[Coelacanth]

I'm pleased to say my partner got these right.

Scoring: MP

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1♦-(2♣)-X-(2♥)
3♦-(P)-3♠-(P)

Do you agree with your auction thus far? Partner's double was negative. What now?

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Scoring: MP

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Partner opens 2NT, 20-21. Maybe you have some kind of minor-suit Stayman you can use here. (We don't) Maybe you prefer to look for your major suit fit first. Let's say you bid 3♣, regular Stayman. Of course partner bids 3♥. Silent opponents. Now what?

[billw55]

On the first hand, 3♦ sounds non-forcing. I would support spades immediately by 3♣ cuebid. Also would have considered a forcing opening.

On the second, I guess 3NT, since partner has wasted heart values.

[Free]

First one I'd also start with a cuebid rather than a NF call.

Second one I'd also start with Stayman and bid 3♠ now.

[Phil]

1. 3♦ is a very serious underbid. This is a gigantic hand; it got larger after the negative double, and now slam is a lock since I doubt partner is introducing xxxxx of spades at this point. I have to try for a grand now.

If 5♥ is played as exclusion blackwood that would be my choice. A direct 7♠ is a gamble, since it needs the right lead if we are off the ♣A.

2. I think this is a tough hand, but using stayman likes obvious to me. I'm not sure what Free's 3♠ call over 3♥ is (I play it as a slam try in hearts). I guess I would try 4♣ now, but I'm not at all confident about finding a diamond fit at this point. willing to defer to others on this one.

[aguahombre]

Phil, on May 7 2010, 09:27 AM, said:

1. 3♦ is a very serious underbid. This is a gigantic hand; it got larger after the negative double, and now slam is a lock since I doubt partner is introducing xxxxx of spades at this point. I have to try for a grand now.

If 5♥ is played as exclusion blackwood that would be my choice. A direct 7♠ is a gamble, since it needs the right lead if we are off the ♣A.

Yes, 3D was a gross underbid. But, it sure got lucky, because it put you in charge with information you otherwise could not have gotten. Exclusion 5H seems easy, now.

edit: by the way, IMO, 1430 should only be used in response to 4NT, not exclusion or other forms.

[mikeh]

I can't imagine biddng 3♦ on the first one, but having survived that staggering underbid, I am with Phil. We are not playing short of slam...partner must hold at least 5 spades, and usually 6. The only issue for me is whether to fake the exclusion in clubs. I'd never do that at imps, but at mps, if I assume that we are off 2 aces, then using exclusion in clubs will get a heart lead against 6♠ and we'll make a valuable overtrick.

The problem is that if I use exclusion in clubs and he has the club Ace I have missed grand.

On the 2nd one, I am a simple soul. I bid 3N, and wonder what else I am supposed to do. Of course, a minor suit game or slam may be there, but how am I supposed to bid it intelligently? Offering up my topless clubs seems misdirected....opener would drive to slam on inadequate trumps....and suggesting diamonds will obviously work sometimes and not others.

BTW, I think many players (certainly including me) use 3♠ over 3♥ as a slam try in hearts...what other way do you have of setting hearts as trump below game?

[ONEferBRID]

Does your Neg-DBl absolutley guarantee at least 4-4 in the Majors in the auction :

1D - ( 2C ) - X

[Phil]

ONEferBRID, on May 7 2010, 10:44 AM, said:

Does your Neg-DBl absolutley guarantee at least 4-4 in the Majors in the auction :

1D - ( 2C ) - X

No.

[Coelacanth]

Thanks to everyone for the interesting replies.

I may have mis-remembered the auction on the first hand; partner may have bid 3♥ at his 2nd turn, not 3♦. The decision of what to bid over 3♠ is similar.

Partner leapt to 6♠, which made 7 when the opponents failed to take their club trick on opening lead. My hand (I was the 3♠ bidder) was
♠QJxxx
♥QJxxx
♦Q
♣xx

Is the negative double normal here, or do people have something to show a more shapely hand?


On the second hand we got lucky. Over 3♥, my partner bid 6♣. He was expecting me to pull to 6♦ if I was, say, 3442. I thought he was showing 4-6 or 4-7 in the blacks. After the hand, he thought 3♣ had been a mistake, with such weak spades and obviously no interest in playing in hearts. It's not clear what else he could have done, given that we don't play any form of minor-suit Stayman. (We are discussing adding it.)

6♣ was the right spot, as my hand was
♠KQ
♥AKxx
♦xxx
♣AKQx.

[mikeh]

ONEferBRID, on May 7 2010, 10:44 AM, said:

Does your Neg-DBl absolutley guarantee at least 4-4 in the Majors in the auction :

1D - ( 2C ) - X

the current BW makes that point in the MSC: current NA expert practice appears to be that the double doesn't promise both majors....responder can sometimes be stuck...but (and this isn't specified in the MSC discussion)...he must be prepared for any action you may take.

[Coelacanth]

ONEferBRID, on May 7 2010, 10:44 AM, said:

Does your Neg-DBl absolutley guarantee at least 4-4 in the Majors in the auction :

1D - ( 2C ) - X

I will either have 4-4 in the majors or a secondary diamond fit with enough values to bid at the 3-level if partner picks the "wrong" major.

[aguahombre]

Coelacanth, on May 7 2010, 09:56 AM, said:

ONEferBRID, on May 7 2010, 10:44 AM, said:

Does your Neg-DBl absolutley guarantee at least 4-4 in the Majors in the auction :

1D - ( 2C ) - X

I will either have 4-4 in the majors or a secondary diamond fit with enough values to bid at the 3-level if partner picks the "wrong" major.

Or long spades, no diamond fit, and not playing neg freebids.

[andy_h]

Coelacanth, on May 8 2010, 02:53 AM, said:

On the second hand we got lucky. Over 3♥, my partner bid 6♣. He was expecting me to pull to 6♦ if I was, say, 3442.

That's a bit deep, and certainly I would not spring this on partner if we had not discussed it previously since we are in the slam zone. What would 4♣ be? Or 5NT? Personally I'd just bid 3NT as it seems pretty hard to have an accurate auction if I decide to bid 4♣ like how good our club fit is (if we have one), how do we get to diamonds, or if opener's 4♦ bid is natural or a cue for spades(clubs?). It's why strong club works, right?