[sathyab]

Scoring: IMP

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Bidding goes (4h) X (p) to You.

Reasonable arguments can be made for passing as well as bidding. It's a balanced hand. If we assume that we have eight spades and they have eight hearts, the LAW tells you not to bid. And when partner has only three spades, bidding might turn out to be REALLY bad.

As for bidding, there're times when partner may have even five spades. His slow cards may be lot more useful in offense than in defense.

[Apollo81]

I'd pass

[ArtK78]

4♠.

Takeout partner's takeout double. Partner may have a much more distributional hand than you expect. Furthermore, the opponents may have more distribution than you expect. Your ATxx of hearts will be a surprise, but not necessarily a crippling surprise.

You will, in all likelihood, go plus against 4Hx. Whether that plus will be good enough to compensate you for the score you would have achieved in a spade contract (whether game or slam) is the problem.

[Apollo81]

ArtK78, on Jun 18 2008, 02:32 PM, said:

You will, in all likelihood, go plus against 4Hx. Whether that plus will be good enough to compensate you for the score you would have achieved in a spade contract (whether game or slam) is the problem.

Slam. Yes, that is exactly what I am worried about missing here.

[Trinidad]

An easy pass. Balanced hand, about two tricks on defense (♥ATxx = 1.5, ♦Q = 0.5) and a little over one on offense. Partner can't have 9 offensive tricks without having two defensive tricks.

Or from a different perspective:
I am far from a religious follower of the law of total tricks. After all, the law can be off by quite a few tricks. But the law is not completely hopeless either. If it predicts 16 or 17 total tricks, it is unlikely that there will be 20.

Rik

[pclayton]

I'd pass too.

You might want to mention that I was on your left

This should make pass 1000% correct.

[sathyab]

pclayton, on Jun 18 2008, 02:11 PM, said:

I'd pass too.

You might want to mention that I was on your left 

This should make pass 1000% correct.

Just as importantly you were partnered by Gnome who's such a great dummy-putter. Play a few sessions with me and you will be cured of these habits in a hurry

[gwnn]

good thing there are reasons for bidding in the OP, since you won't find any subsequent ones. pass every day ending in a y

edit:

[Echognome]

I have to say that initially I thought pass was wrong. It seemed that our ♥A opposite what is likely to be a singleton and our 4 spades seemed to indicate bidding. I would want to avoid a game swing. But to say that passing was wrong in the post mortem would be totally resulting. These comments here show that passing will be the right action more often than not.

Phil made a big play when declaring which was unfortunate for your side, but I think everyone bid reasonably at the table.

[ArtK78]

OK. So I am awaiting the hand and the result.

As I am the only bidder among those who posted, and the comments from those at the table seem to indicate that the pass did not work, I would like to see the hand.

In no way does this indicate that I am a resulter. No. I would never say that. Never.

So where is the hand?

[sathyab]

ArtK78, on Jun 18 2008, 03:32 PM, said:

OK.  So I am awaiting the hand and the result.

As I am the only bidder among those who posted, and the comments from those at the table seem to indicate that the pass did not work, I would like to see the hand.

In no way does this indicate that I am a resulter.  No.  I would never say that.  Never.

So where is the hand?

Scoring: IMP

---

Yes, Phil made a good play of finessing the 9 of hearts on the first round. Next time I'll remember to hesitatte a bit before passing

Partner leads the King of spades. As declarer wins, dropping the Jack from his hand, you know you probably did the wrong thing here and it's further confirmed when declarer wins the first trump trick with the 9

When I passed it appeared reasonable to me. But when you see -12.5 IMPs even on a filed like BBO, it makes you wonder. Only one other 4h opening when I saw it last, most people opening 3h and EW played in 3s.

[Halo]

Too late to vote, but interesting that the West hand is unremarkable and still bidding is successful.

[ArtK78]

While I am still a believer in the Law of Total Tricks, this hand is a great example of how the Law can be inaccurate. There is nothing remarkable about the hand - no double fits or extraordinary distribution - and yet while NS has only 9 trump in their best trump fit and EW has only 9 trump in their best trump fit there are 20 total tricks.

Another example of how bidding one more at IMPs is the winning action, even if it seems "obvious" to the posters to pass out 4♥x.

By the way, the play in 4♠ is far from trivial, and 4♠ may fail. But down one in 4♠ is still a lot better than 4♥x making.

[jtfanclub]

Halo, on Jun 18 2008, 05:01 PM, said:

Too late to vote, but interesting that the West hand is unremarkable and still bidding is successful.

Single-dummy, at least. I don't think it'll make on the lead of a low diamond. And likewise, double-dummy 4♠ doesn't look good either.

Tough to figure on those things.

[ArtK78]

jtfanclub, on Jun 18 2008, 05:18 PM, said:

Halo, on Jun 18 2008, 05:01 PM, said:

Too late to vote, but interesting that the West hand is unremarkable and still bidding is successful.

Single-dummy, at least. I don't think it'll make on the lead of a low diamond. And likewise, double-dummy 4♠ doesn't look good either.

Tough to figure on those things.

Nice lead.

Still, if declarer guesses the red suits, there is nothing EW can do to beat 4♥.

[pclayton]

It wasn't that tough. Sathya likely had 4 hearts, since he probably had 4 spades.

[andy_h]

sathyab, on Jun 19 2008, 07:02 AM, said:

When I passed it appeared reasonable to me. But when you see -12.5 IMPs even on a filed like BBO, it makes you wonder. Only one other 4h opening when I saw it last, most people opening 3h and EW played in 3s.

I generally don't even bother looking at the field...except for humourous results!

I would also pass on the given hand. Was the ♥8 played on the first round of trumps? Not that it probably wouldn't affect anything..

[nige1]

sathyab, on Jun 18 2008, 01:24 PM, said:

Dealer: West Vul: N/S Scoring: IMP

♠ T642 ♥ AT82 ♦ Q8 ♣ T63

Bidding goes (4♥) _X (_p) ?? to You.
Reasonable arguments can be made for passing as well as bidding. It's a balanced hand. If we assume that we have eight spades and they have eight hearts, the LAW tells you not to bid. And when partner has only three spades, bidding might turn out to be REALLY bad.
As for bidding, there're times when partner may have even five spades. His slow cards may be lot more useful in offense than in defense.

IMO _P = 10, 4♠ = 6.
Exchange the major suit holdings and you might reverse that assessment
You win some you lose some