[Dinarius]

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Vulnerability: Both

At Matchpoints, West, as dealer, opens 1♦

E/W are playing Five Card Majors and Better Minor, so the ♦ bid could be three cards.

What do you bid as North?

1. Pass?
2. 1NT?
3. Double?
4. 2♦?
5. ?

It is a case of telling the lie that will cause the least damage and misunderstanding.

So, what's it to be?

D.

[Tramticket]

Using the Nige1 scale, I rank:

1. 1NT
2. Pass
3. There is no 3.

[FelicityR]

When players are using the better minor 2+/3+ I'm not a firm believer in having Michael's Cue Bid over minors on the convention card. If you have majors you should be able to bid at the one level. So using Michael's I would opt for 1NT, without Michael's it's an easy 2♦

[Cyberyeti]

With this shape and a better suit I have had success overcalling 1♠, but in this case I probably overcall 1N.

[pescetom]

Dinarius, on 2018-January-21, 10:06, said:

It is a case of telling the lie that will cause the least damage and misunderstanding.

So, what's it to be?

I would bid 1NT, and I don't see it as a lie
I have the points, I stop the opponents, I even stop the other suits and I never claimed to be balanced.

[sfi]

I generally play that (1D) - 3D is natural. Even so, 1NT looks like a better option.

[helene_t]

We had a discussion in a different thread about whether pass followed by a bid in spades should show this hand, or whether it should show a fifth spade. It obviously depends on how the auction goes until then. So you might have a chance to show this hand by passing now and bid spades next, but then again you might not.

I bid 1NT. It's not a distortion. Obviously we can miss a diamond fit and if the diamonds run the hand could be worth a lot more than 1NT. But chances are that RHO has 4 diamonds so this hand probably isn't worth more than the normal 15-18 points. Obviously we could be down a lot on a club lead, but stiff ace is not worse than a small doubleton and besides, if partner doesn't bid a major there's a reasonably chance that they have some club length since obviously they don't have a awful lot of diamonds.

Also, 1NT makes it more difficult for opps to find a hearts fit. And even if a natural 2♦ is available, 1NT could easily work better as it makes it a bit easier for us to find a spades fit.

I don't think 2♦ should be natural, by the way. It's different if playing against a Precision 1♦ which is often a doubleton, in some styles maybe even shorter. In "Best minor", 1♦ is for practical purposes a 4+ card suit since it's only with specifically ♠♠♠♠ ♥♥♥♥ ♦♦♦
♣♣ that it's a 3-card suit.

[rmnka447]

I'm a 1 NT bidder.

If a ♦ were a ♣, I suspect you'd have little problem bidding 1 NT. So 1 NT here is a "1 card off" bid versus what would be a fairly normal call.

If ♠ were better, say ♠ KQ10x, you might consider a 1 ♠ overcall. With your ♦ length, there aren't many ♦ out there for partner and responder to have increasing the likelihood of a ♠ fit. But that's usually not a good call with such a poor ♠ suit.

[nige1]

Dinarius, on 2018-January-21, 10:06, said:

---

At Matchpoints, West, as dealer, opens 1♦. E/W are playing Five Card Majors and Better Minor, so the ♦ bid could be three cards.What do you bid as North? It is a case of telling the lie that will cause the least damage and misunderstanding.

I rank

• 1N = NAT. A singleton minor honour is OK.
• Pass = NAT.
• Double = T/O. Almost strong enough to double and rebid notrump.
• 1♠ = NAT. Normallly promises better ♠s.
• 2♦ = ART. Michaels unless agreed otherwise (but could be NAT by agreement).
• 3♦ = ART. Stop ask (but could be NAT by agreement).

[PhilG007]

If East had already passed,then certainly 1NT is the bid of choice. But the fact that East still has to bid
means there is unknown strength on your left. It's well known that the most painful and expensive overcalls are those
in second seat. The safest course is to pass and await developments. You have a useful hand for defense.

[0deary]

Pass

If I try 1NT it might well be passed out and I’ll likely pull a misfitting blizzard opposite. On a likely heart or club lead this ain’t going to be fun. If we are vulnerable I could easily see -200 when I could have picked up +100 for most of the Match points by quietly defending.

(PS: Suppose partner balances in 4th, likely 2C, what now? Well I’m going to pass again and hope she can make 4 clubs + 2 diamonds + 1 heart + 1 spade for tick + 90 and hope that we get a token 35%. She might get +110 to beat the other +100 to scoop everything but I’m not sanguine)

[fourdad]

I double, prepared to support spades, bid NT at the lowest level possible or pass at the next turn, depending upon subsequent opponent action.

[wank]

pass isn't a lie. pass doesn't show a weak hand; it shows a hand with no other action available.

if partner bids spades you have a great hand. otherwise, this hand is a mirage. you know diamonds aren't lying very well. no need to perpetrate some outlandish misdescription like X or 1NT.

[xbabarx]

Pass and wait...MPs...hopefully ill get plus

[msjennifer]

Since we play all replies to a 1NT opening unchanged for a 1NT overcall In second seat my overcall on this hand is ,of course,one NoTrump and will always be so.

[Dinarius]

A few points.

I like the idea of switching off Michael’s against Better Minor bidding. Useful tip.

Secondly, I think that Double says things about every suit except Spades that you simply can’t stand over, so I think it’s out of the question.

I think there is a strong argument for Pass.

Finally, playing Stayman and Transfers opposite every NT, as I do, I don’t really like 1NT. I see why people suggest it, but I think it will lead to trouble on this hand more often than not.

1. 2 Diamonds (if possible) otherwise PASS
2. 1NT

D.

[kontoleon]

If we are Vul pass if not 1NT. I mean if 1NT-1 is -50>-70(from 1D). But if 1nt-1=-100<-70...

EDIT Line:
1S is danger here, usually is 5 card ant this is 4 card weak

[Dinarius]

Ps.

I’ve edited the original post.

It was Game All.

D.

[MrAce]

If you insist on bidding something that should be 1 NT. If you are looking for some action and adventure you may even try 1♠.
There is no polite way to rate the double here for me.
Overall "pass" stands out imo.

[MrAce]

Dinarius, on 2018-January-22, 12:53, said:

A few points.

I like the idea of switching off Michael's against Better Minor bidding. Useful tip.

It's an awful idea fwiw.