Posted 2006-January-27, 10:19
For the first hand, I would bid 1♠ and rebid 2♠. Give opener a hand like:
x AQxxx Ax Axxxx
This is a pretty good hand for a misfit, lots of quick tricks and such. In 2♥, on a heart lead we can ruff one club, but will lose a spade, a diamond, one or two hearts, and two or three clubs. Even if the lead is a diamond, opponents can switch to a heart when they gain the lead and the likely result is about the same. If partner has a worse hand (say replace the ♥A with ♥K, or the ♣A with ♣K) then 2♥ has basically no play. Note how good 2♠ is on these cards -- you lose two spades and three diamonds (pitching a heart on the club ace) on fairly normal breaks. Even if we replace one of partner's aces with a king, 2♠ still has pretty decent chances (needing a heart finesse or a 3-3 diamond break, perhaps).
Opener could also have a doubleton spade easily enough. If opener has three diamonds then 2♦ is probably the best contract, but you're never going to get there, and 2♠ is still probably better than 2♥.
I think correcting to 2♥ here is an example of a fairly common mistake, not taking the quality of spots in the long suit into account. Replace the ♠JT9 with small spades and it wouldn't really occur to me that I should rebid 2♠ here. Holding the actual hand I think it is automatic.
On the second hand it seems clear to look for a 5-3 heart fit or 4-4 spade fit. How you do this is a matter of agreements and/or personal taste. I know people who play 3♣ as "checkback stayman", as "wolfe signoff puppet to 3♦", as "natural and slammish", and as "natural and NF." Playing with a pickup partner without discussion I would not risk a 3♣ bid. However, 3♠ (a reverse) seems unlikely to be misinterpreted. I'd try that call.
Adam W. Meyerson
a.k.a. Appeal Without Merit