[ahydra]

First hand of the night. Looks like you'd be opening your system strong bid, but East has something quite a lot to say about that:

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What next?

And the next hand was even more crazy! ATB:

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This went for 300 (even with no spade lead!) because both minors were splitting 5-1. 5H and 4NT are a make.

ahydra

[wank]

1) you need very little to make 5d assuming partner is short in hearts, but he should have the good sense to raise with a heart shortage and enough trumps for ruffing. time to bid your suit then. i could live with another double followed by diamonds if you think you're undercooking it, especially if hand 2 is more your partnership's idea of a double followed by new suit.

2) doubling then bidding hearts is aggressive, but i'm not going to argue too much.

north seems not to have trusted his partner. he asked him to pick a minor, but p picked hearts, so he decided p is an idiot who doesn't understand what a minor is.

[Codo]

In the first i try 3 ♦, with a second double a close second.

In the second, I dislike your style of doubling, but 4 NT was simply bad bridge, espacially given your style of doubling and showing a suit. Bid 2 ♠ and try for 3 (or 6 or 7...) NT.... It is still time for minor suits if partner denies a spade control.

[Lord Molyb]

First hand, IMO 3♦ = 10, X = 9, 3♥ = 3
Second hand:
South's first bid- X = 10, 2♥ = 6
North's first bid- 4NT = 10, 2♠ = 8
South's second bid- 5♥ = 10, P = 7
North's second bid- P = 10, 6♣ = 2
South's third bid- 6♥ = 3, 6♦ = 2, P = 1

[ggwhiz]

1. I'm doubling again and can bid 3♦ next IF pard runs although I should probably pass a 2♠ bid.

2. North was extremely impatient. Even after a 2♠ bid by North we have plenty of time to set it down in hearts or notrump. Not my style to double with a 1-suiter though.

[the_clown]

ggwhiz, on 2013-May-22, 10:09, said:

1. I'm doubling again and can bid 3♦ next IF pard runs although I should probably pass a 2♠ bid.

2. North was extremely impatient. Even after a 2♠ bid by North we have plenty of time to set it down in hearts or notrump. Not my style to double with a 1-suiter though.

1.3D quite obvious for me.

2.I South 90%, he has a simple overcall. North could have passed 5H, but if South really had his bid, slam could well be on.

[rogerclee]

1. 3D, it's not enough but everything else seems worse to me. IMO x..3D is not stronger than 3D, it just shows a different hand, namely spade tolerance.

2. X planning on bidding hearts is insane. North had a 2S bid, not a 4N bid. South made his normal bid, and north decided that south was an idiot and overruled him. As much as I hate X, it was not really the cause of the disaster, the 6C bid was.

[ahydra]

Thanks all for the responses. I was South in both cases.

First hand I chose X again, partner responded 2S, East passed (finally) and then I bid 3D. Partner passed with something like ♠J10xxx ♥x ♦109xx ♣Jxx and I made six. Perhaps partner should have bid 4D or 5D with that?

Second hand I'm a bit surprised to see so many people criticising the X-then-bid. You have nearly game in your own hand with the SK well placed - just the DK and 3 trumps opposite is enough, and partner might not bid on that if it goes (1S)-2H-(2S or 3S). My style is to double with 18+ or equivalent strength, and 16 HCP with a solid suit and 6-4 feels like it's worth the upgrade

In any case what happens after 2S? Presumably, South bids 4H? (Somehow you have to distinguish the GOSH type takeout X from a standard takeout X after 2S) Then North has a borderline slam try, but it seems any move from North will get you to the doomed slam. On the other hand, North should be wary of the misfit.

ahydra

[Zelandakh]

It is difficult to believe that your partner passed 3♦ after a second double. I think it is clear to drive to game here. Would they also have passed if you had opened an Acol 2♦?

On the second hand, one possibility is to agree that normal takeout doubles start with 2NT over partner's cue bid. Then 3♥ becomes your GOSH bid. If you had this then the bidding might continue: 3♥ - 3♠; 3NT - 4NT.

[PhilKing]

Zelandakh, on 2013-May-23, 05:32, said:

On the second hand, one possibility is to agree that normal takeout doubles start with 2NT over partner's cue bid. Then 3♥ becomes your GOSH bid. If you had this then the bidding might continue: 3♥ - 3♠; 3NT - 4NT.

Yep, that way, we can play 2♠ as a one-round force, so North can cue 2♠ with 44m and say 11 points and still stop in 3m. For me 2NT shows <14 in response to 2♠.

Having said that, with length in spades, South is not close to a GOSH.

[broze]

PhilKing, on 2013-May-23, 06:03, said:

Yep, that way, we can play 2♠ as a one-round force, so North can cue 2♠ with 44m and say 11 points and still stop in 3m. For me 2NT shows <14 in response to 2♠.

Having said that, with length in spades, South is not close to a GOSH.

So bidding 2♠ and then 3♣ shows the inv hand? Sounds like a good treatment. I remember a hand that Israel played in the 2011 BB vs. USA1 where the auction went something like P-(1S)-X-(P)-2S-(P)-3H-AP where the doubler had the GOSH hand and they missed a cold game.

The cue-bidder was a passed hand so it wasn't too clear what was going on but shows that there's not much consensus about it even at the top level..

[rogerclee]

ahydra, on 2013-May-23, 04:03, said:

First hand I chose X again, partner responded 2S, East passed (finally) and then I bid 3D. Partner passed with something like ♠J10xxx ♥x ♦109xx ♣Jxx and I made six.

Just to confirm something that must be obvious to you anyway, there's no way this hand is a pass of 3D.

[Codo]

ahydra, on 2013-May-23, 04:03, said:

Thanks all for the responses. I was South in both cases.

First hand I chose X again, partner responded 2S, East passed (finally) and then I bid 3D. Partner passed with something like ♠J10xxx ♥x ♦109xx ♣Jxx and I made six. Perhaps partner should have bid 4D or 5D with that?

Second hand I'm a bit surprised to see so many people criticising the X-then-bid. You have nearly game in your own hand with the SK well placed - just the DK and 3 trumps opposite is enough, and partner might not bid on that if it goes (1S)-2H-(2S or 3S). My style is to double with 18+ or equivalent strength, and 16 HCP with a solid suit and 6-4 feels like it's worth the upgrade

In any case what happens after 2S? Presumably, South bids 4H? (Somehow you have to distinguish the GOSH type takeout X from a standard takeout X after 2S) Then North has a borderline slam try, but it seems any move from North will get you to the doomed slam. On the other hand, North should be wary of the misfit.

ahydra

1. Hand;: Partner counted points not tricks, he should not pass 3 ♦


2. Game in your own hand? If the king of spades is a trick,and if you count your hearts as 6 tricks, you have 8 tricks... No, this is not close to game in your own hand. And I really doubt that a four card suit behind their 5carder is good news too-at least not before you know that partner has a heart fit....