[BunnyGo]

You hold:

J98643, A8, 5, KQT7 Red vs White in second seat. The auction:

(P)-P-(P)-1S
(P)-4D-(X)-4S
5D-?

I hope you all agree with the first pass and the splinter. What now?

Do you do otherwise at IMPs?

[MrAce]

I'd open 1♠ at the first place. I am bidding 5♠ now.

[whereagles]

We need 12-13 working points in pard to make 5. Not too much of a prayer, so I'll bite and bid it.

[Cyberyeti]

MrAce, on 2011-November-11, 07:21, said:

I'd open 1♠ at the first place. I am bidding 5♠ now.

Seconded, completely auto 1♠ for me.

Partner needs no more than the black aces to make 5♠ adequate, add a major suit king to make it excellent. There is also no guarantee you're beating 5♦ if you don't have a spade trick.

[sasioc]

I'd also have opened 1S. I will now bid 5S rather than passing because my hand is significantly more suitable for playing in spades than the hand that I have shown. I will consider 5H because I would like to play in slam if p has 2 aces and something useful in a round suit. I don't think I'll play in many slams worse than trumps 1-1.

[billw55]

Is there any significance to partner's bid of 4♠ freely? Is this action stronger or weaker than pass? Does either/both deny or promise controls?

[BunnyGo]

billw55, on 2011-November-11, 08:04, said:

Is there any significance to partner's bid of 4♠ freely? Is this action stronger or weaker than pass? Does either/both deny or promise controls?

This action is his weakest possible action (since the 4♦ bid forced to game). It does not directly imply anything about controls, just that he has no desire to bid further or investigate anything. Pass would have been stronger.

[Fluffy]

blame transfer or be a man, I use blame transfer with pass, if partner has ♠AKQ he won´t like to defend, if he has KQ or AQ then this is another story and we might be better defending than playing.

[mcphee]

I do not mind passing this hand first chance at all. I like the splinter, I now bid 5H over 5D I can hardly have better than this.

[JLOGIC]

You could have a diamond void, that would be similar to having an additional ace. I think trying for slam without a diamond void when all partner did over the X was 4S is too much.

[aguahombre]

billw55, on 2011-November-11, 08:04, said:

Is there any significance to partner's bid of 4♠ freely? Is this action stronger or weaker than pass? Does either/both deny or promise controls?

BunnyGo, on 2011-November-11, 08:08, said:

This action is his weakest possible action (since the 4♦ bid forced to game). It does not directly imply anything about controls, just that he has no desire to bid further or investigate anything. Pass would have been stronger.

Probably the most popular agreement, but not as absolute as the answer sounds. Some people use pass in these situations and worst humanly possible on the auction, and 4S as a routine/offense oriented opening. The point being, it is another one of those things worthy of discussion with a regular partner rather than to be assumed.

[Cascade]

billw55, on 2011-November-11, 08:04, said:

Is there any significance to partner's bid of 4♠ freely? Is this action stronger or weaker than pass? Does either/both deny or promise controls?

I think it is still quite wide ranging as partner is opposite a passed hand. Most partner's are going to bid 4♠ whenever they cannot see a slam. So it could be a minimum without much in diamonds or worse a minimum with some wastage. Perhaps given the double practiced partnerships could give some thought to helping partner at the five-level if the potential 'raise' comes.

With regard to the original questions. I would have opened 1♠ and I pass now. Its not competely ideal but 5♠ seems too unilateral in a hand that does have some defense.

[Mbodell]

I'd pass. I expect we are better in 5♠, but I'm not sure, and am likely to be happy with which ever partner decides.

I'd have originally opened 1♠.

[BunnyGo]

Yes, in retrospect, I probably should have opened the hand. My (mistaken) thoughts were:

1) I don't want to pre-empt with this hand
2) It seems a bit light to open
3) I have the master suit, I can come in later and be ok

I did bid 5 spades (making exactly). 5DX would have been 800 on basically any defense.

The hand

[whereagles]

5S does go down on a heart lead, but that's quite unlikely. Too bad we didn't let pard wield the axe

[BunnyGo]

whereagles, on 2011-November-13, 16:10, said:

5S does go down on a heart lead, but that's quite unlikely. Too bad we didn't let pard wield the axe

indeed.