[lesh]

Imps

---

[akhare]

5♣, assuming it's a what's your call question.

[CSGibson]

Double, assuming that its take-out oriented.

[dake50]

Double, assuming that its take-out oriented. -- CSGibson

Wow. Let's hear your expected bids from partner.
esp pass with no trick?
4S only with 5?
Can you let 4S? on a 4-3 with long hearts the bad split likely?
So what does X, then 5C show that's different from this direct 5C?
How different for your 5C direct bid if this hand is not?
Not 4xD?
Not 3xS?
A 7th club?

[Fluffy]

double obviously

[CSGibson]

dake50, on 2014-February-20, 19:05, said:

Double, assuming that its take-out oriented. -- CSGibson

Wow. Let's hear your expected bids from partner.
esp pass with no trick?
4S only with 5?
Can you let 4S? on a 4-3 with long hearts the bad split likely?
So what does X, then 5C show that's different from this direct 5C?
How different for your 5C direct bid if this hand is not?
Not 4xD?
Not 3xS?
A 7th club?

My 5 club call doesn't have shortness in their suit and length in every other suit. It's not like I think 5 clubs is horrible - we all know the scenerios where it may work out better - but its awfully committal to our best spot when I have tolerance for lots of other spots. Partner may even have slam aspirations if he knows we have support for his suit/shortage in hearts. The vulnerability also gives X a boost - in your worst case scenario where 4SX makes an overtrick or two because partner passes with his yarb, they may also be setting 5 clubs X for 8 or 1100, or making slam in hearts.

[bluecalm]

Double and imo it's not close.
Obviously we pass if partner bids 4S (and yes he will bid that any time he has 4 spades). I don't understand those comments about 7th club or what not.

[gszes]

X marks the spot

My hand is actually very nice within the context of the
4h bid. There are 30 hcp left outside hearts and our 14
means there is an average of about 8 for lho and p and
possibly a small portion with the 4h bidder. This means on
average our side will have around 22 hcp outside hearts and
we have a void so an appropriate trump fit means we will be
safe on the 5 level.
The key to making the x is that we average a game going hand
if we can find a fit and x gives us the most flexibility to find
that fit. Bridge always has been a game of percentages and the
x will not always work well but we strive to make the call that
seems to offer the best risk vs reward. Keeping 4s in the bidding
is a huge plau for x since it is so much easier to make the 4
level game than a 5 level one and since we are going to ruff
hearts from the get go partner will not have to worry about
being forced at trick 1.
Passing is just too big a position when on average we can
expect to make a game.