[thepossum]

Hi

Starting to get out of my comfort zone when vulnerable slams are doubled apparently without controls. I took this as takeout but didn't know what to and sadly didn't do the math in my head. Any tips for this kind of competitive auction

---

Help. I really didn't know what to do but there were a few bids available

Its best hand and matchpoints (I have the best hand)

Any comment would be appreciated please

P

[apollo1201]

You’ve shown clear extra strength when Xing and bidding 4S over the mere encouragement partner showed when freely bidding 3S.

Partner didn’t express any sign of desire of competing after opps continued launching into BW.

How could they want you to take out at the 6-level, and to what…with opps virtually advertising the 3 other aces.

It basically seems they think 6D is going down with your points and maybe a nasty surprise in trumps (JT9x for instance). At least that is what a sensible partner would do.

But given partner is GIB who has no clue about competitive bidding and might just be believing you have 23+ points…

[DavidKok]

I think the first four rounds of the bidding contain several poor bids. There were five full levels of bidding space between 1♦ and 6♦, and you failed to clarify what was going on. I can't see the other three hands, but here's the bids that I find suspicious:

2♠: Is that the full explanation you got? I'd ask for clarification, though if you were playing with GIB that might be a fool's errand.
3♦: Presumably pass, 2NT and 3♣ are also forcing. Why eat up this bidding space? It's possible West has a hand with really long diamonds and extra shape, but even then you'd locate the shortness instead of rebidding diamonds.
3♠: The decision to enter the bidding depends more on shape than on strength, after partner bids Michaels. It is very difficult to construct a hand that will pass 2♥ but bid a voluntary 3♠ on the next round. With 3- or 4-card support partner should have acted last time.
4♦: Same problem as 3♦. Why not pass/double/3NT/4♣ instead?
4♠: At this point your partner knows way more about your hand than you know about theirs. They should be making the decision whether or not to bid 4♠ (in fact, they have, by not bidding it last round). You've shown your hand, get out of the auction.
4NT: EW do not know anything about shape, strength or controls but launch into Blackwood (I think this 4NT should not be Blackwood, but what can you do).

By the time you get to the double there's no options left. You've oversold your hand by bidding 4♠, partner has probably sidelined you by not acting over 2♥, and the opponents have stumbled into the 6-level. Partner's double is penalty, and there's a good chance they will be several off. At any rate bidding on is suicide. I'd be surprised if 4♠ makes, to be honest.

[LBengtsson]

Very simple (general) rule: Takeout X not in a competitive auction. Takeout X in non-competitive auction.

Having all X as takeout in any auction is wrong when X screams penalty

To fellow forum members extra interesting question? What would you lead be on this auction against 6♦X

[AL78]

I'm not sure what is going on in this auction. Partner can show you spade support at the three level but not at the two level in the previous round of the auction? Opponents blast to slam on not very many HCP? You have shown a strong Michaels hand in the auction, and partner has decided on that basis to punish the opponents. Trust partner.

The only thing I can think is that EW have a diamond fit and one of them has a club side suit, and each hand has a singleton or void in one of the majors, which would mean with a huge minor two suiter they may come close to slam, but if that was the case, NS have a huge major two suited fit, which is inconsistent with North's silence on the second round of the auction. More likely someone at the table belongs to the I-will-not-defend club.

[DavidKok]

LBengtsson, on 2022-January-22, 05:34, said:

To fellow forum members extra interesting question? What would you lead be on this auction against 6♦X

I think the king of hearts is standout on the auction, with the ace of spades being a slightly worse second choice. Choosing a heart over a spade only loses if they can establish clubs to pitch a spade quickly, and the entire auction screams that this is not the case. Plus, we have the club king. Choosing a heart over a spade preserves the spade communication to cash in the established hearts later - for example if the hearts are 5-3-2-3 around the table, they duck the ace of hearts once, and spades are 5-1-4-3 or the likes.

[smerriman]

DavidKok, on 2022-January-22, 03:49, said:

Partner's double is penalty, and there's a good chance they will be several off.

LBengtsson, on 2022-January-22, 05:34, said:

X screams penalty

AL78, on 2022-January-22, 10:01, said:

partner has decided on that basis to punish the opponents. Trust partner.

For those unfamiliar with GIB, North will bid exactly as shown with Qxxx xxx - xxxxxx. As apollo1201 suspected, South has shown 20+ points and GIB will always penalise based on its partner's hand and combined points even with a trump void.

Highly likely (especially given the fact it's a forum post) that 6♦ will be cold and 6♠ will beat it, but of course it's ludicrous to bid it. Just as it's ludicrous to analyse this auction as if it were real bridge

[thepossum]

6Hx-3 would have scored very well. Sadly I passed and was with the crowd who thought they could double a diamond game or slam