[Hanoi5]

Both red, imp pairs, you hold:

♠Q
♥AT432
♦AJ73
♣A98

---

[awm]

I don't really think the ♠Q singleton is improving this hand much, and I don't usually blast game on 5431 13-counts opposite a single raise. I'll make a try though (3♦ natural seems most likely) in the hope that partner has nothing wasted in spades.

[ggwhiz]

awm, on 2013-September-29, 11:23, said:

I don't really think the ♠Q singleton is improving this hand much, and I don't usually blast game on 5431 13-counts opposite a single raise. I'll make a try though (3♦ natural seems most likely) in the hope that partner has nothing wasted in spades.

Same here but after hearts are raised my partnership agreement is that 2nt asks responder to bid suits they can help up the line. Club help ie. KQxxx might be enough and if they bid 3♠ partner may look at 3 of them and divine our intentions.

[nigel_k]

3♥.

I don't want to sell out but have too little for a game try. Though probably game makes since it's posed as a problem.

[akwoo]

You need help in both minors, probably strength in one and shortness in the other, as well as trump help. I don't know a good way to ask for all that.

If partner has 3 kings (which are basically the best honor values he can have) with 33(43) distribution, game is probably only barely worth bidding vulnerable (and not worth bidding non-vulnerable).

If you've agreed to invite aggressively (rather than accept aggressively) vulnerable, I can see this being worth one a good side suit 3♦ try or a help suit 3♣ try.

[ArtK78]

I heard once that when you don't have the values or shape for another action there is a call for that.

Pass.

[mcphee]

If you are going to make a game try, which I would, isn't double just that?

[ahydra]

I'd settle for a measly 3H on this. It doesn't look a great hand facing a single raise.

ahydra

[ggwhiz]

ahydra, on 2013-September-30, 13:53, said:

I'd settle for a measly 3H on this. It doesn't look a great hand facing a single raise.

ahydra

All true but when 3♠ comes back to you? I like the idea of sounding tough where they may either sell out to 3♥ or take the push to 4♠.

[rmnka447]

Pass.

Despite the shortness, you still have a seven loser hand. Opposite partner's probable nine loser raise, you just don't have enough tricks even to invite.

If you go on and partner has a minimum raise, you could be looking at a -200 or more. So let partner make the decision to compete to 3 ♥ or not.

[aguahombre]

It is highly unlikely partner has more than 3 Hearts and will bid again in hearts. It is also unlikely that a non-Drury Responder will have what it takes for game. It is very likely that we belong defending Spades; partner might even have 5 or 6 of them ---and (same as RHO) did not have a hand which should have acted at the first opportunity.

[mike777]

double esp if 2h is still constructive as a passed hand.

[akwoo]

mcphee, on 2013-September-30, 06:33, said:

If you are going to make a game try, which I would, isn't double just that?

I have played the following structure:

X = game try with unspecified singleton or void (with conventional followups)
2N = game try with good spade side suit
3C = game try with good club side suit
3D = game try with good diamond side suit

Other people play X as showing unspecified good side suit and 2N/3C/3D as showing singleton or void.

The point is that all of these bids are pretty useless as natural bids anyway, so you might as well assign different game try meanings to them to have more ways of getting to game.

[the hog]

Pass. Where is the 6th H for the 3H bidders?

[aguahombre]

akwoo, on 2013-September-30, 16:52, said:

I have played the following structure:

X = game try with unspecified singleton or void (with conventional followups)
2N = game try with good spade side suit
3C = game try with good club side suit
3D = game try with good diamond side suit

Other people play X as showing unspecified good side suit and 2N/3C/3D as showing singleton or void.

The point is that all of these bids are pretty useless as natural bids anyway, so you might as well assign different game try meanings to them to have more ways of getting to game.

The bigger point is that all those bids are useless when we don't have a game try.

[gszes]

I am unconcerned with the opps bidding 4s since I will x with little worry
they will make it. The problem is that this hand just isn't all that good
opposite a minimum 2h response. Risk vs reward is important at imps and
we still have a partner left to protect us---who knows what p may do. They might
pass or shock bid 2n (better be showing a max 2h raise) or even x 2s which we
should be happy to leave in p can also make a 3h raise which is merely competitive
(ie not a minimum).

There is too much risk with these poor hearts of going for a big number when we
still have a partner that can tell us if we should proceed or not.



pass

[gwnn]

I like 3D (I like the philosophy of "game tries try game").

[kenberg]

Yes, I also bid 3♦. I can imagine hands for partner where game is likely, where game is possible, where game is pretty hopeless. In other words, a typical situation. I'm an optimist.

[monikrazy]

I'm going to trust my partner's judgment and pass. Bidding higher doesn't seem worth the risk.