[Cthulhu D]

Format for both problems: Ximp pairs.

Hand 1:

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[1] Weak Diamonds or Weak Spades or 22+ balanced or something else strong.

RHO is an internationalist, LHO is a good player. Partner rates to have a weak 2D on the bidding. X = penalties at this point.

Edit: If you have a problem with the system, just assume partner has a weak 2D. Pard will always have 6D.


Hand 2:

Two weaker players.

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1D is an unbalanced diamond thing in a 5 card majors, 1C clubs or balanced context. Obviously this is a dead max. Do you bid 6?

[MrAce]

1- I can;t help you on that one, you have to clean the mess you created by your system

2-Tuff decision. Pd is bidding 5♥ when I have AKQx and I am aware he could have FP but I expect him to hold something like 6 or 7 hearts. I mean x Jxxxxx xxx xxx has decent odds in slam. since spade finesse rates to work in this auction. But if he has x JTxxxx Qxxx xx it is awful slam. He is more likely to hold doubleton club though. But he does not have to be as broke as in my constructions. Add K of diamonds or even QJxx ♦ will give you a decent shot.


x JTxxxx Kxxx xx You may survive with spade finesse (or play for Qxx spade)

Q JTxxxx Qxxxx x not good

xx JTxxxx KJxx x not good

x JTxxxx Kxxxx x not bad, dia T can improve if he has it, if not need 2-2.

I maybe overthinking it. But there also hands that he may hold 7 card ♥

[Cthulhu D]

MrAce, on 2015-January-08, 19:49, said:

1- I can;t help you on that one, you have to clean the mess you created by your system

If it helps, it's 100% obvious for system reasons that he has a weak 2D (and if he doesn't, 7NT or 7C is going to make regardless what you do now, sooooo who cares!). What would you do if the bidding had gone 2D-4S-?!

Quote

I maybe overthinking it. But there also hands that he may hold 7 card ♥

We don't play WJS after a 1C opener, so this may also increase the mean heart length for partner (2C and 2D are both diamond hands, and 2H and 2S are shortness showing).

[Jinksy]

1 looks like a WTP 5♦ to me. I don't rate our chances of making 6 - assuming no D losers we'd need to ruff three cards in hand or find P with a working honour elsewhere, but five will have play. Meanwhile 4♠ may well make (and we might bounce them), so I'm not passing or Xing.

2 looked like a WTP til I read MrAce's analysis. I'd still bid 6, since as he says there's no reason P has to be so weak (or P could have longish spades instead of diamonds), but I wouldn't feel great about it. Also I would expect weaker opps to have fewer trumps than normal on this auction, so P rates to have something to ruff.

[rmnka447]

1- Partner can't have the 22+ balanced hand as it would require RHO to be bidding 4 ♠s VUL on a suit headed by only the K or QJ. Slam looks out opposite a weak 2 ♦ hand, so 5 ♦ looks like the limit.

2- When partner bids 5 ♥ missing ♥ AKQ, it seems right to raise.

[helene_t]

5♦ is enough on the first one. P probably has one club or heart loser which we can't park. BTW I am not 100% confident that p has diamonds. RHO could be psyching annd p could have spades. But OK it is unlikely.

On the second one I think 5♥ is the weakest thing p could do unless he want to double (pass would be stronger) but I will try slam anyway.

[iandayre]

helene_t, on 2015-January-09, 14:43, said:

5♦ is enough on the first one. P probably has one club or heart loser which we can't park. BTW I am not 100% confident that p has diamonds. RHO could be psyching annd p could have spades. But OK it is unlikely.

On the second one I think 5♥ is the weakest thing p could do unless he want to double (pass would be stronger) but I will try slam anyway.

I think pass, intending to pass a double, is the weakest thing E could do. Bidding at the 5 level shows enough offense to expect to make it. Still a tough problem, but my guess is to bid 6.

[nige1]

Cthulhu D, on 2015-January-08, 18:34, said:

Format for both problems: Ximp pairs.

Hand 1:
[1] Weak Diamonds or Weak Spades or 22+ balanced or something else strong.

RHO is an internationalist, LHO is a good player. Partner rates to have a weak 2D on the bidding. X = penalties at this point.

Edit: If you have a problem with the system, just assume partner has a weak 2D. Pard will always have 6D.

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Hand 2:

Two weaker players.
1D is an unbalanced diamond thing in a 5 card majors, 1C clubs or balanced context.
Obviously this is a dead max. Do you bid 6?

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IMO

• 5♦ = 10, 6♦ = 8, assuming that 4N is ambiguous.
• 6♥ = 10, Pass = 8.

[Zelandakh]

rmnka447, on 2015-January-09, 13:12, said:

1- Partner can't have the 22+ balanced hand as it would require RHO to be bidding 4 ♠s VUL on a suit headed by only the K or QJ.

You would pass with

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then?

Whatever, this is absolutely a non-problem. It is not even certain that 5♦ will make, let alone talk about 6.

[whereagles]

1. Some guesswork needed, and my guess is 5♦.

2. I usually don't take pushes after preempts, but pard bid 5♥ and I got AKQx in the suit? He must have extra length (6, maybe 7, cards), so the slam is probably good. I'd go for it.

[Cthulhu D]

whereagles, on 2015-January-11, 12:26, said:

1. Some guesswork needed, and my guess is 5♦.

2. I usually don't take pushes after preempts, but pard bid 5♥ and I got AKQx in the suit? He must have extra length (6, maybe 7, cards), so the slam is probably good. I'd go for it.

On the actual hands:

Hand 1: At the table I doubled 4S. 4Sx goes two off, 5D+1 was the most common result. No-one in the field bid slam, though someone engineered 5Cx= by west, I'd love to know how that went down.

My reasoning was 4Sx was a sure plus score, and there was no promise 5D was going to make, but I guess I was being a bit conservative, given RHO was likely looking at a weak hand and thought he was preempting my partner rather than the analogus auction 2D-4S where 4S rates to be constructive.

Hand 2: partner probably should have passed (he has a fairly defensive 8 count with 5H and Qx in clubs), but 6H made on the lead.