[Cyberyeti]

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[Tramticket]

I would have overcalled 1S with six good spades. I don't mind 2D with six clubs and five spades, or possibly with six poor spades, but here I would prefer to emphasise the six spades.

Here, assuming that 2D might have been very weak, I feel that I have quite a bit extra. I bid 4H, but it is a guess.

[mikeh]

I agree with tramticket on the overcall.

I’m puzzled by the 3H bid, because partner is a passed hand, and my 2D presumably was more about shape than hcp. Maybe the partnership has strong constraints on 1st seat, nobody vul, preempts, but I would still be worried…what kind of hand/suit can be introduced into a misfit auction at the 3-level but wasn’t able to bid in 1st seat? I think that question a two suiter, hearts and clubs. Maybe something like xx AJ10xx xx Kxxx.

[Cyberyeti]

mikeh, on 2024-September-20, 00:49, said:

I agree with tramticket on the overcall.

I’m puzzled by the 3H bid, because partner is a passed hand, and my 2D presumably was more about shape than hcp. Maybe the partnership has strong constraints on 1st seat, nobody vul, preempts, but I would still be worried…what kind of hand/suit can be introduced into a misfit auction at the 3-level but wasn’t able to bid in 1st seat? I think that question a two suiter, hearts and clubs. Maybe something like xx AJ10xx xx Kxxx.

I wondered about this, it was our opps auction, I don't think a fit bid would occur to them.

[P_Marlowe]

#1 I also prefer showing the spades direct, by a wide margin.
#2 If I have shown a 2-suited hand facing a passed hand, it is clear, we play one of my suits,
for me the heart bid is a lead director, showing values, I guess I bid 4S, partner can still
correct to clubs.

[thepossum]

Remarkably I had no idea and guessed 4H - maybe even a pass which is sad - East has rejected two 5 card black suits so why not hearts

[Cyberyeti]

So you bid 4♥ or 4♠, the auction proceeds 5♦-P-P, you bidding ? or if not, what do you lead ?

[Tramticket]

Partner has stuck their neck out for a heart lead. HQ looks obvious.

[TMorris]

I wonder if someone thought 2 ♦ showed the majors hence the heart bid? Anyhow Queen of hearts seems the normal lead.

[DavidKok]

I like the 2♦ bid and disagree with the posters suggesting 1♠. In my experience with extreme shape like this either it's a big misfit and we should stay low, or there's lots of fit all around and we should be preparing for the 5-over-4 and 5-over-5 decisions. In both cases we gain by showing both suits early and letting partner evaluate their hand and think with us. My plan is to bid 2♦ and then later bid spades again, the latter depending on how the auction develops. Note that our hand is very defensive for a 6-5 with two aces in the long suits and Qx outside, and we have extra values.

The 3♥ bid has to be some kind of flag bid or fitbid. All hands that want to bid hearts at the 3-level should do so the first time, and a potential misfit has made it far less attractive to take unilateral action the second time around. This partnership had no agreements about the bid, but it should promise a fit in one of opener's suits by sheer bridge logic. I wish I knew which suit though. If your partnership plays 'sound preempts', or is of the opinion that 'bidding the second round shows an imperfect preempt, probably a 2-suiter', I think you are at a deficit in these competitive auctions.

Some people play the 3♥ as a lead direct, and several commenters have raised this option. Personally I think it is more important to focus on the impending 5-over-4 and 5-over-5 decisions. For me the 3♥ bid is used to solve questions regarding our degree of fit, balance of strength and whether or not we set up a forcing pass.

Without agreements I don't know how to bid from here. The 4♥ bid would not occur to me, because 3♥ can to me never show a desire to play in hearts on this auction. I will not bid 5-over-5 unilaterally, and the lack of dialogue in the bidding means it's a pure guess. As stated my hand is defensively oriented, so I will guess to pass 5♦.

[mw64ahw]

TMorris, on 2024-September-20, 03:00, said:

I wonder if someone thought 2 ♦ showed the majors hence the heart bid? Anyhow Queen of hearts seems the normal lead.

I play it as Majors, with 3♣ showing highest & lowest with one partner and 5♣4♥ unlimited with another,

Playing The OS you have several options
a) 2♠ 5+♣4+♠
b) 3♠ 6+♠ IJO
c) 1♠

I'll go for 1♠, but may have a difficult choice of rebid

[P_Marlowe]

DavidKok, on 2024-September-20, 03:23, said:

I like the 2♦ bid and disagree with the posters suggesting 1♠. In my experience with extreme shape like this either it's a big misfit and we should stay low, or there's lots of fit all around and we should be preparing for the 5-over-4 and 5-over-5 decisions. In both cases we gain by showing both suits early and letting partner evaluate their hand and think with us. My plan is to bid 2♦ and then later bid spades again, the latter depending on how the auction develops. Note that our hand is very defensive for a 6-5 with two aces in the long suits and Qx outside, and we have extra values.

Showing the 6-5 is also possible by starting with 1S and bidding clubs later.

[DavidKok]

P_Marlowe, on 2024-September-20, 04:22, said:

Showing the 6-5 is also possible by starting with 1S and bidding clubs later.

Only if you get two more bids, and even then it is difficult to do so if they bid 5♦ or even 4♦. The goal is to introduce both suits quickly to assist with 5-over-4 and 5-over-5 decisions.

[Cyberyeti]

TMorris, on 2024-September-20, 03:00, said:

I wonder if someone thought 2 ♦ showed the majors hence the heart bid? Anyhow Queen of hearts seems the normal lead.

This is a directorial, and this is exactly what happened, I (E) asked about 2♦ and was told both majors. Would you believe this is the whole hand, I can't believe the 3♥ bid:

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Surely S should bid more with known 11/8-9 card fits, but he is not constrained by UI unless N winced, I wasn't looking. N is, and I think 4♠ has LAs. if he passes, I bid 3N which most likely makes 10 for 430 instead of 400. The problem is that I think 5♠ requires the unlikely lead of ♥J to beat it 3. The question is whether they should be in hearts which is less successful.

[nullve]

DavidKok, on 2024-September-20, 03:23, said:

Note that our hand is very defensive for a 6-5 with two aces in the long suits and Qx outside, and we have extra values.

The hand is defensive in the sense that it can probably take many tricks on defence for a hand with this shape. It is not defensive in terms of LoTT/ODR, where aces are rather neutral (see Cohen and Robson/Segal), and the quacks and intermediates in the black suits more than weigh up for the queen in what could easily be their (but after 3♥ appears to be partner's) suit.

Many on these forums seem to mix up these very two different senses of 'defensive', with likely catastrophic results sometimes.