[mike777]

Jlall, on Feb 26 2007, 10:16 AM, said:

I think X would be a near unanimous choice (if not unanimous) in master solvers club. There is nothing wrong with this X and if you are not Xing with these hands you are not up with modern bridge and not getting in enough. Even 4333 Xs are becoming routine (but still debatable), I can't imagine anything wrong with this one. You have good support for all other suits, short spades, and an opening bid. If you don't bid now you will likely never get into the auction. Pass is extremely dangerous.

suit's not good enough to overcall....
dont have enough points or hearts for a double.....

Justin would know better than I what the vast majority would do with this hand but I am surprised all or almost all would x. Does everyone agree?

[jtfanclub]

kenrexford, on Feb 26 2007, 03:26 PM, said:

I would expect that 1♠-X-P-3♥ shows more than simply 9-11. If the double is OK with three hearts, then perhaps 3♥ suggests a five-card suit.

A reasonable hand he visualizes is something like xx-AKxxx-Kxx-xxx, perhaps.

Do you expect 5♥ to make across that? I'd call it considerably less than 50%. This is MPs, to boot- if it's less than 50%, you don't want to be there.

In contrast, you look pretty good for three red tricks and a club. Sure 300 vs. a very unsure 450...no thanks.

Quote

This all seems to rely on diamonds coming in with a finesse.  Maybe Opener holds something like AKQxx-x-Kx-KQJxx (from North's perspective)?

You would bid 5♣ with this?! Yeesh. Why wouldn't you just bid 4♣?

Opener should be, at a minimum, 5-2-0-6, with no defense to speak of. Maybe 5-0-1-7.

[Walddk]

mike777, on Feb 26 2007, 10:29 PM, said:

Justin would know better than I what the vast majority would do with this hand but I am surprised all or almost all would x. Does everyone agree?

I do. In an ideal world you have a fourth heart and a spade less. The world is not ideal, so I am happy to double with that hand.

Roland

[kenrexford]

jtfanclub, on Feb 26 2007, 03:41 PM, said:

kenrexford, on Feb 26 2007, 03:26 PM, said:

I would expect that 1♠-X-P-3♥ shows more than simply 9-11.  If the double is OK with three hearts, then perhaps 3♥ suggests a five-card suit. 

A reasonable hand he visualizes is something like xx-AKxxx-Kxx-xxx, perhaps.

Do you expect 5♥ to make across that? I'd call it considerably less than 50%. This is MPs, to boot- if it's less than 50%, you don't want to be there.

In contrast, you look pretty good for three red tricks and a club. Sure 300 vs. a very unsure 450...no thanks.

Quote

This all seems to rely on diamonds coming in with a finesse.  Maybe Opener holds something like AKQxx-x-Kx-KQJxx (from North's perspective)?

You would bid 5♣ with this?! Yeesh. Why wouldn't you just bid 4♣?

Opener should be, at a minimum, 5-2-0-6, with no defense to speak of. Maybe 5-0-1-7.

I'm not sayiong it was a good bid. Just not insane.

For that matter, the worse the defense for the 5♣ bid, the better the chances of a concentration of values necessary for 5♥ to make.

It might even be the case that, if 5♥ fails, 5♣ makes. I mean, if 5♣ was bid on 6-5 pattern, there might be 11 tricks (11 for the 6-5, minus one for the club Ace, plus one for the heart Ace).

[mikeh]

I am with the majority here: I think North was out of his mind for 5♥.. one of the worst calls I have seen posted on this forum.

Having made a borderline but reasonable double, N should not have even thought about bidding (actually, the bid is SO bad that I suspect that he didn't think anyway). Had he thought, he might have said to himself: what kind of hand did I show with my double? Do I have extra playability in ♥s beyond what I have promised?

Even if the answer to the last question was 'yes', he'd still want to measure risk before bidding, but, given that the answer is a resounding 'no', he doesn't even have to do that. He passes, and allows his partner to make the last decision.

I don't like the 3♥ call by South, but that 'error' would not cause the disaster if North understood anything about the game, so I'd give S no more than 5% of the blame.

[MFA]

mike777, on Feb 26 2007, 03:29 PM, said:

Justin would know better than I what the vast majority would do with this hand but I am surprised all or almost all would x. Does everyone agree?

I would expect 100% unanimity in MSC about the double of 1♠.

3♥ is a tad wild. But only a tad.

5♣ is totally out of bounds. If playing with screens, I would surely check if partner were still there or the cleaning lady had taken over.

100-0 to north.

[han]

I think double is normal, 3H is an overbid and 5H is crazy.

[the hog]

Hannie, on Feb 27 2007, 10:03 AM, said:

I think double is normal, 3H is an overbid and 5H is crazy.

I agree with this completely. Incidentally, with this S holding I would consider 1NT rather than introducing H, though the stiff C is a downside. In a H contract rho who looks to be short in S, no raise), can overruff dummy.

Yes, I would X with this hand. As Roland says, its not a perfect world.

[han]

I was the so many-th who came to that conclusion, so we all agree! I might consider 1NT with the south hand but I don't think I'd bid it.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

I think the double is ok, the alternative being
pass, the same is true for 3H.
You have the values for 3H, the singelton in clubs
is compensation enough.

The only rediculous bid is 5C.
North has at least 2 tricks against 5C, partner did
bid and did promise some values, i.e. if North bids
5H, he believes that 5H has a real chance, ... and
nothing in North's hand indicates, that even 4H is
making. Not on power (the points split) and not
on shape.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Helmer]

Scoring: MP

---

That's west's hand.

And yes North tried to defend the 5♥ bid.
I was south - and started to say - that I had 4 possible bids seen from my point of view.

a ) as I did 3 ♥ - overbid yes and no, but I can accept all who says
b ) 2 ♥
c ) 1 NT
d ) pass

re. a ) Yes, I can accept all arguments that it's an overbid.
re. b ) Maybe the perfect bid, but could lose a game....
re. c ) I didn't like because of the singleton.
re. d ) I like tricky things like this.... but could risk a partner with a void in ♠

Thanks for all your comments.

Helmer

[han]

Pass of 1SX is really not an option. It's far worse than 3H.