[matmat]

Scoring: IMP

Dealer (WEST) Preempts 4♠.

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IMP Match. LHO is a good player, RHO is very green. Your teammates are somewhat stronger than your opponents at the other table.

1) what (realistic) calls would you take here (for both N and S)?
2) how much would these change if your RHO was good?

(sorry if you feel i misfiled this).

[rogerclee]

I would pass. Both a 4N overcall and double are reasonable options. I would expect south to pass a double and bid 5C over a 4N overcall.

[jdonn]

I don't think double is totally reasonable for north, it's either pass or 4NT. I really suspect I would pass but it's close.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

Pass.

It seems the options for North are either Pass
or 4NT, but I need 5-5 for the 4NT bid, so my
only option is Pass.

My call has nothing to do with the quality of RHO.

If your teammates are stronger than their
teammates you can expect a similar sitiuation.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[655321]

(1) Pass, and for me it is not close. I play double of 4♠ as takeout.

(2) All this stuff about strong players and weak players is not relevant. I make what I believe to be the best bid. Perhaps you are aiming for an overcall on the grounds that the weak East will not double. But as North, my best guess is that nobody makes anything - 4♠ will often be 1 or 2 down, as will our best 5 level contract. So bidding, and swapping our +200 for a -200 is no triumph, even if they could have doubled and gotten 500 instead.

[mcphee]

It does not concern me who the players are, I pass which looks clear. I hope we beat it which is not clear.

[andy_h]

Think I would pass with both hands

[awm]

I'd bid 4NT as north. Obviously this wins some and loses some. But I'm unlikely to go for a big number here (partner almost always has spade shortage so we should have a fit somewhere, we have most of the minor suit honors so east is unlikely to double). It seems like the bad results will usually be getting -100 instead of +100, whereas there could easily be a game in one or even both directions. South has an obvious 5♣ bid over this.

On this particular pair of hands I suspect I have traded -100 for +100, although it is certainly possible that 4♠ is making (if west has singleton diamond it will often make). Of course, if partner had the club king then I would probably be getting +600 instead of +100.

[el tombo]

I bid 4N - I like bidding

[han]

655321, on Nov 18 2008, 04:35 AM, said:

(1) Pass, and for me it is not close. I play double of 4♠ as takeout.

(2) All this stuff about strong players and weak players is not relevant.

Agree.

[whereagles]

Usually, you can afford to pass the North hand because pard, short in spades, will balance with some hcps.

However, this is a FIVE level balance and North has a couple hcps too much. That makes a balance by South unlikely, so North should be conscious he's the one that has to act.

If action is chosen, 4NT seems fair.

[matmat]

Neither north passed. My p chose 4NT and then passed my 5♣ call that was doubled on the right. I probably misplayed this for -2. At the other table north doubled and my hand bid 5♥, going for a significantly larger number.

[Codo]

matmat, on Nov 21 2008, 10:36 AM, said:

At the other table north doubled and my hand bid 5♥, going for a significantly larger number.

Now this is a real surprise, isn't it?

Hard to pass 4 Spade but seems to be the winning bid this time.