[AL78]

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I was North. It may be hard to be objective seeing the full deal but my first bid was made on the assumption of a strong two suiter opposite that we don't have a way of showing with equal length or longer spades (i.e. we play Michaels and Unusual 2NT), and I have a trick, maybe two on a good day when I have shown nothing up to that point. My double was on the basis that there look to be double fits both ways, and the opponents may have trouble establishing tricks in their second fit, and if partner has a singleton, there is a chance of heart to the ace, heart ruff.

Of course due to my lack of judgement when it comes to penalty doubles, 5♣ is cold, or it was until the point where declarer played hearts out of her hand instead of dummy, allowing me to score two heart tricks along with a spade (partner had led the king), so we got a top. 5♦X-1 was the par score.

Was I off with the fairies here?

[DavidKok]

I think that most of the faults here were not yours. With good partnership agreements about how to bid two-suiters and which call means what in competition you can steamroll opponents that bid like East-West seem to be doing. Unfortunately, I think these agreements are missing. At any rate you should not fret about your actions on this board - the double was a bit of a gamble but the rest was fine really. East and South misbid their hands (and West's 3♣ may or may not be the system bid), and most competitive decisions cannot be solved with just 13 cards.

[bluenikki]

AL78, on 2022-August-12, 05:21, said:

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I was North. It may be hard to be objective seeing the full deal but my first bid was made on the assumption of a strong two suiter opposite that we don't have a way of showing with equal length or longer spades (i.e. we play Michaels and Unusual 2NT), and I have a trick, maybe two on a good day when I have shown nothing up to that point. My double was on the basis that there look to be double fits both ways, and the opponents may have trouble establishing tricks in their second fit, and if partner has a singleton, there is a chance of heart to the ace, heart ruff.

Of course due to my lack of judgement when it comes to penalty doubles, 5♣ is cold, or it was until the point where declarer played hearts out of her hand instead of dummy, allowing me to score two heart tricks along with a spade (partner had led the king), so we got a top. 5♦X-1 was the par score.

Was I off with the fairies here?

As to south's initial action:
With a void in opener's suit, strain not to make a simple overcall.

If a 2-suited gadget is unavailable, I would bid 2♦, expecting to bid spades.

As to north's bidding:
The surprise jump preference in spades was a distortion. You do not say so, but I believe you doubled 5C because you feared south's pass was forcing. Otherwise, I don't know where you expected the third defensive trick to come from. (The double *should* have placed the hearts in your hand.)

[apollo1201]

With no offense, seems like an episode of misbid this hand with me😅 but no horrible error around the table. Your bidding was actually the best and you succumbed what we call an « annoyment / upsetting / pissed » X. But at least declarer’s play didn’t upset you too much 🤣

1st E, probably better to consider weak 6m5M (especially with H that can’t be bid over S at the same level) as a 55 and start with 1M, rebidding m twice if offered the chance. Otherwise, the rest of the auction could be tricky…even if here, the bid struck gold finding part with Hxxxx.

As S, given you are 6-5 and have S that can be bid over opp’s or pard’s potential H bids, it is better to start with D (at least your partner didn’t pass like your opps who had a similiar hand over a NT opening) to show shape better.

As W, most people bid 3C as a preempt, but it could be limit if they play it like that.

As N, some more adventurous players might have Xed (trying a red suit in your hand), or bid 3S (forced by the opps, something like 2 and a half S, even if I’d prefer a S honor rather than 3 small). But pass can’t really be criticized.

Then E who is 65 with a void and just learns that his p has a bunch of C passes…whatever the 3C means in their system, there is a strong necessity to try something as it is unlikely the bidding dies here.

The rest of the bidding derives from the fact that you don’t know partner’s shape. Had you known the 65, you’d have proposed 5D knowing that it would be hard to produce 3 tricks against 5C.

[LBengtsson]

I just cannot understand why bridge players use "Canape" overcalls. What is the better suit: spades or diamonds? Just because you have Michaels, Ghestem, or any other two-suited conventional overcall bids available, it does not mean that the hand is right to use them. Imo it is a 1♦ overcall as South 100% of the time: the spade suit can come later (if you can bid later). The KISS (Keep it simple stupid) principle applies here. When partner needs to give preference, what do you prefer? A 6-2 ♦ fit or a 5-2 ♠ fit? length before strength, but here the strength is more in the length, the ♦ suit.

[michel444]

LBengtsson, on 2022-August-13, 12:13, said:

I just cannot understand why bridge players use "Canape" overcalls. What is the better suit: spades or diamonds? Just because you have Michaels, Ghestem, or any other two-suited conventional over call bids available, it does not mean that the hand is right to use them. Imho it is a 1♦ overcall as South 100% of the time: the spade suit can come later (if you can bid later). The KISS (Keep it simple stupid) principle applies here. When partner needs to give preference, what do you prefer? A 6-2 ♦ fit or a 5-2 ♠ fit? length before strength, but here the strength is more in the length, the ♦ suit.

IMHO the weak 2 suit over call is a waste 2NT AS A STRONG 2 suitter of at least 5 cards each with less then 5 loser in the hand so if they bid 3C , double , pass you just bid 3H to show 3 card heart with 1 top honor partner will correct to 3 spade. showing diamond and spade and you should pass .

[mw64ahw]

If you use Michael's and Unusual NT then 3♣ can be used as highest and lowest of unbid suits. (Weak or Strong+)

While this may not prevent opponents from reaching 5♣ it describes your hand well and partner can then make a more informed decision.

In this case, however, I would bid as South did which would show this specific playing strength. Partner then has a decision to make as to 5♦/X or Pass over 5♣

[mikeh]

It can be very difficult, possibly impossible, to become a good player while playing only in a small club with, it seems, no good players.

This hand is yet another of a seemingly unending series of hands where several players made very bad calls.

As others have said, the east hand should open 1H. 1C would be fine (indeed, clearly best) with 5 spades, but with 5 hearts, the auction is very likely to make it impossible or dangerous to ever show hearts.

South, on the other hand, has no such problem. He has an easy 1D bid, knowing that he can bid spades next. With that hand, I’d plan to bid spades next no matter how high the opps may be in hearts (assuming something like 1C 1D 1H P 4H….I’d happily bid 4S).

Spades are called the ‘master suit’ for a reason.

3C strikes me as weird. Few, if any, good players play the jump raise in competition as limit, plus 1N would be popular for many. However, if 3C was, by agreement, an invitational raise, it’s not horrible…if partner can bid 3N, that might well play better from his side if he has positional holdings in both majors.

North has a tough call over 3C. I agree with pass.

East is stuck now….he knows west should not hold 4 hearts (no negative double)….so bidding hearts is futile…it will sound like a good hand rather than five hearts.

South is also stuck to a degree but fortunately for him the opps haven’t bid hearts…having to bid 4D over 3H would be sickening. So he can bid 3D but, of course, partner will never infer longer diamonds than hearts.

North is justified in bidding 4S even though it’s an error to play 3D as showing a strong hand. South is in balancing seat on an auction in which he can and should play north for some values….the opps are content to play in a partial, so won’t have game values (although in this field, who knows?).

Now east bids 5C and south has another chance to do something intelligent, but muffs it again.

North’s 4S, given that he passed over 3C, screams that the 3D bid improved his hand. Either he has 4 spades and short diamonds (say Axxx xxxx x xxxx, though I’d bid 3S with that) or a double fit.

In either case, 5D is clear. If north is 3=4 or 3=5 in the pointed suits he can and should pass, and otherwise correct to 5S.

Pass was silly, reflecting an inability to listen to the auction.

Now for the double. I don’t like it.

Remember, south has NOT shown an opening hand…his 3D was a balance. The opps appear to have extra shape. We couldn’t be sure we were making 4S so we have nothing to protect. I’d pass.

[AL78]

mikeh, on 2022-September-11, 13:51, said:

Now for the double. I don’t like it.

Remember, south has NOT shown an opening hand…his 3D was a balance. The opps appear to have extra shape. We couldn’t be sure we were making 4S so we have nothing to protect. I’d pass.

My reasoning, and I admit I could be completely wrong, is that EW were content to play in a club partscore which means they didn't believe they had a club game on, so why should I disagree? If they happen to make it after that auction it doesn't look like we were getting anything other than a bad score doubled or not.

[michel444]

bluenikki, on 2022-August-12, 08:01, said:

As to south's initial action:
With a void in opener's suit, strain not to make a simple overcall.

If a 2-suited gadget is unavailable, I would bid 2♦, expecting to bid spades.

As to north's bidding:
The surprise jump preference in spades was a distortion. You do not say so, but I believe you doubled 5C because you feared south's pass was forcing. Otherwise, I don't know where you expected the third defensive trick to come from. (The double *should* have placed the hearts in your hand.)

2 suit gadget ?
Michael cue ?
leaping Michael ?
unusual 2NT ?
michel