[lxt08]

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sys 2/1,now N how bid?

[helene_t]

I think 1NT is pretty clear.

22 HCPs is maybe a bit much for this bid which shows more than a direct 1NT bid but not much more - if 1NT directly is 15-18 then this should be 19-21 or maybe 19-22. Anyway, my only long suit (diamonds) is probably not going to work as W often has ♦JTxx or J9xx, and ♠J doesn't look like a trick after the 1♠ bid behind me. Partner needs quite a lot for game to make - give partner xxx-Qxx-xxx-QTxx with which he might just make a game try after my 1NT bid. We probably are't going to make 3NT opposite this.

But partner could have a better hand if he has length in diamonds so we have to do something.

[MrAce]

Let's assume for the sake of the argument that 1♦ was a 3rd seat weak opening and made by an actual 8 hcp. And his pd is also weak and around 6 hcp, which makes their combination 14 hcp + my 22 hcp. Pd will usually hold anything between 0-4 hcp. But this is if, a very big IF, they are as minimum as they can be, so probably pd will hold 0-1-2 hcp much more than 3-4 hcp. And he won't have much of shape either as he passed 1♠. I am with Helene that 1 NT is good enough on this particular hand.

[whereagles]

Well, I'll take the push and bid 2NT. I mean.. I can virtually make 1NT on my own, where's the fun in that?

[billw55]

whereagles, on 2014-September-16, 03:45, said:

Well, I'll take the push and bid 2NT. I mean.. I can virtually make 1NT on my own, where's the fun in that?

You realize making 1NT requires 7 tricks, right?

[whereagles]

I see 6 tricks on top, plus 1 for cardplay, wtp?

[PhilKing]

whereagles, on 2014-September-16, 08:00, said:

I see 6 tricks on top, plus 1 for cardplay, wtp?

If you can somehowe magic an extra two tricks to make 2NT with hands like this, I assume most of your partner's are sufficiently dazzled by your skills to raise to three if they have a queen or a few jacks. Where there's eight there's nine, right?

[whereagles]

Right

[MrAce]

whereagles, on 2014-September-16, 08:00, said:

I see 6 tricks on top, plus minus 1 for cardplay, wtp?

Looking at your contributions to the declarer play problems in BBF so far, I corrected your typo.

But I disagree with Phil, if your partners know you well, in order to not miss a game I think you should bid 2 NT.

[mikeh]

It might help to know your opps. Personally, I can't recall ever making an outright psych opening in 3rd chair at favourable in a minor, and I have probably made more psychic openings over my 40+ years of bridge than just about anyone here....I even played, for several years, a method in which we pre-alerted that we always opened in 1st or 3rd at favourable with 3-5 hcp We may not have been very good and it may have been a selfish way to play, but we had a lot of fun, and we were a lot younger back then.

I say this because I don't think it likely that RHO has nothing at all. Which means that partner is almost always completely broke and hence we can afford the technical underbid, in terms of hcp, of 1N.

If either opp has in fact completely psyched, partner will have 4-5 hcp and ought to be able to eke out a bid.

Our 4333 shape and lack of intermediates, plus the probability that RHO stops diamonds, all makes 1N at most a mild underbid.

[neilkaz]

whereagles, on 2014-September-16, 08:00, said:

I see 6 tricks on top, plus 1 for cardplay, wtp?

Even your world class declarer play may not matter here when you can't ever get to a broke dummy.

[MrAce]

neilkaz, on 2014-September-16, 11:11, said:

Even your world class declarer play may not matter here when you can't ever get to a broke dummy.

He doesn't need to, opponents usually get too excited and drop a trick or two when playing vs a true master!

Nuno reminds me of famous OKbridge and BBO master Gerard Cohen (R.I.P) a.k,a Gee, and his chronicles written in "God of the Machine" site by Aaron Haspel. (Gee Chronicles) If I ever have the honour to play against Nuno, I will just apply the "Bones principle" which was found by Mark Smith while kibbing Gee daily. The principles of "Bones Double" can be found here.. http://gee.aaronhasp...r/aaron-haspel/

[jogs]

whereagles, on 2014-September-16, 03:45, said:

Well, I'll take the push and bid 2NT. I mean.. I can virtually make 1NT on my own, where's the fun in that?

You can have your fun. I prefer plus scores.

[bdegrande]

Double again. I want to play a suit contract as opposed to trying to reach partner's hand in no trump. I hope partner has a bad five card suit to bid.

[whereagles]

Trouble is, you won't know whether the suit is 5 card. But yeah you can hope for that.

[lrussell]

I'm with the 1NT bidders. Helene_t has it exactly right.

[helene_t]

A five card suit he can bid after my 1nt. Double is what you do if you want him to bid a four card suit.