[mr1303]

7. Pairs, game all. Partner deals and opens 1♦, and RHO overalls 3♣. You hold:

♠ A6
♥ J10965
♦ K52
♣ Q32

Here you have invitational values, but no ideal bid. 3D would lie about the 4th trump and also hide the heart suit, 3H would be game forcing, an overbid, and double would leave us ill-prepared for a spade response.

[Echognome]

I double. I pass 3♦. I raise 3♥ to 4♥, and I bid 3NT over 3♠.

[Gerben42]

I bid 3♦. Could well be wrong but most of the time partner has real ♦ and we have some play.

[Foxx]

Pass. Looks yellow holding this much, but RHO picked the perfect time to jam us. I'm not ready to step in and risk committing the hand to game when LHO could be lurking there with his finger on the button. If it goes all pass, we will often want to defend, and we'll take any plus we can get. If partner can find a reopening double, however, my hand acquires a good direction, and I will jump to four hearts.

[mikeh]

Echognome, on Jul 14 2007, 03:49 PM, said:

I double. I pass 3♦. I raise 3♥ to 4♥, and I bid 3NT over 3♠.

And over 4♠, you bid what?

[mikeh]

Pass: delaying the problem, perhaps, but if partner can't reopen, it is unlikely that we have missed anything. Style re reopening may be important here. We should strain to reopen with short clubs and anything extra....

[skjaeran]

In standard 5cM methods I'd probably pass here, the alternative being 3♦.
In my preferred methods, where 1♦ promises an unbalanced hand with 5+♦'s (except when 4=4=4=1), I'd bid 3♦, even if it's still not perfect.

[Echognome]

mikeh, on Jul 15 2007, 09:19 AM, said:

Echognome, on Jul 14 2007, 03:49 PM, said:

I double.  I pass 3♦.  I raise 3♥ to 4♥, and I bid 3NT over 3♠.

And over 4♠, you bid what?

5♦. I certainly won't claim that double comes without risk. But neither does pass. I don't have any strong feelings though. I know double could get us too high. Partner could have a flat 12 count and my double will get us to game in most circumstances.

[mike777]

mr1303, on Jul 14 2007, 11:46 AM, said:

7. Pairs, game all. Partner deals and opens 1♦, and RHO overalls 3♣. You hold:

♠ A6
♥ J10965
♦ K52
♣ Q32

Here you have invitational values, but no ideal bid. 3D would lie about the 4th trump and also hide the heart suit, 3H would be game forcing, an overbid, and double would leave us ill-prepared for a spade response.

Pass

easy

I expect the problem will come later.

[pclayton]

Pass. May be missing something big, but there's hope that others are in our seat facing the same problem. Bidding seems to lead to a likely minus when pard is minimum with 2 or 3 clubs.

I'm hoping for a small plus in 3♣.

If pard reopens with a x I have a very easy 4♥ call.

[Dwingo]

Double - I don't have a convenient bid. Will start with a Double and see what happens.

[Fluffy]

I think I doubled also

[mr1303]

Another close one, where no bid really feels correct, and so as a result the passers I feel have the best of it, since if partner can't reopen, we probably aren't missing anything big, and if partner is short in clubs then we can catch up again later.

However, I had a lot of sympathy with the 3D bidders, which will often get to a makeable part score.

Pass = 100
3D = 60
Dbl = 40
3H = 10