[AL78]

MPs, Acol, weak NT:

In case it is relevant, the opponents with their mannerisms sound like they don't really know what they are doing, other than that I am not familiar with them.

NS vuln

East
♠QJ76
♥K6
♦AK742
♣J6

Partner passes, RHO opens 1♠. Do you overcall?

[DavidKok]

No, I'd pass. Too weak for NT, misfit hand, no intermediates in diamonds so we risk getting doubled there, and likely no game opposite a passed hand. I think 1NT would be the most reasonable bid other than pass, but I don't like being under strength for 1NT overcalls. Maybe that's too much of an IMP strategy though, MPs is the 'race for 1NT'.

[Cyberyeti]

DavidKok, on 2023-January-06, 05:05, said:

No, I'd pass. Too weak for NT, misfit hand, no intermediates in diamonds so we risk getting doubled there, and likely no game opposite a passed hand. I think 1NT would be the most reasonable bid other than pass, but I don't like being under strength for 1NT overcalls. Maybe that's too much of an IMP strategy though, MPs is the 'race for 1NT'.

I agree with this, but am not totally sure I am understrength, my ♠QJ are pulling plenty of weight for 3 points. Compare the same hand with ♠AK and ♦QJ and that is nowhere near 1N.

[DavidKok]

The ♠QJ are only pulling their weight if the opponents are kind enough to lead (and perhaps continue) spades. I don't fancy their trick-taking potential on, say, a heart or club lead.

[Cyberyeti]

DavidKok, on 2023-January-06, 08:50, said:

The ♠QJ are only pulling their weight if the opponents are kind enough to lead (and perhaps continue) spades. I don't fancy their trick-taking potential on, say, a heart or club lead.

Presumably partner has 8 ish cards in those suits though, might play fine. A hand like xx, QJxx, Qxx, Q10xx will quite likely make you 8 tricks in NT and that would be close to what you'd expect.

The ♠10 is also a good card he could hold.

The main danger here is that with the vul you were getting 200 out of wherever ops ended up if you are making something.

[DavidKok]

That's a very convenient hand. We've got an 8-card fit and they have none, while partner has all the stoppers we're missing and the exact amount of values needed to run our long suit. Opposite a partner with dummy skills like that I'll happily upgrade this to a 17-count and bid 1NT.

[AL78]

I kept quiet with this hand and ended up with another joint bottom. New year, same old slog to get above average .

---

I could only take a diamond and a heart trick in the defence. The full traveller:

4♦-1 E
3♦-1 E
2♠-1 E
5♦X-1 E
4♥+1 N
4♥+1 N

Well done if you found an overcall although where 1NT leads is unclear. Other players clearly finding a diamond overcall on my hand although I shy away from overcalling at the two level on hands that don't look very good on trick taking potential.

[Cyberyeti]

TBF 5♦x can go for 500 which beats the games but should lose to everything else. ♣AK, heart to the A, spade ruff and ♠K still to lose. Even without the ruff should be 300, and is a work of art not to get it 2 off.

[mycroft]

If I bid, I bid 2♦. At least this gets a lead-director in, in case partner gets on lead.

But I'm not sure I do. This hand is a bad 14 in this auction.

But the 1NT overcall, no matter how "essential" it is according to Meckstroth (and far be it from me to say his opinion is wrong!), is just the easiest to take for its life. Third hand knows when it's going down, when it goes down, it goes down *a lot*, and there's nowhere to run. That's why it's the only overcall where double is "I think they made a mistake, partner" (okay, 1♠-X-XX. That's not a double, even if it's a "double"). Do I upgrade 1NT openers? Sure, especially with a source of tricks. Do I upgrade 1NT overcalls? Well, maybe with AQx KQJxxx, where two stoppers means that I have 7 tricks. Otherwise, 1x-1NT-X is a deathknell.

But yeah, "race for 1NT" at matchpoints; "frequency over size" at matchpoints. The disaster doesn't happen often. ..?

[Cyberyeti]

DavidKok, on 2023-January-06, 09:11, said:

That's a very convenient hand. We've got an 8-card fit and they have none, while partner has all the stoppers we're missing and the exact amount of values needed to run our long suit. Opposite a partner with dummy skills like that I'll happily upgrade this to a 17-count and bid 1NT.

It was, but is also very quacky, I would suggest 2434 is probably the most common shape on this auction (at the point you have to decide whether to bid 1N) but somebody could sim it.

[mw64ahw]

I would say your minus score on this one is down to NS lack of bidding rather than yours.
As North I'm bidding 4♥ especially if partner has shown some strength previously

As to passing in the first place; an opening bid plus extras plus the ♠s being a positive in NT.
Why wouldn't I bid 2♦ or 1NT?