[gwnn]

AJxx
KTx
9xxx
Qx

MP, all vul, you pass in first and it goes

p-1♦-2♣-p
?

I guess it depends on partner's tendencies, what if
a. he almost always has a 6-card suit and opening values?
b. he often has a 5-card suit and/or shady values?

[dwar0123]

My distribution says 2nt.
My diamond stopper says 2♠.

I think I am going to listen to my distribution.

[Codo]

I bid 2 ♦, I have a clear max for my first bid and no clear direction, sounds best.

[mgoetze]

Codo, on 2012-March-29, 03:45, said:

I bid 2 ♦, I have a clear max for my first bid and no clear direction, sounds best.

OK but is it clear that this doesn't show a club raise?

[jdeegan]

El Paso in tempo. Not even close imho. I expect to lose about 5-10% of the time when LHO passes and we have a game at 3NT (where is my diamond stop?) or 5♣ or even 4♠. The only other situations are that LHO passes and we have a club partial (we win!) or when LHO balances (the most likely scenario) in which I love my position, esp. with the opps vul. In my estimation, we will do better than average 2/3 to 3/4 of the time after LHO balances.

The modern use of the negative double has a distinct downside. Take full advantage of it.

On further reflection, I am not sure the benefits of using the negative double after 1♦-2♣ are worth it - at least the way most people play it.

[Codo]

mgoetze, on 2012-March-29, 03:54, said:

OK but is it clear that this doesn't show a club raise?

Partner has a fairly good hand or a fairly good suit- in both cases I do not mind to be in 3 ♣ or more.

[P_Marlowe]

2D.

Lets see, what he overcalled with.

If he bids 3C, he will play it.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[ggwhiz]

I'm passing smoothly and praying for the unlikely balance.

I am much more confident of a sound 2♣ bid at imps but as passed hand at mp's I'll give pard some rope, take a sure plus and hope for the best. Not surprised if it's below average though.

[nigel_k]

mgoetze, on 2012-March-29, 03:54, said:

OK but is it clear that this doesn't show a club raise?

2♦, intending to show a good club raise

This is far too much to pass. I don't play that partner necessarily needs a mountain to overcall vulnerable at the two level, but still I expect 3♣ to usually be pretty safe if there is nothing better.

[mikeh]

I'm a very conservative bidder, but here are some reasons why I would not pass:

1. We could have 9 tops in 3N, and even at mps, the game bonus is useful
2. If we pass, and LHO reopens, and RHO bids 2♥, are we really going to be happy? If we were to then bid, aren't we making the opps' task much simpler than it need be?
3. Our hand is such that we don't rate to get doubled in our final contract very often....it may happen but the odds are against it. If we bid to 3♣ and fail by one, much of the time they will have had 110+ available


But I won't bid 2♠....I think that call is insanely dangerous. It cannot be forcing, since we are a passed hand, and while partner may draw an inference from my failure to open 2♠, that inference will NOT be that we have an indifferent 4 card suit.

Our choices appear to be:

1. a cuebid. The advantages of the cuebid includes that partner may bid 2♠ (which we then raise)

2. 2N: this shows our shape and point count but sometimes the opps actually hold the minor they opened, and it would be awkward if they ran the suit against 3N

3. 3♣. This overstates the club length but is otherwise descriptive enough....and partner can still get us to 4♠ by bidding 3♠ when his hand is strong enough.


I vote for the cuebid because it is easier for partner to bid 2♠ over 2♦ than 3♠ over 3♣...indeed he might not bother to do so over a raise, thinking that we'd cuebid if we had interest in a major.

[gnasher]

2♦. It's completely clear to me that this shows a good club raise.

Obviously I'd like to have another club, but partner did make a vulnerable overcall at the two-level. We could be making game in any of three strains, so I'm not passing.

[MrAce]

2♦ obv.