[Antrax]

Matchpoints, we're vulnerable.
♠AKTx
♥Axxx
♦AJxxx

Partner opens 3♣ in first seat. Our preempts are disciplined, so no side void or four card major. RHO passes. Your call? Is it close?

[Cyberyeti]

Antrax, on 2011-November-08, 16:17, said:

Matchpoints, we're vulnerable.
♠AKTx
♥Axxx
♦AJxxx

Partner opens 3♣ in first seat. Our preempts are disciplined, so no side void or four card major. RHO passes. Your call? Is it close?

Not close, pass.

Give partner a nice pure hand, AKJ10xxx and out, how many tricks do you make ? The answer is most likely 10 which is what I'm basing this on and partner will accept any invite with this.

If partner has Qxx, x, xx, KQJ10xxx or Q, x, Kxxx, QJ109xxx that's just unlucky. As a matter of style, what would you open KQJxxxxx and out ? That may be the biggest danger if the answer is 3♣.

[sasioc]

Pass and I don't think it's close. I think that passing gives us our best chance of a plus score, which seems very likely at this point - 3C will probably make and if oppo bid I think we are likely to beat their contract. It is possible that we can make 3NT or 5C but I'd expect p to have opened 3NT on the vast majority of hands where that is the case - I need to see a solid suit and an entry to make 3nt and I need to find partner with 7 tricks to make 5C, which is not possible on that many hands without a solid suit. I would be much more keen if I had a club.

[the hog]

Pass for me.

[mike777]

I will try 5c since we are told pard bids 3c at unfav disciplined. For me this means pard should have 7 tricks or something very very close.

easy pass if 3c is random or if pard opens 1c with a 7 trick hand.

[mikeh]

Give him AKQxxxx in clubs and the odds are that we can't make game.....and how much better than that can he be?

Even red v white, 1st chair, I expect to make no more than 10 tricks most of the time.

This would be closer at imps, red, because the game bonus distorts the cost-benefit analysis, but at mps this is clear.

Btw, you may already have this trait, but, if not, it is a good thing to take advantage of the time that RHO took to pass in order to be able to pass in tempo, just as you would with some 3343 6 count.

It is not impossible that LHO has a borderline balance, and you would love him to squeak out a call other than pass....this is another (tho minor) reason to pass this hand...even if you have game, maybe they will rescue you if you don't give the show away.

If he has AKQJxxx or AKQxxxx and a working side Q, tell him to stop preempting those hands.

[Phil]

Pass in tempo. Maybe LHO balances

[Cyberyeti]

mikeh, on 2011-November-08, 18:55, said:

If he has AKQJxxx or AKQxxxx and a working side Q, tell him to stop preempting those hands.

OP should state whether he's playing G3N.

[mike777]

xx...Kx....xx....KQJTxxx(x)

again I agree with all easy pass of 3c if random or pard would open 1c with 7 tricks.

still prefer 5c if we can trust pard to have her bid. There are a rather limited number of hands pard can have roughly 7 playing tricks and not open 1c or gambling 3nt.

[neilkaz]

Pass and try not to droll if LHO tanks while thinking about balancing.

[Antrax]

Not playing gambling 3NT.
I passed in tempo. LHO fidgeted and ultimately passed (what does "droll" mean in this context? I was rooting for him to balance but I don't think it was visible). 3♣= wasn't a stellar score (26%), outscored by 3D+2, 5D= and 5DX= for our side. Ours was the only pair in clubs, which is why I was wondering if many people would bid 3♦ here. I got one very strong player saying he would, hoping partner to table three small diamonds and crossruff everything, and at worst he was willing to push partner to 4♣. I was wondering how much of that was resulting. Partner had ♠xx ♥Qx ♦Qx ♣KQT9xxx. It's nice to see my pass wasn't as ill-advised as the score would suggest

[mikeh]

Antrax, on 2011-November-09, 00:37, said:

Not playing gambling 3NT.
I passed in tempo. LHO fidgeted and ultimately passed (what does "droll" mean in this context? I was rooting for him to balance but I don't think it was visible). 3♣= wasn't a stellar score (26%), outscored by 3D+2, 5D= and 5DX= for our side. Ours was the only pair in clubs, which is why I was wondering if many people would bid 3♦ here. I got one very strong player saying he would, hoping partner to table three small diamonds and crossruff everything, and at worst he was willing to push partner to 4♣. I was wondering how much of that was resulting. Partner had ♠xx ♥Qx ♦Qx ♣KQT9xxx. It's nice to see my pass wasn't as ill-advised as the score would suggest

3♦ is forcing, and partner will/should raise with Qx....so how good is that going to be at the 4 level...not to mention that with the hoped-for xxx, partner rates to be splintering! I think your 'very strong player' was resulting.

[mike777]

Antrax, on 2011-November-09, 00:37, said:

Not playing gambling 3NT.
I passed in tempo. LHO fidgeted and ultimately passed (what does "droll" mean in this context? I was rooting for him to balance but I don't think it was visible). 3♣= wasn't a stellar score (26%), outscored by 3D+2, 5D= and 5DX= for our side. Ours was the only pair in clubs, which is why I was wondering if many people would bid 3♦ here. I got one very strong player saying he would, hoping partner to table three small diamonds and crossruff everything, and at worst he was willing to push partner to 4♣. I was wondering how much of that was resulting. Partner had ♠xx ♥Qx ♦Qx ♣KQT9xxx. It's nice to see my pass wasn't as ill-advised as the score would suggest

ok 3c at unfav clearly does not promise anything close to 7 playing tricks...no problem.


How many playing tricks does this hand promise ?????

---


If 3c promises roughly 5 playing tricks then this is not a bidding problem, just let me know pard!
--


As usual in bridge semantics matter.

[gwnn]

Good pass. You will get a lot of good scores because opps will not be able to pass with hands like this and will not get this lucky.

[mike777]

guys easy pass if pard bids random and this hand is really random.

This aint close to 7 playing tricks.

This is a complete non problem.

[BunnyGo]

Easy pass. Also, neilkaz meant to type "drool" meaning להזיל ריר. "Droll" means "funny".

[gwnn]

Oh nice, I learned a new word today.

[Cyberyeti]

Antrax, on 2011-November-09, 00:37, said:

Not playing gambling 3NT.
I passed in tempo. LHO fidgeted and ultimately passed (what does "droll" mean in this context? I was rooting for him to balance but I don't think it was visible). 3♣= wasn't a stellar score (26%), outscored by 3D+2, 5D= and 5DX= for our side. Ours was the only pair in clubs, which is why I was wondering if many people would bid 3♦ here. I got one very strong player saying he would, hoping partner to table three small diamonds and crossruff everything, and at worst he was willing to push partner to 4♣. I was wondering how much of that was resulting. Partner had ♠xx ♥Qx ♦Qx ♣KQT9xxx. It's nice to see my pass wasn't as ill-advised as the score would suggest

Well everything must have broken really kindly (I presume J♣ was doubleton or the diamond finesse worked and you were able to ruff them out without getting a heart lead from the hand without the K). 5♦ is a horrible contract but if it made I assume diamonds are 3-3.

Doesn't make pass wrong, step back, what contract would you like to be in seeing partner's hand ?

[the hog]

Antrax, on 2011-November-09, 00:37, said:

I was rooting for him to balance but I don't think it was visible).

I hope you weren't rooting in public.

[sasioc]

mike777, on 2011-November-09, 01:48, said:

guys easy pass if pard bids random and this hand is really random.

This aint close to 7 playing tricks.

This is a complete non problem.

I don't think this hand is "really random" at all, it's pretty middle of the road....