[MickyB]

Scoring: IMP

Pass-(1NT)-?

1NT is 12-14. Your agreements are -
Dbl pens
2♥ natural, could be 5♥4m
3♥ would be weak.

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[655321]

They are vulnerable? Pass.

[paulg]

Double.

Everyone might have enough points to leave this in. Lead 4th best of longest and strongest.

Paul

[whereagles]

The perfect hand for a pass. If they pull 1NT, you bid 2/3♥.

[whereagles]

7 even..lol

[whereagles]

ahh.. let it stay at 6 , so that people know you can't count

[jdonn]

If I can't simply overcall hearts with this, bridge has gotten too difficult.

[mikeh]

jdonn, on Feb 19 2008, 12:55 PM, said:

If I can't simply overcall hearts with this, bridge has gotten too difficult.

The good news is that I think we are still allowed to bid 2♥ (for me, it would be by way of 2♦ as a transfer over their weak 1N), but surely the question is more subtle than that.

If we bid 2♥, we lose all chance of defending any number of notrump, including game. BTW, I wouldn't double good opps if they reached 3N after an uncontested auction since +300 is going to be a good score.

If we double, not only is there a good chance that they can run to a minor, otherwise unfindable if I pass, but partner may overcompete, expecting more working cards... and our cards work only in hearts unless partner has a LOT of values.

If the opps have spades, they are going there no matter what we do.... and it seems unlikely that partner has enough heart length to raise us in a competitive auction... if he does, then LHO has a stiff or void and we have negative defence anyway... and LHO will be better able to evaluate when he knows that his shortness is probably facing nothing wasted.

At this heat, my vote goes to pass, even tho I am 'allowed' to bid hearts.

My confidence level isn't high.... I'd rate the calls as: Pass 100, 2♥ 90, double 60

[gwnn]

I wonder Mike, do you bid on over your partner's 2♥ transfer completion (with a similar hand, but one which would be a 2♦ bid - you said it was close for you).

[mikeh]

gwnn, on Feb 19 2008, 01:25 PM, said:

I wonder Mike, do you bid on over your partner's 2♥ transfer completion (with a similar hand, but one which would be a 2♦ bid - you said it was close for you).

no

in my partnerships, we do not strain to overcall a weak 1N. This is not an especially strong hand. Yes, it has an extra trump, but I'd rather trade that trump for a side K in order to make this a better hand opposite partner's modest values...that is, the modest values he likely has if and when he merely accepts the transfer.

He will accept the transfer on hands with which he would pass 2♥. If he would bid (constructively) over 2♥, he will make the same call over 2♦, transfer.

If I overcalled a natural 2♥, and heard partner pass, I doubt that I'd be strongly disappointed...at least until I saw a dummy on which 3N is cold

The advantages of transfers here include right-siding the contract if we have game... if we have game, most of the opps' hcp lie in opener's hand.... and being able to show more complex hands.. thus I can rebid my hearts or bid 2N or bid a second suit with extras justifying those actions. But this hand isn't, in my view, quite strong enough for either.

[rbforster]

They are Vul and partner is a passed hand. I see no reason to bid hearts here - I can bid them later but I've got a sure +100 already vs 1NT and I'd rather every extra side trick from partner and my combined honors holdings be scored at 100 each instead of 30.

Double vs pass seems harder. I'm more inclined to pass just because I feel like with all my short suits if they have decent runouts they'll find somewhere other than NT to play and then I either bid 2/3♥ or pass and lose all my defense. In addition, since I don't have tons of extra strength there's a reasonable chance LHO will make some sort of invitation. If they end up in 2NT/3NT I'm sure +200/+300 is a good score.

[pclayton]

I pass which is my usual strategy holding a solid suit and not much else over a NT.

Our goal at IMPs when we probably don't have a game is a plus score right?

[jdonn]

True, I only have 7 tricks in 2♥ so that's probably a minus score.

[pclayton]

jdonn, on Feb 19 2008, 11:08 AM, said:

True, I only have 7 tricks in 2♥ so that's probably a minus score.

If you can stop the other players at the table from bidding over 2♥, I would agree with you.

[jdonn]

If you can stop the other players from bidding over 1NT, I would agree with you.

[han]

LOL

[Cascade]

Double might work.

2♥ is ok too.

No other choices occur to me. I suppose pass is more likely to stop them running so you can collect some hundreds but it is harder for you to get to game from there when that is right.

[the hog]

2♥ for me. Second choice pass at this vul, but that is a long way behind.

There was a very similar hand poased on rgb as a problem and most doubled.

I think X is a very poor bid. If next hand bids something and pd makes a penalty X because she expects you to have your bid are you going to leave it? Probably not. Then if you bid H you overstate the value of the hand.