[han]

My south American opponents had the following auction (edit: white vs red, IMPs):

1S - 1NT
3C - pass

The passer had x 109xxxx K10xxx x.

Do you agree with 1NT? With pass?

[ArcLight]

I don't agree with 1NT because if playing a forcing NT opener is very likely to bid Clubs.

Whats wrong with passing? Maybe the opps will buy the contract , maybe a 4-3 heart fit, or 4-4 diamond fit. Let them find out the extreme distribution.

[Echognome]

Given that partner bids 3♣, I pass 1♠.

Given that I don't know what partner is going to bid, it's a lot more interesting. I'm sure at the table I would bid 1NT and not be that happy about it. 3♣ is unfortunate, but I'm not going to pass now. I'd bid 3♥ and hope I don't get dragged too far along.

[Codo]

I had passed 1 ♠ but never 3 ♣.

[jdonn]

Passing 1♠ or bidding 1NT are both fine to me, if I know my partner prefers one or the other then I do it, but all things being equal I probably bid. Passing 3♣ is unbelievable and I hate it.

[helene_t]

If I had troubles finding a second bid after the not-so-surprising 3♣ from p, I would have passed 1♠. Now 3♥.

I would probably have responded 1N as well (maybe influenced by Justin's post) but would have been more tempted to pass if vulnerable. The opps' vulnerability is a lesser concern, I don't expect them to bid and make game anyway,

There was an MSC case a couple of years ago where half the panel passed 3♣ in this situation. It was with a 1453-shape and two queens I think. I was somewhat shocked although it was clear that pass could be a winner. Here, I thnk pass is close to pointless.

[Codo]

Jlall, on Sep 3 2007, 04:26 PM, said:

What is this passing 1S stuff?????? We are even white/red, 1N makes life difficult for the opps, may enable us to not pass out a cold game (or even, very rarely a slam), may improve our partscore, etc etc. Even after 1S-1N-3C we could easily be cold for 4H. I don't feel strongly about that many things but I will just never believe winning bridge consists of passing 1S with this hand at favorable vul.

In which cases do 1 NT win?

1. You have a fit in a red suit.
2. Pd does bid 3 NT with some semibalanced 20 HCPs hand which make. (or you judge that 4 Heart is superior and that makes).
3. Pd has a hand which makes game opposite your hand but he had no stronger opening then 1 Spade. (F.E. a very strong two suiter) and the opps do not come to your rescue.
4. The opps do not find their fit? Which one? Or NT game?

Passing 1 Spade wins when:
1. Pd has many black cards but not enough for game.
2. Pd does not bid 3 NT with some semibalanced 20 HCPs hand which fail. (Or you judge that 4 Heart is superior but you fail to make it).
3. You are not proppeled into another game opposite an 8 trick hand with no real fit.
4. If you pass now and bid later (if there is a later) pd can judge your distributional values much better.
5. Opps may play in your oder pds 5 card suit.
6. Opps may play NT with no suit breaking.

So, as long as I did not miss a lot of possible pros for bidding, 1 NT seems to loose more often then it wins? I have no tool to judge whether the wins are so big that it is still a win to bid, but it does not look like that.

What did I miss?

[mike777]

With the tens and nines and a 6 card major and 6-5 shape with a K, I will upgrade and bid 1nt and 3h over 3c.

[pbleighton]

I'd bid 1N, but I undertand passing.

Passing 3C is totally unacceptable. Once you have bid 1NT you have agreed unconditionally to respond to any forcing bid partner makes.

Peter

[Free]

Only playing Gazzilli would I bid 1NT

[TimG]

Jlall, on Sep 3 2007, 02:26 AM, said:

What is this passing 1S stuff?????? We are even white/red, 1N makes life difficult for the opps, may enable us to not pass out a cold game (or even, very rarely a slam), may improve our partscore, etc etc. Even after 1S-1N-3C we could easily be cold for 4H. I don't feel strongly about that many things but I will just never believe winning bridge consists of passing 1S with this hand at favorable vul.

I'm not sure how much more difficult 1S-1N is than 1S-P for the opponents.

Passing 1S does not end the auction. And, this might be a hand where having the opponents in the auction will be useful.

I'm not saying that passing 1N is correct, just that it's not the end of the auction.

[cherdano]

TimG, on Sep 3 2007, 09:44 AM, said:

Jlall, on Sep 3 2007, 02:26 AM, said:

What is this passing 1S stuff?????? We are even white/red, 1N makes life difficult for the opps, may enable us to not pass out a cold game (or even, very rarely a slam), may improve our partscore, etc etc. Even after 1S-1N-3C we could easily be cold for 4H. I don't feel strongly about that many things but I will just never believe winning bridge consists of passing 1S with this hand at favorable vul.

I'm not sure how much more difficult 1S-1N is than 1S-P for the opponents.

It is, there is no way to show a balanced 14-count over 1S P 1N. Well, you can't even show a balanced 16-count. Or 18-count...

[cherdano]

helene_t, on Sep 3 2007, 02:55 AM, said:

I would probably have responded 1N as well (maybe influenced by Justin's post) but would have been more tempted to pass if vulnerable. The opps' vulnerability is a lesser concern, I don't expect them to bid and make game anyway,

Why can't they have a normal 3NT?

[han]

Wow @ Hamman!

[Fluffy]

passing 3♣ is completelly wrong.

Bidding 1NT is also wrong in my opinion.

[han]

By the way, my Argentinian opponents had this auction and the title I copied from their BBO conversation :-). They said a lot to eachother, this was the only sentence that I understood.