[iandayre]

You hold Q4, KJ764, A9, AT53. Unfavorable and it goes 1C, P, 1NT to you. 2H or Pass?

[FrancesHinden]

iandayre, on 2017-April-25, 13:52, said:

You hold Q4, KJ764, A9, AT53. Unfavorable and it goes 1C, P, 1NT to you. 2H or Pass?

I can only see one choice, but perhaps more than one option

[FelicityR]

Pass from me. The ♥ suit is threadbare, and bidding 2♥ is, I feel, asking for trouble.

[iandayre]

FrancesHinden, on 2017-April-25, 15:11, said:

I can only see one choice, but perhaps more than one option

choice (countable and uncountable, plural choices)

An option; a decision; an opportunity to choose or select something.  [quotations ▼]

Do I have a choice of what color to paint it?

One selection or preference; that which is chosen or decided; the outcome of a decision.

The ice cream sundae is a popular choice for dessert.

Anything that can be chosen.

You have three choices: vanilla, strawberry or chocolate


My question fits well with #2, and perfectly with #3. Apparently you're not as smart as you think you are.

[sfi]

iandayre, on 2017-April-25, 17:55, said:

My question fits well with #2, and perfectly with #3. Apparently you're not as smart as you think you are.

Well, you've demonstrated one use of the word 'choice':

Quote

choice
adjective
adjective: choice; comparative adjective: choicer; superlative adjective: choicest

2.
(of words or language) rude and abusive.

Frances hit the nail on the head. Just because the laws allow you to do something does not make it a rational choice. There really is only one choice on this hand.

[RedSpawn]

FelicityR, on 2017-April-25, 16:10, said:

Pass from me. The ♥ suit is threadbare, and bidding 2♥ is, I feel, asking for trouble.

Agreed. There is no need in sticking your neck out at 2♥ on this type of vulnerability either.

Let us not forget that the queen♠ trapped in doubleton is dubious along with the threadbare hearts.

Pass and await further developments.

[Dinarius]

Pass. There's no question, for me.

[Joe_Old]

FelicityR, on 2017-April-25, 16:10, said:

Pass from me. The ♥ suit is threadbare, and bidding 2♥ is, I feel, asking for trouble.

Agreed. Pass.

[RD350LC]

iandayre, on 2017-April-25, 13:52, said:

You hold Q4, KJ764, A9, AT53. Unfavorable and it goes 1C, P, 1NT to you. 2H or Pass?

I will give you three choices-pass, Pass, and PASS.
Anything else is just asking for trouble.

[miamijd]

iandayre, on 2017-April-25, 13:52, said:

You hold Q4, KJ764, A9, AT53. Unfavorable and it goes 1C, P, 1NT to you. 2H or Pass?

You didn't indicate whether this was IMPs or MPs. I think it makes a difference.

At IMPs, it's probably too risky to bid vulnerable. By passing, you could very easily be exchanging a plus for a minus, but with the ratty H suit, the risk of going for 500 or 800 on a part-score hand seems a bit too great. NV, I think this is a tough choice.

At MPs, it's a different story. The opponents ought to have at least 7 clubs (3 for opener and likely 4 for responder unless he has 3343), so partner should have at most two and more likely a stiff. This means we should have a fit somewhere, and that's almost certainly going to be in H (if partner has six spades and short H, he can correct). 2H might play quite well, but in addition, if we overcall 2H, responder may very well show delayed C support, and I would much rather defend 3C than 1NT.

NV, I would make the 2H overcall at MPs. Vul, it's closer, but I still think I would bid.

[nige1]

iandayre, on 2017-April-25, 13:52, said:

You hold Q4, KJ764, A9, AT53. Unfavorable and it goes 1C, P, 1NT to you. 2H or Pass?

I rank

• 2♥ = NAT. Brave but in the modern style IMO.
• Pass = NAT. Safer.

[rmnka447]

I would pass also.

[ahydra]

What are opps playing?

I think I would pass unless feeling frisky at pairs.

ahydra

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

depends on moood, but 2H is ok.
Assuming the opponents play something close to standard,
and given my club length and partners pass, partner will
have at least secondary support for hearts.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[iandayre]

sfi, on 2017-April-25, 18:38, said:

Well, you've demonstrated one use of the word 'choice':



Frances hit the nail on the head. Just because the laws allow you to do something does not make it a rational choice. There really is only one choice on this hand.

It was my belief that Frances was commenting on my language usage, not the bridge problem. I don't know what her call would be. I meant to include in the OP that the game is matchpoints.

[iandayre]

Thank you for your responses. I also felt that pass was called for and did so at the table. 4th best H lead led to a one-trick set and a near-top score. Had they somehow scored +90, I would still have done very well with most of the field down 100 or more in H contracts.

With all the emphasis on aggressive bidding these days I wanted to see if a sensible pass was still the expert consensus.

[SteveMoe]

iandayre, on 2017-April-28, 13:00, said:

Thank you for your responses. I also felt that pass was called for and did so at the table. 4th best H lead led to a one-trick set and a near-top score. Had they somehow scored +90, I would still have done very well with most of the field down 100 or more in H contracts.

With all the emphasis on aggressive bidding these days I wanted to see if a sensible pass was still the expert consensus.

If we attribute 13 HCP to opener and 8 HCP to responder (Yes they both could be less) then partner has 40 - 14 - 21 = 5 HCP. At most we can expect partner to have 2 cards for us.

[rmnka447]

iandayre, on 2017-April-28, 13:00, said:

Thank you for your responses. I also felt that pass was called for and did so at the table. 4th best H lead led to a one-trick set and a near-top score. Had they somehow scored +90, I would still have done very well with most of the field down 100 or more in H contracts.

With all the emphasis on aggressive bidding these days I wanted to see if a sensible pass was still the expert consensus.

There's aggressive and then there's aggressive. When you're 4th to speak and both opponents have bid, even with RHO making a limited call, you need some solid values or big distribution to come into the auction. LHO hand is still unlimited in this auction.

The example hand is rather disjointed, no good suit just heart length and some values. Change it to xx KQJxxx Ax A10x and I'd bet everyone would bid 2 ♥. The ♥ suit quality and length make setting the hand much more difficult and 2 ♥ a safer call.

[neilkaz]

It would be nice to know form of scoring, but red vs white I have to pass vs good opps at both as my suit just isn't good enough. I'd venture 2♥ at MP vs weakish opps who are very unlikely to X me and who may take another call when they shouldn't.