[kenberg]

On BBO I play a lot of semi-pick up, meaning that we have playe together before but really are pretty much winging it. Hopefully, over time, some things get straightened out. Here is an auction, I am dealer.

P 1♥ X P
2♣ 2♥ 4♣ P
?

All vul, imps, although I am asking what you make of the 4♣ bid by partner, presumably independent of scoring.

Here are the hands:

---

As you can see, this is not ideal. Undoubled, down two, lucky on both counts.


I figured I could have a lot less for my 2♣ bid and could hardly have much more, so 5♣. Partner had intended 4♣ to just get in their way.


Later, I thought that since pard bid 4♣ rather than 3♥, maybe he has a point, but I am not so sure. Sometimes I get dealt five spades and a really good hand. Whatever hand you think is two strong for a simple 1♠ over 1♥, suppose I have it. Might I not then try 3♥ over 2♥? maybe the hand belongs in spades, maybe in clubs, maybe in NT, 3♥ seems reasonable. And if that's what 3♥ means, then maybe 4♣ means what I took it as? A strong hand that should be played in clubs, and possibly in 5♣ if my 2♣ is not too trashy?

Btw. In some pick ups, players always praise each other no matter how badly the hand was played. Other times, partner is gone at the first bad result. Here, we had a brief discussion and went on. I recommend this approach.

Just as a factual manner, I would have bid, at most, 3♣ with pard's hand and, if they went on to 3♥ I would quickly pass it out. I think that 3♥ can be beaten, it might not be. But I am not really asking about judgment here, I don't second guess. I am asking about how you would construe 4♣?

[ArtK78]

4♣ says bid game in clubs with the least excuse. It is a strong call.

If you have to guess when partner is bidding to obstruct and when he is bidding constructively, your head will explode. Here, he doubled 1♥. He really does not have even a 3♣ call. After all, his hand is exactly what you expect for his double, except that he has one more club and one less spade. That is not really that big of a difference.

I suspect that after you give it some more thought, you will realize that bidding 4♣ as obstructive on this auction (opposite a possible zero count!) does not make all that much sense.

[kenberg]

Yes, that's what I thought but I wanted to check back. Thanks. Maybe I just ask about a couple of related matters. If W had not bid 2♥, I would tak a 2♥ bid by partner as a big hand (sure!) but not at all certain that the hand should be played in clubs/ no trump. I would trot out a three card spade holding now if I had it. This seems reasonably standard to me. But W did bid 2♥, crowding the auction a bit. I am not so sure what 3♥ would be. For example, holding, as S, five clubs and four diamonds, over 3♥ I think I would now produce the diamonds pretty much regardless of my count. Partner has asked what I have, that's what I have.For that matter, I am not so sure what a double of 2♥ would be. Not penalties I think. Maybe a big hand but a command to try again in a different suit unless I have a clear preference for clubs.

[mikeh]

I think Art has it right in terms of partner's strange 4♣ call, which is sort of alice-in-wonderland bidding....a bid means what I want it to mean!

I don't agree that he should pass 2♥. He has a minumum but a very much unexpected 5th club....that is 2 clubs more than you'd typically assume to be his worst holding for double, and he can't expect you to ever rebid a 4 card suit. So he has, imo, to be allowed to compete.

You might want to point out that after responder's pass, it is unlikely that the opps will suddenly charge into action at the 4 level. If he bids 3♣ and responder bids 3♥, there is imo no hand on which a competent opener will now bid game, since the 3♥ call was competitive, not invitational. Of course, playing pickup games on BBO tends to make such inferences invalid, but I assume that the post was intended to elicit advice on good bridge, not BBO bridge.

Had opener passed, doubler has an easy, happy pass.

2♥ instead would show a big hand, but with a wide range. Advancer should assume an extra values takeout double without clear direction. AQxx xx AQxx KQx would be a minimum. Note that we're looking for 3N opposite xx Qxx xxx AJxxx.

But doubler may have a clear idea of direction and simply a huge hand. Thus double then 2♠ would show a hand too good to overcall 1♠ but would not be forcing.

Double then cue then own suit shows a hand too good to double then bid own suit.

Had opener bid 2♥, doubler has several options. One is to double, which is takeout again, and denies 4 clubs. It is more common for this to arise in auctions such as [1♦] x [P] 1♠ [2♦] x, where the doubler is probably extra values 3=4=2=4 or so but definitely a 3 card spade suit.

3♥, as opposed to the flexible further takeout double or the bid own suit, should promise either a very strong raise or a huge one-suited hand.

[JLOGIC]

He doesn't have a point don't worry