[quiddity]

---

Matchpoints. South's pass over 2♣ tends to deny 3-card heart support.

[billw55]

Not beautiful, but I'll try 2♠. I have good honor quality in good position, this can't end up badly if partner has his bid. If we play 2♠, I expect +110 or +140 and a good score. If partner continues, I should have a fine hand for him (club spots opposite shortness), and will cooperate with any try he may make.

[Hanoi5]

It's a little scary but it's MP's and 2♣X is not game and I'll just lead the ♥K.

[kenrexford]

I expect partner to have something resembling 4-5-3-1 shape. So, I assume that we are playing in a Moysian fit somewhere. I want club ruffs to come one the short side. So, I'll bid 2♦.

[ArtK78]

Hanoi5, on 2012-January-26, 12:52, said:

It's a little scary but it's MP's and 2♣X is not game and I'll just lead the ♥K.

The argument that 2♣x is not game would be appropriate if this were IMPs. -180 is not a disaster at IMPs (I am not arguing that it is good). However, -180 at matchpoints may be a disaster.

I am assuming that your double in direct seat would have been a support double from the fact that it was stated that the pass tends to deny as many as 3 hearts. So partner, with club shortness, is obliged to reopen with a double as you may have a penalty double of 2♣. Now, you may pass here in an attempt to collect +200. But with 9xxx of clubs, your chances of getting +200 against a rational opponent are not great. LHO is almost certain to get at least 6 club tricks. You have to get 6 side suit tricks. They may be there, but it is risky.

I would bid 2♦ and hope to score some club ruffs in dummy to collect +90 or +110.

[mikeh]

I pass, and don't think it is close.

We have quick tricks. Give partner the major suit Aces and nothing else and we rate to be an easy 200 without a ruff.

200 is going to be huge at mps unless we have a game. Try to construct a hand on which we have game, and either partner misbid or they rate to go 500-800.

Partner won't have any of:

5 spades
6 hearts
4 diamonds

The worst shape he can be, from our perspective, is 4=5=3=1, and he'll have at least a decent 9 count. Since our longest fit is 7 cards, and their's is 8, we are looking at a LOTT hand on which the total tricks are 15. If we can make 8, they make 7.

And this is a great hand for application of the LOTT...we don't have secondary honours in their suits, we have pure controls and a flat hand. Moreover, given our hand and the auction, they won't hold a concealed secondary fit. The LOTT isn't perfect, but this is an area where, imo, it is very useful.

Of course, they may make, but I don't see that as probable. I would pass at any form of scoring.

I'd lead a top diamond to ensure that I see dummy and partner's attitude on diamonds before decising what to switch to. The heart K seems to me to be a very dangerous choice....imagine partner with AQxx Jxxxx Qxx x.

[Phil]

Why wouldn't I bid 2♥ with this?

I almost feel like I'm misreading the problem when others are suggesting to bid a 3 card suit or rebid a 4 card suit.

[mikeh]

Phil, on 2012-January-26, 13:30, said:

I almost feel like I'm misreading the problem when others are suggesting to bid a 3 card suit or rebid a 4 card suit.

I agree with that, but I don't understand the urge to bid a 2 card suit either....partner didn't promise 5 hearts, tho I concede that a 5 card holding is more likely than not...but what would you do over 2♣ with some 4=4=3=2 10-11 count? Or even better? Where are you ending up after 2♥ if he only has 4?

[Phil]

Other than passing up a penalty (which feels like a T and B proposition) partner knows we don't have three hearts.

[the hog]

Pass is out of the question unless I want to break up this partnership. I will bid 2D, with 2H a close second.

[mikeh]

the hog, on 2012-January-26, 19:22, said:

Pass is out of the question unless I want to break up this partnership. I will bid 2D, with 2H a close second.

deleted: unwarranted silliness

[MrAce]

I would not pass with the style we use DBL for reopening an auction thats about to die. If DBL promised strength, then its another story.

This is because i believe in balancing agressively and not hanging pd for it. This is the price i pay, when pd doubles in pass out seat where the auction would die if he didnt take an action, i dont expect him to have enuf to defeat 2♣ most of the time especially with this -150 honor club holding. Hard for us to pass when it is right thing to do. But in return i believe we make better competition and we catch them doubled where others would not DBL due to their bean count and when opener has much better ♣ holding.

To me pd would dbl with any strength and these shapes at mp

4531
4441
3532
4432 (most debatable one imo)

[ggwhiz]

I'm with mike. Pass is auto in our style, discussed and agreed on.

Competing values with no clear direction or pard would not double. I have no clear direction and nothing to be ashamed of.

Meanwhile, why do all the passes by West suggest anything other than nowhere to go? I'm expecting +800 against our red game (which may be iffy) before a make by them and plus at least 200 given that East is a passed hand and West has been silent.

[Codo]

I will break up my (not yet existing) partnership with Ron and pass, maybe Mike will play some hands with me.

[quiddity]

Thanks for the comments. I'm happy to see my LOTT pass wasn't completely out of the ballpark. Unfortunately it didn't work out this time; clubs were 7-0 and declarer made an overtrick.

[mikeh]

declarer passed in 1st seat with 7 solid or semi-solid clubs? and even then only bid 2♣?

I'd pay to that...I wouldn't be happy at the time, but I'd rather play against such a player than with him.

[wank]

i'd bid 2♥ which pretty much shows this shape - partner can correct to 2♠ with 44.

i don't see why i want to float a take-out double with my mighty 9xxx. if 2♣ is going for a monkey, we surely have a game somewhere just on power.

[the hog]

quiddity, on 2012-January-27, 12:40, said:

Thanks for the comments. I'm happy to see my LOTT pass wasn't completely out of the ballpark. Unfortunately it didn't work out this time; clubs were 7-0 and declarer made an overtrick.

roflmao! You got what you deserved.

[the hog]

Codo, on 2012-January-27, 04:47, said:

I will break up my (not yet existing) partnership with Ron and pass, maybe Mike will play some hands with me.

Welcome back, Roland. Long team no read.

[MrAce]

mikeh, on 2012-January-27, 17:31, said:

declarer passed in 1st seat with 7 solid or semi-solid clubs? and even then only bid 2♣?

I'd pay to that...I wouldn't be happy at the time, but I'd rather play against such a player than with him.

Mike i understand your shock about 7 ♣ and agreed, but when pd implies shortness (not promise of course) in a suit where you hold xxxx, and when the meaning of this double is clearly take out, and you convert it to penalty anyway with your xxxx, not at 3 or 4 level but as low as 2, i would be surprised to get a good score, seriously.