[mr1303]

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2C was Acol style, game forcing opposite a strong NT.

North is fairly new to the game.

What does the hesitation suggest? Scoring is matchpoints, and NS are favourable.

[chrism]

Presumably the pause was longer than the approved skip-bid delay, otherwise there is nothing to discuss.
If there was an unmistakable hesitation by North, it expresses doubt that defending 4♥ undoubled is the best place to play this hand. It therefore suggests that we do something other than passing. Since I can't imagine doing anything other than passing on this hand anyway, I am happy to do so with ethics intact.

I'm less happy about my earlier auction, but that is irrelevant history.

[trevahound]

 mr1303, on 2013-November-21, 12:25, said:

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2C was Acol style, game forcing opposite a strong NT.

North is fairly new to the game.

What does the hesitation suggest? Scoring is matchpoints, and NS are favourable.

I don't believe pass can be a logical alternative here. I would expect my new-ish partner needed a little time to process if this would be a forcing pass or not, and then what he should do once he processed the first question. As I can't imagine passing here even if partner folded up his bid box and put it away, I'm not constrained to pass.

It's less clear to me if double is suggested by the BIT vs. 5♦. I would expect both to be LAs, but is one suggested? I think not, but don't expect that to be unanimous. Double would be my call without the hitch (I've been -990 before), so if he leaves it in I'm leading the Q of spades (not russinow, hoping to help partner find the club shift when it's right).

[ggwhiz]

I can make a case (good or flawed) for pass, double, 4♠ or 5♦ so if you pick the right one you are probably doomed.

I do think I can defend a pass though with 2 probable heart losers and club values over there that should play on defense opposite the 2♣ bid.

A double for those reasons, no spade support and the opps marked with not too much more than 1/2 the deck is defensible (as in not unethical) too but the hesitation definitely indicates that you should act.

The other bids are hail Mary types that put your side at definite risk but I feel that the pass is the only one that is least likely to be challenged if it works. A 4♠ bid caters to a hesitation with 2 spades and can still get you to 5♦ when appropriate so I'm inclined to rule against that one as being too flexible to cater to whatever the hesitation is about.

[Zelandakh]

 trevahound, on 2013-November-21, 13:50, said:

I would expect my new-ish partner needed a little time to process if this would be a forcing pass or not,

You are having a laugh, right? How many players "fairly new to the game" do you know who spend any time at all thinking about forcing passes?

[nige1]

 mr1303, on 2013-November-21, 12:25, said:

2C was Acol style, game forcing opposite a strong NT. North is fairly new to the game. What does the hesitation suggest? Scoring is matchpoints, and NS are favourable.

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IMO Pass, Double, 4♠ and 5♦ are LAs. I don't credit a relative newcomer with firm understanidngs about nebulous forcing-pass contexts. Usually, however, an inexperienced partner's hesitation suggests action, so from among the logical alternatives, you should choose pass, which, Incidentally, is the call you were likely to make without the hesitation.

[mr1303]

Thanks all. I thought partner was thinking of doubling or bidding 4S. I chose 5D which was not a success, as partner held:

Xxx
K
109xx
AQJxx

Pass leads to +50, double +100, 4S -50 and 5D -300 (as they double you in 5S when partner corrects).