[jillybean]

---

♠QT not QJ

[wyman]

I'm seriously thinking that 4S may be better here, although a club thru is unappealing, especially if it's stiff. I don't think Qxx is going to hold up in 3N, since LHO opened and we have 17, and partner made a red overcall. Do we think RHO's got ♦AKxxxx? Hard to imagine.

I think I'm going to double, hoping partner can bid 3N himself, unlikely as that may be. I'll bid 3N over 3H, which should hopefully show doubt [I don't think this is a "serious" situation, but those better acquainted with such auctions should correct me if I'm wrong], and I'll bid 4S over 4H.

Is this an atrocious plan?

Tough hand JB.

[ggwhiz]

3nt but not happy. Better than 4♠ on a stiff ♣ lead though.

I am happy if pard removes this to 4♠.

[Zelandakh]

ggwhiz, on 2011-August-22, 08:21, said:

Better than 4♠ on a stiff ♣ lead though.

We have not been told the meaning of 3D but is it not common to play it as showing club support?

[wyman]

Zelandakh, on 2011-August-22, 08:34, said:

We have not been told the meaning of 3D but is it not common to play it as showing club support?

I assumed WJS since I wasn't told otherwise. If this is a fit jump, showing invitational values, 5+ diamonds, and 4+ clubs, I'm wondering who's having a bit of fun this round.

[jillybean]

3♦ was not alerted, assume it is a weak jump shift

[mikeh]

Even if jb had not clarified that 3♦ was a wjs, the auction and our hand tells us it was. Anyone concerned that it was fit-showing must assume either LHO or CHO has psyched

Anyone who thinks we lack a stopper has also not looked at the auction.

I expect rho to have been trying to work us over with J109xxxx and out, but even if LHO and CHO scraped up their bids such that rho has 4 points, the only problem holding for us is Hxx on our left, and Hxxxxx on our right...and having LHO lead the H, not the reflexive x.I do not think that this has any real chance of that being the layout...or of LHO finding the correct lead...K109xxx for a wjs? Not unless rho is on some powerful drugs or is a lunatic. I'll pay to that.

So put me down for a happy 3N. I love contracts where we have the majority of the strength and I know, almost at trick one, how the missing cards as laid out.

Btw, if partner is void in diamonds, she is allowed to pull, and we'll play 4♠ and almost certainly make even if and perhaps because they take a club ruff.

[jillybean]

---

lead 3♣

3♣ 9♣ 4♣ 2♣
2♠ 3♠ T♠ J♠
2♥ 4♥ 9♥ J♥
Q♠ 5♠ 4♠ 4♦
2♦ 5♣ J♦ 5♦
6♠ 6♦ 7♣ K♠
T♥ 6♥ 3♥ K♥
3♦ 8♣ K♦ 7♦
7♠ 8♦ T♣ A♠
Q♥

[Quantumcat]

What an awful 1♠ overcall!

Beginners are taught, "to overcall you need either a good suit or a good hand". This hand is neither.

Intermediates know, "it's ok to overcall if you are likely telling your partner the only possible worthwhile lead", which this hand certainly isn't.

[jillybean]

Quantumcat, on 2011-August-22, 18:31, said:

What an awful 1♠ overcall!

Beginners are taught, "to overcall you need either a good suit or a good hand". This hand is neither.

Intermediates know, "it's ok to overcall if you are likely telling your partner the only possible worthwhile lead", which this hand certainly isn't.

This was neither a beginner nor intermediate, rather one of Vancouver's top players - playing on BBO late at night mind you.

[wyman]

jillybean, on 2011-August-22, 20:12, said:

This was neither a beginner nor intermediate, rather one of Vancouver's top players - playing on BBO late at night mind you.

This is not inconsistent with QC's post

[Zelandakh]

wyman, on 2011-August-22, 20:24, said:

This is not inconsistent with QC's post

However the hand diagram is inconsistent with the OP.

[gwnn]

I'm OK with 1♠ from North but wouldn't always make it. I would always bid 3NT from South. I don't think this means I'm psychotic, only that wide-ranging bridge actions will often backfire when you're on either end of the range.

[655321]

Quantumcat, on 2011-August-22, 18:31, said:

What an awful 1♠ overcall!

Beginners are taught, "to overcall you need either a good suit or a good hand". This hand is neither.

Intermediates know, "it's ok to overcall if you are likely telling your partner the only possible worthwhile lead", which this hand certainly isn't.

As North passing the 1♣ opening with this hand wouldn't occur to me.

[vuroth]

Am I reading correctly? JB made when west, having taken 4 spade tricks v 3NT, returned a heart rather than the A♣?

[wyman]

No, JB made 10 when JB established her spades. West can hold it to 9 by cashing the club ace.

[MickyB]

1S as North is auto

[han]

Sorry beginners who have been taught by quantumcat, but I also think that 1S is auto. Passing on hands like this means you'll miss a lot of good games.

[Phil]

A poor player that plays with Rduran would bid 2♠.

A new player would pass.

The rest of us would overcall 1♠.

Agree with 3N. Hard for them to run diamonds from the get-go, but a diamond ducked around will give me cause for concern.

[ggwhiz]

jillybean, on 2011-August-22, 20:12, said:

This was neither a beginner nor intermediate, rather one of Vancouver's top players - playing on BBO late at night mind you.

I know a few and they are much worse in the morning. I would bid 1♠ and damn the torpedoes like the one that destroyed a boathouse in a military excercise gone wrong.