[jvage]

I found this hand interesting, even more so after observing that 4 good players handled it in 4 different ways. Playing Matchpoints with noone vulnerable your hand as dealer is:
KQJ42
A5
97
KQJ4

You play a 15-17NT and 2/1. If it matters, in the Norwegian 2/1 style 1♠ - 1NT is nonforcing (all 3+raises are shown with other bids) and 1♠-1NT, 2♣ (which is natural, no Gazilli or similar) can be bid with a quite strong hand (3♣ would be 55 and GF). You can expect partner to bid sensibly (he happens to be a U28 World Champion ).

What is your bidding plan? I hope it does not influence your earlier decisions if I tell you that there will be no opposing bidding and that if you open 1♠ (I saw one 1NT-opener) partner responds 1NT (up to 12 bad HP, denying 3+ spades). If you then rebid 2♣ partner will respond 2♠.

John

[qwery_hi]

1S-1N-2C-2S-3S

[Codo]

1 ♠ 1 NT 2 ♣ looks easy enough for me, we are allowed to hold a good hand for our bids- sometimes.

After 2 ♠ I would surely pass in my normal 2/1 context, because this denies extras. I would expect partner to bid stronger with 10+ HCps. Yes this hand looks great IF we have a fit. Give Partner two aces and game isvery likely. But why should he hold a good hand and why should we have a kind of fit somewhere?

If 2 Spade is a kind of catch all with all hands with two spades, I would change my system asap and bid 2 NT for now.

[hanp]

2S is fairly wide ranging and to pass or bid 2NT is a close decision imo. I would bid 2NT. Anybody up for bart?

[ArtK78]

qwery_hi, on Aug 20 2010, 06:48 AM, said:

1S-1N-2C-2S-3S

Agree. Second choice is pass 2♠.

[helene_t]

I would try 2NT after p's (false) preference bid. 16 HCPs is a minimum but this hand is a good dummy in notrumps.

[hanp]

I don't understand 3S over 2S. Seems like NT from partner's side will often be good, why pretend we have 6 spades?

[Free]

1♠ - 1NT
2♣ - 2♠
2NT - ...
Seems like a normal start given the conditions (no Gazzilli ). It gets our 5-4 and our strength in the picture.

If partner doesn't support ♠ I think I'll pass unless he shows some invite. Don't know...

[junyi_zhu]

jvage, on Aug 20 2010, 11:44 AM, said:

I found this hand interesting, even more so after observing that 4 good players handled it in 4 different ways. Playing Matchpoints with noone vulnerable your hand as dealer is:
KQJ42
A5
97
KQJ4

You play a 15-17NT and 2/1. If it matters, in the Norwegian 2/1 style 1♠ - 1NT is nonforcing (all 3+raises are shown with other bids) and 1♠-1NT, 2♣ (which is natural, no Gazilli or similar) can be bid with a quite strong hand (3♣ would be 55 and GF). You can expect partner to bid sensibly (he happens to be a U28 World Champion ).

What is your bidding plan? I hope it does not influence your earlier decisions if I tell you that there will be no opposing bidding and that if you open 1♠ (I saw one 1NT-opener) partner responds 1NT (up to 12 bad HP, denying 3+ spades). If you then rebid 2♣ partner will respond 2♠.

John

seems a normal 2NT bid, although you may play well in 4S very often. the nature of your hand often means that you need to drive out one or two opps' aces to set up tricks, in which case, 4S is often better when partner is short in D or H. In that sense, 3S also has some merits. Pass seems too chicken even in MP.

[hanp]

Partner short in diamonds or hearts?

[mikeh]

looks like a borderline 1♠/2♣/2N sequence to me...I don't like having minimum hcp and only 1 Ace but we aren't forced to game yet, and there are way too many hands he could have here where game is cold.

As others have mentioned, this hand might have been easier with bart....in the variations I play 2♠ showed 8-10 and now 2N is clearly best.

[Phil]

Agree with 2♣--> 2N. In a style most here are familiar with I think we imply 5224 (maybe 5(31)4) (since we didn't open 1N), so partner may have an escape valve in 3♣ if necessary.

[bill1157]

How did the 1NT opener work out?

Bill

[Cascade]

I am not bidding 3♠.

Pass or 2NT for me. I think it is close.

[nigel_k]

I'd pass 2♠ and would also prefer to be using Bart.

[P_Marlowe]

1S - 1NT
2C - 2S

seems a good start, now I would pass.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[jvage]

Thanks to those who have replied so far

I agree with those who thinks some artificial methods (like bart or Gazzilli) would make this problem easier. On the other hand, the methods (or lack of methods) are used by several recent World Champions, and should not be unplayable (I have played with Gazzilli in this position in other partnerships).

I was a bit surprised that only one poster mentioned the form of scoring, for me this is the deciding factor. I would invite at IMP's (with 2NT) and settle for a partscore and hopefully a plus at Matchpoints (as mentioned in the OP this was what we played). This could also be a factor when deciding on partscore (spades or NT), it seems those posters who have written about possible denominations discusses mostly which game is most likely, not the chances of the same number of tricks in a NT or a spade partscore. This may also be an argument for settling for a partscore, since even if game is making some may go down in the wrong game, still giving us some MP's for staying low.

Partners actual hand is not so important, but in practice he held:
xx
Kxxx
A8xxx
xx

Not the worst hand he could have, but he would still probably pass 2NT/3sp or a 1NT opening. In practice there were only 7 tricks in NT and 8 or 9 (most defenders failed and gave declarer 9). 1NT= was worth exactly average. If I remember correctly dealers RHO had AT8x, QJT8, Kxx, Tx and LHO had 9x, 9xx, QJTx, A98x (playing in spades 9 trick comes in if declarer can ruff a club overruffed with an original trumptrick without letting RHO score a second clubruff/overruff).

John

[bluecalm]

For passers:
Isn't it possible for responder to hold 9, bad 10hcp ?
Like :

Ax
Kxxx
Kxxx
xxx

?

I don't play wide range openers without Gazilli so my feel for this sequence is probably not to good but it would suck to bid 2NT with above hand so I think passing is not reasonable choice with OP hand.

[nigel_k]

bluecalm, on Aug 22 2010, 11:54 AM, said:

For passers:
Isn't it possible for responder to hold 9, bad 10hcp ?
Like :

Ax
Kxxx
Kxxx
xxx

?

I don't play wide range openers without Gazilli so my feel for this sequence is probably not to good but it would suck to bid 2NT with above hand so I think passing is not reasonable choice with OP hand.

Sometimes you miss a good game when partner has a perfect maximum. Partner can have 5-10 HCP which is a very wide range so you can't be right every time and the question is what is the correct percentage action.

On your actual example I would probably try 2NT with responder but I agree it's not attractive and there will be other 9-10 HCP hands where you do miss a good game sometimes. Though with no fit there will also be 9-10 HCP responding hands where you stay out of a poor game.