[DavidKok]

This is a multi-step bidding problem from last night. You're playing rubber bridge and have cut the best player in the room, an expert partner. The opponents are at +40, we're at 0.

---

The opponents play a style where 1♦ is 5+ or specific 4441's, so 1♣ may still have up to four diamonds in a balanced hand (and if balanced, it will be 12-14 or 18-19). Your call?

[jillybean]

I can't show the black suits after the 1♣ opening.
1♠

and what Marlowe said below. Looking forward to the next bid

[mw64ahw]

Double. Power or standard.

Thinking about this further 2♣ nominally as 4♠5♦ unlimited playing the Overcall Structure.

Now
2♦ preference
.. 2♥ weak 6♥
.. 2♠ 5♠6♣
.. or higher to force

2♥ ♠ preference
.. Pass 6♥ weak
.. a range of options to define strength/shape

[Cyberyeti]

This is awkward, we have the arrangement that pass and then bidding clubs (either bidding the suit or by inference) over a 2 card club is natural (other than UCB), so I could pass and then make a 2 suited bid showing spades to show spades and clubs, but I'm worried 1♣ might be passed out.

1♣-P-1♦-P
1♥-2♦ for example would be fine as would

1♣-P-1♥-P
2♥-3♥

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

1S.

You need to find a fit.

If 2C is natural, you could try this, but it is unlikely, that you have discussed this,
and it may end the auction. Obv. the problem with 1S is, that you may have to find a further
bid, and the question is, if later club bids may show clubs, but lets survive this round.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[jillybean]

---

[mike777]

double

[helene_t]

We once had a discussion about this where several people said that first pass and then jump in apades shows a black twosuiter. Although there was no concencus about whether it shows five spades or 4.

I am a bit afraid that if p preempts in a red suit, any action by us will be interpreted as support. So maybe safest just to bid spades.

It is also, of course, a bit risky to pass with such a strong hand.

[DavidKok]

I considered the hand too strong for a 1♠ overcall or a pass intending to come in next round. I therefore chose double.

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The continuation was not what I expected. Did you anticipate this? And what do you bid now?

[jillybean]

DavidKok, on 2025-April-01, 13:18, said:

The continuation was not what I expected. Did you anticipate this? And what do you bid now?

I did anticipate this. When I have a 65 hand and double, I'm in trouble when partner bids my shortage.
I consider this 55 and bid my spades.

[mike777]

DavidKok, on 2025-April-01, 13:18, said:

I considered the hand too strong for a 1♠ overcall or a pass intending to come in next round. I therefore chose double.

---

The continuation was not what I expected. Did you anticipate this? And what do you bid now?

I knew this hand was just going to be a pain to bid.
Without getting into a long debate about what 1D promises, I am going to assume pard promises zero hcp at this point. 2D would have been roughly 8-11. Since I play ELC here I can't rebid one spade.
I will start with a cuebid of 2C, forcing, showing some random big hand at this point.

Partner please do your best to make some natural rebid, given you have about 0-7hcp and are forced to bid something, smile.

[mw64ahw]

As a standard X I now bid 1♠ showing 5+ and a strong hand.

As a Power X I play 1♦ as a negative or a weak 5+♦. Again I bid 1♠, but now this shows 4+ looking for a fit. Partner can now correct to 1N/2♦ or Pass.

[P_Marlowe]

DavidKok, on 2025-April-01, 13:18, said:

I considered the hand too strong for a 1♠ overcall or a pass intending to come in next round. I therefore chose double.

---

The continuation was not what I expected. Did you anticipate this? And what do you bid now?

1S.

2C is now no longer a valid option, this is asking for a club stopper, or whatever.

[mw64ahw]

Have we been forced into an average score for taking too long?

[DavidKok]

Sorry. I was expecting someone to bid hearts, so I was surprised to find that nobody bid them.

2♣ here is a generic ask for more information. It does not confirm or deny diamonds, and does not ask for a stopper. However, by failure to bid anything else, it does limit the hand type a bit by negative inference.

At the table I thought this hand too strong for 1♠ also the second round - something like ♠xxx opposite and nothing else is enough to make game decent (or even good, if we don't lose trump control). For that reason I chose 2♠, rather than 1♠ the second round. After the deal partner and I discussed the option of bidding 2♣ here, over which partner would have bid 3♥ to show a maximum with four hearts. It is now very murky whether 3♠ is a punt for 3NT, a control for hearts or a real suit, and I'm glad we did not go down that route.

Over 2♠ partner made the descriptive splinter bid of 4♣, and I decided to sign off in game. This deal 1♠ would also have worked, for the full hand was:

---

Partner has a maximum for the 1♦, and will put us in game over 1♠ as well. I thought this hand was interesting for a few reasons:

• What are your second round agreements over a double like this? In particular, what do jumps and the cue bid show (or deny)?
  
• Here partner and I both expected 2♠ to be a six card suit, so partner imaginatively splintered with 'only' 3-card support. Do you agree with this bid?
  
• The hand evaluation for South is a tough problem, and in hindsight I like X-then-1♠. If partner can't bid over that the chance that we miss game, while real, isn't that great.

Unfortunately, there's nothing to the play. East is holds 12-14 balanced so there's not even a threat of a club ruff, and you will easily come to 11 tricks.

P.S.: A brilliant pass the first round means you defend 1♣. Probably around five off, but that's no match for game.

[mike777]

after my showing a huge random hand with double then a 2club cuebid, partner has a huge hand. Remember partner could have zero HCP.

Partner Probably jumps to 3h, I rebid 3s showing spades and again a huge hand.

partner bids 4s.

Again playing ELC the hand was way too good for a one spade rebid or even a two spade rebid, that left the 2 club cuebid to force.

[DavidKok]

mike777, on 2025-April-05, 07:28, said:

[..] I rebid 3s showing spades [..]

Easy to say while looking at our hand. I gave two other interpretations of that sequence that I can't rule out easily, and problem hands do exist here. Do you have the meaning of this bid written out in your system notes? I don't, for one.

[mw64ahw]

DavidKok, on 2025-April-05, 06:42, said:

Sorry. I was expecting someone to bid hearts, so I was surprised to find that nobody bid them.

2♣ here is a generic ask for more information. It does not confirm or deny diamonds, and does not ask for a stopper. However, by failure to bid anything else, it does limit the hand type a bit by negative inference.

At the table I thought this hand too strong for 1♠ also the second round - something like ♠xxx opposite and nothing else is enough to make game decent (or even good, if we don't lose trump control). For that reason I chose 2♠, rather than 1♠ the second round. After the deal partner and I discussed the option of bidding 2♣ here, over which partner would have bid 3♥ to show a maximum with four hearts. It is now very murky whether 3♠ is a punt for 3NT, a control for hearts or a real suit, and I'm glad we did not go down that route.

Over 2♠ partner made the descriptive splinter bid of 4♣, and I decided to sign off in game. This deal 1♠ would also have worked, for the full hand was:

---

Partner has a maximum for the 1♦, and will put us in game over 1♠ as well. I thought this hand was interesting for a few reasons:

• What are your second round agreements over a double like this? In particular, what do jumps and the cue bid show (or deny)?
• Here partner and I both expected 2♠ to be a six card suit, so partner imaginatively splintered with 'only' 3-card support. Do you agree with this bid?
• The hand evaluation for South is a tough problem, and in hindsight I like X-then-1♠. If partner can't bid over that the chance that we miss game, while real, isn't that great.

Unfortunately, there's nothing to the play. East is holds 12-14 balanced so there's not even a threat of a club ruff, and you will easily come to 11 tricks.

P.S.: A brilliant pass the first round means you defend 1♣. Probably around five off, but that's no match for game.

2♦ is a more appropriate bid after a ToX with a hand that will play OK in 3♦. Now 2♠ becomes a GF and 4♠ results.

[mike777]

DavidKok, on 2025-April-05, 07:43, said:

Easy to say while looking at our hand. I gave two other interpretations of that sequence that I can't rule out easily, and problem hands do exist here. Do you have the meaning of this bid written out in your system notes? I don't, for one.

As I said I knew this hand would be a pain to bid. All my notes are so focused on competitive bidding with much weaker hands. With both myself and partner having maximum hands, with shape in both, hopefully the meta rules of natural and game before slam take priority.

[P_Marlowe]

#1 A simple 1S overcall would also have worked, p will raise / showing the support, maybe this was your comment.
#2 The 2S bid should show a 6 carder.
#3 Pass is out, you have to do something, if you start with X, you may be forced to bid 3S, although it is mor likely
that you will have the chance to bid 2S, ..., make it heart instead of spades, and the danger of being forced to
show your suit at the 3 level increases.