[shyams]

2nd seat - Red vs White at Matchpoints - and you hold:

---

Part 1:
- Dealer passes and it's up to you. What now? (Assume a conventional bid to show both majors with limited playing strength is not available)

Part 2:
- My quick thought was that we have enough to enter the auction later, so I passed initially. The auction continues

---

- What now?

Part 3:
- I chose 4♥ but West raised the stakes with a 5♣ which my partner doubled. Anything left to say?

---

[The_Badger]

I would have bashed out 4♥ on the first round, even with the 5 card ♠ suit. Trying to be scientific when there are so many cards missing in the minors is not my style. And yes, we could miss a slam but from a offensive-defensive perspective, there's little in the way of defence, and the hand should produce eight tricks barring horrible breaks, so let partner know what sort of hand you have.

Opening 1♥ is not unreasonable too if you want to try to find some ♠ fit but expect the opponents to compete heavily in the minors at this vulnerability (as they did on the full auction).

[P_Marlowe]

#1 pass, opening 1S could also work, did not cross my mind before reading the previous post
#2 3H, ... usually you will have diamonds tolerance, but partner wont jump to 5D, i.e you
should have a chance to bid 4H
4H instead, is fit jump for sure
#3 no

[ahydra]

I would open 1H, bid 3H next, and pass over 5CX.

ahydra

[tritonium]

Open 1♥ immediately. You have too much to show if you pass.

[fourdad]

 shyams, on 2018-July-14, 09:41, said:

2nd seat - Red vs White at Matchpoints - and you hold:

---

Part 1:
- Dealer passes and it's up to you. What now? (Assume a conventional bid to show both majors with limited playing strength is not available)

Part 2:
- My quick thought was that we have enough to enter the auction later, so I passed initially. The auction continues

---

- What now?

Part 3:
- I chose 4♥ but West raised the stakes with a 5♣ which my partner doubled. Anything left to say?

---

Having passed at #1 (which I would not do...bid 1H). Did you consider a Neg X at #2?

[Winstonm]

I think I would treat this hand like a 4-7 and open 1H and forget the spades unless partner bid them. I certainly understand a pass, but there is so much playing strength that it will be impossible to show later - and bad luck RHO didn't open a minor.

But back to the OP. Having passed and having not made a negative double over 3C, I continue my silence over 5C x'd. Partner has opened diamonds, denies hearts, and offers to penalize clubs - that doesn't add up to a major suit make at the 5 level IMO.

[msjennifer]

In the given sequence of bidding I shall bid just 3 H which as we play is semi forcing ( opener has opened 1D in the third seat and RHO has preempted.Of course I shall get it confirmed from LHO) .But I wonder what happened to spades?.It is possible for Partner to have four good ones.It is a difficult hand since no gadgets are permitted.If the bidding goes 3H -4C-x then I can be able to to bid spades more confidently .If it goes 3H-4C-P-P then I can double to indicate a spade holding also.(I presume,it does!).However as the OP says he bid 4H and LHO bid 5C which P doubled,I really do not know what to bid but PASS..

[Tramticket]

I'm not passing - you can predict that the bidding will be at a high level when it comes back to you. I'm not bidding 3♥ with a four-loser hand.

The choices seem to come down to 1♥ or 4♥ and I can see arguments for either, but sitting in second seat I will choose 1♥.

Parts 2 & 3 - I wouldn't have this dilemma. But if I did pass and then jump to 4♥ I would expect partner to treat this as a splinter (or fit-jump, depending on agreements). I have no idea what partner is expecting of you when he/she doubles, but you can't do anything other than pass.

[miamijd]

Red vs. white, I'd open this hand with a 4H transfer bid. Transfer? Yes, you transfer the headaches from your side to your opponents. If you pass, you're going to have major difficulties later on, as you discovered. The same is true if you open 1H. Vul vs not, 4H shows 9 tricks or so, so you've got the goods.

I don't know what I'd do on the second round with the bidding you gave. Maybe a negative double (let's hope partner doesn't leave it) followed by a 4H call? Who knows.

On the third round you provided, if partner interpreted your 4H bid correctly (some sort of preempt), then I think you have to pass. You actually have more defense than you might have for your bid.

But now you see why I much prefer a 4H opener. Make your opponents guess instead of you or your partner.

Cheers,
mike

[rmnka447]

I'm opening in 2nd seat. There's just too much playing strength to wait and try to get in later.

I'd probably lean towards 1 ♥ for a couple reasons. RHO has passed so that makes more points available for LHO and partner. There's also nothing that would preclude partner from having ♠, in which case, 4 ♠ may be where you want to be.

If this hand were held in 3rd seat, it would be an easy 4 ♥ bid. I wouldn't do it in 2nd seat, but wouldn't criticize partner for making a 4 ♥ bid in 2nd seat with this hand.

[wank]

passing this type of hand and hoping to show a 2 suiter later is fine, but this is just too much with 9ish tricks, and i certainly don't pre-empt with 9 tricks in 2nd seat, so mark me down for 1H.

as for what to do having passed, 4H should show a 2 suiter, given the non-opening, but the question is which one? personally, i would expect 4H to be something like 5H6D. in the circumstance i think 3H is ok.

after 5C is Xed, you're in an awkward spot obviously. i'd gamble on a fit and bid 5H (partner should then know you have a major 2 suiter).