[fourdad]

Why not just ask what 2H means before bidding anything??

[Zelandakh]

fourdad, on 2016-February-18, 08:53, said:

Why not just ask what 2H means before bidding anything??

As in "How many hearts does that promise?" To which the traditional answer is "Not as many as you are holding, obviously."

[zillahandp]

Most likely answer as zelandakh says, east has d fit and is trying to psyche us out. i saw Paul hackett do this years ago with 8 clubs and singles in both majors, he opened 4hts and when x came round he bid 3s then after next x bid his clubs and played ibn 4c x. There is a possibility p has dbld when he should/could have bid 2nts. Bur without a parnership agreement we are all guessing. Hence believe p not opps if in doubt.

[zillahandp]

And fourdad, cos lho will say it shows hearts, now what?

[kenberg]

fourdad, on 2016-February-18, 08:53, said:

Why not just ask what 2H means before bidding anything??

Absolutely not! This would indeed expose the psych, but I think that the opponents would have a fine case for objecting. I read once of a case where this happened. Dealer opened 1S, the next player looked at his own spade suit and asked his left hand opponent for the meaning of the 1S bid. In short, No.

I said it was a friendly game and I didn't really mind about lho's ?????, but I don't do that.

[GrahamJson]

No point in asking what 2H means. If it isn't natural it should be alerted. It's obvious that E is jesting and doesn't have hearts, possibly not spades either (although he did in practice).

Having said that, it is still a tricky problem. However 4H looks like the practical bid, which p should clearly not pass with his powerhouse.

I don't like W's 3D bid. His opening 2D showed his hand exactly so he should leave things to E. The only reason to bid again is to support or give preference, not to repeat his suit. On the actual hand it is probably reasonable for him not to give preference to hearts on the basis that the psyche had been exposed, although I can imagine an appeals committee debating this if N/S were to claim a foul (obviously not a possibility in a casual BBO game).

[miamijd]

Zelandakh, on 2016-February-18, 08:38, said:

So you reject the possibility that Doubler has a big balanced hand or a GOSH? As I wrote above, for me the BBH is the most likely one in this auction and in that case holding 2 hearts is quite possible.

Doubler could have a 19-20 balanced hand, but in that case 4h is apt to be the right spot, even with a 5-0 break. With the hand doubler hand, he shouldn't pass 2hX, because the auction is likely to get very high very fast. The 2h bid is likely a psyche, and the psycher almost certainly has an escape (diamond support). So the next bid from responder is apt to be 4d, which is not what the doubler's side wants to hear. Doubler probably ought to bid 3d at this point rather than pass.

Cheers,
Mike

[miamijd]

fourdad, on 2016-February-18, 08:53, said:

Why not just ask what 2H means before bidding anything??

And when you get the answer "shows hearts," how does that help you?

[PhilG007]

kenberg, on 2016-February-15, 20:29, said:

12 board tourney, imps

---

And now? Or how about earlier?

2D was a weak 2 bid. This was board 8 of a 12 board tourney, we have never played together before. EW are not a regular partnership.

Yet another example of the dangers of using fancy gadgets in a casual partnership. I will never play complicated
systems or conventions with an unknown partner. They are just a recipe for disaster. The only safe system for
strange partnerships is K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid)

[1eyedjack]

Which is the fancy gadget to which you refer? The takeout X of 2D, or the penalty X of 2H?

[kenberg]

1eyedjack, on 2016-February-18, 14:33, said:

Which is the fancy gadget to which you refer? The takeout X of 2D, or the penalty X of 2H?

Maybe the idiotic pass by me of 3DX!

[PhilG007]

1eyedjack, on 2016-February-18, 14:33, said:

Which is the fancy gadget to which you refer? The takeout X of 2D, or the penalty X of 2H?

North's bidding is ambiguous. His first double was for takeout showing a diamond shortage,
his second double is obviously for penalties. But he denied diamond length with his
double on the first round. How can he double for penalties without trump length?

[Zelandakh]

PhilG007, on 2016-February-18, 16:16, said:

North's bidding is ambiguous. His first double was for takeout showing a diamond shortage,
his second double is obviously for penalties. But he denied diamond length with his
double on the first round. How can he double for penalties without trump length?

Before we go further, tell us what your call would be as North with a hand too strong for a 2NT overcall.

[kenberg]

PhilG007, on 2016-February-18, 16:16, said:

North's bidding is ambiguous. His first double was for takeout showing a diamond shortage,
his second double is obviously for penalties. But he denied diamond length with his
double on the first round. How can he double for penalties without trump length?

I think a reasonable interpretation of N's second double is "I have more than I have shown so far but I am not sure what is best". That strikes me as passing the KISS test. He has three hearts and however many hearts he thinks my double of 2H shows, he does not expect me to pass with six hearts. If I, over his double of 3D, bid 4H as I really believe I should have, then he has to decide what to do about having still more than he has so far shown with his first and second double. . Maybe he gets it right after my 4H, maybe not, but I think his second double is perfectly fine in a pick-up.

I have played pick-ups where I encounter the 'What on Eart is that" double. I don't think this was one.

[wank]

fourdad, on 2016-February-18, 08:53, said:

Why not just ask what 2H means before bidding anything??

lol you do undeerstand that east bid 2 hearts to show hearts, right?

[eagles123]

wank, on 2016-February-19, 05:19, said:

lol you do undeerstand that east bid 2 hearts to show hearts, right?

Probably best to ask what 2 hearts means and when you get the reply natural ask if it can be psyched, tank for a bit and then bid hearts. Should get the job done.

[kenberg]

eagles123, on 2016-February-20, 06:20, said:

Probably best to ask what 2 hearts means and when you get the reply natural ask if it can be psyched, tank for a bit and then bid hearts. Should get the job done.

Yes, that's the ticket!