[MickyB]

3D-X-5D-X; P-? What do you bid now with a minimum 5404? It feels like you have to bid 5H to cater to partner having 4+H and 2S. If so, what does 3D-X-5D-X; P-5S show?

[gnasher]

What auction are you talking about?

[MickyB]

The one in the title, sorry, I'll edit my post.

[rhm]

deleted

[gnasher]

I agree that you usually bid 5♥ with a 5404, though it depends on suit quality. 5♠ might be a 5314 or 4306 shape, or just a 5404 with moderate hearts and good spades, where you judge that the risk of playing in a poor heart fit is greater than the risk of playing in a poor spade fit.

[mycroft]

Is there a pass missing here?

[MickyB]

Yup, thanks, fixed.

[PhilKing]

MickyB, on 2012-October-04, 06:57, said:

3D-X-5D-X; P-? What do you bid now with a minimum 5404? It feels like you have to bid 5H to cater to partner having 4+H and 2S. If so, what does 3D-X-5D-X; P-5S show?

The doubler PASSES with a minimum. Bidding 5♥ on a 5404 minimum is insanity.

Pulling to 5♥ must show a 5-carder and shows a hand that thinks, of all things, that he might make 11 tricks in hearts. You could be doubling 5♦ on a 3334 hand with a couple of useful, so it's no time to get fancy. Only pulling to 5M on good hands also helps on slam auctions - partner can raise or bid 5N when he has anything to spare.

On your 6♥ hand where the auction started this way, you and Forrester should double 5♦, the way I see it, and the big 5440 hand bids 5NT pick-a-slam, and you would pick hearts.

I might be in a minority here, since the man who doubled (Price) ended up with a lousy result, and the intrepid 5♥ bidders were soon (ok about 5 minutes later) writing down 1430 when partner turned up with a mountain.

[Phil]

PhilKing, on 2012-October-04, 15:08, said:

The doubler PASSES with a minimum. Bidding 5♥ on a 5404 minimum is insanity.

Finally!