[MickyB]

"There is bridge and there is love all at matchpoints" - Franceshinden

Unfortunately I couldn't find the "Expert-Class Love All at Matchpoints" forum, so it'll have to go here.

Partner deals and you hold -

A87x
T
KTxx
K9xx

P-1S-P-1N
P-2S-P-P
X-P-2N-P
3C-P-P-3S
P-P-??

Partner opens most 11-counts. Opps are playing Acol. 2N showed two places to play.

What's the worst hand partner should hold here?
What inferences, if any, are there from partner's pass over 1NT?
What's your call?

[gnasher]

I don't think partner's sequence exists.

[mikeh]

gnasher, on 2013-February-25, 18:02, said:

I don't think partner's sequence exists.

The OP suggested that he recognized that this wasn't a 'bridge' situation....it was love all at mps (tho love all at mps may have a different meaning on this side of the pond).

As for what to do here....we've pushed them to the 3-level when, were partner playing bridge, we might well have sold to 2♠. If so, then we are either with the field (they are cold for 9+ tricks) or we are ahead (they go down).

Doubling is painting the lily. +50 will be a host of matchpoints if indeed most defend 2♠.

I am not going to try to reconstruct partner's hand. Suffice it to say, we may be able to make 9 tricks in clubs but I'd expect 8 to be more probable, and decent opps are certainly prone to double these auctions at mps.

When the auction suggests that we are about to have a 55-70% board, I am not going to make a risky attempt to turn it into a 100% board. Either doubling or bidding 4♣ will probably result in one pair getting all the mps, but I'm not the least bit sure who.

[lalldonn]

You pushed them a level higher than others might have, to a level where you might beat them. Pass is normal, at bridge, and, uh... all white at matchpoints too. This is not a double you need to make. If they are down you already win.

[dake50]

Looks like 10 tricks on a crossruff. Bis 4C.
The only fear is they make 10 tricks in 4S with 6xS +4xD.

[Siegmund]

I expect partner to have clubs and hearts. If he was 3-suited he'd have doubled 1NT. If I had to pick a shape I'd say 2425 is most likely but a very weak 5-card heart suit is possible too.

Wonderful thread title. I, too, love at least almost all MP games.

[gnasher]

mikeh, on 2013-February-25, 18:16, said:

The OP suggested that he recognized that this wasn't a 'bridge' situation....it was love all at mps (tho love all at mps may have a different meaning on this side of the pond).

It was love all at MPs when partner, who was already a passed-hand, didn't bid over 1NT. Try writing down a hand where partner would bid like this, then tell me why he didn't bid one round earlier.

[wank]

imo partner's got a nice t/o shape and a paucity of points. when the opps parked the bus in 2S, he knew you had enough for him to risk an action.

so no i wouldn't be tempted to double. most people, gnasher included apparently, would never double on partner's hand, so we're already ahead of the game.

[gnasher]

wank, on 2013-February-26, 02:33, said:

imo partner's got a nice t/o shape and a paucity of points. when the opps parked the bus in 2S, he knew you had enough for him to risk an action.

so no i wouldn't be tempted to double. most people, gnasher included apparently, would never double on partner's hand, so we're already ahead of the game.

No, I expect I would have doubled on partner's hand. Or I might have overcalled. But whatever I did, I would have done it one round earlier.

[Trinidad]

To me it doesn't really matter what partner has. He lifted the opponents a level. That should improve our expected MP score. I am happy and I pass.

If I now start to guess what partner has and come up with something (double, 4♣), I am betting that I guessed correctly at bad odds (risking to drop from 65% to 10% or improving from 65% to 80%).

Rik

[mcphee]

Gee, didn't Liberty Valance write a book about the Law? I can not imagine lifting clubs and punishing partner for doing what we expect him to do a lot of the times. They may even have only 4C, they are allowed to lead trumps and will if we are doubled. If I felt that I needed a board and was willing to gamble I would hit it.

[mikeh]

gnasher, on 2013-February-26, 01:36, said:

It was love all at MPs when partner, who was already a passed-hand, didn't bid over 1NT. Try writing down a hand where partner would bid like this, then tell me why he didn't bid one round earlier.

why do you think I refused to speculate on partner's hand?

[JLOGIC]

Easy pass. As lalldonn said, we are in a great spot for pushing them up, if they go down 1 we are going to get like 85 % anyways. And if somehow people are making a partial our way and we beat them 1 we haven't gained much from doubling from 50 to 100 anyways. We will only be gaining half a matchpoint against people who are in 3S undoubled down one which seems very unlikely. If we beat them 2 we will be gaining more often, but that seems pretty unlikely.

Edit: Mikeh said the same thing basically also, sry I hadn't read his post yet.

[aguahombre]

Amber?

[PetteriLem]

Partner had 2 chances to show life: initial pass and pass over 1NT. I doubt he will do anything else than give preference to my minor and pass 3♠, but maybe it is possible he could do more. Partner is short in spades and very weak. When I have more, partner has less. Not everyone balanced, we landed well and it seems wrong to risk a probable good score. I pass, but if I decided to bid it would double, because -2 would be a top.