[mtvesuvius]

All of these hands are actual hands I played yesterday. How would you bid them playing a reasonably standard 2/1, and if you'd like, how would you bid them in your favorite system?

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Dealer: South
Vul: Nobody
Opponents Pass Throughout

Bonus Question:

Spoiler

If you land in 6♣, the play begins ♦A and ♦J to your queen. When you lead a small club, LHO plays the 6. Do you finesse or drop?

[han]

1C - 2C (forcing)
2H - 4C (natural, not asking for keycards)
4H - 6C


I'd play for the drop, LHO would be more likely to find a bid holding Kx of clubs.

[Zelandakh]

I don't really play 2/1 but I suppose
1C - 2C
2NT - 4H
4S - 6C
seems reasonable.

In my system
1NT - 3C
3D - 4H
4S - 6C
is probable.

I guess this makes me a basher - set trumps and whip out Old Black.

[mgoetze]

1♣-3♥-3NT-4♦-4♥-4♠-5♣ perhaps. Not easy to pass with the North hand though.

[whereagles]

eeeek.. abstain. If I were North, it would greatly depend on what I had for dinner. All these come to mind: voidwood, splinter, inverted raise. I can't make up my mind.

[jschafer]

Mine would probably go someting like:
1♣-3♥(void)
3NT-4♣
5♣-Pass/6♣

[nige1]

mtvesuvius asks...
All of these hands are actual hands I played yesterday. How would you bid them playing a reasonably standard 2/1, and if you'd like, how would you bid them in your favorite system?
Dealer: South. Vul: Nobody. Opponents Pass Throughout.
If you land in 6♣, the play begins ♦A and ♦J to your queen. When you lead a small club, LHO plays the 6. Do you finesse or drop?

IMO, on a very good day...
1♣ - 3♥ (exclusion, assuming that 2♥ = fit-jump and 3♥ = exclusion).
3♠ - 5♣
You should probably finesse because if LHO holds ♦A
- and no trump trick, he might still lead the side ace but
- if he holds Kx of trumps then he will almost always lead the side ace.

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[Fluffy]

simple approach


1♣-2♣
2NT-3♥ (shortness)
3NT-4♥ (void)
4NT-6♣

[mike777]

1c=2d(gf in c, unbal very often, artif.)
2h=2s
3h=4d(rkc in c)
4S(1-4)=6C

[Phil]

1♣ - 3♥ - 3N - 5♥ - 5N - 6♣.

[kayin801]

I've gotta say 1NT (10-12)-6♣ is tempting

[xxhong]

1C 2C
2D(minimum) 3H(void)
3N 4C(even number of KC)
5C(no cue bids available) now either pass or 6C.

[hrothgar]

FWIW, I'd open 1♥ with the South hand
I don't expect this to be popular, but I think that treating AKQ9 as a five card suit is more likely to work out than opening 1♣ with 432

1♥ - 2♣
3♣ - 4♣
4♥ - 4♠
5♣ - 6♣

[Phil]

hrothgar, on 2011-June-27, 11:43, said:

FWIW, I'd open 1♥ with the South hand

I would too playing a semi-forcing 1N.

[mtvesuvius]

I held the South hand, and opened 1♣... Our auction was a bit crude, but it did the trick:

1♣ - 5♥
5♠ - 6♣
AP

I still cannot come up with a worse possible hand to hold when partner bids exclusion

[BunnyGo]

mtvesuvius, on 2011-June-27, 21:31, said:

I held the South hand, and opened 1♣... Our auction was a bit crude, but it did the trick:

1♣ - 5♥
5♠ - 6♣
AP

I still cannot come up with a worse possible hand to hold when partner bids exclusion

Did the contract make? Or did they take their Ace and have the Kx offsides?

[mtvesuvius]

BunnyGo, on 2011-June-27, 21:42, said:

Did the contract make? Or did they take their Ace and have the Kx offsides?

Forgot to mention that I guessed right for the first time in two and a half years -- I played the ♣A dropping the King. The hand was a push of course, but a moral victory for my guessing skills.

[Free]

1♣ - 2♣
2♦ - 4♥ (any min ; voidwood)
4NT - 6♣ (0/3 ; small gamble)

6♣ should be bid imo, we lack 2 keycards but we have 11 or 12 ♣s together. When we hold 12 it's rather obvious what to do, when we hold 11 we have to find ♣K. I guess the lead doesn't tell us anything, after a cueless auction to slam it's common practise to lead an Ace. Just take the percentage auction and try to drop the K.

[Flameous]

I'd have same auction as Free but 2♦ showing any balanced hand.
This gets somewhat more interesting sequence if 1♣ opening can be 2 cards, since now it's not as good idea to blast it, though I guess I still would due to lack of alternatives.

[Zelandakh]

Flameous, on 2011-June-28, 04:16, said:

This gets somewhat more interesting sequence if 1♣ opening can be 2 cards, since now it's not as good idea to blast it, though I guess I still would due to lack of alternatives.

It is even more interesting since you can make a dummy Q ask and find out that South has 2-3 clubs. I considered this course in the weak NT auction and am still not sure if it is better than blasting 6. It possibly comes down to mentality as much as anything despite what the maths might say - do you prefer to bid the 50% (or slightly less) slams or not...