[Winstonm]

Scoring: IMP

Auction:
(W)(N)(E)(S)
1N P 2C P
2D P P ?

You play Landy in direct seat. The opponents NT range is 15-17. Do you take any action? What is your reasoning?

---

[scoob]

pass because for the life of me i cannot gather any reason not to.

[mike777]

scoob, on Jun 10 2005, 01:11 PM, said:

pass because for the life of me i cannot gather any reason not to.

ditto

[inquiry]

mike777, on Jun 10 2005, 02:24 PM, said:

scoob, on Jun 10 2005, 01:11 PM, said:

pass because for the life of me i cannot gather any reason not to.

ditto

Your side has at least 17 hcp, meaning your partner is loaded for bear with a good 14 or so (can be stronger) behind notrump opener. You have entries in the form of diamond ruffs, and a potential source of tricks, in the form of the some clubs. So there is at least reason to consider balancing here. Remeber, the less you got, the more your partner has, and you have a long suit.

On the other hand, this can easily be a misfit hand. To find your fit, you will have to double for takeout, and a couple bad things might happen... 1) partner might very well leave it in thinking you have more (he will know you can't have too much), and 2) parnter might bid too high, thinking you are a sane individual and have a bit more.

So after all this I pass also, but if it was matchpoints, I would roll the dice with a double.

[awm]

If I was going to balance, I think I'd bid 3♣. This is because:

(1) I don't really want to hear partner pass my double... he will expect a better hand.
(2) It seems unlikely that we want to play in a major given the auction.
(3) Perhaps partner can infer from my failure to double 2♣ for the lead, that my hand is not particularly good.

On the other hand, any balancing action is a risky proposition. This could easily be a misfit hand, and opener will have no problem doubling if it is. In real life, I think I'd pass, although 3♣ is tempting at matchpoints.

[mike777]

inquiry, on Jun 10 2005, 01:36 PM, said:

mike777, on Jun 10 2005, 02:24 PM, said:

scoob, on Jun 10 2005, 01:11 PM, said:

pass because for the life of me i cannot gather any reason not to.

ditto

Your side has at least 17 hcp, meaning your partner is loaded for bear with a good 14 or so (can be stronger) behind notrump opener. You have entries in the form of diamond ruffs, and a potential source of tricks, in the form of the some clubs. So there is at least reason to consider balancing here. Remeber, the less you got, the more your partner has, and you have a long suit.

On the other hand, this can easily be a misfit hand. To find your fit, you will have to double for takeout, and a couple bad things might happen... 1) partner might very well leave it in thinking you have more (he will know you can't have too much), and 2) parnter might bid too high, thinking you are a sane individual and have a bit more.

So after all this I pass also, but if it was matchpoints, I would roll the dice with a double.

NV playing aggessive DONT I would have expected p to bid something over 1nt. Again getting in and out the first time. Of course you must live with X sometimes..but so many players play that as takeout here not penalty so we have a chance to escape and if not we take our lumps. More to gain than lose I think but many disagree. In any event we have less reason to balance NOW.

[luke warm]

i agree totally w/ ben on this one... i'd pass but only cause it's imps.. if this was matchpoints, i'd double

[Double !]

I wouldn't bid at imps or matchpoints.

Opps used garbage stayman (appropriately named IMO), and you have no assurance that they landed in the correct place, especially at MPs. The hand just became random. Why put yourself at the end of a shotgun when LHO now knows essentially what to do over any action you might take?

[luke warm]

i don't think you'll win very many matchpoints, as a general rule, passing 2d.. tho it could be right on any given hand

[Double !]

Are you that sure that the opps are in their optimal or even normal contract at 2D?

[PMetsch]

Too late to bid now. Majors on my right and unsure about club fit. I should have doubled the Stayman response. It may get redoubled, but if they can make 2♣ redoubled, 3NT should also have a play. And if they don't redouble we get the best lead.

[pigpenz]

at imps no brainer PASS....matchpoints I might be tempted alittle.

[Fluffy]

just pass

[beatrix45]

Lots of good analysis on this one. One additional, rather minor point. What is partner to think of me after I balance holding only a queen and a jack?? It would spook me to be playing opposite a partner who would balance with this hand, although I think I know one or two local players (certainly not my partners) who might do so at matchpoints.

[P_Marlowe]

mike777, on Jun 10 2005, 02:45 PM, said:

inquiry, on Jun 10 2005, 01:36 PM, said:

mike777, on Jun 10 2005, 02:24 PM, said:

scoob, on Jun 10 2005, 01:11 PM, said:

pass because for the life of me i cannot gather any reason not to.

ditto

Your side has at least 17 hcp, meaning your partner is loaded for bear with a good 14 or so (can be stronger) behind notrump opener. You have entries in the form of diamond ruffs, and a potential source of tricks, in the form of the some clubs. So there is at least reason to consider balancing here. Remeber, the less you got, the more your partner has, and you have a long suit.

On the other hand, this can easily be a misfit hand. To find your fit, you will have to double for takeout, and a couple bad things might happen... 1) partner might very well leave it in thinking you have more (he will know you can't have too much), and 2) parnter might bid too high, thinking you are a sane individual and have a bit more.

So after all this I pass also, but if it was matchpoints, I would roll the dice with a double.

NV playing aggessive DONT I would have expected p to bid something over 1nt. Again getting in and out the first time. Of course you must live with X sometimes..but so many players play that as takeout here not penalty so we have a chance to escape and if not we take our lumps. More to gain than lose I think but many disagree. In any event we have less reason to balance NOW.

Hi,

I agree.

With the given or a similar hand in direct seat, I would expect partner
to enter the bidding, he did not do it.
Now it is much more dangerous and hence, I stayout.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Free]

Pass, this has nothing to do with agressiveness. If you want to be agressive, you should immediatly bid 3♣ after the 2♣ bid.

[luke warm]

beatrix45, on Jun 14 2005, 05:13 AM, said:

One additional, rather minor point. What is partner to think of me after I balance holding only a queen and a jack??

i hope your partner thinks, "well it's matchpoints and she made a matchpoint bid.. let's play the next board"

[Gerben42]

Well partner would think: Good thing partner has some distribution. I'm sitting here with this good hand and nothing to bid, I'll pass now as he's bidding my points.

[pigpenz]

went back and discussed with several people....at matchpoints we have an understanding that we are competing for the part score and imps we are trying to get to game....so at imps pass....matchpoints balance.

if you have qxxxx(x) major and balance you are no worse off than when your partner opens 1nt and you transfer and pass. The math is simple 15-17 0-7 2-2=17-26 range, so at a min in a case like this partne also has a one notrump hand.