[bglover]

You pick up this hand...

A9x
xxx
kq109
Axx

1st seat you open 1 diamond LHO bids 1h your partner doubles... back to you?

[inquiry]

Quote

You pick up this hand...

A9x
xxx
kq109
Axx

1st seat you open 1 club LHO bids 1h your partner doubles... back to you?

Impossible auction, I would open 1D in my four card, KQT9 suit (the suit I want lead if we play defense) than in a three card suit to ace empty.

Having already masterminded the auction with a silly 1C bid, why not continue? What are my options?

1S - on three card suit, with no ruffing value in my hand (the short trump hand)
1NT - without the smallest chance of a stopper
2D - showing longer clubs I guess, but obvious not reversing values.

None of these are any good. I don't mind bidding 1S on three card suits, but this isn't the hand for it. I don't mind bidding 1NT without a stopper, but on this auction I haven't shown my best feature (those wonderful diamnods). Look how happy I am if the bidding went....

1D-(1H)-X-(P); 1NT s compared with
1C-(1H)-X-(P); 1NT

In the first case, I have problems. Partner can always take preference back to diamnonds in the first case. But what about the second. What if partner bids 2C (natural, nonforcing). You may have been better off in 1S. Do now risk 2D's? Arghhhhhh... silly unsolvable problem.

Ok, I bid 2D and anticipate that partner will a) not take preferene back to 3C thinking I have longer clubs, will not get carried away thinking I have a reverse stegnth. See, I would be much happier to have bid diamonds then NT, than now having to choose between the two.

[EricK]

Quote

You pick up this hand...

A9x
xxx
kq109
Axx

1st seat you open 1 club LHO bids 1h your partner doubles... back to you?

I would have opened 1D (or 1NT!).

If my system dictates 1C on this sort of hand, then it surely also dictates what to do in this common situation! But if it doesn't...

What does partner double show? If it promises exactly 4 Spades then I will bid 1S, showing 3 Spades. If it denies 4 spades then partner will probably be 3253/3433 etc without a Heart stop, and I will bid 2D which shows (I hope ) a minimum hand with diamonds.

Eric

[hrothgar]

This hand should have been opened 1D playing most systems.
Ben has already noted the major problem with a 1C opening: A 2D rebid really distorts your shape.

With this said and done, I'd rebid 1S.
This is an imperfect bid, however, it limits my strength, doesn't significantly distort my shape, and keeps the bidding low.

[luis]

Quote

You pick up this hand...

A9x
xxx
kq109
Axx

1st seat you open 1 club LHO bids 1h your partner doubles... back to you?

Am I getting old or something? Why not a normal 1d opening ?
Gee....
Strange things are expected when you do strange things.

[bglover]

Sorry a mistype...1 diamond was the opening ive modified.

[luis]

1NT, not a problem.

[inquiry]

After a 1D opening bid, I rebid 1NT with a clean conscience.

[luis]

Quote

After a 1D opening bid, I rebid 1NT with a clean conscience.

Actually I'm scared at this problem, do you have any other option but 1NT?

[inquiry]

Quote

Actually I'm scared at this problem, do you have any other option but 1NT?

1S is always an option. What I play with my favorite partners is based upon Robson/Segal idea that a double of 1H here DENIES four spades, and shows minor cards. With these partners, I end up bidding 2C with this hand with good feeling,... .but I assume the negative double in this problem promises 4S and denies 5S....

[hrothgar]

I still like the 1S response

3-3 fits at the 2 level often play decently ;-)

[luis]

Quote

I still like the 1S response

3-3 fits at the 2 level often play decently ;-)

If you bid 1s because you feel the urge to be creative in front of people then ok. If you bid 1s because 1N is too easy/lame then ok.
If you bid 1s because you think it is the right bid then you scare me :-)
No ruffing values, no doubleton, not even a jack in spades and you want to bid 1s to play some number of spades at the wrong level from the wrong side in a 4-3 or 3-3 fit? Cmon!

[hrothgar]

A9x
xxx
KQ109
Axx

Auction

1D - (1H) - X - (P)
???

I bid 1S for a number of reasons, most notably:

My hand is "Aces and spaces". Quick winners suggest a trump contract rather than NT.

I don't have a Heart stopper. Losing 5-6 heart tricks off the top is going to put a severe cramp in my ability to bring home 7 tricks. Worse yet, partner might have a positional stopper.

[flytoox]

I strongly object to the 1NT bidding, pd may raise you to 3N and then you wont feel good. either 1s or 2c is far better than 1N, at least you didnt lie to pd. I prefer 1s here, becoz pd's negative dbl didnt promise c, but only 4-card s.

[luis]

Quote

I strongly object to the 1NT bidding, pd may raise you to 3N and then you wont feel good. either 1s or 2c is far better than 1N, at least you didnt lie to pd. I prefer 1s here, becoz pd's negative dbl didnt promise c, but only 4-card s.

With all my respect I found any bid but 1N to be a complete nonsense.

If pd raises to 3N I'd feel pretty good. Why can't you play 3N when pd has heart stoppers and 4 spades ?
1N is not a lie, it just denies 4 spades, 4 clubs, 5 diamonds and shows a balanced hand with or without a heart stopper.
There's a lot of bidding room to find if we have heart stoppers or not.
Nothing bad can happen when you bid 1N with a 4333 hand.

And you are wrong about pd negative dbl, he may or may not have 4 spades and he may or may not have clubs. Negative doubles carry negative inferences not assertions.

[flytoox]

Quote

Quote

With all my respect I found any bid but 1N to be a complete nonsense.

If pd raises to 3N I'd feel pretty good. Why can't you play 3N when pd has heart stoppers and 4 spades ?

If pd has stopper, excelletn. what if he doesnt have?


1N is not a lie, it just denies 4 spades, 4 clubs, 5 diamonds and shows a balanced hand with or without a heart stopper.


what do you bid after Opp's 1H with this?

S; KQXX
H: XX
D: AJXXX
C: XX

Wont you dbl?

There's a lot of bidding room to find if we have heart stoppers or not.

exactly, then why ruch to bid nt?
Nothing bad can happen when you bid 1N with a 4333 hand.

And you are wrong about pd negative dbl, he may or may not have 4 spades and he may or may not have clubs.

Ok, then mb we are playing different sys. But i think 99% pd promises 4card spade.
Negative doubles carry negative inferences not assertions.

[inquiry]

Quote

I strongly object to the 1NT bidding, pd may raise you to 3N and then you wont feel good. either 1s or 2c is far better than 1N, at least you didnt lie to pd. I prefer 1s here, becoz pd's negative dbl didnt promise c, but only 4-card s.

It's hard to feel strongly about any bid with this hand (other than the original post that said it opened 1C).

But after 1D-(1H)-X-(P); 1NT-(P)-3NT... I would be very confident of making it. After all, what can partner have for this bid a major then jump to game. Not a long side suit, 4S, and obviously hearts stopped. If he lacks a heart stopper, he had other choices at his disposal, not to mention a leap to 3H on the way to the "obvious" 3NT.

Ben

[inquiry]

Quote

what do you bid after Opp's 1H with this?

S; KQXX
H: XX
D: AJXXX
C: XX

Wont you dbl?

With partners who follow Robson/Segal ideas I would bid 1S over 1H. With other players, I would double. But once partner bid 1NT, weak hand, balanced, I am not jumping to 3NT. I will rebid 2D or at imps, vul, maybe a non-forcing 3D. That is is. Where you going with your 10 hcp against a weak partner who rebids 1NT?

[flytoox]

Quote

Quote

what do you bid after Opp's 1H with this?

S; KQXX
H: XX
D: AJXXX
C: XX

Wont you dbl?

With partners who follow Robson/Segal ideas I would bid 1S over 1H. With other players, I would double. But once partner bid 1NT, weak hand, balanced, I am not jumping to 3NT. I will rebid 2D or at imps, vul, maybe a non-forcing 3D. That is is. Where you going with your 10 hcp against a weak partner who rebids 1NT?

With this hand sure no players will bid 3N. I am just trying to say with this hand it is better to dbl rather than raise diamond directly. You may still have remembered the hand I played with you and misho.

Both vul. East dealer

Four hands:
S: K52
H: J5432
D: 3
C: QT83
S: AT86 S: J743
H: T H: 98
D: 108642 D: AQJ9
C: A72 C: KJ6
S: Q9
H: AKQ76
D: K75
C: 954

W N E S
1D 1H
X 4H P(?) P
5D ALL PASS

5D down 1 while 4s is makeable from East. You may say my 5d is bit overbid (which i have to agree facing down 1 while 4hx will down 2) but I believe choosing to dbl first is correct.

[inquiry]

Quote

You may still have remembered the hand I played with you and misho.

Both vul. East dealer

Four hands:
S: K52
H: J5432
D: 3
C: QT83
S: AT86 S: J743
H: T H: 98
D: 108642 D: AQJ9
C: A72 C: KJ6
S: Q9
H: AKQ76
D: K75
C: 954

W N E S
1D 1H
X 4H P(?) P
5D ALL PASS

5D down 1 while 4s is makeable from East. You may say my 5d is bit overbid (which i have to agree facing down 1 while 4hx will down 2) but I believe choosing to dbl first is correct.

Yes, I remember the hand, I was South and overcalled 1H and Misho leaped to 4H. I hope your point is not that 4S by EAST makes while 4H by WEST is down on a diamond lead where West can no longer play Spade in a safe way due to south giving West a diamond ruff. That is too close to figure out during the auction.

I think the right bid with west is 1S (not 2D, not DBL), but you had a chance to get back into the driver seat. Over 4S when the bidding comes back to you, simply doulbe again. If your partner runs to 5C you correct to 5D, if he bids 4S, you pass, if he bids 5D you pass, and if he passes 4Hx, that is ok with you too. A second takeout double in a suit you doubled before is still takeout.

4H is typical Misho... pressure bidding, all the time, everytime. :-)