[pclayton]

Indeed a fun hand.

I don't think I've ever bid a direct 5H over one of a minor but I have over 1S. There is no guarantee the opponents have a spade fit. Wouldn't you feel a bit stupid if pard had 6 or 7 spades of his own and enough soft cards in the minors that limits the hand to 4H and you could have bought it for that?

I do intend to take a 5H call over anything.

I don't know how to get pards help in a slam investigation here although perhaps a sensible approach would be to make a jump cue in diamonds and pull to 4H to perhaps this shows a solid suit and a slammish hand that wants to hear a cue bid.

[luke warm]

Echognome, on Jun 1 2005, 04:29 PM, said:

Are we looking at the same auction? RHO opened 1♦. If partner blows you out of the water with a bid, that's the risk you take by passing. You don't compound it by making a bid that isn't part of your system. WTP? Any call you make carries a risk. I just think, let's have some fun with this.

arghh you're right.. helps to pay attention to the bidding

but i still think if you pass you might get burnt anytime they find a fit or partner bids

[Winstonm]

Of course, I bid 2D, Michael's, on the way to 7H doubled when partner won't believe my repeated heart bids thereafter and keeps on raising spades.

In real life, I believe there are two "correct" options: 1) pass and listen to the bidding for a while, and 2) bid 5 hearts right now. Both are extreme actions, but this is an extreme hand.

WinstonM

[luis]

I don't really find 5♥ so appealing, if you can make only 4♥ bidding 5 is quite silly, if you can make 6♥ bidding 5 is not brilliant either since pd won't know if he has to bid 6 or not. So I only like 4♥ and 6♥ in this auction.
Passing is silly, you will get them to exchange information and know what to do better, if you directly bid 4 or 6 hearts they have to guess whats going on inmediately.

As some of you said, who knows, anything can be right but I think 5♥ is a road to nowhere.

[Rebound]

Just my 2 cents: I think on hands like this it is a good idea to decide the level right away as with any pre-empt and just bid it then keep silent thereafter. I'd go for 5♥.

[whereagles]

Full hands here

♠ AKT9xxx
♥ --
♦ --
♣ AQJxxx

♠ --
♥ AKQ98xxxx
♦ JT97
♣ --

At table South tried a gambling 3NT overcall, after which there was no stopping North blasting to 6♠. Final contract was 7♥ X, which was on the verge to make, given the lead was.. a spade!!! 1 down.

The lesson of the hand is simple and recurrent. I've seen a couple of hands like this: a long suit and lenght in opponent's suit. What usually happens is pard has a monster 2-suiter in the unbid suits and can't keep quiet.

The trick with hands like this is how to convince pard to stop below the 5 or 6-level. Pass is not good because pard is definitely going to overcall some suit we can't support. A shot at 5 or 6♥ does keep pard quiet, but is probably too high because neither we nor opps can make a thing. A 4♥ overcall might do the trick, but if pard 'tries' for something we're in trouble. That leaves a simple 2 or 3♥ overcall, rebidding hearts at all occasions. Perhaps pard can understand this. Maybe it goes

(1♦)
2♥ 2♠ (enthousiastic)
3♥ 4♣ (still confident)
4♥ ...? (what is he talking about?? Oh well, I pass)

Just made

[Echognome]

Not to mention that partner has just about every missing high card point in the deck.

By the way, pass might work out after all. As long as you are disciplined and continue to pass when partner bids each of your voids. Not saying it's best, but on the hand given could work.

[Al_U_Card]

Start with 1 H and at your next turn bid 5D, Pard will know what to do.

[whereagles]

Jlall, on Jun 2 2005, 01:44 PM, said:

Who dealt this hand???????

Was dealt at table.

From what I could tell, it was a legitimate shuffle.

[Blofeld]

Could you let us know how partner will know what to do after you bid 1♥ and 5♦?

[Echognome]

(1♦) - 1♥ - (P) - 1/2/3/4♠
(P) - 5♦ - (P) - ?

Isn't this obviously a long heart suit and nothing else?

[Al_U_Card]

Blofeld, on Jun 2 2005, 09:34 AM, said:

Could you let us know how partner will know what to do after you bid 1♥ and 5♦?

Certainly. On freak hands, everyone will have something to say (show). The key is to describe your hand as accurately as possible. Despite the actual hand (result) pard will know that you have solid H and at least 2 quick losers in D. (Therefore, no support for any suit he might (have) offer(ed).) I'm sure that a good pard, given accurate information about your hand, will be able to make an informed and correct decision.

[whereagles]

Well, perhaps one should define an overcall of 4♦ as "I have a freak hand", as in..

1♠ 4♦ = "A freak. guess my suit(s)"

[HeartA]

I would not that master-minded and just bid 4H.

[Al_U_Card]

HeartA, on Jun 2 2005, 10:33 AM, said:

I would not that master-minded and just bid 4H.

I believe that to "master-mind" means to act unilaterally (excluding pard from the bidding). 4 H (right or wrong) certainly qualifies and I would think better describes a hand like 1-8-2-2 etc. so pard will have a TOTAL description of your (lack of)values.

[luke warm]

i don't think i'd use 'mastermind' about someone who had a solid 9 card suit