[jillybean]

How much does shape count?
My hearts are great, the A♠ and ♦ is stunning but the clubs look like an absolute wasteland.

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You likely don't agree with my first bid, but I had a plan.
IMP

[DavidKok]

I am always bidding to at least 4♥, and almost certainly taking out their 4♠. We need to convince partner of our extreme shape, and the suit length disparity, for finding the right suit at the 5-level and deciding what to do over 5♠.

So bid clubs next.

[mikeh]

At imps I just bid 4H and over 1D. I’m not giving them an easy action. Sure, things could go badly but that’s the cost of doing business and it’s surprising how often the opps do not do the right thing under pressure.

[P_Marlowe]

Yes, I think a direct 4H over 1D would be my choice as well.
You still can and should bid 4H now, if 4S comes back, ..., I guess I will bid 5C, it is 75
and you have only 1 def. trick.

[jillybean]

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I wouldn't say we are giving them an easy auction.
It must a global difference in approach here.

[P_Marlowe]

... 4H, but there is a case to bid 5C.
If we know, p has 4 clubs, 5C will more often make than 4H, p will have a singleton,
and we wont go down as much, but if we only have a 53 fit in clubs, I want to play
my 7 carder.

[pescetom]

For me partner promises 4 clubs, I think I reluctantly bid 5C now. He was the last player to bid, I don't expect a perfecto.

[mike777]

4H over 1D

Will not defend 4S but opponents have a problem over our 4H bid vul.

[apollo1201]

I would also have bid 4H earlier on but now things improved as there might be another playable spot.


I suspect that wlth the HA and KQxx C, partner would bave bid more than 4C.

We must propose our H, although it is likely partner will correct to 5C (I doubt they encourage C with 3 unless they fell in love with their Hx in H where playing 4H looks best, most likely they have sg H and 4 C).

Partner saw we did not use Michaels so must be longer and potentially stronger in H than C. With 5-6 or a lousy 6 and good 5, we bid 2NT first.

[Cyberyeti]

apollo1201, on 2026-July-22, 11:00, said:

I would also have bid 4H earlier on but now things improved as there might be another playable spot.


I suspect that wlth the HA and KQxx C, partner would bave bid more than 4C.

We must propose our H, although it is likely partner will correct to 5C (I doubt they encourage C with 3 unless they fell in love with their Hx in H where playing 4H looks best, most likely they have sg H and 4 C).

Partner saw we did not use Michaels so must be longer and potentially stronger in H than C. With 5-6 or a lousy 6 and good 5, we bid 2NT first.

Depends how you play your 2 suited bids, if you play weak/strong, this is the middle hand.

We would have more info, in that X of 1♠ would show exactly 4♣, as would x of 2♠ so 3♣ shows 5.

[jillybean]

I didn't make another decision, this is where my auction actually ended.

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I'll post the full hand and auction at OT

[jillybean]

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Less than half the points and 6 tricks in either round suit - my kind of slam
+7

[mikeh]

jillybean, on 2026-July-22, 09:19, said:

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I wouldn't say we are giving them an easy auction.
It must a global difference in approach here.

Obviously whether any particular action gives the opps an easy or difficult time will depend on the cards everyone holds but,

Consider you hold around an 8 count with 5 spades. Would you prefer RHO to overcall 1H, allowing you to show spades and at least modest values, or to see a 4H bid, which shuts yiu out of the auction entirely?

As for the actual hand, I had to laugh. How on earth anyone passed 3C is beyond me. Yes, partner is balancing but we didn’t bid 2H or double 1S (bth for obvious reasons) and partner, vulnerable, bid 3C. That’s not a sign of weakness, lol. I’m closer to 5C than I am to pass, but suspect that ATT I’d content myself with 4C and partner should tack on the 5th….with better heart texture, I’d bid 4H over 4C as a choice of games.

[mw64ahw]

Late to play this one playing cue bids as at least 5 in the lower ranked suit and 4 in the higher I would consider bidding 2♦ followed by 4♥ after partner's 3♣

[jillybean]

mikeh, on 2026-July-22, 14:11, said:

Obviously whether any particular action gives the opps an easy or difficult time will depend on the cards everyone holds but,

Consider you hold around an 8 count with 5 spades. Would you prefer RHO to overcall 1H, allowing you to show spades and at least modest values, or to see a 4H bid, which shuts you out of the auction entirely?

As for the actual hand, I had to laugh. How on earth anyone passed 3C is beyond me. Yes, partner is balancing but we didn’t bid 2H or double 1S (bth for obvious reasons) and partner, vulnerable, bid 3C. That’s not a sign of weakness, lol. I’m closer to 5C than I am to pass, but suspect that ATT I’d content myself with 4C and partner should tack on the 5th….with better heart texture, I’d bid 4H over 4C as a choice of games.

Yes, and yes.
Afterwards, partner said that she should have supported clubs. My response was 'yeah, they needed support'.

It's a new partnership and she is getting used to and gaining confidence in my style, so it won't happen again.
We are doing fine—remember, it is mostly only the bad boards that get posted here.

[bluenikki]

jillybean, on 2026-July-22, 07:19, said:

How much does shape count?
My hearts are great, the A♠ and ♦ is stunning but the clubs look like an absolute wasteland.

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IMP

I didn't think of it either, but how about 2NT? I agree that in practice it will usually commit you to a unilateral 5♥ later, but still.

[jillybean]

bluenikki, on 2026-July-23, 05:08, said:

I didn't think of it either, but how about 2NT? I agree that in practice it will usually commit you to a unilateral 5♥ later, but still.

My partner also suggested 2nt. I think 75 is too much distribution.

Mike said it better, but I'm glad we agree.

[mikeh]

bluenikki, on 2026-July-23, 05:08, said:

I didn't think of it either, but how about 2NT? I agree that in practice it will usually commit you to a unilateral 5♥ later, but still.

I don’t mind two suited bids when the minor is longer but 2N with 7 hearts is horrible. Give partner 2=3 or 2=4 in our suits and he’ll never bid hearts

[bluenikki]

mikeh, on 2026-July-23, 08:36, said:

I don’t mind two suited bids when the minor is longer but 2N with 7 hearts is horrible. Give partner 2=3 or 2=4 in our suits and he’ll never bid hearts

As I wrote, you'd be committed to bidding hearts next (unless partner jumped in clubs).