[Winstonm]

This is easy: I bid 1S. After the director is called, I change my bid to 1N, barring my partner.

[Walddk]

Winstonm, on Jun 14 2005, 11:55 PM, said:

This is easy: I bid 1S. After the director is called, I change my bid to 1N, barring my partner.

If only it was as easy as that. You can't do that I'm afraid. You will have to make a sufficient call, unless LHO accepts 1♠. If LHO doesn't accept, 1NT is not an option. Anything sufficient is (pass included), but then you are back at the 2-level.

Roland

[P_Marlowe]

mikestar, on Jun 14 2005, 04:27 PM, said:

An easy pass for me. 11 HCP but subtract at least a point for the sfiff which is always a liability in NT--here it makes it much harder to run partner's diamonds than if you had xx. So with at best a bad 10, pass is obvious--game is unlikely and partner's diamonds will pull more weight if they are trumps. Wouldn't surprise me if pass was the only plus score.

But then, it would not surprise you, when 3NT is making in
comfort, after all opener may still hold a trash 16 count,
given that a jump rebid american style, is much heavier
than a jump rebid european style.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Winstonm]

Quote

If only it was as easy as that.

Oh, Darn! And it was Such a good plan.

Put me in the pass category. I can't find sufficient reason to move if partner does not have a 3D call, but plenty of reasons not to bid after 2D: a) this may be our last chance to go plus; we don't have a fit c) my spots are poor d) partner is trying as hard to get to game as I am - my hand will be a diappointment I think if I take further action.

But I'd really rather go back and bid 1 1/2 N.

WinstonM

[luke warm]

no mike, you aren't alone... i also voted for pass

[Winstonm]

I also think I saw this hand about a million times in the team matches recently, and no one sitting south had a clue what to do as partner's hand as often as not turned out to be: Qx, xxx, AQJ9xx, Qx.

[Double !]

voted for 2NT

probably wrong again, it just seems like a good chance that the combined hands will take the same number of tricks at NT as in diamonds.

[Rebound]

FWIW I voted pass also.

[Fluffy]

This was the closest decision to me, on a MP or XIMPs the decision would be to go with the field in 2NT, on team game its closer, but still 2NT I guess.

[flytoox]

Fluffy, on Jun 15 2005, 12:54 PM, said:

This was the closest decision to me, on a MP or XIMPs the decision would be to go with the field in 2NT, on team game its closer, but still 2NT I guess.

Hehe, so interesting. I thought this is so clear to pass here.

With doubleton diamond, I would bid 2N, even 3N. But this hand is a trap. We simply dont have trick source.

[Blofeld]

We don't have a trick source, but we may yet be able to make 3NT by brute force.

[Dwingo]

My balance sheet is still showing a plus for overbidding. I am a bidder on this hand.

Once you decide to bid, then 2NT automatically falls in place due to elimination of other possible bids. All other bids will show longer hearts and be forcing.

Godwin

[inquiry]

Scoring: IMP

BPO-003C

North South
1♦ 1♥
2♦ ? your bid

Submitted (modified) by Hannie

---

The original problem from Han was what to do with your partners hand after hearing 2NT by this hand. I thought that wasn’t much a of a problem, since I thought with the hand as Han submitted it, the entire panel would rebid 3NT (as Han did). A more interesting question was what to do with this misfitting hand at imps when not vul. I thought despite the nice HCP, a pass was entirely in order, but then I open light and this does have 11 hcp and potentially two stoppers in each side suit. So I wondered if pass would agree with me. Let’s see what they had to say.

Agreeing with my view of this hand, were four very thoughtful panelist :-)

Fred Pass. I would bid 2NT if we were vulnerable.

CherdanoPass (close). The hand looks like a test: is there ANY 11 count with which I would not invite? Of course, game is still possible, but 2NT will lead to too many bad 3NT games, and 3♦ (while more appropriate on values) obviously mis-describes the nature of my hand.

Reisig C. Pass (Non-vul) - 2NT (if Vul)

Cascade Pass. The values for 2NT but soft cards and misfitting values. We are not vulnerable so this will not cost much when it is wrong and I expect to get lots of small pluses when 2NT and 3NT are failing.

The majority, however, ignored the implication of the misfit and made another game try. Notice agai, however, that quite a few mention the importance of vulnerability. Above, where Fred and Reisig would have bid 2NT vul, but took the conservative pass not vul, that luis applied the same higher vul logic, his vul rebid would have been 3NT.

Luis 2NT. Not vulnerable I'm happy to invite with a missfit for diamonds. I think
this is quite simple, I don't have any intermediates and pd is not promising
a great hand. Vulnerable I think I would have tried 3NT probably down but
worth the try.

Jlall 2NT. Not much of a problem here to me. Sure I'm soft and have a stiff diamond but pard can have as much as 15 and I feel like I have to make a try.

Fluffy 2NT, sure pass can be right, but feel aggressive today.

Ritong 2 NT i am not gutsy enough to pass..

ng 2NT. This is obvious. What else?

Walddk2NT. Partner has shown 11-15 with 6 diamonds. Game must be worth a try even non vulnerable. My hand looks very no trumpy. I would of course have liked a few intermediates in the side suits rather than 32, 32, 32 (probably deliberate by the poster), but I must bid the hand I was dealt. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if 2♦ was the last making spot. It's pretty close between 2NT and pass.

Sorry to disappoint you Roland, the spot cards are what was dealt and submitted by Hannie in the original problem (I got to see all four hands). With 6 2NT votes, that gets the 100% score. But note, that Roland, fluffy, and ritong all have a feeling that pass could be right. So I have upgraded the score for pass. You can see a table of the panel votes on this problem at the following link.
Master solver panel BPO-003

Also, we should all realize, yet again, from the panel votes here that the bid you choose at imps is OFTEN based upon the vulnerability: In this case pressing harder for game when vul than when not, as so many panelist commented on the vulnerability.

VOTES  Panel  Score
2NT        6      100
Pass       4       80
3NT        0      10

[han]

This was my partner's hand. My hand was something like xx K10x AK109xxx x. When my partner bid 2NT, I bid 3H, and we landed in 3NT down quite a few. I didn't think that my 3H bid was so clear, what do you think?

[mike777]

Hannie, on Jun 16 2005, 10:39 AM, said:

This was my partner's hand. My hand was something like xx K10x AK109xxx x. When my partner bid 2NT, I bid 3H, and we landed in 3NT down quite a few. I didn't think that my 3H bid was so clear, what do you think?

I think you will never never miss any games with both of you bidding like this.
1) One partner invites on all minimum misfit hands
2) Other partner accepts all invites

Just let the rest of us know if this is winning bridge so we can join in.

[P_Marlowe]

Hannie, on Jun 16 2005, 10:39 AM, said:

This was my partner's hand. My hand was something like xx K10x AK109xxx x. When my partner bid 2NT, I bid 3H, and we landed in 3NT down quite a few. I didn't think that my 3H bid was so clear, what do you think?

I dont like 3H.

3H is a game force, more precise, it asks partner
to bid 4H with a 5 card suit and otherwise 3NT,
just what he did.

Most of the time partner will have 2 diamonds,
so you "have" a eight card fit in diamoond, why
not play the fit, ie. 3D.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[hrothgar]

mike777, on Jun 16 2005, 06:47 PM, said:

Hannie, on Jun 16 2005, 10:39 AM, said:

This was my partner's hand. My hand was something like xx K10x AK109xxx x. When my partner bid 2NT, I bid 3H, and we landed in 3NT down quite a few. I didn't think that my 3H bid was so clear, what do you think?

I think you will never never miss any games with both of you bidding like this.
1) One partner invites on all minimum misfit hands
2) Other partner accepts all invites

Just let the rest of us know if this is winning bridge so we can join in.

The hand is actually quite tricky...

Partner is declaring 2NT
If he makes 2NT, he's gonna make 3...

You need to make a decision. The pessimistic assumption is that 2NT will go down. In this case, you should rebid 3♦. Its imperative that the handy delcares in Diamond since your hand won't produce any tricks in NT.

The optimistic assumption is that the hand will make 3NT. In this case, you might as well explore for the 5-3 heart fit on your way to game.

[Elianna]

The CONTESTANTS' answers:
2NT 21
Pass 8
3NT 2

A lot less variation in this one than all the others.

[Fluffy]

I am sorry Han, knowing your partners hand I now think 3♦ is clear with yours, but I have very strong feelings my decision is biased for seeeing both hands.

Also want to note, that chances of 2NT making, while 2♦ goes down opposite a minimum should be around 7-15%, wich increases it a tiny bit.

[luke warm]

yeee haaaaa my first non-zero hand