[jvage]

I missed on both these similar problems that surprisingly came in the same round, hopefully you will do better. It's matchpoints, weak opponents and strong partner (junior international). You have little relevant agreements (I could have opened a weak 2♠ on the first and bid 2NT as gameinvitational+ with spadesupport on the second) apart from a simple 2/1 structure. I was not overly happy about my initial bids on either hand, feel free to comment if you find any of them too bad.

1. You are dealer at unfavourable:
T7xxxx
-
KJ9x
KQx

P P 1♦ 2♥ (weak)
2♠ 3♥ 3♠ 4♥
4♠ 5♥ D P
?

2. Third hand, all vul
K87xx
Qx
KQ
T8xx

1♠ D 4♠ P
P 5♥ ?

[Fluffy]

I set for 5♥ X on both, with not much confidence in second, I would had liked to make a balanced raise rather than a 4♠ jump.


EDIT: I took a deeper look at second hand and I have nothing for a double, I would just pass.

[ASkolnick]

On 1, sit for the double, I am not sure what the problem is. Most likely the spade cards are under your partner, and it is likely he has a heart trick, plus you have some minor suit help. The fact your spades are so bad is a plus, not a minus. I think a negative double may have been better.

On 2, I don't like 4S. You have a balanced 10 count with KQ tight of a suit. This hand will be more like a limit raise. I double since I sort of have to catch up since partner will never play me for tricks in any suit and this is clearly not a forcing pass situation.

[Cascade]

I pass on both hands.

1. We appear to have wasted stuff in hearts in partner's hand and if he really has diamonds and spades and hearts then our club honours could be wasted on offense. There is a problem with the double fit in spades and diamonds but with any hand consistent with this bidding he should not be doubling with useful cards for 5♠. This is even more clear if you play a forcing pass on this auction. Kantar would on the 'sound of the bidding' - neither opponent wanted to bid game to make and now they are at the five-level. Now double says clearly I have solid defense.

2. Here I think we have done badly to raise to 4♠ immediately. Partner will never know that we have this hand rather than some near yarborough with five spades and more distribution. We don't have the distribution to bid on nor the defensive tricks to double. Our leap to 4♠ could not create a forcing pass.

[Cascade]

Jlall, on Mar 1 2008, 09:45 AM, said:

I like your 4S bid a lot, and think it's very likely you pushed RHO into a contract he can't make when you couldn't make 4S. If you had bid 2N you might well let RHO get a 4H bid in.

That's all very well but partner has no idea what you are doing and we have no idea what is right now.

Unless the opponents have committed an indescretion by bidding 5♥ and would have bought 4♥ we cannot get the most out of the hand - save some freak that partner can still act on and be right.

That seems a small target to me.

[oldman5757]

Hand one is a definite pass. You've pushed them to the 5 level, and it's not at all certain that you even have game your way, as P in 3d seat couldn't cue bid ♥, or jump to 4 ♠. That suggests wasted ♥ values in a ♠ contract, but priceless on defense. You also have good defensive cards. Easy call, I think.

Hand two is much tougher. I really don't like the 4♠ call, which misstates your defensive values, and your shape. I'd have bid 2NT, limit. Now that you've pushed them to 5♥, I think you have to live with it, and hope you've gotten lucky. You certainly can't double with your 1 defensive trick, so just pass in tempo and hope P can guess what to do.

[655321]

(1) Pass WTP - partner could only raise to 3♠ and doubled 5♥.

(2) Pass. I would have bid 2NT instead, but this is OK too. But now you cannot bid 5♠ because that is crazy, you cannot double because you have no defense, so Pass is all that is left. It is true you have a couple more points than partner might expect, but you are not wildly over expectation, and anyway that is the (reasonable) choice you made when deciding on 4♠ instead of 2NT.

[whereagles]

agree with justin

[pclayton]

1. Pass. 5♠ is catering for HH in spades, the AD and a heart trick. It's possible but unlikely.

2. Don't like 4♠, and I prefer 3N if that's available. I pass now, but it's obvious that either double or 5♠ is a better result.

[jvage]

I expected at least some to make the same mistakes I did, but all posters did better than me on both hands! At least that means I should learn something from the responses.

One reason I found these problems interesting was that the "law" of total tricks failed miserably. The total number of trumps is identical, on both we got 10 spades and they got 11 (!) hearts. On both there is a double fit, some wastage in the opponents suits and some voids, yet the number of total tricks is very different (18 and 22).

On the first hand I dreamt about the minimum that made 5♠ near-laydown (say KQJ, xxx, AQxxx, xx, both 5♥ and 5♠ may make). Yes, partner has doubled, but he doesn't know about my sixth spade, heart-void and double-fit for diamonds. I bid 5♠, which actually had decent play (partner had KJxx, Kx, AQxx, xxx), but both spadehonours were behind and I went 1 off while 5♥ would go 3 down (both opponents are limited, there are few clues about who holds the missing spades).

On the second I tried to catch up with a double, to show a (balanced?) maximum for my 4♠. Partner had AQxxx, -, T8xx, KJxx and understandably passed when both 5♥ and 5♠ was making

[FrancesHinden]

On the first hand, partner already knows about a fair chunk of the heart void and double fit: you passed in first seat, and then bid game when partner raised spades. You must have something that has been vastly improved by the auction. I really hate pulling partner's double here.

The second one is harder, though I think you have to pass 5H smoothly.

[nige1]

jvage, on Feb 29 2008, 08:35 AM, said:

I missed on both these similar problems that surprisingly came in the same round, hopefully you will do better. It's matchpoints, weak opponents and strong partner (junior international). You have little relevant agreements (I could have opened a weak 2♠ on the first and bid 2NT as gameinvitational+ with spadesupport on the second) apart from a simple 2/1 structure. I was not overly happy about my initial bids on either hand, feel free to comment if you find any of them too bad.

Scoring: PAIRS

HAND ONE
_P (_P) 1♦ (2♥) (weak)
2♠ (3♥) 3♠ (4♥)
4♠ (5♥) _X (_P)
??

---

Scoring: PAIRS

HAND ONE
_P (_P) 1♦ (2♥) (weak)
2♠ (3♥) 3♠ (4♥)
4♠ (5♥) _X (_P)
??

---

The five level belongs to *me*
1. IMO 5♠ = 10, _P = 8.
I can't see past the double fit and the heart void
2. IMO _P = 10, _X = 9, 5♠ = 5
More difficult to justify bidding 5 even though partner would have to play it