[jtfanclub]

Jlall, on Sep 10 2007, 11:52 AM, said:

AKxx xxx --- AJ9xxx

Imps red vs white.

Partner passes, RHO bids 1D, you bid 2C, LHO bids 2H, and partner bids 2S. RHO bids 4H, you bid 4S, LHO bids 5H, partner bids 5S, and RHO doubles. LHO bids 6H passed back to you. What is your call and why?

Psheesh

---- ---- -P- 1♦
2♣ 2♥ 2♠ 4♥
4♠ 5♥ 5♠ -X-
-P- 6♥ -P- -P-

I hope I got that one right.

Spoiler

This looks fairly disgusting. Spades look like they're splitting badly against us. I have no reason to think that partner has a heart void. Partner passed originally, which bodes ill. I think 6♠ has no hope.

Are they going to make 6♥? There's no way for me to tell. At any rate, I'm not going to pull and turn a possible bad board into a definite bad board.

Should I X? Well if they make it, they're already getting lots of IMPs, so there's a good case for this being low risk. And if my some miracle my partner takes this as a lead directing double, he'll lead dummy's first bid suit, which is...diamonds, just what I need.

So I'll X.

[ArcLight]

LHO is bidding like a man with A LOT of hearts and Spade shortness.
Would he bid a weak 2 with a heart void? I assume red/white you dont bid a weak 2/multi with just 5? Since he passed initially and didnt make a weak 2, he is sure bidding a lot.

For us to make slam, I think we need pard to have 5 spades to the Q J, and some kind of club filler. If we have no heart losers, we can afford a club loser, so if RHO has the KQ we are ok.

I'll bid 6 Spades.

[jtfanclub]

ArcLight, on Sep 10 2007, 01:31 PM, said:

For us to make slam, I think we need pard to have 5 spades to the Q J, and some kind of club filler.

And a heart void. And even then I don't think you can make it.

Suppose partner has:

QJxxx void xxxxx Kxx

What do you plan to do? Keep in mind that spades are almost certainly splitting 4-0.

[keylime]

I bid 6♠ here as well on principle that LHO has marked shortness in hearts and that there is a stiff club in the opps' hands, as well a double fit in diamonds-hearts. Even if it does not make, I think I'm good for at worse -500 versus 980.

We have a decent hand for our overcall and pard has found there way into the hand with a 2♠ call, which for me should show some tolerance for clubs in case I get the chance to rebid them. Pard then competed to 5♠ when they could have passed 5♥. This is likely a classic example of "bidding one more" at IMPs.

[jtfanclub]

keylime, on Sep 10 2007, 02:25 PM, said:

I bid 6♠ here as well on principle that LHO has marked shortness in hearts and that there is a stiff club in the opps' hands, as well a double fit in diamonds-hearts. Even if it does not make, I think I'm good for at worse -500 versus 980.

In your example hand, opening trick is a diamond ruff, second trick is a club ace. +100 vs. -500 or possibly -800.

Trust. Your. Partner.

He set them up, now all you have to do is whack 'em. Trust that he knew what he was doing when he kicked it up a notch.

[mike777]

6s

I think partner is void in hearts with 5+ spades, some clubs and 6+ working hcp.
FTL seems to say:
13-0*-0 or 1
13=given
0*=combined cards in two shortest suits between both of our hands
0 or -1=whcp.....18 or 19

LOTT breaks down often at the six level.
It seems 21 total tricks 9 spades +10 hearts plus adj +2 for two double fits.
If we make 12 they make 9 tricks.

[han]

Partner bid 2S and then 5S. I think partner is likely to have 6 (+) spades.

[jtfanclub]

Jlall, on Sep 10 2007, 04:24 PM, said:

jtfanclub, I don't understand why you would not want to be in 6S opposite QJxxx ---xxxxx Kxx.

---

Opening lead is a heart. Can't draw trumps and run clubs. Can't crossruff the hand out. The X of 5♠, and especially the pull makes me somewhat anxious about bidding 6♠.

And in fact I think this is somewhat optimistic. Partner could easily have one or even two hearts. Partner might have, say, the king of diamonds and the queen of clubs, or the ace of diamonds and no club honors at all.

[han]

Trumps are not always 4-0 and clubs are not always 3-1 offside.

[jtfanclub]

Hannie, on Sep 10 2007, 05:04 PM, said:

Trumps are not always 4-0 and clubs are not always 3-1 offside.

You're right, they don't.

As the bidding had gone, would you as East doubled 5♠ with:

xx
AKxx
AKxx
Qxx?

The opponents have given you lots and lots and lots and lots of clues as to what they have. RHO opened in diamonds, jumped in hearts, and penalty doubled 5 spades. LHO bid hearts twice and then pulled a 100% penalty X. If you think they've done that much bidding with balanced hands, by all means bid 6.

[han]

jtfanclub, on Sep 10 2007, 05:37 PM, said:

As the bidding had gone, would you as East doubled 5♠ with:

xx
AKxx
AKxx
Qxx?

Yes, (though I would have opened 1NT). Generally you would want to defend with xx in their suit.

[han]

I agree that west sounds like a person with a spade void, but I think partner has 6+ spades, not 5. East's double of 5S does not show good spades, their bidding suggests that they have the majority of HCP and the double just says that east doesn't want to compete any higher.

Partner likely has a heart void and less than 5 diamonds, I wouldn't be surprised if lefty is 6-5 in the red suits. Perhaps the layout is something like:

---

Indeed, I think that you are more likely to make 7 than that you go down in 6S. I wouldn't bid 7 though.

[han]

I think the east hand that I gave is certainly good enough to jump to 4H (partner showed a good hand by bidding 2H) and I don't think doubling 5S with the east hand is unreasonable.

[jtfanclub]

Hannie, on Sep 10 2007, 05:54 PM, said:

East's double of 5S does not show good spades, their bidding suggests that they have the majority of HCP and the double just says that east doesn't want to compete any higher.

My last post of the day, I promise. My fingers are getting laryngitis.

I think that's a terrible meaning of the X there. Partner already pushed to 5♥, a contract that he couldn't possibly know would make (if it even does). East should feel very confident that if he passes 5♠, that's where you'll play. It's never going to be a bad board, and it may be excellent. 50 points isn't going to make any difference- in order for the X to be worth making, you have to set not just 5 spades, but 4 spades, which seems...unlikely on this auction, don't you think? The opponents don't sound like they have 4 hearts between them, so hoping for 4 red suit tricks is impossible. And to risk turning 5♠= from an average to a bottom....

Generally speaking, when you get the opponents to bid 5 of a major, you declare victory and let them play. An X there says to me:

1. "I feel confident we were making 5"
2. "I feel confident that they weren't making 4"
3. "I do not feel confident that we can make 6"

and as a result, partner is much MORE likely to pull your X than to re-sacrifice over your pass.

I think that having the X there mean "I don't know if they're going to make it or not, but for the love of God, find a green card, and use it!" is bad bridge.

[han]

jtfanclub, on Sep 10 2007, 06:18 PM, said:

partner is much MORE likely to pull your X than to re-sacrifice over your pass.

I disagree with this.

I do agree with you that my construction wasn't quite right. But I have heard the hands now so I'd better not suggest a new lay-out.

[vuroth]

I have a somewhat hard time constructing hands for this. My suspicion is that west bid 5♥ to make, and north's 5♠ was a sac. What in east's double would have made west think that 6♥ could make (6♥ can't be a sac) is beyond me.

I place east with 4 hearts and longer diamonds, but still can't fully fathom the jump to 4♥. East should have 6 hearts for her bidding, and north should have at least 5, more likley 6 spades.

Is it possible that west has long clubs (maybe 0-6-1-6 or 0-6-2-5) and is anticipating a cross ruff? I can't construct a west with hearts and diamonds that goes 6....

I think I'm doubling here, if I'm at the table. I have no real confidence in this bid, though.

V

[Fluffy]

Han your hand has a flaw, north has a 2♠ opening by most standards.