[AL78]

5 card majors, strong NT, MPs

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Even though I played for the diamond finesse after dropping an honor from RHO, I easily made 11 tricks for a miserable 10.6%. I didn't think my hand was good enough to jump to 3♥ with a useless ♣K and a partner who has said nothing given the opportunity. What should have happened?

[hrothgar]

You might find that a number of folks opened 2♦ in first seat

[AL78]

hrothgar, on 2020-September-13, 16:17, said:

You might find that a number of folks opened 2♦ in first seat

Partner and I play Benji Acol two openings, so that option wasn't available. Funnily enough, she mentioned she had played three weak twos with another partner, and I suggested we could do that as well if she wished.

[heart76]

Difficult to say if I would got to game, but I think I would have X 2C to rebid H afterwards. That for me shows an invitational hand with 6-7 H. A direct 2H is just competing so could be limited to 14-ish total. Partner needs then to re-evaluate his holding with his D that can come in or has some ruffing potential in S, although I would expect a H lead.

[DavidKok]

I agree with heart76's suggestion, and would like to add that if partner bids 2♠ over 2♣ (with a different hand, of course) you can try an ambiguous 3♣. Your spades are strong enough that even a Moysian 4-3 fit at the 3-level might be completely fine if partner has a minimum.

Also I'm not a fan of the NS bidding - the South hand is not worth an overcall with only 5 clubs and a balanced minimum, but if you are going to bid aggressively you should also stretch to raise as North with 4-card support.

[AL78]

heart76, on 2020-September-14, 01:43, said:

Difficult to say if I would got to game, but I think I would have X 2C to rebid H afterwards. That for me shows an invitational hand with 6-7 H. A direct 2H is just competing so could be limited to 14-ish total. Partner needs then to re-evaluate his holding with his D that can come in or has some ruffing potential in S, although I would expect a H lead.

I didn't think my hand was good enough to double then bid my hearts again, especially given partner could have very little. It is six losers, and the ♣K is waste paper, so it is more like 15 HCP.

[sfi]

AL78, on 2020-September-14, 02:30, said:

I didn't think my hand was good enough to double then bid my hearts again, especially given partner could have very little. It is six losers, and the ♣K is waste paper, so it is more like 15 HCP.

You don't even need to have extras to bid this way. Partner may be looking to pass a reopening double for penalties, so you should double with all vaguely suitable hands.

If partner doesn't pass, then you know they have a weak hand. Your correction to 2H is fairly wide-ranging. With stronger hands you can bid 3H after doubling (move the CK into spades, for example).

[doccdl]

If one is playing negative doubles and forced reopening passing 2♣ Is correct.Openers 2♥ Is absolutely correct and shows a 6 loser hand. It is then customary to raise to 3♥.This should be enough for the opener to bid game.

[doccdl]

AL78, on 2020-September-14, 02:30, said:

I didn't think my hand was good enough to double then bid my hearts again, especially given partner could have very little. It is six losers, and the ♣K is waste paper, so it is more like 15 HCP.

Points do not matter since partner has already passed 2♣.It is the number of losers .I totally agree that this is NOT a hand to make a reopening double and then rebid 2♥.That will show 5 (five) losers.
However if your partnership makes a TOD on this hand my advice for you is play Lebensohl.That makes the responders hand much clear.

[msjennifer]

AL78, on 2020-September-13, 15:22, said:

5 card majors, strong NT, MPs

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Even though I played for the diamond finesse after dropping an honor from RHO, I easily made 11 tricks for a miserable 10.6%. I didn't think my hand was good enough to jump to 3♥ with a useless ♣K and a partner who has said nothing given the opportunity. What should have happened?

Sir,
with RHO not raising to 3♣ your hand is an easy 2♥ Six losers ,good 6 card heart suit, reopening bid.We treat a 2♥bid stronger than a mandatory take out double which can be made on much weaker hands.Our partner would bid 3H showing a doubleton supoport and 6-7 useful points and Nine losers. With 10 losers and useless points he will just pass 2♥.

[Huibertus]

I would double 2♣ (and be very happy to defend in case partner passes) and rebid ♥ thereafter. Expecting partner to raise with trump QX and an ace, which I would think should be done after bidding 2♥ as well 2♥ implies a similar hand with no tolerance to defend. Two very valuable cards is too much to pass.

[p_watson]

I don't understand why you wouldn't go to 3♥. !5 pts even if you discount the (probably useless) K♣, a good 6 card ♥ suit and a singleton. But I also don't understand why partner didn't raise 2 ♥ to 3, given a useful looking 7 pts.

[bluenikki]

To me, the main problem was W's pass over 2♣ .

A good offensive hand with tolerance for opener's suit.

Why not double, intending to rebid 3♦ over 2♠? Because it might result in a minus?

This post has been edited by bluenikki: 2020-September-14, 19:34

[AL78]

p_watson, on 2020-September-14, 07:40, said:

I don't understand why you wouldn't go to 3♥. !5 pts even if you discount the (probably useless) K♣, a good 6 card ♥ suit and a singleton. But I also don't understand why partner didn't raise 2 ♥ to 3, given a useful looking 7 pts.

It felt a bit overkill to bid 3♥ opposite a silent partner who could have a useless hand with no more than a singleton heart. I'd want a full 17+ count and a five loser hand to jump bid in this situation.

[nullve]

How about

---

?

[miamijd]

This is a matter of partnership agreement on reopening bids. "Standard expert" in the USA is definitely NOT what GIB plays.

GIB plays that a reopening 2H bid is 15-21 or so. In modern American practice, that is garbage. 2H ought to show (A) 6+ hearts, (B) 11-16 or so (it's a pretty wide-ranging bid, but does NOT show extras), and © a hand that does not want to play 2cX.

X shows a hand with either (A) 1-2 (sometimes a void, if you are 544 in the other suits) of the opponents' suit and unspecified strength or (B) 3+ of the opponents' suit and a rock-crusher.

You have an 18 HCP 3631 hand. Yes, the hand needs to be downgraded for the stiff Kc. But your hand would make a fine dummy in S or D, if that's what partner has. Imagine something like:

Kxxxxx
x
Qx
xxxx

You belong in spades. How are you going to get there if you bid 2H?

Your hand is also very good on defense vs. 2CX if partner passes.

So I would start with a X, despite the sixth heart, because you will "like" whatever partner does. You can pass 2S, raise 3S to game, bid 2H over 2D, raise 3D to 4D, pass 2H, raise 2NT to 3NT, pass 2C, and so on. If you bid 2H, there are a lot of things partner can do that, upon seeing his hand. you won't "like" at all.

Here, partner is probably going to bid 2D. Now you bid 2H. This shows a decent hand (not a rock-crusher, because you're still at the two-level) with (most likely) 6 hearts. I would bid 3H with partner's hand, and you can now raise to 4H.

Cheers,
Mike

[nullve]

miamijd, on 2020-September-14, 11:55, said:

So I would start with a X, despite the sixth heart, because you will "like" whatever partner does. You can pass 2S, raise 3S to game, bid 2H over 2D, raise 3D to 4D, pass 2H, raise 2NT to 3NT, pass 2C, and so on. If you bid 2H, there are a lot of things partner can do that, upon seeing his hand. you won't "like" at all.

Here, partner is probably going to bid 2D. Now you bid 2H. This shows a decent hand (not a rock-crusher, because you're still at the two-level) with (most likely) 6 hearts. I would bid 3H with partner's hand, and you can now raise to 4H.

Unless 2♥ is (delayed) Flannery (aka ELC).