[OleBerg]

I was given quite some heat from my partner after this one. He found that the right bid was 110% obvious. Here goes:

You are playing a random game at BBO:

---

1♣ - (2♣*)  -  2♠  - (Pass)
3♠ - (Pass) - 3NT - (Pass)
???

2♣ is alerted, but when you prompt, you get no reply.

You don't know any of your opponents, but all three profiles says "Expert", and so does your own.

[Hanoi5]

2♠ should be natural so I'm getting to 4. Of course 2♣* could be Michael's and yes 9 tricks are less than 10 but wht didn't partner pass 2♣ or bid NT before? I bid 4♠ just in case.

[P_Marlowe]

4S, wtp ..., but dont mind not a wtp.

As it is, we have a 9 card fit in spades, we play spades.
I was thinking about 4C / 4H, 4C being the better bid, but
I have min.

I wonder, what the add. 10% mean for being certain to know
the correct bid, in the good old times, there was a phenomen
called overflow, pos. numbers too big would show up as neg.
numbers.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[mike777]

OleBerg, on Dec 15 2009, 03:19 AM, said:

I was given quite some heat from my partner after this one. He found that the right bid was 110% obvious. Here goes:

You are playing a random game at BBO:

<!-- ONEHAND begin --><table border='1'> <tr> <td> <table> <tr> <td> Dealer: </td> <td> South </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Vul: </td> <td> None </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Scoring: </td> <td> Unknown </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td> <table> <tr> <th> <span class='spades'> ♠ </span> </th> <td> QJxx </td> </tr> <tr> <th> <span class='hearts'> ♥ </span> </th> <td> K </td> </tr> <tr> <th> <span class='diamonds'> ♦ </span> </th> <td> 9xxx </td> </tr> <tr> <th> <span class='clubs'> ♣ </span> </th> <td> AQxx </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td>  </td> </tr> </table><!-- ONEHAND end -->

1♣ - (2♣*)  -  2♠  - (Pass)
3♠ - (Pass) - 3NT - (Pass)
???

2♣ is alerted, but when you prompt, you get no reply.

You don't know any of your opponents, but all three profiles says "Expert", and so does your own.

I do not bid until I know what 2c is ....

I go get a drink...if need be a second drink...bridge is fun.



110% obvious.

[the hog]

I agree with Mike. I wait till I know what 2C is.
If you force me to bid, I bid 4S.

[Codo]

I agree with Mike too.

I done it before and had been kicked for my inquiry or my failure to bid.

But lets say that 2 club was Michaels. If partner wanted to play 3 NT despite a spade fit, he should have bid it. So 3 NT in this case is not natural or at least a choice of game, depending on my hand.

If 2 club was natural, I doubt that partner has enough clubs to have a stopper, so 3 NT again is not natural.

My obvious choice would be 4 club. If partner intended 3 NT as serious, I owe him a cuebid. If he intended 3 NT as choice of game, I still go in direction of 4 Spade- with the slightly risk that he will bid 5 club now.

Given the choices you thought about, I would try 4 Spade wtp.

[pooltuna]

I agree with Mike but eventually I assume it is michaels and pass 3NT. If it is not Michaels I ask for a redeal, complain about the opponents failure to alert, add notes about both opponents and if necessary leave the table

[dake50]

I pass 3N.
But I have been known to bid 1S as a feeler for S-stop or lead inhibitor. I'll let my partner do that also.

[TimG]

If 2♣ shows the majors, then 2♠ is likely either a constructive bid in one of the minors or stopper showing, right? With both majors stopped and a desire to play NT, responder could have started with 2N or 3N.

I don't know whether partner has clubs, diamonds or a spade stopper and no heart stopper, but whatever it is, it seems wrong to pass 3N. But, pulling to 4S would also seem wrong; I'd pull to 4♣.

[jjbrr]

why did you bid 3♠?

Edit: The question shouldn't be "what do i do now?" The question is "what does 2♠ mean given all the information you're lacking"

When we answer that question, the rest of the auction becomes easy.

[ArtK78]

I do not act until I know what 2♣ is.

If 2♣ is Michaels, then 2♠ is a strong hand with diamonds.

If 2♣ is natural, then 2♠ is natural.

I am certainly bidding 4♠ if 2♣ was natural. If 2♣ was Michaels, implying that 2♠ showed diamonds, I am going to raise diamonds.

[Phil]

ArtK78, on Dec 15 2009, 11:26 AM, said:

I do not act until I know what 2♣ is.

If 2♣ is Michaels, then 2♠ is a strong hand with diamonds.

If 2♣ is natural, then 2♠ is natural.

I am certainly bidding 4♠ if 2♣ was natural. If 2♣ was Michaels, implying that 2♠ showed diamonds, I am going to raise diamonds.

Or, 2♠ is stopper showing.

I vote not to participate in dissecting these conundrums.

[Apollo81]

I'd pass. This seems normal in a Michaels auction. If this isn't a Michaels auction, this might work out too.

[jdonn]

Obviously bidding 4♠ is not the right strategy, bid 4♦ in that case since if partner has spades he will go back (you already bid a NF 3♠) but partner may have taken 2♣ as majors and meant the higher cuebid as diamonds. Making all sorts of slam tries for diamonds would probably not be succesful.

[gwnn]

quantum bridge when will the wavefunction collapse?

[nigel_k]

I definitely would not bid without an explanation but this may not help much if partner is bidding without the explanation.

Probably I bid 4♦.

If partner really has spades he will return to 4♠. If partner's 2♠ shows diamonds I need to support them through there's a slight risk that 3NT makes and 5♦ doesn't. I would have considered 3♦ a good option last time. If partner is just looking for stoppers then surely we have a heart problem in 3NT.