[nige1]

In a match-pointed pairs event, I judge these five bidding decisions to be close but I made bad choices. Also included is a trick-one play-decision because I can't be bothered to put it into a separate topic. Here are the full deals...
1. At match-pointed pairs, what do you open. Pass, 1♦, 2♦, 3♦, 4♦ or 5♦?

I opened 3♦ (for reasons that Jlogic refutes). Passed out and made 12 tricks. We missed 4♠ but opponents can make 5♥.

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2. 2♦ = inverted. 2♠ = stop-showing. At match-pointed pairs, what is your call: Pass, 3N, 4♦, 4♠, 5♦?

Like most here, I bid 3N which made 12 tricks when defenders failed to lead a ♥. But I prefer Zelandakh's immediate 3♥ (instead of my 2♠).

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3. At match-pointed pairs, what do you call in the protective position when opener's 1♥ is passed round to you? Pass, double, 1♠ or 1N?
If you elect to bid 1♠ and RHO bids 2♥, do you take any further action?

I protected with 1♠ and passed thereafter. We missed a game.

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4. At match-pointed pairs, what is your call? Pass, double, 2♥ or 2♠ (which shows 5+ ♠ & 4 + minor).

I tried out our new gadget but pass would have worked much better.

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5. At match-pointed pairs, you are West, declarer in your brave 1N overcall and North leads ♥4. Your play from dummy?

IMO this is close. When LHO has led from ♥AK... (as here) then ♥Q wins. The 9 would have worked better If LHO had led from ♥AJxxxx or ♥ KJxxxx or ♥ JTx... or ♥AJTx... or ♥KJTx...

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6. Added as an afterthought. At match-points,
(a) What would you have called over partner's 2♠? Pass, 3♣, 3♠, 4♠?
(b) Assuming that you pass 2♠ what do you do when opponents protect with 3♣? Pass, Double, 3♦, 3♠, 4♠?

I passed but then competed with 3♠, going one down when 3♣ was hopeless for opponents.

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This post has been edited by nige1: 2011-November-06, 09:58

[mikestar13]

1) 4♦. 5♦ is a bit rich for my blood at these colors. OTOH, 3♦ with seven sure tricks and no defense apart from the dubious ♦A just doesn't cut it.

2) Depends on the meaning of partner's pass. In my partnerships, it would deny a heart stopper--and a partial heart stop would be shown by following up with 3♥ rather than 3♠. So no trump is out--♥Q10 won't stop the suit and there is a fine chance they will lead hearts. Partner has a good 4 card spade suit, looking for 4♠ if you have suitable 3 card support (you can't have 4 or more spades on this auction). So I will chance 4♠. With two fast heart losers, 5♦ is out of the question--partner would need a perfecto, and if he does have it, 4♠ may also make and outscore it. 4♦ might be the safe choice, but with this much strength, go for the game bonus.

3) Agree with 1♠ although it is on the strong side in the passout seat. Maybe better to double planning a spade rebid if your minimum balance is weak enough. On the actual auction, I will pass 2♥. A sixth spade or a fourth club would lead to a different decision with this strength.

4) I try 2♠--shows what you have, I don't think your hand is quite good enough for a penalty double.

5) You guess is a good a mine.

[sasioc]

1) 4♦. I do not seriously consider any other call.
2) 3NT because I want to right-side it (have overcaller on lead, potentially having to guess which of his suits to play, possibly leading up to my QT) and I want to show p something in each of oppo's suits. Without any agreement about what 3♠ meant I would probably think partner was angling for me to bid 3NT. I hate 5♦ but if I am not bidding 3NT may bid 4. I'm not sure how I feel about 4S because I don't really know what partner has shown here. I'm reasonably suitable for playing in a 4-3 fit, although I have wastage in oppo's suits. I don't think a pick-up partner can be assumed to have denied a half-stop or even a full stop in H, and oppo might have to guess to start with a high heart lead anyway (where neither a H nor a top one was clear).
3) I think my choice is between 1NT and 1♠ and don't feel massively strongly about which one is better, although prefer 1NT. Make my spades a bit better or my doubleton xx and I might change my mind. I hate pass and double. If I bid 1♠ and the auction continues as you have shown, I pass.
4) 2♥ is out of the question and I am unlikely to pass. My feeling is that if I won't bid 2♠ showing spades and a minor on this, there's no point playing it as that because I'll never bid it. My feelings about double depend on your opening style but at this vulnerability I certainly prefer 2♠.
5) I'll try a low heart from dummy because I believe North is more likely to hold JTxxx than AKxxx (doesn't have to be 5 cards but seems likely) and there are other layouts where a low card gains but Q is only right with AK with North. I think North is less likely to hold AKxxx because he did not bid over 1NT with known tolerance for partner's spades and did not double (although xx AKxxx and some minor cards is certainly not a double, he can't have a lot else in his hand if those are his majors). Low also gains against AJTxx (KJTxx seems unlikely as he would have led the J). There is also some chance that, holding AKxxx, North would have led the A (especially with one of the J or T).

Sorry I haven't given numbers out of ten for my answers; I'm a bit tired for that!

[JLOGIC]

4D, 3N, pass, pass, are all completely normal to me.

People worry way too much about "but what if we belong in 3N!" on hands like hand 1 imo, just bid your hand. If they don't make anything and 3N makes but no other game makes, oh well, 3D does not show a hand with this many tricks and does not preempt them as much as you should with this hand.

[Yu18772]

1) 4♦ - it show 8 diamonds and thats what I have
4♦ - 10, 5♦ -6, 3♦- 5, 1♦ - 0, 2♦- -10
2) 3NT (partner will know that I dont have a full stopper in hearts - if he pools it out, I will suggest 4♠ in 4-3 fit)
3NT- 10, 4♠ - 8, 4♦ - 5, 5♦ - 3
3) I would bid 1NT, because there is no rebid for that hand. If I overcalled 1♠, now I bid pass, hope partner can balance with 2s.
1NT-10, 1♠-8
4) pass (2♠ is tempting, but 8 points and 2 small hearts in red)
Pass-10, 2♠ - 7, 2♥ - 3, Dbl (penalty)- 0
5) Probably small, but its a guess - and I am really bad at guessing

[nige1]

Thank you for your replies, so far. I've taken the liberty to add a sixth problem to my original post, in the hope that you will judge that too. In any case, FWIW, I will post the successful actions in a day or two.

[TWO4BRIDGE]

Problem # 2 :

Partner ( East ) may have Ht-stop(s) but would he show it with a 2NT bid ( over 2H ) w/o Cl-stops ?

You, on the other hand with Cl-stops, could have "asked" for a Ht-stop with 3H! over North's 2H .

[Yu18772]

6). a) I am not sure I pass 2♠ - partner red vs white forced to 3 level opposite twice passed hand, so he must have a very very very good hand, with 4 spades and long diamonds (assuming with 5+ spades he would bid some kind of 2 suiter bid?). My Q♦ is worth gold.....so overall 3♠-10, Pass-8, 4♠-6, 3♣-3
b) If I passed 2♠, and RHO passed 3♣ - now I would guess partner is 4:3:6:0? (4:3:5:1 partner would double 1♣) - I would bid 4♠

[Zelandakh]

1. 4D
2. I would like to know what partner's pass and 3S bids show. What would 3H instead of 3S have been?
3. Pass. What extra shape have I got here?
4. Pass would be normal playing standard. Since you have the 2S gadget available then use it if this hand qualifies in terms of strength. Since you did not tell us what strength the bid shows it is impossible for us to know if this hand qualifies.
5. Opening leader will not have JT (why lead the suit from JT-drop?) but could have AK. Probably the most likely helpful split is Hh bare with Opener though.
6. I am being a cowardly passer. Partner will only have 4 spades, everything seems to be sitting badly and opps are highly likely to MP double us.

[nige1]

I've edited the original post, to include the full deals and results, rather than append a slow-loading reply.Thank you again for your comments.

[ggwhiz]

The one that strikes me is #3. Was partner sleeping or in a coma?

I would have bid 2♣ direcly over 1♠, heard 2nt from pard next and carried on to 3nt since this is within our range as a max. 1♠ balance.

We may well go down but it's a worthwhile effort and a club partscore is far superior.

[phil_20686]

1) 4D seems normal
2) Am torn between 3N and 4d, though really it depends a lot on subtle agreements about how you bid certain hand types.
3) Pass now is completely normal. Partners pass is totally absurd. He seems to have a fine 8-11NT or a reasonable 2C bid as a passed hand.
4) I cannot imagine bidding with such poor intermedeataries in the spade suit. Also, your gadget seems useless - is partner reall meant to pull a 5-1 fitt to the 3 level with a 1543 hand into a 43 fit? Just seems implausible, and you are giving up on having a bid with long spades it seems.
5) They would lead the J from KJT, AJT etc, assuming no low leads from AKxx, the layouts where you can win are AKxxx * 2 and JTxx(x) * 4, In practice people dont like to lead from JTxx, especially if there is anything else attractive. Since here north has at leat two spades he must like his heart suit. So play the Q. Since they appear to play 4th best north should not have 6, and would not likely be passing 1N with 6.
6) Your should bid 3S over 2S, partners 2S bid seems poor - it should show an offensive hand, 6-5 likely. Partner should dble for t/o with these 5-4 hands.