid 1NT forcing below values only if opening is 1S and I have H to retreat to, OR with the possibility to give a later preference.

As it is, with such a weak hand, 3 bad things are very likely to occur bidding 1NT:

1- if I am broke, the chances are that pard has a reverse or similar, and that will bring us to the 3+ level

2- misfit in the major is very likely

3- pard will play us for more hcp content than we actually have, and we may end up in a hopeless 3NT contract (if we pull to 4m, pard is likely to have none, and we'll get doubled)

Bidding 1NT forcing here may have 2 benefits:

1- find a better strain
2- steal from opps

However, given the high likelihood of misfit, both things are likely to backfire IMO.
Better reconcile with playing in a 5-1 fit at the 1 level, and if opps compete:
- it may be not too bad given the general misfit.
- if opps compete pard will have a chance to show extras in hcp or shape; by our pass, at least he won't expect anything from us.