[Codo]

1. I am still thinking about pds pass of 3 Spade. Does this pass show something special? Maybe the pass denied 4 Hearts and he is now willing to play a 4-3 fit?
As nobody else had these fears, I don`t need much for a slam, so 4 NT beliving in a Heart fit.

2. 4 Spade,game try

3. 3 Diamond. We may have some tricks if we stop Diamonds...


4. Again, I am not even sure, if Pd has 4 Hearts. He may look at xxx,Jxx,QJxx,Jxx?! So, with Diamonds seriously stopped, I better search for a NT game and pass 3 NT.

5. They got me. And again, I do not know about the Hearts from pd. So I must guess again and I guess 4 Heart.


6. I had passed 3 Spade, so now I must pass 4 Spade X. I believe, that they can take the 3 first tricks and wit for another.

[FrancesHinden]

FrancesHinden, on Mar 13 2006, 05:15 PM, said:

6.

Scoring: IMP

P P 1NT 2♣
P 2NT P 3♠
P 4♠ P P
x ?

---

1NT = 12-14
2C = hearts and another, anchor to shorter major
2NT = natural invitational (it's IMPs)
3S = both majors, longer or better spades if equal length
x = penalties; RHO also thought over 2C

Overcalling style is sound red at IMPs opposite a passed partner

These are coming in reverse order.

This is the strangest one. The interesting bidding question is whether it is worth making a game try over 2C, but that is really a stylistic issue about what you need to compete over 1NT here.

Nobody has actually said it, but it certainly appears that LHO has pysched his 1NT opening (3rd in at favourable....). So, has he got a random balanced 5 count, in which case you want to redouble, or has he got a club pre-empt, in which case you probably want to pass and take the money?

I passed, as did the majority here. You only have 10 tricks on a club lead, but RHO with a heart stack and a few high cards made the 'normal' lead of a trump and we were +1190. Redouble will net +800 - LHO has a minor suit pre-empt, but it's in diamonds!

Sadly +1190 was 6 imps out, as team-mates conceded 1430 by not cashing their clubs either.

[FrancesHinden]

FrancesHinden, on Mar 13 2006, 05:15 PM, said:

4.

Scoring: IMP

2♦ P P x
P 2♥ p 3♦
P 3NT P ?

---

Over the cue-bid, partner bids 3H (artificial) with nothing (0- 4 HCP or so), so 3NT shows about a good 4+ and a diamond stop.

Worth a try for slam in NT (4NT), in hearts (4H), a pass, or a stronger move?

If you make any sort of slam try, you will play in slam. The best contract is 6H by the strong hand, which sadly you can't get to. 6H by partner is fair, but goes off. After a huge amount of thought I passed 3NT, possibly overly worried about a 33434 opposite. Partner has an absolute super-maximum for the auction to date:
xx KQ10x QJ9x Jxx.

This was a flat board: at the other table a team-mate opened a 3rd in 2H on, erm, xxx xxxxx x 10xxx which kept them out of slam.

[FrancesHinden]

FrancesHinden, on Mar 13 2006, 05:15 PM, said:

5.

Scoring: IMP

1♦ P 1♥ 3♠
P P ?

---

1D = Blue club style (usually natural, limited to a poor 16 HCP)

This was the opponents' problem; at our table LHO overcalled only 2S and I had an easy 3H bid which partner raised to game.

I think you have to bid 4H and hope.
I was suprised at the number of posters who doubled, which nets anywhere from +100 to +500 depending on how many club ruffs you manage.

Partner has xxx Kx AKxx Axxx.
At the table, they passed out 3S (double would have been penalties I believe for that pair, but that just makes 4H more attractive) and managed to take it one off.

[FrancesHinden]

FrancesHinden, on Mar 13 2006, 05:15 PM, said:

3.

Scoring: IMP

P P 1♦ 2♣
P 2♥ P ?

---

I'm slightly suprised at all the votes for 2S, which as far as I'm concerned shows 4S (somebody pointed out it wouldn't if we played raptor). I was defending on this hand, so it wasn't my problem, but at both tables the result was 3NT-2.

I think mikeh is right: 3NT is a very long way off. You not only need clubs to run and a diamond stop, but also either the ace of spades or the AK of hearts. 4H is a more likely game.

As it happens the only making contracts are 1NT, 2C, 2H and 3H, though 4H is not a bad spot. Partner has

xxx
KQJ8x
Kxx
xx

but clubs are 4-1.

[FrancesHinden]

FrancesHinden, on Mar 13 2006, 05:15 PM, said:

2.

Scoring: IMP

P P P 1♦
P 1♠ P 2♠
P ?

---

Worth a move, or not?

The votes here show I was way off base when I passed 2S. I've been persuaded that was silly. I still think raising to game is an overbid, but a game try is definitely right and partner will accept whatever try you make. Game is not cold, but makes easily. Partner has

Q10xx
AJx
AQ10x
Jx

[FrancesHinden]

FrancesHinden, on Mar 13 2006, 05:15 PM, said:

1.

Scoring: IMP

1♦ 1♠ 2♣ 3♠
P P x P
4♥ P ?

---

1D = in a 5CM, 10-13 1NT opening, 1D = 4+ cards open 1D on 4-4 in the minors style
2C = F1 (can pass a 2D, 2NT or 3C rebid)
x = take-out

Worth a move, or not?

This seems to have got the widest range of suggestions, from passing 4H to making a try to forcing to slam opposite 2 key cards.

I disagree that xxx Kxxx AQxxx x is enough for slam: it's terrible opposite that hand.

Anyway, if you move with anything you will get to slam as partner has a very good hand in context: Axx J10xx AQJxx x (note those beautiful red suit jacks). At the other table they were playing blue club/canape and opened 1H which made things slightly easier.

[inquiry]

Thanks for the interesting set of hands Frances. Since it has been a while since Zar points have been discussed, let's see how someone using ZAR points might have bid these hands?

Quote

1.

Scoring: IMP

1♦ 1♠ 2♣ 3♠
P  P  x  P
4♥ P ?

---

1D = in a 5CM, 10-13 1NT opening, 1D = 4+ cards open 1D on 4-4 in the minors style
2C = F1 (can pass a 2D, 2NT or 3C rebid)
x = take-out

Worth a move, or not?

Partner opened with 26+ zar points, we hold, 13 hcp, 5 control points, 13 distibutional points, and then three honor fitting points (2 for HAQ, 2 for DKT) and another 2 for the singleton spade. This comes to a whooping 37 ZAR points. 26+37 = 63 Zar points. Zar claims only 62 needed for slam so you are clearly in slam range even if partner has dead minimum, and he can have a little extra. Zar fits well with my answer which was "absolutely worth a move", but not unlike ZAR suggestion here I didn't suggest leaping to slam.

Quote

2.

Scoring: IMP

1♦ 1♠ 2♣ 3♠
P  P  x  P
4♥ P ?

---

1D = as above, but 1NT opening would have been 15-17

Worth a move, or not?

What does ZAR say? I have 8 hcp. I have 2 control points, and 13 distributional points. I get one bonus point for my DK, and since I have an extra spade, I get two more points for the singleton heart. This comes to 26 ZAR points. Assuming partner has 26, ZAR math would say this is game force. I think this is why Luis jumped directly to game (at imps that is probably a good strategy). The fact that game HAS to be very close, and perhpas laydown, is why I said "Absolutely worth a move".

Quote

3.

Scoring: IMP

1♦ 1♠ 2♣ 3♠
P  P  x  P
4♥ P ?

---

You play sound 2-level overcalls at red
Worth a try for game, a force to game or a minimum bid (pass/3C)?

It takes some more to figure out Zar here... You have 32 Zars and your partner has less than 26, but enough to make a 2H call. Let's give partner 22 to 25 ZAR points. Now that includes a five card heart suit so at least 11 of those ZAR points are from distribution, but we don't have an obvious fit (partner didn't jump 3H for example fit non-jump). Our 32 + partners 24 looks like we are in game range (56 when 52 needed), but this is a misfit auction. Partner has five hearts, and we 2, we have six clubs partner likely one or two. In misfit auctions, Zar suggest subtracting the misfit points. Let's say 3 points in hearts, and 4 points in clubs, then another one in diamonds (give partner 3532). 56-7 = 49. This suggest stopping. One can pass to play in the 5-2 heart fit (stoping with misfit is a good idea). I choose 3C because partner might have club fit but that is unlikely. Partner with a good hand and club fit might make another move over 3C. Note, Zar was more right than I was with his recommended pass (based upon his writings).

Quote

4.

Scoring: IMP

1♦ 1♠ 2♣ 3♠
P  P  x  P
4♥ P ?

---

Over the cue-bid, partner bids 3H (artificial) with nothing (0- 4 HCP or so), so 3NT shows about a good 4+ and a diamond stop.

Worth a try for slam in NT (4NT), in hearts (4H), a pass, or a stronger move?

Zar would suggest bidding on here as well. Your hand is a monster in ZAR points (26 hcp, 9 control pts, 6 distributional pts, 3 fit points = 44 Zar points). Your partner rates to have at least 8 distributional points (4333) and the minimum of 5 hcp, comes to 57 Zar points. Partners 3NT bid showing a D stopper is probably not great news (we would rather his points be elsewhere) but he has a max of about 8 hcp. Zar would probably council a pass, or at most a raise to 4NT. Your pass of 3NT seems about right. I on the ohter hand felt it worth an invitational 4NT.

Seems Frances and Zar were right on this one.

Quote

5.

Scoring: IMP

1♦ 1♠ 2♣ 3♠
P  P  x  P
4♥ P ?

---

1D = Blue club style (usually natural, limited to a poor 16 HCP)

This hand 7 hcp, 2 control points and 16 distributional points (not countign QJ of diamonds as plus two for fit with partner). Zar would advocate bidding on. I still like an immediate 3H to show this hand.

Hand six ignore ZAR, this is fine.