[Quarky]

IMP match, 2nd seat, vulnerable.

AQJ983
K102
1075
2

Your RHO opens with a pass, what's your action playing 2/1?

[TylerE]

2♠ looks clear to me playing 2/1. You're allowed to have a max occasionally...
Opening 1♠ is way too likely to lead to an absolute no play 3NT.

[655321]

Quarky, on Nov 25 2008, 05:58 PM, said:

Your RHO opens with a pass, what's your action playing 2/1?

I make a 1♠ overcall over RHO's opening pass.
Alternatively, I open the bidding with 1♠.

At the vulnerability 2♠ is fine on values, but with KTx in hearts I prefer 1♠.

[neilkaz]

2nd seat is the worst seat to preempt in since one opp has allready passed but PD hasn't. We are also vulnerable and the opps not.

If I open this 2♠ PD will expect me to have a hand almost this good for an unfav. vul 2nd seater.

2♠ for me noting that this doesn't prevent us from finding a 5-3 ♥ game.

[Quarky]

Well, i chose 1♠ because pard as unpassed hand and my hand is a little better for a weak 2 than i like it to be (in my opinion).

Pard ended up going for slam with K10x Ax AQxxx Kxx
Pard insists that I must open 2♠ and never consider the 1S call i made

[neilkaz]

Quarky, on Nov 25 2008, 05:56 PM, said:

Well, i chose 1♠ because pard as unpassed hand and my hand is a little better for a weak 2 than i like it to be (in my opinion).

Pard ended up going for slam with K10x Ax AQxxx Kxx
Pard insists that I must open 2♠ and never consider the 1S call i made

I think this is the 2nd hand you've posted where your PD clearly doesn't care for lightish opening 1 bids. I'd still open 2♠ but I don't hate 1♠.

You may wish to take PD's stylish preferences into account when opening marginal 1 bids. If that isn't your cup of tea, perhaps a new partner more to your aggressive (certainly not necessarily bad) style may be required.

PD also should give you a chance to not cooperate with a slam try with his hand. How did the rest of the bidding go ? If ♠ were agreed on early enough, was there room for some kind of serious NT ? Or could the failure of opener to bid it or to cue bid have disclosed your minimum and cautioned PD ?

.. neilkaz ..

[Quarky]

this was with a partner DIFFERENT from my other post lol

bidding went

p-1S-2H-3D
p-3S-p-4nt
p-5c-p-5d
p-5h-p-6s

(rkc, then Q ask)

[JoAnneM]

Bidding styles of partners are very important. With one of my partners I would open 1S, with another one I would open 2S.

[matmat]

let's go and give you the ♥Q. does partner still want you to open 2♠?

[awm]

I like 2♠ here. My philosophy is that opening 2♠ with six good spades usually yields a good result, unless the strength of my hand is quite a bit off from what partner will expect. Since I am in second seat vulnerable, my hand can't be really bad for a 2♠ call. This hand is only a bit better than partner will expect.

[P_Marlowe]

Quarky, on Nov 25 2008, 07:18 PM, said:

this was with a partner DIFFERENT from my other post lol

bidding went

p-1S-2H-3D
p-3S-p-4nt
p-5c-p-5d
p-5h-p-6s

(rkc, then Q ask)

One possible change of auction:

4S instead of 3S, 3D was game forcing, hence 4S should be weaker than 3S.

Another possible change, if 3S does not limit your hand, than your partner
should bid 4C, which is a cue for spade, showing slam interest, and the bid
gives partner the chance to show, if he also has some slam interest.

The bad slam was reached, because your partner did bid 4NT, before
verifying that the strength is there.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[skjaeran]

What to open with this hand is a style question.
These days I play constructive weak twos with most partners (8-11), thus this is an obvious 2♠ to me.

[jdonn]

The great spot cards and excellent support for the other major convince me to open 1, even though at this seat and vul I might open 2 on other similar-looking hands.

[cherdano]

P_Marlowe, on Nov 26 2008, 08:33 AM, said:

Quarky, on Nov 25 2008, 07:18 PM, said:

this was with a partner DIFFERENT from my other post lol

bidding went

p-1S-2H-3D
p-3S-p-4nt
p-5c-p-5d
p-5h-p-6s

(rkc, then Q ask)

One possible change of auction:

4S instead of 3S, 3D was game forcing, hence 4S should be weaker than 3S.

Another possible change, if 3S does not limit your hand, than your partner
should bid 4C, which is a cue for spade, showing slam interest, and the bid
gives partner the chance to show, if he also has some slam interest.

The bad slam was reached, because your partner did bid 4NT, before
verifying that the strength is there.

With kind regards
Marlowe

I agree with your main point, but disagree with several of your side points.
4S instead of 3S would show a hand with spades, only, not a weaker hand. No reason to jump around when we have decent diamond support besides our nice spades.
4C over 3S would be natural - in competition we have to be able to show a hand with both minors. 4H would be a slam try for spades, and that's what responder should have bid instead of 4N. If partner can't move over 4H, there probably is no slam. I agree that 4N was hasty and the main mistake in the auction (and in fact bidding 4N too quickly is a very common B/I mistake).

[P_Marlowe]

cherdano, on Nov 26 2008, 12:50 PM, said:

P_Marlowe, on Nov 26 2008, 08:33 AM, said:

Quarky, on Nov 25 2008, 07:18 PM, said:

this was with a partner DIFFERENT from my other post lol

bidding went

p-1S-2H-3D
p-3S-p-4nt
p-5c-p-5d
p-5h-p-6s

(rkc, then Q ask)

One possible change of auction:

4S instead of 3S, 3D was game forcing, hence 4S should be weaker than 3S.

Another possible change, if 3S does not limit your hand, than your partner
should bid 4C, which is a cue for spade, showing slam interest, and the bid
gives partner the chance to show, if he also has some slam interest.

The bad slam was reached, because your partner did bid 4NT, before
verifying that the strength is there.

With kind regards
Marlowe

I agree with your main point, but disagree with several of your side points.
4S instead of 3S would show a hand with spades, only, not a weaker hand. No reason to jump around when we have decent diamond support besides our nice spades.
4C over 3S would be natural - in competition we have to be able to show a hand with both minors. 4H would be a slam try for spades, and that's what responder should have bid instead of 4N. If partner can't move over 4H, there probably is no slam. I agree that 4N was hasty and the main mistake in the auction (and in fact bidding 4N too quickly is a very common B/I mistake).

Ok, I also stopped after I wrote, that 4S is weaker than 3S,
and it is simply wrong, since 3S may also be bid with the
intention to pass a 3NT bid by partner.
.. but than, what I wrote, I wrote .-), and if it is complete garbage,
someone will step in.
And I agree also that 4C is natural and that 4H as a general
slam try is better,.
Even if a 4C bid, would be a cue, the cue should show values, given
the previous bids, so the difference would not be big, but there is a
difference.
And given that responder holds Kxx does not really make a possible
club cue attractive anyway.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[neilkaz]

Cheradano "I agree with your main point, but disagree with several of your side points.
4S instead of 3S would show a hand with spades, only, not a weaker hand. No reason to jump around when we have decent diamond support besides our nice spades.
4C over 3S would be natural - in competition we have to be able to show a hand with both minors. 4H would be a slam try for spades, and that's what responder should have bid instead of 4N. If partner can't move over 4H, there probably is no slam. I agree that 4N was hasty and the main mistake in the auction (and in fact bidding 4N too quickly is a very common B/I mistake). "

Complete agreement. This basically says it all. 4♥ allows a PD who opened with a dead minimum to attempt a 4♠ sign off.