[Hanoi5]

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Do you have to reach this game? Who should have done better then?

[Siegmund]

No-blame in my book. (Though old-fashioned up-the-line bidders might find it, since North will upgrade rather than downgrade his DK.)

[JLOGIC]

Auction was great until south inexplicably failed to bid 4H.

[Free]

South has a beautiful hand, why did he pass?

Note: I prefer a 1NT opening with the North hand. That would probably get me in 4♥ as well, unless South counts his HCP only.

[BunnyGo]

Free, on 2011-September-06, 02:22, said:

Note: I prefer a 1NT opening with the North hand. That would probably get me in 4♥ as well, unless South counts his HCP only.

Sorry, you're going to respond 2♣ with the south hand to a 1NT opener? Is this standard? I realize you have some shape and some tens, but really?

[gnasher]

BunnyGo, on 2011-September-06, 04:14, said:

Sorry, you're going to respond 2♣ with the south hand to a 1NT opener? Is this standard? I realize you have some shape and some tens, but really?

The idea would be to pass 2♦ or 2♠, but raise 2♥. I think that's a reasonable approach on responder's hand.

[BunnyGo]

gnasher, on 2011-September-06, 04:46, said:

The idea would be to pass 2♦ or 2♠, but raise 2♥. I think that's a reasonable approach on responder's hand.

Yeah, I realized they'd be passing the other bids...ok, I guess it's a nice idea on this hand in particular. I definitely agree that South should go on the auction as presented.

[jmcw]

Free, on 2011-September-06, 02:22, said:

South has a beautiful hand, why did he pass?

Note: I prefer a 1NT opening with the North hand. That would probably get me in 4♥ as well, unless South counts his HCP only.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Borderline raise to game IMO

[Free]

gnasher, on 2011-September-06, 04:46, said:

The idea would be to pass 2♦ or 2♠, but raise 2♥. I think that's a reasonable approach on responder's hand.

Exactly.

[VM1973]

It must be matchpoints. South should have bid on.

[JLOGIC]

BunnyGo, on 2011-September-06, 05:41, said:

Yeah, I realized they'd be passing the other bids...ok, I guess it's a nice idea on this hand in particular. I definitely agree that South should go on the auction as presented.

Even if you are going to pass 2H, you should reply with stayman. It is basically never right to pass your partner's 1N with a stiff club! With:

- A 5 card major you transfer
- A 6 card diamonds suit you transfer to diamonds
- No 5 card major, no 6 diamonds, your possible shapes are 3451, and 4351. These are both perfect for garbage stayman. In fact, give me 3451 over 4441 any day, at least I will be guaranteed a 7 card fit with a great shot of an 8 card fit. With 4441 over 2D you pass, but you might catch a dreaded 3325 shape with partner.
- Another very good garbage stayman shape is 3361. This depends on your hand, sometimes it will be right to transfer, but usually stayman is best with that shape.
- 3352 is another possible garbage stayman shape, depending on your hand type.

If you have a hand that upgrades to an invite when it catches a fit, that is just a bonus for staymaning.

[Hanoi5]

JLOGIC, on 2011-September-06, 14:46, said:

Even if you are going to pass 2H, you should reply with stayman. It is basically never right to pass your partner's 1N with a stiff club! With:

- A 5 card major you stayman
- A 6 card diamonds suit you transfer to diamonds
- No 5 card major, no 6 diamonds, your possible shapes are 3451, and 4351. These are both perfect for garbage stayman. In fact, give me 3451 over 4441 any day, at least I will be guaranteed a 7 card fit with a great shot of an 8 card fit. With 4441 over 2D you pass, but you might catch a dreaded 3325 shape with partner.
- Another very good garbage stayman shape is 3361. This depends on your hand, sometimes it will be right to transfer, but usually stayman is best with that shape.
- 3352 is another possible garbage stayman shape, depending on your hand type.

If you have a hand that upgrades to an invite when it catches a fit, that is just a bonus for staymaning.

I'm sure you meant a 5-card Major you transfer.

I'm also sure there's a 'best' range for using garbage stayman with non-perfect hands: The closer you are to an invite the less you want to stayman. Or maybe that's for hands with no club singleton?

[JLOGIC]

Hanoi, yes I meant transfer, I will edit to avoid confusion.

Also, you are correct, hands with a singleton club are an automatic stayman no matter what. It is just so much better that it's never close.

If you are 4423 or something, then it goes something like: hands just shy of an invite, but upgrade to an invite with a fit, should stayman since a 4M game is possible. Hands that are complete yarboroughs should stayman since 1N will never make, maybe you can catch a fit and get lucky, and maybe its the opps hand. Hands in the middle should probably not stayman. But that is a general rule, I'm a pretty big non-staymaner with 44 balanced, but I know others think differently.