[kcostell]

♠A93
♥AKT972
♦AT
♣K7

You open 1H and partner responds 1S. What would be your rebid? And would it change if instead you had AK diamonds and two low clubs?

3H feels like an underbid here, but 2NT feels like it could easily lead to a 3NT that goes down when 4H or 4S is a make.

[LBengtsson]

kcostell, on 2022-October-08, 18:41, said:

♠A93
♥AKT972
♦AT
♣K7

You open 1H and partner responds 1S. What would be your rebid? And would it change if instead you had AK diamonds and two low clubs?

3H feels like an underbid here, but 2NT feels like it could easily lead to a 3NT that goes down when 4H or 4S is a make.

Yes, I agree, 3♥ looks like an underbid here. If you have not a 2NT rebid as forcing and unbalanced as some play - instead of 18-19 balanced, then there is always a 3NT rebid in this sequence which shows 6+ ♥ and balanced shape, and a slightly stronger hand than a 3♥ rebid, although usually it will only be bid with a stiff or doubleton in responder's suit ♠.

So, I also agree that you are going to tell a untruth whatever you rebid on this hand. I admit I do not know what is best here. I personally would opt for a underbid of 3♥ here. It leaves a 4♥, 4♠ and 3NT contract all in the equation., although personally I would rather play 3NT from my hand not my partner's.

[mw64ahw]

If you play Kaplan Inversion then finding the 8 card fit ceases to be an issue, but then makes the hand less interesting.

Also playing some sort of Gazzilli type response followed by 3♥/3NT rather than 3♥ directly enables some better refinement in describing strength. If you have FOMO then 3NT/4♥ also work.

[Cyberyeti]

This type of hand, known as the bridge world hand of death or similar is a typical hole in many approach forcing systems, and is worse in a strong NT system than weak where as LBengtsson says you can play a wide range 1N rebid and pinch the 2N rebid to show a variety of GF hands as we do. If the suits are lower ranking you can use say 1♦-1♥-2♠ the same way.

Your choices are to fake a 3♣ bid, 3♥ or 3N, but as said above 3N would normally be a better suit without spade support. Gazilli is the other gadget that will sort this out.

[pescetom]

As said, it's a good advertisement for Gazzilli. Otherwise I would be reasonably comfortable with 3nt here, would barely consider 3H.

[AL78]

I don't have any gadgets to deal with this problem hand so I would rebid 3♣ keeping 3NT, 4♥ or 4♠ as possible games. I hope partner won't raise me in clubs. Any bid by responder at the three level should enable us to find the right game if that is where we belong.

[mikeh]

LBengtsson, on 2022-October-08, 21:35, said:

Yes, I agree, 3♥ looks like an underbid here. If you have not a 2NT rebid as forcing and unbalanced as some play - instead of 18-19 balanced, then there is always a 3NT rebid in this sequence which shows 6+ ♥ and balanced shape, and a slightly stronger hand than a 3♥ rebid, although usually it will only be bid with a stiff or doubleton in responder's suit ♠.

So, I also agree that you are going to tell a untruth whatever you rebid on this hand. I admit I do not know what is best here. I personally would opt for a underbid of 3♥ here. It leaves a 4♥, 4♠ and 3NT contract all in the equation., although personally I would rather play 3NT from my hand not my partner's.

I could (barely) live with the underbid at matchpoints, but there’s no way I’m missing game at imps, even not vulnerable. It’s not just game we may miss. We might miss slam….we’d be in game then, of course, since responder won’t pass 3H with anything that makes slam ok…but equally he sometimes won’t make a try for slam when he thinks we could have a king-value less than we have

So I bid 2N as the least distortion, although I’m a little strong even for that. Assuming reasonable methods, we won’t miss a 5-3 spade contract nor a 6-3 heart contract. We will play 2N or 3N (or even 6N) rather than a 6-2 heart fit, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

I toyed with 3C, which in my partnerships is either a monster heart one suiter or natural, gf. But the hand/suit isn’t good enough, and it usually forecloses a spade contract.

Gazilli would probably help but, as with all artificial bids, it carries it’s own costs and I’ve been unable to persuade my partners to look at it….and I don’t understand the positive and negative inferences from using/not using it well enough to have a strong opinion.

[mikestar13]

This is the type of hand that desperately needs a gadget if playing 2/1. Either 2♣ Gazzili or 2NT artificial and forcing followed by 3♥ is perfect: a hand with the right shape for a direct 3♥ bid but more values. Of course this prime 18 with a good six card suit is bread and butter for Precision or Polish. 2/1 players need to have conventional help to keep even. If you don't have it, every bid is wrong.

[gwnn]

I think an initial 2NT opening has merit, but I can't come here and tell you "1♥ was a misbid, too late now" with a straight face.

I think I'd just rebid 3NT now in a standard system. Yeah we miss 4H/4S a lot but at least we're in game.