[hrothgar]

Here's a hand that the Hog and I got wrong in a tournament today.
I have no idea how this "should" go.

IMPs
Red versus Red

RHO opens 2H in first seat

You hold

AK4
KT
K8754
AQ2

What's your bid?

-------------

Part 2

You hold

AQ6
875
643
Q763

The auction starts

(2H) - X - (P) - ???

Whats your bid?
[Lebensohl applies]

[pbleighton]

Congratulations richard - a nasty one.
1) Double. You'd like to have another spade, but what other bid do you have?
2) 2NT, after which you will pass partner's 3 clubs (if I understand Lebensohl correctly. This is a weak hand. With another spade, however, I would bid 3S.
(3) The two hands don't appear to be from the same deal :- - duplicate SA, D4, and CQ.

[hrothgar]

Good catch

I had some of my suits revesed by mistake.
The "strong" hand held

K8754
KT
AQ2
AK4

[inquiry]

It was my pleasure to kibitz Ron and Richard as they played in this imp event. There were four or five of us kibitizer when this hand was played and it generated fair amount of discussion (no talk to table, as table chat was of course blocked).

I think any of two bids should work here. DBL, or 2S. My personal choice is a 2 Spade overcall. We are VULNERABLE and at IMPs, so partner is likely to try to keep the bidding open with a smattering of values and a fit. The reason being at imps you want to push for game. If not vulnerable, my choice would be DBL, as I would be worried a little bit about partner passing with a modest hand and a spade fit. That is, I think if I overcall 2S partner will pass with some hands and a fit if we are not vul. So I think the bidding might go

2H-2S-P-P not vul, but 2H-2S-P-3S vul (where I of course bid 4S)... so not vul, that hand would go 2H-Dbl-2S-P-3S-P-4S....

But enough of that. If you overcall 2S. clearly partner with AQx and another Queen will raise to 3 when you ar vulnerable and you will get to game.

What if you DBL, what should partner bid with the weak hand? I think playing lebehnshol the correct bid is 2S or 3C. 2S because that is where your stuff is, and because you are assured at least a 7 card fit in that suit. I would have bid 2S. Or to bid 3C to show a smattering of values, but not game force, because that is what you have. REMEMBER you are vulnerable, and you would really like to invite game with this hand. This is why 2NT (to get out exactly in 3C) is wrong at imps vulnerable.

Obviously 3C did not score well, losing out only to the 6S bidders on this hand... yes there were more than several in 6S. Most people, however, didn't have to deal with a 2H opening bid vul on AJxxxx and out. The hand was played 37 times (not counting 3 who didn't finish it in time). Of these, 2H was opened 14 times. The big hand either doubled (11 times) or bid 2S (3 times).

2S overcall lead to 6S once, 3S once and 4S once. Not a glowing report card for the 2S overcall.Being vul, I think it should be 2S-P-3S-P-4S...

After DBL, 3C was the response 3 times. Reaching 3NT (once) or 4S (twice) so that reply to dbl worked well.

After DBL, 2S was bid six times, reaching 6S twice and 4S four times. The 6 spade bidders clearly fell in love with this hand, so the 2S reply should have worked ok.

After DBL, 2NT was bid twice, once ended in 3Clubs, the other in 4S after (2H)-X-(P)-2NT-(P)-3S-(P)-4S. Ok, I don't understand the 3S bid...maybe 2NT off beat natural.

The other hands, after DBL, the second opponent took action (RDBL--ending in 2S, or 3H ending in 3S).

[the hog]

On reflection, I think 3C is best. I hate 3334 shapes and tend to downgrade them, hence the Leb 2NT bid.

I don't mind playing possible Moysians, but the problem on this hand is that if we are in a 4-3 fit, the long trump hand takes the force.

I think 2S is a reasonable bid on
K8754
KT
AQ2
AK4
Despite the extra strength

[flytoox]

Quote

Here's a hand that the Hog and I got wrong in a tournament today.
I have no idea how this "should" go.

IMPs
Red versus Red


Part 2

You hold

AQ6
875
643
Q763

The auction starts

(2H) - X - (P) - ???

Whats your bid?
[Lebensohl applies]

How about passing 2Hx? Balanced hand, has sth for defense. Declarer might play trump wrongly after your dbl. LTT seems apply here.

[the hog]

Passing 2H would never occur to me. The opponents will have 8-9 trumps on this auction and it would also be no great surprise if 2H made.

[inquiry]

How about passing 2Hx? Balanced hand, has sth for defense. Declarer might play trump wrongly after your dbl. LTT seems apply here.

LTT (law of total tricks) probably does apply here, and it tells you to bid. Figure after dbl your partner has 4-1-4-4... so they have a nine card heart fit, you have an 8 card club fit. That is 9+8 = 17 tricks. Add to that, your heart spots are horrible, so they get a small plus for solid intermediates in their suit if your partner has the expected singleton heart. I agree with Ron. Pass simply would not occur to me.

[Codo]

Hi all,

K8754
KT
AQ2
AK4

AQ6
875
643
Q763

1. I have no sure way to bid this hand:
If I bid x, A Lebensohl sequence will happen 9 times out of ten.
And than, how can I show both my 5 card spades and my heart stopper? Besides wrongsiding the contract in NT...

So I must confess, that 2 Spade maybe is the right bid. I t just fails, if pd has some 4-6 HCP hands where he could not raise and opps are silent too.

The second hand is typical for: Why not to play Lebensohl.
Too strong for 2 NT, too weak for 3 Club.
So: Play rumpelsohl, after all at least you two should be very much aware about the advantages of relay bids.

So I guess, my bidding with my always wonderful pd: (Me) would be:
(2 H) -2 Spade-3 Spade-
4 Club (non-serious slam try)
4 Spade

If I had to double with the strong hand, I must reach very silly contracts.


Kind Regards

Roland

[sartaj1]

Would not even dream of bidding only 2S on my 19 count.
I am vulnerable at imps and i dont want to miss game.
What if partner has a balanced 7 count.

Any call which will lead to a 26 point 3NT/4S being missed surely has something wrong with it.


Second problem. Partner makes a takeout double. I bid my longest suit and since i have values i bid 3C.

[Free]

This is rather simple: 2NT. With balanced 18-22HCP and a stopper in opening suit, it's a good bid. Partner can still find any fit with extended Niemeijer (= ext. Puppet Stayman). No problems for me...

[Codo]

Hi Free,

I doubt, that 2 NT 18-22 which may include a 5card
major is really a big gain. The gap is too big.
And for this particular hand: with 3334 I would expect my pd to bid 3 NT. Not a big win

Kind Regards

Roland

[Free]

wooops, I thought it was a 5-card D but it seems it's a typing error. Hmmm, then I bid Dbl and continue according good-bad-2NT scheme...

[mikestar]

The best advice I've ever heard for bidding over preempts is "assume 7 points in your partner's hand and bid what you think you can make." So try 3NT.