[joker_gib]

3♥

[Gerben42]

I will go with Vedran on this one and bid 3♠. Odd problem.

[P_Marlowe]

2S.

A little bit heavy, but 3S would be a bit light.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[HeartA]

3C.

[Rebound]

To me, 3♣ looks too much like I am trying to get to 3NT. My vote was for 3♠ but I now believe this to be incorrect. I think 4♣ is a good call. I'm only sorry I didn't think of it.

[inquiry]

Scoring: IMP

BPO-002F
Thanks to Han (hannie) for this problem
S----------W----------N----------E
1♠............2♣........DBL..........Pass
? your bid

---

We will let Justin give the introduction to this excent problem submit by Han.

Jlall “3♣. Very nice problem. Any bid from 3C/3H/3S/4C/4H/4S could be right. My first inclination was to try 4♣ (Splinter for hearts), but that is just too committal to hearts as trumps when I have 7 spades. I'm willing to force to game with this shape and a likely double fit, so I'll start with a cue bid trying to elicit a descriptive bid from partner while also creating a force so that we can probe for slam. A downside to this plan is LHO might be ready to blow us out of the water in clubs, but I suspect if he was going to bid 5♣ he would have bid it already.

Fred, Ritong, Reisig, Cascade, awn and Fluffy all agreed with Justin. However, Fluffy doesn’t consider the possible and problematic 5♣ bid by overcaller. “3♣ only, that way we can JUMP to 5♣, making it clear we hava a void after partner bids 3♥.” Ritong said, simply, ”3 clubs waiting for the sequel...first, let's establish we want to play a game spot., and Reisig choose to bid only 3♣ because, “3♣ ...I don't like 4♣ (yet)...might play in ♠ even with 4-4 in ♥”. Cascade worried a bit about partner’s double: “3♣ This depends exactly what partner's double shows. If this guarantees hearts then 4♣ is possible. In my partnerships double does not guarantee four hearts so I will cue-bid and then raise hearts or bid 4♠ when partner bids something else.”

Gabor gave a longer explaination of why bid 3♣. Ng: “3C. I think partner has 0-2 spades and 4+ hearts. With 4 hearts she has 7+ HCP, with 5 or more hearts she has generally 7-10, because with more HCP positive free bid is on. I guess she has some clubs also (RHO kept quiet). I think we have 50% chance for slam (even grand is possible! x, AQxxx, Kxx, xxxx), so I choose slow approach. If I bid 4C, she will sign off with x, Axxxx, Kxx, Qxxx, but 6H is a good contract with this cards too.”

Roland, takes the bull by the horn and goes immediately with: ”4♣. Splinter for hearts! Double promises hearts, so I support with a great hand as far as playing strength is concerned. 4H is a little too wet to my liking, but the alternative in my opinion. Fewer hearts than 4 is "alibi bridge" ("I am too scared to make a decision, partner"). Despite only 12 hcp I have a great hand on the auction. After all, partner negative doubled at the 2-level. It may be tempting for some to rebid spades with 7-4, but this is not the hand for it. The spade suit is not good enough to insist on. To put it another way: I know what I have got, I do not know what I will get.”

Agreeing with Roland, was Adam (awm): “4♣. Splinter, presumably agreeing hearts. Slam could make opposite the right minimum, or go down opposite the wrong maximum, and showing the shortage gives partner the best chance to go right. Will pass 4♥ rebid by partner.”

Phicro paid homage to the difficult choice, on this hand. “ Really difficult ! I don't know... By elimination, you'll have to choose between 3♣ and 4♣ : the hand is not valuable for 3♠, you've no good Hearts bid... and you want to play a game. At the end, 4♣, expressing the shortness (void ?) in clubs, is probably better than 3♣, giving the idea of a stronger hand in HCP.”

Odd man out, choosing what Roland calls “alibi” bridge was Luis. “2♥. “I gamble the slow route, need to establish a fit before doing anything exciting in this hand. I know this is risky since pd may pass 2♥ but we are NV and I really don't think that this will be passed out in 2♥. Calculated gamble you can say.” There is always a little time to walk the dog. I consider 3♥ worse than 2♥ as partner might pass both, but the opponents are much more likely to keep the auction open if parnter doesn't if you bid 2♥. Four hearts is at least game.

VOTES  Panel  Score
3♣        7       100
4♣        3      60
2♥        1      30
4♥        1      30
3♥        1      20

[HeartA]

Jlall, on May 19 2005, 09:40 PM, said:

nice i got a perfect score...that means i can be on the panel next time?

I didn't have perfect score, but I have perfect solution.

[han]

I had this hand at the table perhaps a month ago, and I thought that it was pretty tough. I bid 4H, but afterwards I thought that 4C was a better bid. Of course, I would have liked to keep the spades in the picture, but I didn't see a convenient way to do this and at the same time create a gameforce.

My partner had something like Qx AQJx xxx A10xx. We played in 6H after he asked for keycards, but I think that any gameforcing bid would lead to slam. 6S is slightly better than 6H, but both make as the cards lie. What should partner bid over 3C, and can you get to 6S?

[mike777]

Hannie, on May 21 2005, 06:01 AM, said:

I had this hand at the table perhaps a month ago, and I thought that it was pretty tough. I bid 4H, but afterwards I thought that 4C was a better bid. Of course, I would have liked to keep the spades in the picture, but I didn't see a convenient way to do this and at the same time create a gameforce.

My partner had something like Qx AQJx xxx A10xx. We played in 6H after he asked for keycards, but I think that any gameforcing bid would lead to slam. 6S is slightly better than 6H, but both make as the cards lie. What should partner bid over 3C, and can you get to 6S?

The 2 keys that I am guessing newer players may find confusing are:
1) Knowing 3c establishes a game force therefor nongame rebids are slam invites not game invites. The old keeping the bidding low to seek out slams, bid game fast to discourage slams.
2) 7-2 fits very often play better than 4-4 fits. In fact 7-4 hands often play better in the 7-1 fit than in the 4-4 fit. This is why 4 clubs and heart rebids are not the best bids. Frankly I am shocked the Masters do not discuss this point in much more detail.

Example:
KJ76=KQ87532=Q5=VOID

I would expect 7-1 heart fit to often play better than the 4-4 spade fit.



I rebid 3clubs on this hand.

To answer to your question.
Over 3clubs I would bid 3s showing QX of spades, partner now knows I got 4 hearts for sure on this auction.
Second choice would be 3nt, in any case P will pull 3nt and now we get to slam after cue and pull.
Rebids by opener are slam tries now.