[cherdano]

S.J. Simon is still right, most can't evaluate weak hands opposite a strong hand. Can you do better?

Scoring: IMP

(1♦)-X-(1♥)-P
(2♣)-2♠-(P)-?

---

So vulnerable vs not at IMPs, your partner has shown a strong flexible hand with spades. You have a good fit but not many hcp, what do you do?

Arend

[Echognome]

My ♦K is badly placed. Partner's ♥ honours are under RHOs. And my JT9x of clubs is fairly neutral. It means that LHO may have a finesseable honour and he may not.

I won't pass this, but I also won't do more than 3♠.

[mike777]

I also bid 3s but it will be difficult for partner to pass at imps since I bet she has at least:

AKJxx....AKxx....x....Qxx

For those of us that opened and rebid on:

x..xx....AT9xx...A87xx at least we made it tough on NS.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

my first impulse, reading your statement was, yes raise to 3S,
but than, I looked at the bidding, the King of diamond is misplaced,
and your only asset is 4 card support, pass.
Be content to go plus.

With kind regards
Marlowe

PS: I will bid 3S, if forced to, but I prefer to play the contract on the 2 level.

[hotShot]

This hand is almost worthless. The only upside is the 4card trump suit, but partners bid is forcing so 3♠ is a must.

[mike777]

hotShot, on May 28 2006, 03:33 PM, said:

This hand is almost worthless. The only upside is the 4card trump suit, but partners bid is forcing so 3♠ is a must.

2s by partner is forcing, where?

[hotShot]

"So vulnerable vs not at IMPs, your partner has shown a strong flexible hand with spades. "

Partner is unlimited and reopens opposite a passed partner red/white.
While opps have not found a fit yet. I don't think he's up to a partscore.

Dbl and bidding a suit of your own later is usually (much) stronger than bidding the suit directly. Of cause that is a matter of partnership agreement. I know several partnerships that use 19+ HCP as limit for this.

[mike777]

ok I strongly disagree, I think 2s is limited...never unlimited...but find it interesting that others play it other.

[luke warm]

i would pass because of my shape and my ♦K's position, but i'd compete to 3s if i had to... i also don't think 2s can possibly be forcing, but i've been wrong before

[hotShot]

Well i guess it depends on how you use the other options.
If you play 1-level overcalls (8..X) and weak jump shifts you need a method to show (very) strong hands. The strength needed for dbl follwed by a suit starts with X+1.

[pbleighton]

"ok I strongly disagree, I think 2s is limited...never unlimited...but find it interesting that others play it other."

Standard practice around here is that 2S as unlimited, but not absolutely forcing.

In this case I would bid 3S.

Peter

[Trinidad]

Partner's 2♠ is certainly not forcing (he should bid 2♦ to force) but it is highly encouraging. Therefore, I will bid 3♠, despite the poor placement of my honors.

Rik

[Double !]

i bid 3S

I have 4 trumps,
potential for heart ruffs, and a good interior sequence in clubs that might be of value.
change the hand to 4333 and I might reconsider, but, well, it's not like I have nothing of value for P. The diamond K is probably wasted, not even valuing it.

DHL

[luke warm]

there's something else we might have missed... partner's heart honors might also be misplaced

[mikeh]

Partner's 2♠ is most definitely limited and non-forcing: he had 3♠ available as a demand that you raise with the slightest excuse, not to mention 2♦, which would be even stronger when followed by a ♠ bid.

Thus he has a minimum hand in context, and it is important to understand what that means within the partnership style.

For me, it means a pretty good hand: say AKQxxx KQx xx Kx would be typical, but he might hold a tad more, or even a tad less: AKJxxx AJx x Kxx would be rock-bottom minimum.

The second hand, despite its relative lack of hcp, is stronger than the first, due to the controls held: one would probably want to be in 4♠ on the second, altho it is by no means cold... a stiff ♣ lead is quite likely even when the Q is onside and the trumps behave.

It seems to me that you owe partner a 3♠ bid

[Echognome]

luke warm, on May 29 2006, 12:44 AM, said:

there's something else we might have missed... partner's heart honors might also be misplaced

I might have mentioned it above.

[luke warm]

ack!! sorry matt

[pclayton]

2S is most certainly non-forcing. I could have a yarbourough.

My 4 trumps are very nice. Pard likely has some clubs or hearts. Either way, my round suit holdings are helpful.

The KD may be a dead card, or it might be carrying its full weight opposite pards A or Q. I'm not prepared to bury the KD yet.

3S isn't an underbid at all, and I think you could convince me of 4S or 3D vul at IMPs.

[Codo]

pclayton, on May 29 2006, 12:42 PM, said:

2S is most certainly non-forcing. I could have a yarbourough.

My 4 trumps are very nice. Pard likely has some clubs or hearts. Either way, my round suit holdings are helpful.

The KD may be a dead card, or it might be carrying its full weight opposite pards A or Q. I'm not prepared to bury the KD yet.

3S isn't an underbid at all, and I think you could convince me of 4S or 3D vul at IMPs.

100 %,
if I need to guess the right contract now, I would guess 4 Spades. But I need not, I can invite pd for anything between 3 and 6...

[Gerben42]

1. 2♠ is nonforcing
2. I bid 3♠ now