[cherdano]

Two hands from a social bridge night today. Assume IMPs, noone vulnerable. In case it matters, partner is advanced and tends to be somewhat aggressive (but not unreasonable), RHO is intermediate, and LHO is me.

1. x AQ98x K109x Jxx, LHO dealer.
(1♣)-X-(P)-?

2. KQxx K10xx Q10xx 9, you deal
P-(P)-1♦-(1♥)
X-(4♥)-5♦-(P)
?

[helene_t]

1. With an aggresive p, 2♥ is enough. Probably also with a less agressive p.

2. Pass. The fact that partner opened in 3rd seat makes me consider 6♦ since p, with 7+ diamonds, a void in hearts and no 4-card spades, might have opened 5♦ with a non-slamish hand. So 5♦ is probably more to make than a save. But still .... I have zero keycards and a king opposite p's void.

[whereagles]

1. 4♥, wtp?

2. Pass. Lack of aces.

[hotShot]

1. 2♥ should be enough 4 now, if partner has vasted values in ♠ we won't make 4♥. So let's save us some bidding space.

2. 6♦
Partner has 3-♠, 1- ♥ and 9+ cards in the minors. I don't think he has more than 3♣. This leaves him with 6-7♦ and a hand to strong for a 3♦ opening.
ABx - AKxxxxx xxx or Bxx - AKxxxx Axx are good enough for 6♦.

[flytoox]

1. 4H. 2H would be too conservative.
2. Pass.

[pbleighton]

2H, probable wastage in spades makes me avoid 4.

Pass, no keycards, 5D may not make.

Peter

[keylime]

1. 4♥. The lead and position of the opener should give you an extra trick or 2.

2. Pass. No aces means no dice.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

#1 3H, but 4H is ok as well
#2 Pass, 6D may well be on, but no way to find out,
take your plus score
What would 4NT by partner have been?
2 places to play or strong one suiter?

With kind regards
Marlowe

[mcphee]

I think for hand 1 this is powerful opposite short clubs, especially when there is 4 card trump support. If 2C sounds like a good hand I have one.

Aggressive action has put both pard and I under the gun and I have no doubts 6 may not make, but I got what pard needs and raise.

[dake50]

1. 2H ---want to GF cue, but spades will get in the way. Hope 2H finds raise since I have a ton in the tank still.

2. 6D: monster in support of long D, AND partner bid in front of me --he cannot need 2A for slam.

[inquiry]

1. 2♥-- this is almost a maximum for this bid

2. This one is tough.. ♥K will be a big disappointment, and i have no aces, but i do have great fit and controls in both black suits. Partner can hardly have less than 7 or 8 diamonds to the AK and at least one black ACE if he bid to to make, but he might be taking a save. Since you characterized parter as aggressive, i will pass.

[hrothgar]

I like 2♥ on the first hand.

Not that partner made a takeout double and RHO wasn't able to find a club raise. This suggests that partner may have made an offshape double. He could have a NT oriented hand that was too strong for a direct seat NT overcall. Alternatively, my own Spade shortness suggests that he could very well have a strong single suited hand with Spades. Blasting to 4♥ on a five card sut to the AQ could easily result in our playing in the wrong strain. Anyone who choses at 4♥ bid is going to have a hell of a lot of explaining to do if partner tables 0-2 Hearts.

[hrothgar]

Hand 2:

Why did I chose a negative double with a stiff club and 4 card Heart support?
I think that a 1♠ bid is a lot better description.

I'm going to bid 6♦. Partner has a single suited hand with a lot of Diamonds.
There has to be some reason why he didn't make a third seat preempt. I suspect that he chose a 1♦ bid because his hand is too good.

I admit that I'm gambling here, but 6♦ smells right

[whereagles]

hrothgar, on Nov 26 2006, 03:05 PM, said:

Anyone who choses at 4♥ bid is going to have a hell of a lot of explaining to do if partner tables 0-2 Hearts.

huh? With 10 hcp myself I can hardly believe pard will have 18+ hcp for an off-shape double. 3 hearts are guaranteed if pard plays by the books.

[hrothgar]

whereagles, on Nov 26 2006, 06:33 PM, said:

hrothgar, on Nov 26 2006, 03:05 PM, said:

Anyone who choses at 4♥ bid is going to have a hell of a lot of explaining to do if partner tables 0-2 Hearts.

huh? With 10 hcp myself I can hardly believe pard will have 18+ hcp for an off-shape double. 3 hearts are guaranteed if pard plays by the books.

There's a lot of different books out there and standardards for doubles vary dramatically between countries.

Lets leave it at that.

[Blofeld]

4♥ and pass.

[pclayton]

1. I'm not bidding 2♥. This hand has a great suit opposite know support, and no club wastage. Stiff spade is a turnoff? A little, but pard's spades may be pitches for my diamonds or v.v.

I'm fine with either 2♣ (to let pard get the spade bids off his chest) or 4♥.

2. Dunno. This is one of those situations where pard is bidding to save: xx, void, AKJxxxx, Kxxx or to make (add a black ace). I can't tell which so I'll just pass.

[HeartA]

4♥ is an impossible bit, and 3♥ is a weak hand with 7+ hearts. That left me two choices: 2♥ and 2♣. With 5th H and 10 count, I would force to game. If pd supports my ♥, 4♥ should be no problem. And if pd doesn't have support for ♥, which means he has more than 17+ HCPs, I would bid game as well.

As for 2), that's tough. I think I would pass.

[neilkaz]

1) Very close between 2♥ and 2♣ which I play as GF. I will go with 2♥ so as not to hang PD for competing aggressively. My Jxx in ♣ aren't pretty and I don't know what PD has wasted in ♠ or what ♥ honors sit over me. Opposite a cautious PD I force game.

That being said, I can see why many just blast to 4♥, but if you want to force game, how much is really lost by catering to the chance PD felt his possible ♠ overcall was a bit too good to overcall ?

As for a 3♥ jump most play that as preemptive in nature rather than extremely invitational (which is what I hold)

2) Again very tough. PD is 99% likely to be void in ♥. The first opp failed to open. Even opposite an aggressive PD I think 6♦ is a slight favorite so I bid it and will whack 6♥ into the next galaxy.

[the hog]

2C on the first hand, followed by a Hs at the appropriate forcing level. I am bidding game here.

Pass on the second hand.