[bobjan]

After RHO opens 1♥ what would you bid with
♠AKQ9874
♥-
♦865
♣K98

[CSGibson]

Double is sick, I bid 4 spades. Actually, I guess that depends on the vulnerability, 4 spades at all but unfavorable, 1 spade at unfavorable.

[the hog]

4S. If vul vs not 3S.

[jdonn]

3♠? Maybe you didn't see the king of clubs (seriously)?

[aguahombre]

4S at all for me. It beats thinking.

[gwnn]

4♠ just bid what you think you can make always look on the bright side of life *whistle* (opps' life will be quite gloomy but have no compassion)

[Codo]

4 ♠, distant second choice 1 ♠, no third choice.

[P_Marlowe]

4S.

Why mess around?

With kind regards
Marlowe

[gwnn]

Just to make the thread more interesting:

I would x with
AQx
Kxx
in the minors (but I would like a little more).

I would bid 1S with AKQxxx instead of AKQxxxx in spades.

[jjbrr]

Please don't double with this hand.

[akhare]

Hmm..., seems like this poll was inspired because someone made a X and was trying to justify it .

4♠ seems to be a standout, 1♠ if you are squeamish about vul...

[bftboy]

If we're going to bid 4♠ with this hand, what do we do with something like AQJ10xxxx _ xxxx x.? That looks more like a 4♠ bid to me exc at unfavorable. I agree that the example hand isn't worth a x, then a ♠ bid, but it's not that far off, either. 1♠ for me.

Suppose LHO bids 5♥ over 4♠. How does P make a good competitive decision when we could hold either hand type for our 4♠ call? thx,

[P_Marlowe]

bftboy, on Mar 15 2010, 03:20 PM, said:

If we're going to bid 4♠ with this hand, what do we do with something like AQJ10xxxx  _  xxxx x.? That looks more like a 4♠ bid to me exc at unfavorable.  I agree that the example hand isn't worth a x, then a ♠ bid, but it's not that far off, either.  1♠ for me.

Suppose LHO bids 5♥ over 4♠.  How does P make a good competitive decision when we could hold either hand type for our 4♠ call?  thx, 

It is quite common, to have a wider range for a 4S preemptive bid,
the major reason is, that you dont preempt above game level, so
sometimes you can hold a hand worth a 5S preempt bid, but it is not
a good to preempt with 5S.
After they opened, slam becomes unlikely, so bidding 4S basically
only risks turning a plus score (3S) into a minus score 4S-1.

If they compete over 4S, the preemptor can use X to show a hand
with add. defence / offence, asking p to bid 5S with no defence against
5H or Pass.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Gerben42]

I don't get someone who considers double.

[jjbrr]

bftboy, on Mar 15 2010, 03:20 PM, said:

If we're going to bid 4♠ with this hand, what do we do with something like AQJ10xxxx _ xxxx x.? That looks more like a 4♠ bid to me exc at unfavorable. I agree that the example hand isn't worth a x, then a ♠ bid, but it's not that far off, either. 1♠ for me.

Suppose LHO bids 5♥ over 4♠. How does P make a good competitive decision when we could hold either hand type for our 4♠ call? thx,

The gains of being able to bid to 4♠ with a lot of hands and forcing them to make guesses at the 5 level outweigh the losses that arise when partner doesn't know our exact shape or strength or whatever you're suggesting.

Usually partner will have a clear raise or a clear pass or double. Other times he has to guess, and sometimes we don't have the best shape to suit his needs, but thats bridge. Developing good judgment in these situations is really the only solution.

I would never give up the ability to bid 4♠ aggressively just to have accuracy in 5 over 5 decisions.

[ArtK78]

4♠ seems clear. Putting the opponents to the guess is far more important that absolute precision in later decisions on hands of this type.

If the opponents bid on, one has the option of doubling to show that the 4♠ bid was made to make as opposed to a purely preemptive action. The double does not imply defense but normally one has a trick or two. Partner is then better placed to make a 5-over-5 decision.

With a true monster hand with both tricks and defense (for example, add at least the ♦A to this hand) one might double first before bidding 4♠.