[gnasher]

---

[FrancesHinden]

I want a spade honour to bid on a doubleton here, so 4NT for me.

p.s. I may have been led by your thread title, but I don't think pass is absurd.

[Fluffy]

pass is certainly reasonable, 4NT is my choice, but this can be so awful when partner is 6133, so perhaps I should try 5♦ to avoid nonsens and at least play 5-3, but once in a while it can be a 5-2. So maybe just try 4♠ if I Can live with 5-2, or if not the pass... (mind blows)

I am starting to hate this problem, so I stick with my initial gut reaction and bid 4NT.

[mcphee]

I like 4NT, as many times with 6 decent S partner might well bid 3S rather than risk the 5 level on a possible 4/3. When he does not have decent 6 card !S he will have better minor cards and perhaps the gods will be with us.

[JLOGIC]

Pass seems unreasonable to me, it is not a compromise between bidding 4S and 4N. And of course, the thread title is accurate even if pass is an option since then our choice of strains is hearts lol.

I would go with 4S myself. Tappity tap.

[aguahombre]

FrancesHinden, on 2013-May-12, 02:36, said:

p.s. I may have been led by your thread title, but I don't think pass is absurd.

Pass is a choice of strains. Oops, Justin beat me to that.

[MrAce]

I'd bid 5♦

[Codo]

I will try 4 ♠ too. I will decide at the table , whether I would sit for 4 ♠ doubled, but I usually will.

[dake50]

DQ under the 1H opener, but C:J10xx leads through opener's C-honor.
Partner didn't double here without hefty spades.
I won't gamble 5C/5D found AND making.
I try 4S.

[gszes]

Whatever reason p has for x of 4h I find it almost impossible to do
anything other than bid 5d. If p suddenly has found 4 tricks on defense
5d should have decent play if p is making a 5440 takeout sac well we
happen to have a wonderful 5 card dia suit to accomodate. If p had
6 decent spades they would almost assuredly bid 4s rather than x
so bidding 4s looks like we do not trust p a whit espcially on a hand
where distribution seems wicked at best and 4s could get slaughtered
via a tapping defense and 5d could be ice cold with the same defense.

AT MP i can see being willing to toss one board in the hopes we cannot
make anything yet we can set the opps in 4h 1 for +200. At IMPs this
same line of thinking can virtually ruin any partnership trust and lead to
horrendous results that are merely an irritant at MP.

4N seems tempting but that should be a red herring since p might all too
easily prefer clubs to dia with 3 clubs even and P failure to use
Michaels virtually guarantees they do not have 5 in either minor.

[axman]

gnasher, on 2013-May-12, 02:30, said:

---

It’s a dubious undertaking to believe you will choose well without knowing the systems behind all of the calls.

With that said, knowing the south cards and what most would like to have to open at the one level, it seems unlikely for N to have the stuff to believe the partnership will have a makeable contact.

[nige1]

gnasher's problem.


IMO Pass = 10, 4♠ = 9, 5♦ = 8, 4N = 7. Let your defence take the strain
Bidding would probably work better than passing, if you could always arrive in the right strain, But it's unclear what is the best bid to accomplish that. 4♠ gives you wriggle-room because, if doubled you can think again. 5♦ may work better than 4N when partner is 4-4, 3-3, or 2-3 in the minors.

---

[Phil]

Close between 4s and pass but I like 4s. Partners double screams 6133 or maybe 51(34). With the latter if I knew he had 4d I'd bid 5d but with 4c I'd pass.

This is coming from the perspective of partner initially xing with 5233 16+ so pulling is easier.

[mfa1010]

I would try pass, but I'm very much in doubt. I take the sure plus (famous last words).

Phil, why would partner X 1♥ with 16+ 5233? I would need more with that shape, somethng like maybe 18+.

[aguahombre]

Phil, on 2013-May-13, 14:32, said:

Close between 4s and pass but I like 4s. Partners double screams 6133 or maybe 51(34). With the latter if I knew he had 4d I'd bid 5d but with 4c I'd pass.

This is coming from the perspective of partner initially xing with 5233 16+ so pulling is easier.

For us it screams 6133 also, and agree with 4S. I don't have the perspective that pard would double 1H with 5-2-3-3 16 or even 17. Anyway, the pass has no allure for me when the opponents are screaming ten hearts and pard is confirming it with the double.

[Phil]

mfa1010, on 2013-May-13, 16:30, said:

I would try pass, but I'm very much in doubt. I take the sure plus (famous last words).

Phil, why would partner X 1♥ with 16+ 5233? I would need more with that shape, somethng like maybe 18+.

I might be misquoting kokish but x and new suit can be a slightly lower range when the hand has support for the unbid suits. . This way when partner is weak, has five of their long suit and is short in yours, partner can retreat safely.

Furthermore IMO overcalling and reopening with a x doesn't promise the worlds fair - more like 13-15. If you are overcalling with 3532 17 this seems like too wide of a range for the reopening x.

[the hog]

I would bid 4NT. Pass is not absurd, but inferior. 4S is a second choice. As Nige always posts his scores, these are mine:
4NT 10, 4S 8, 5D 7, pass 4.

[r_prah]

I'm in the 4NT camp.

[benlessard]

At imps im bidding 4S.

At MP i pass with no conviction.

Good problem

[JLOGIC]

Phil, on 2013-May-13, 17:28, said:

I might be misquoting kokish but x and new suit can be a slightly lower range when the hand has support for the unbid suits. . This way when partner is weak, has five of their long suit and is short in yours, partner can retreat safely.

Furthermore IMO overcalling and reopening with a x doesn't promise the worlds fair - more like 13-15. If you are overcalling with 3532 17 this seems like too wide of a range for the reopening x.

I think you misunderstood kokish, no way he would X with a 5233 16. I think the point is with 5044 16 you can double since your hand is so good for all suits (support for the unbid suits).

Anyways it doesn't really matter, partner is supposed to pass out 4H with a 5233 16 or 17