[vladesch]

We are vulnerable, the opponesnt not.
My partner is dealer and I hold

at63
q8
qt64
aq8

The bidding goes..

p-1c-p-1h
p-2h-x-p

The opponents are playing a natural system. That's as much as we know.
Now my partner bids 3c

We have various conventions about what cue bids mean in various situations but this is an undiscussed situation.
How should I interpret this bid.

[pilowsky]

vladesch, on 2021-October-29, 05:17, said:

We are vulnerable, the opponesnt not.
My partner is dealer and I hold

at63
q8
qt64
aq8

The bidding goes..

p-1c-p-1h
p-2h-x-p

The opponents are playing a natural system. That's as much as we know.
Now my partner bids 3c

We have various conventions about what cue bids mean in various situations but this is an undiscussed situation.
How should I interpret this bid.

I'm guessing your partner has 4+ Clubs and 5+ HCP.
Does it look something like this?:

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[LBengtsson]

I agree with pilowsky. partner is weak with a ♣ suit. you have forced him to bid and he knows that you have ♦ + ♠ here but he choose to bid ♣. I would prefer to overcall 1NT on first round with a good 14 count with tens than wait to X on second round even at red/white. it is easier now for opps to X you at 3 level here. I would pass 3♣ and trust partner.

[mycroft]

Yep, you made a takeout double of hearts. Partner bid clubs, knowing that you might not have a real club suit either. I'd suggest more likely 5 minimum clubs and (hopefully) 4 points instead of the other way around, but partner thinks that clubs in your side's fit, even hearing the opening.

[vladesch]

I was the person who bid 3c and it seems the people here agree with me as to its interpretation.
This was my hand...

87
765
J95
T9543

My partner said that biddinbg 3c when it was undiscussed was wrong and that I should have settled for 3d.
I realized there was a risk bidding 3c but was expecting my partner to interpret it to be weak with c given the bidding.

he says that my bid could suggest I hold a 12ish count and be a no trump probe.
Personally I would bid 2nt with such a hand. Or perhaps 3nt depending on shape and placement of values.

As it is 3c is the only contract that wont be a disaster. It turns out the 1c bidder only had a 3 card suit.

[apollo1201]

Partner knows your delayed X is due to a lack of H (maximum 2), and that you probably have 44 in S/D.

So you rate to have some C, with a likely 4243, 4135, 4144 shape or so. The « worst » could be 4252.

Knowing that, partner chose what they think is your best fit.

With some doubt about strain or with « 2 places to play » (incl. C), they could have bid 2NT on which you bid up the line till the common suit is found.

You should therefore trust their judgment and pass. Partner will often have 5C, unless they have a 3334, meaning your side has 3 7–cd fits. Too bad this time.

[nige1]

Pilowsky 'I'm guessing your partner has 4+ Clubs and 5+ HCP.
++++++++++++++++++
Good guess

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[mikeh]

LBengtsson, on 2021-October-29, 08:39, said:

I agree with pilowsky. partner is weak with a ♣ suit. you have forced him to bid and he knows that you have ♦ + ♠ here but he choose to bid ♣. I would prefer to overcall 1NT on first round with a good 14 count with tens than wait to X on second round even at red/white. it is easier now for opps to X you at 3 level here. I would pass 3♣ and trust partner.

If you have on your CC that a 1N overcall is 15-18, then you are misleading your opponents (and maybe your partner, but a regular partner will likely ‘know’ you might do this, which makes it even worse) if you think this is a reasonable 1N

Also, you must play against very weak opponents if you think this flat 14, red v white, with a passed hand partner, warrants 1N.

You have 10s, that’s true, but you have no Kings and 3 queens and nowhere to run to if LHO says the magic word: double.

Even if you dodge the double, which means the opps won’t have a game, you rate to be -200 or -300 against a partscore

As for partner, either he’s already in on the joke, because you’ve done this before (and now you have a concealed private agreement, which is reprehensible) or your partner will learn that you can’t be trusted even red v white (which is not reprehensible but which makes for losing bridge)

If you have on your CC 14-17 etc, where this is an accurate overcall, please send me an email…I’d like to schedule some games against you for money😀

Most experienced players tighten up, rather than loosen, their requirements red v white with a passed hand opposite. I’d pass, happily, it you make my Qx in hearts the Kx, as one example. We’re not missing game. I have no 5 card suit. It’s trivial for LHO to double with any 10 count, and we pinpoint the play for them if they declare. I don’t see the upside as remotely comparable to the downside.