[EricK]

So I am sitting in 4th seat with a great hand, when this happens:

---

It's MPs, opps are playing Acol (weak NT, 4 card majors). What would you do if playing with your usual partner? What would you do with mine - he's on the weak side of average without much ability to apply logic in unusual bidding situations.

[TylerE]

Pass and await furthur developments. I can't bid any number of hearts naturally initially.

[mikeh]

I am not passing......the odds are far too high that there will be 'no further developments' and this isn't the dummy to table in 1♠.

I can't bid hearts naturally....and this isn't something that usually worries me too much. What I can do is to bid notrump.

I will swing low and bid 1N. This is not guaranteed to lead to a better result than passing, but the upside seems better....who knows, after bidding 1N, I may later be able to show hearts (tho I doubt it) and maybe LHO bids clubs or CHO bids diamonds.

And maybe CHO rebids spades and RHO obligingly doubles, in which case my heart bid(s) have to be (eventually) taken as natural.

[glen]

If you want to have fun, bid 4♣ showing a singleton/void in ♣s.

This should have ♠ support of course, but here when partner cuebids 4♥ you will pass.

[cloa513]

How about 2♦, hopefully with a holding of only 3♦ partner will temporise with 2♥ or if holding 5♣ will bid 3♣, then you can easily bid 4♥ which could hardly be a cue with the former or 3NT with the later.

[Zelandakh]

I would also bid 1NT. 9-12 fits with the other hearts on my left and I quite fancy my stopper potential in their suit if I am declarer.

[gnasher]

Why would we want to be in 4♥? It seems very likely that we'll lose two hearts and two other tricks, especially given the opponents' system. If LHO has only four hearts, he has a strong notrump or better.

As well as 1NT or 2♦, you might try 2♣, hoping partner splinters. However, all of these are too scary for me. I'd just pass and hope LHO reopens. If he doesn't, at least I'm providing a couple of aces for partner.

[gwnn]

I knew I was going to pass without looking at the hand or the replies.

[Free]

gwnn, on 2011-November-08, 03:12, said:

I knew I was going to pass without looking at the hand or the replies.

Recently I played against a Raptor 1NT overcall, I had ♥AQJTxxxx after 1♠-(1NT)... Guess what, I passed, LHO bid 2♣ P/C, partner bid 2♠ and I jumped to 4♥ making it clear to partner. Usually pass (and hope someone keeps the auction open) is the only way to show the opponent's suit.

Here however, we are in front of the opponent with the trump stack, so 4♥ doesn't look as attractive. But a lower ♥ contract seems sensible. I'll pass quickly and see what happens.

[Fluffy]

I think 1NT is the best bid, next heart bids might be taken as natural, I've played 2♥ doubled on similar auctions before.

http://www.bridgebas...h__1#entry76464

EDIT: Meh looks like the forums change messed up one of the diagrams

[whereagles]

this is horrible... I guess I bid 1NT as well :/

[neilkaz]

1NT for me as well.

[wank]

passing is gross. opps don't normally rescue you when they hold 4 of LHO's suit.

[TylerE]

There's a few assumptions people are making in this thread that I have to take issue with.

Who knows that we WANT the opponents to "rescue" us. With these high cards we might well wrap 7 tricks in 1♠ if it floats, and I hate our chances of making much of anything higher.

TBH I want the opponents to be declaring this somewhere, don't really CARE where. Best way to make that happen to be passive initially. If partner has the kind of hand where we're making 3NT or something like that on values he should start making noise at some stage.

[Gerben42]

Let's analyze who has what. Opener ostensibly has only 4 Hearts so he has a strong NT, leaving 14 shared HCP between partner and the other opponent. As partner didn't make a weak jump overcall (phew!), Spades are likely 5-4-4 (or 5 behind partner) around the table, or partner really has 6♠ with the remaining deck. One problem is that opponents have a big ♣ fit, and with a horrible suit to lead away from (♥KJxx) you are going to get that lead.

If you PASS, then that will be the end of it as opener won't be strong enough to bid 1NT 17+. If you bid 1NT, you will likely declare it on a ♣ lead. 2♣ will simply be raised by partner, and 2♦... At least we are likely to have 7 trumps there.

At other tables it'll go 1NT pass pass X♥ or even 1NT 2♠ 2-suited Pass 4♥ which WON'T make because of the terrible break. So I bid 2♦ hoping that there aren't too many +140s our side. That's not forcing for me.

[aguahombre]

Whatever I do at this point, aiming to ever be declaring 4H is just plain wrong, IMO.

This hand comes down to damage control, and I still don't know whether pass or 1NT will be the better choice. I think pass might be less likely to get partner back in with the wrong stuff, and more likely to get her in with diamonds.

[JLOGIC]

I think pass is obvious

[Cyberyeti]

Gerben42, on 2011-November-08, 11:31, said:

Let's analyze who has what. Opener ostensibly has only 4 Hearts so he has a strong NT, leaving 14 shared HCP between partner and the other opponent. As partner didn't make a weak jump overcall (phew!), Spades are likely 5-4-4 (or 5 behind partner) around the table, or partner really has 6♠ with the remaining deck. One problem is that opponents have a big ♣ fit, and with a horrible suit to lead away from (♥KJxx) you are going to get that lead.

If you PASS, then that will be the end of it as opener won't be strong enough to bid 1NT 17+. If you bid 1NT, you will likely declare it on a ♣ lead. 2♣ will simply be raised by partner, and 2♦... At least we are likely to have 7 trumps there.

At other tables it'll go 1NT pass pass X♥ or even 1NT 2♠ 2-suited Pass 4♥ which WON'T make because of the terrible break. So I bid 2♦ hoping that there aren't too many +140s our side. That's not forcing for me.

One flaw in the analysis, opener could have 5♥, 4♣ and an 11 count here. Would be slightly embarrassing if this was the case and partner actually had a hand. It can't be unlikely (particularly if you play weak/strong 2 suited bids) that partner has 5-4, 6-4 or 5-5 in the blacks with AK/A and that 4♥ is cold.

[ggwhiz]

I'm going to double before they do. Doesn't that get partner barred?

[EricK]

ggwhiz, on 2011-November-08, 15:01, said:

I'm going to double before they do. Doesn't that get partner barred?

On the same lines, maybe 1♥ will work. What happens then?!