[Antrax]

Matchpoints, favourable. P-P-P to this:
♠J
♥AQJ863
♦K875
♣T7

What's your bid and why? (and please be candid, I'm helpless when it comes to these fourth seat decisions)

[the hog]

Pass for me because it only adds up to a casino count of 12.

[mich-b]

I would open 2♥ , because I think we have a good chance to make a ♥ partscore (though likely not game) if parnet has some ♥ fit or beat their ♠ partscore if he doesnt.
Also , since the MP fields I usually play in are not very strong, I would like to give us another chance to do well by declaring or defending , rather than trying to win the board here by passing.
(What I mean by that is that in a typical MP field I might make 3♥ even if it was beatable , or they might go down in 3♠ even if they could make it).

[MrAce]

 Antrax, on 2012-February-09, 01:00, said:

Matchpoints, favourable. P-P-P to this:
♠J
♥AQJ863
♦K875
♣T7

What's your bid and why? (and please be candid, I'm helpless when it comes to these fourth seat decisions)

2♥ ( i play this just like jump bid in balancing seat, showing 6 card suit and opener hand )

[32519]

 the hog, on 2012-February-09, 01:07, said:

Pass for me because it only adds up to a casino count of 12.

Absolutely, without the boss suit (♠) you are letting the opponents in to steal the part score.

 mich-b, on 2012-February-09, 01:24, said:

I would open 2♥ , because I think we have a good chance to make a ♥ partscore

In 4th seat I prefer opening 2♥ with full values (defined as a hand containing a minimum of 14 HCP and a 6-card suit). It places partner in a better position to assess game possibilities.

With ♠, I open 4th seat with a constructive 2♠ showing 8-12 HCP. Holding the boss suit, I am quite happy to contest the part score.

[nigel_k]

These problems are hard because there is a fine line between it being your hand and their hand and there is no way to know until it is too late. I would always open 2♥ though.

[ArtK78]

 Antrax, on 2012-February-09, 01:00, said:

Matchpoints, favourable. P-P-P to this:
♠J
♥AQJ863
♦K875
♣T7

What's your bid and why? (and please be candid, I'm helpless when it comes to these fourth seat decisions)

This is very close. To me, a fourth seat "weak" 2-bid shows a hand that would open one and rebid 2 if it were in any other seat. This hand qualifies, but the short spades creates a tactical problem.

Normally, when it goes pass-pass-pass to you, you do not have to worry too much about the opponents backing into the bidding. Here, though, that is not true. If you open 2♥ (and I would never open 1♥ on these cards) and it goes pass-pass to RHO, he may balance. Partner did not open 1♠ or 2♠ (or more, for that matter), so there rates to be a lot of spades in the opponents' hands. And if partner does have 5 or more spades, then the prospects for play in hearts may not be that great.

I cannot see passing this out unless my partner is very aggressive. In that case, passing out the hand may be best.

Of course, if you know that your opponents are very aggressive, then you should probably open, as neither of them bid on the first round of bidding.

[ggwhiz]

 the hog, on 2012-February-09, 01:07, said:

Pass for me because it only adds up to a casino count of 12.

That's cansino count. Bergen suggests using that OR a hand willing to go to the 3 level and this qualifies in either red suit. 2♥ for me but I won't be surprised if I land on my head. I will bid 3♦ over 2♠ passed back to me and cross my fingers.

[Phil]

I would open 2♥ at IMPs, because if they compete with 2♠ I only rate to lose 3-4 IMPs (or compete to 3♥-1 for 2 IMPs), which isn't terrible. Missing game and losing 9 IMPs opposite a balanced 10 count seems very possible.

At MPs favorable I will still open. I think the chance of a plus score is still pretty good, and there is no guarantee two passed hands are going to get involved successfully and find their spade fit.

Only at MPs unfavorable would I consider passing.

[AlexJonson]

I'd definitely open one heart. Let's compete and play some bridge. Who is frightened at mps by a limited 2H.

[TWO4BRIDGE]

The hand seems to be on the "cusp" .
A balancing 2H should be a 6 card suit ( and here you have a very good one ) and Opening values of ~ 13-15 ( if you include "distribution points" , this hand just barely qualifies ).
I'm going with 2♥ with this fine 6 card suit.

[mike777]

 Antrax, on 2012-February-09, 01:00, said:

Matchpoints, favourable. P-P-P to this:
♠J
♥AQJ863
♦K875
♣T7

What's your bid and why? (and please be candid, I'm helpless when it comes to these fourth seat decisions)

easy pass for me we dont have spades, next deal please.

OTOH easy opening bid if you open pretty sound in second seat.

[Cthulhu D]

These situations always depend on what partner is going to open in 2nd seat. My regular partners opens any 11 count, and have a million ways to pre-empt so I have the useful inference that he doesn't have 4 spades and a 5 card minor, 4 hearts and 4 spades, or 6 spades. So they have all the spades and I'm going to get overcalled so pass. I'm not even sure I'd get to buy 2H. Partner probably has a flat 9-10 count so let's just pass this in.

[Antrax]

We open rule of 20 in 1st/2nd so not every 11 count. I passed, and was the only one to do so out of the 20 pairs or so who played the board. It turned out not to be a good score

---

Scores are almost all our side, with some 420s, and some 200s/300s. Most common score is a heart partscore making 4

[mike777]

 Antrax, on 2012-February-10, 00:06, said:

We open rule of 20 in 1st/2nd so not every 11 count. I passed, and was the only one to do so out of the 20 pairs or so who played the board. It turned out not to be a good score

---

Scores are almost all our side, with some 420s, and some 200s/300s. Most common score is a heart partscore making 4

fwiw I am with you I pass....easy

good news is this was MP but I agree with you.

One hand does not get me to change methods.

[wank]

obvious 2♥, showing a minimum opener with 6 hearts

it's just cowardice to pass. you've got a great chance of making game with this hand.

[Antrax]

Could you elaborate, wank? What hand do I hope my partner to have, that makes game?

[wank]

 Antrax, on 2012-February-10, 01:12, said:

Could you elaborate, wank? What hand do I hope my partner to have, that makes game?

well your partner had a 9 count and no heart fit and a wasted Q of S and you could make game as it was, albeit fortuitously.

your partner could have had a point or 2 more and better support.

i could write down loads of hands which give you good play. just add up your tricks. you will often make 6 heart tricks, the king of diamonds and either a long one or a ruff in dummy. that's 8 tricks without partner contributing any high cards. ok you might need a finesse or 2 to make game unless partner is well fitting, but part score is likely to be solid.

as for worrying about what the opps might do, you've got a 6 card suit which is very powerful. the opps presumably don't have such a suit as they didn't open, in which case game is very far off for them on 20ish high. also partner's average spade length is 4 - even if it's the opps' hand, you'll be very unlucky to lose more than 3 or 4 imps.

btw if anyone deserves to be called a coward of a player it's me - i'm normally very conservative (and pessimistic) in the bidding - but i still consider this a very clear opener.

[the hog]

 ggwhiz, on 2012-February-09, 13:55, said:

That's cansino count. Bergen suggests using that OR a hand willing to go to the 3 level and this qualifies in either red suit. 2♥ for me but I won't be surprised if I land on my head. I will bid 3♦ over 2♠ passed back to me and cross my fingers.

We have been through this before and I have already said you are incorrect. It is" casino count" and has nothing to do with Jonathon Cansino whatsoever. My post should of course have read a casino count of 15, not 12.

[ArtK78]

 the hog, on 2012-February-10, 23:32, said:

We have been through this before and I have already said you are incorrect. It is" casino count" and has nothing to do with Jonathon Cansino whatsoever. My post should of course have read a casino count of 15, not 12.

Whether you are correct or not, there are numerous references in the bridge literature to "Cansino Count" and to "Casino Count." So you are not likely to solve this problem here.