[lenze]

Your comments please

North
S – K743
H – A975
D – 973
C – T4

South
S – A
H – AT86
D – KT6
C – AQJ98

East Deals – All white IMPS

East      South      West   North
1S      DBL      2S   PASS
PASS      DBL      PASS   3H
PASS       PASS       PASS

[JRG]

For what it is worth, I would have bid 3H over 2S on this hand. If I didn't, for some reason, then I'd bid 4H over the double of 2S. The way I play, South is showing a VERY good hand.

Clearly, if I bid 3H over 2S, then South will raise to 4. Then all we have to do is make it!

[inquiry]

Here, I actually don't object to North's auction. I expect partner to reopen on almost all hands where he is short in Spades. I am not so excited about bidding 3H on a hand where the spade King and four spades are good for defense, and the heart ACE is good for defense too. My hand says defense intitially... alhtough I am not sure how good two HEART ACES are on defense.

This hand raises issues of how you show stregnth at the three level and how you scramble to a part-score contract. Here is how I play this sequence.....

If the bidding went... (1S)-X-(2S)-2NT The 2NT is lebenshol, showing to show a one suited hand without the offense for a "free 3H" bid. Thus, on this hand, if you wanted to show hearts, you might have bid 2NT directly over 2S, and then bid 3H over partners 3D response (NOTE partner would not bid 3C, because if you have clubs, he doesn't wnat to play only in 3C).

The bidding could also have gone (1S)-X-(2S)-X, the second double here is responsive, which should be at least a respectful 7 hcp at a minimum (you have seven, but you have to decide how you like your spade KING).

So if you use lebenshol here (or Gb2NT by responder) and responsive double, that raise the issue of what the difference between these two auctions are:

(1S)-X-(2S)-P; (P)-X-(P)-2NT... then rebid 3H compared with
(1S)-X-(2S)-P; (P)-X-(P)-3H

I play the first auction as "scramble". This is to allow me to find the best fit at the three level. The direct 3H bid, in leiu of the scramble, I use to show a slightly better hand (since here hearts is the "master" suit) than scrambling into hearts.

So North has a multitude of ways to show this hand. The one bid I would not make is a "free bid" of 3H over 2S. I play this as showing more. I might make a responsive double, or I might bid 2NT and then pull whatever minor partner bids to 3H. But the defensive nature of my hand and the presumably useless value of the spade king might persaude me pass initially. Over the reopening double, I would now simply bid 3H to show a better hand than one using 2NT as a scramble. Pass of 2S-x is also possible at matchpoints, but not imps, since partner doesn't have to be nearly this strong the way I reopen.

Ben

[lenze]

Ben:
Thanks for the reply and noting my typo. The south hearts were actually KT86

[luke warm]

i usually play gb2nt and/or scrambling 2nt the same... if i bid 2nt any time ops bid and raise, i want partner to bid up the line.. if i have a 5 card suit, i bid it directly with strength (defined as, more than pard has a right to expect) or via 2nt when weaker.. with this hand i'd probably bid it

(1S) X (2S) P (P) X (P) 2NT (P) 3C (P) 3H ... i've told my whole story and i'm happy whatever partner decides

[inquiry]

Quote

i usually play gb2nt and/or scrambling 2nt the same... if i bid 2nt any time ops bid and raise, i want partner to bid up the line.. if i have a 5 card suit, i bid it directly with strength (defined as, more than pard has a right to expect) or via 2nt when weaker.. with this hand i'd probably bid it

(1S) X (2S) P (P) X (P) 2NT (P) 3C (P) 3H ... i've told my whole story and i'm happy whatever partner decides

Hi,

I don't think you can effectively play 2NT as Gb2NT and scramble at the same time. Gb2NT you KNOW what suit you want, you just don't have enough value to make an OFFENSIVE bid at the three level. So you bid 2NT and correct partners bid to your "long suit". Scramble is you have a choice of two potential contracts at the three level, so you bid 2NT to get your partner's participation. These are really quite different functions. This is why immediately, I play 2NT as good/bad, and delayed I play scramble on auctions like this. However, if we have both passed, to use good/bad is a waste, scramble is best in that situation again.

Imagine you are playing in a prestigous Matchpoint event. Board 10 comes along all sides vul. Partner deals and passes, next hand bids 2S (weak) and you hold:

S 432
H J932
D A9
C K974

You pass, as does your LHO, and partner reopens with dbl. RHO passes, what do you bid? With this hand, I would bid 2NT as scramble, since I had chance to bid earlier with a good hand, good/bad 2NT is not really needed, but the ability tto find a playable fit at the three level is despirately needed. If partner bids 3C, I will pass. If he bids 3D, I will correct to 3H. And what was the hands?

Dealer East
Vuln. All

S KQ8
H AKT64
D 754
C 83

S 432 S J
H J932 H Q85
D A9 D QJ62
C K974 C AQJT2

S AT9765
H 7
D KT83
C 65

3Hx is not that happy a place, and only a club lead sets 3S, so scramble gives you the best chance to land on your feet either setting 3S or making a plus score on your on. Why, becasue 3C's makes (5C, 2D, 2D ruff).

Let's turn our attention to the doubler in the original hand. Instead of the second double, he could have also considered 2NT and 3C. I play good bad 2NT here as well by opener. So over the 2S bid, a 2NT bid ask partner to bid 3C so the NT bidder can show his suit. And a direct bid of 3C instead of 2NT shows a really good hand. The reopen double is, of course, fine with the given hand. This discussion was just to round out the good/bad scramble discussion.

Ben

[luke warm]

Quote

Hi,

I don't think you can effectively play 2NT as Gb2NT and scramble at the same time. Gb2NT you KNOW what suit you want, you just don't have enough value to make an OFFENSIVE bid at the three level. So you bid 2NT and correct partners bid to your "long suit". Scramble is you have a choice of two potential contracts at the three level, so you bid 2NT to get your partner's participation. These are really quite different functions. This is why immediately, I play 2NT as good/bad, and delayed I play scramble on auctions like this. However, if we have both passed, to use good/bad is a waste, scramble is best in that situation again.

Imagine you are playing in a prestigous Matchpoint event. Board 10 comes along all sides vul. Partner deals and passes, next hand bids 2S (weak) and you hold:

S 432
H J932
D A9
C K974

You pass, as does your LHO, and partner reopens with dbl. RHO passes, what do you bid? With this hand, I would bid 2NT as scramble, since I had chance to bid earlier with a good hand, good/bad 2NT is not really needed, but the ability tto find a playable fit at the three level is despirately needed. If partner bids 3C, I will pass. If he bids 3D, I will correct to 3H. And what was the hands?

Dealer East
Vuln. All

S KQ8
H AKT64
D 754
C 83

S 432 S J
H J932 H Q85
D A9 D QJ62
C K974 C AQJT2

S AT9765
H 7
D KT83
C 65

3Hx is not that happy a place, and only a club lead sets 3S, so scramble gives you the best chance to land on your feet either setting 3S or making a plus score on your on. Why, becasue 3C's makes (5C, 2D, 2D ruff).

Let's turn our attention to the doubler in the original hand. Instead of the second double, he could have also considered 2NT and 3C. I play good bad 2NT here as well by opener. So over the 2S bid, a 2NT bid ask partner to bid 3C so the NT bidder can show his suit. And a direct bid of 3C instead of 2NT shows a really good hand. The reopen double is, of course, fine with the given hand. This discussion was just to round out the good/bad scramble discussion.

Ben

yes, i play a 2NT bid after pard doubles a weak 2 as leb, and partner pulls to 3C (unless he just *hates* clubs).. with this hand i'd pass his 3C.. exchange clubs and diamonds, i'd correct to 3D.. after all, partner did double for takeout

[bearmum]

why not 3C rather than the second X?? :

Quote

Your comments please

North
S – K743
H – A975
D – 973
C – T4

South
S – A
H – AT86
D – KT6
C – AQJ98

East Deals – All white IMPS

East      South      West   North
1S      DBL      2S   PASS
PASS      DBL      PASS   3H
PASS       PASS       PASS

[inquiry]

Quote

why not 3C rather than the second X?? :

This is an excellent question. I suspect, although I don't know for sure, that North might have thought that 3C would show a one-suiter too good for a 2 Club overcall without support for the other suits. You know, a lot of people (most?) limit their overcalls to some specific range (like 16 hcp maximum). So they double first then bid their suit to show better hands. If you play this way, the second double confirms takeout shape. If your low-level takeout doubles are shape specific, however, this is a perfect 3C call in the balancing seat (remember, not use of good/bad 2NT so shows good values).

Ben