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Getting better and better A bidding problem
#21
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Posted 2006-March-04, 14:14
4C - Gerber, wtp?
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#22
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Posted 2006-March-04, 15:22
It may make sense, within the narrow context of a hand that is 5=2=4=2 with extras and no ♥ stopper, to use 3♣ to describe the hand.
But you cannot have it both ways: it cannot mean 'either' natural or a probe for 3N. You cannot have it both ways because responder will often have a hand that cannot be bid intelligently, or co-operatively, unless he knows which it is. Thus with the posted hand, he has a strong slam move opposite a natural bid and a 3N opposite the biggish 5=2=4=2 hand.
In my view, the natural hand is both more frequent than the probe and more problematic, should you choose to use 3♣ as the probe.
The probe hand will often survive bidding 2 or 3N directly, since responder will usually hold some ♥ length/strength on this auction: if he has more then 2♠, you get back to ♠, and he can retreat to 3♦ or 3♣ over 2N when in doubt.
The natural hand is unbiddable (as far as I can tell) in any other reasonable way.
As is often the case, we have to recognize that our bridge vocabulary, grammar and syntax prevents us from being able to describe all hands, and we have to make choices: choices dictated by relative frequency and risk/benefit analysis
But you cannot have it both ways: it cannot mean 'either' natural or a probe for 3N. You cannot have it both ways because responder will often have a hand that cannot be bid intelligently, or co-operatively, unless he knows which it is. Thus with the posted hand, he has a strong slam move opposite a natural bid and a 3N opposite the biggish 5=2=4=2 hand.
In my view, the natural hand is both more frequent than the probe and more problematic, should you choose to use 3♣ as the probe.
The probe hand will often survive bidding 2 or 3N directly, since responder will usually hold some ♥ length/strength on this auction: if he has more then 2♠, you get back to ♠, and he can retreat to 3♦ or 3♣ over 2N when in doubt.
The natural hand is unbiddable (as far as I can tell) in any other reasonable way.
As is often the case, we have to recognize that our bridge vocabulary, grammar and syntax prevents us from being able to describe all hands, and we have to make choices: choices dictated by relative frequency and risk/benefit analysis
'one of the great markers of the advance of human kindness is the howls you will hear from the Men of God' Johann Hari
#23
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Posted 2006-March-04, 18:41
I remember having a and almost like this one this summer, I made the stupid 5♦ bid instead of 4♥ missing an easy slam. Won't do it again.