[CSGibson]

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Favorable vul, teams, you are playing against a very strong team from Texas (Hemant Lall on your right, Ira Chorush on your left). If it matters, the match situation is that you are in the 2nd quarter, late, no obvious pick-ups or losses at your table, down 34 to start the quarter. Do you bid again? Either way, does state of the match influence you, or is it something else?

[ArtK78]

Pass. You are aiming at a very small target. You are right to bid 5♠ when:

1) They make 11 or more tricks in hearts.
2) You go down for less than the value of their game.
3) If they make more than 11 tricks, they don't bid slam over your 5♠ bid.
4) They do bid again over your 5♠ call but they go down.

And, even when all of the first three are correct, if you go for -500 against their +650 you only gain 4 IMPs.

You pushed them to 5♥. Let them play it there.

[keylime]

Temptation is to try for a swing, but for all you know, your teammates could be having a flyer over there at the other table. Pass calmly, you've shoved them into 5 which might be set.

[mfa1010]

I would pass also. 3-3 minors is very flat. We will have a lot of losers there or alternatively perhaps 3 tricks against 5♥ if partner has cover cards.
State of match is irrelevant. This board is swingy already so there is no need not just to follow ones best judgement.

[akhare]

The 6th spade is tempting, but couldn't pard have bid 1♠ at these colors with AQJT?

So pass in tempo, hoping that they either go down or make +1 (with your team mates bidding 6♥).

[inquiry]

I am with the passers.

The danger of going down too many in 5♠ is not a concern. Surely you have an 11 (or more) fit in spades, so at these colors, I am not overly concerned about 5♠x.

The real problem with 5♠'s, is that it gives West a chance to make a forcing pass, which might be all the encouragement East needs to bid a cold slam. If you pass, West has to decide on his own if he has enough to go on over 5♥.

As a side issue, if I was going to bid 5♠, I should have done so on the last round, not this one.

[gszes]

bid 5s previous round with what appears to be close to a zero defense
pair of hands for your side. Having failed to do that I would pass
this round since bidding 5s now will only make it easier for the opps
top judge exactly how high they want to go.

[aguahombre]

 inquiry, on 2012-July-12, 14:11, said:

As a side issue, if I was going to bid 5♠, I should have done so on the last round, not this one.

Not a side issue, it is THE issue. You already decided how much you wanted to push; now you live with it.

[kwic]

 inquiry, on 2012-July-12, 14:11, said:

I am with the passers.

The danger of going down too many in 5♠ is not a concern. Surely you have an 11 (or more) fit in spades, so at these colors, I am not overly concerned about 5♠x.

The real problem with 5♠'s, is that it gives West a chance to make a forcing pass, which might be all the encouragement East needs to bid a cold slam. If you pass, West has to decide on his own if he has enough to go on over 5♥.

As a side issue, if I was going to bid 5♠, I should have done so on the last round, not this one.

+1 to all what has been said.

[yin970902]

I will pass quickly.Let them play 5♥ is a good idea than play 6♥ or defense our 5♠double.

[SteveMoe]

This is more about partnership discipline than opportunistic bidding. Aguahombre got it right.

[dake50]

Wha-a-at? Y'all fear 6H when 5H bid had 4N,5C,5D
to try for 6H???
This is a simple 5S-X nv compare to 5H VUL.
5S cheap, bid it.

[MrAce]

 aguahombre, on 2012-July-12, 15:21, said:

Not a side issue, it is THE issue. You already decided how much you wanted to push; now you live with it.

I would pass with the given hand but i totally disagree with aguaman's logic.

There are a lot of hands which we think it worths to compete to 5 level, but we all bid 4 anyway. Because 4♠ is enough for game bonus, and because there is a very good chance we can play it there( admitted by a lot of good players in forums in past topics that 4♠ preempts usually ends up by being doubled). And because jumping to 5 level with the intention of disabling them to RKCB and expected gain from this is way too overrated for various reasons imo. It is the sort of action that we frequently see in BBO games, not in the spingold , vandy or EC vugraph matches.

[mfa1010]

Jumping directly to 5♠ would be pretty insane.

[wank]

would pass now, but obviously not for aquahombre's reasons.

[aguahombre]

 MrAce, on 2012-July-13, 03:31, said:

I would pass with the given hand but i totally disagree with aguaman's logic.

There are a lot of hands which we think it worths to compete to 5 level, but we all bid 4 anyway. Because 4♠ is enough for game bonus, and because there is a very good chance we can play it there.

Interesting. Your observation about "a lot of hands" is quite correct for a lot of hands where we are the ones with the power. We stop at game, but are willing to be pushed a level higher. It just doesn't seem to apply in the given situation where we both agree to pass now; my "logic" applies to the thread and to the given hand, not to some other scenario.

[MrAce]

 aguahombre, on 2012-July-13, 09:05, said:

Interesting. Your observation about "a lot of hands" is quite correct for a lot of hands where we are the ones with the power. We stop at game, but are willing to be pushed a level higher. It just doesn't seem to apply in the given situation where we both agree to pass now; my "logic" applies to the thread and to the given hand, not to some other scenario.

No , it is almost always correct when WE have the spades and THEY have the hearts. The way you suggest is totally giving up the advantage of holding spades. When we have the spades and decided that we can compete to 5 level, we still bid 4 spades. You are underestimating the frequency of 4♠ contracts being doubled when they have 5 or more level contracts available in hearts. (or in another suit for that matter)

Bidding 4 spades is also used strategically with various hands. No need for bidding 5♠ and broadcasting that you are totally into preempt, it usually backfires.

Also dont forget, when you bid 5♠ you are making a decision all by yourself, how do you know that your pd will not dbl them at 5 level when LHO bids 5 ♥ ? I am not saying this strategy never works, but imo it is being abused a lot and it doesnt mean when we preempt to 4 spade we should never bid 5 spade over 5♥ just because we failed to do so in previous round. I just disagree that all hands that will bid 5♠ over 5♥ for save purposes should have done it immediately.

[Fluffy]

I might bid if partner passed around to me, but with partner still to act I will gladly pass this time

[phil_20686]

When you bid 5S you have to think you are moderately likely to make it.
AKxxxx
-
KQxx
xxx

or something. Obviously it could be a huge loser with a hand like this, but it could also force them into a slam with no play. The given hand, if they bid over 5S they are surely doing the right thing. Passing over 2S and then bidding 4S is a good effort vs weak players.

[JLOGIC]

I am starting to sound like a broken record, but to let the "state of the match" influence you would just be absolutely ridiculous. You are down by less than an imp a board, with a lot of boards to be played. On top of that, you have no idea what will happen on this board at the other table anyways, if the auction would be the same, and what they would do if so. Just try to make the best decision you can make in this spot.