[paulg]

Scoring: IMP

1♥ - (Pass) - 1NT - (Pass)
?

---

1NT is not forcing.

Your call?

(In real life NS were playing a 4-card major/weak NT system, but I think it's more of a problem in a standard system)

[655321]

2♦

[kenrexford]

That heart suit is very good. 2♥ for me.

Lessen the heart quality, and I'm a 2♣ man, but only because of system.

[Sambolino]

2d then 3h over any bid pd produces

[whereagles]

I'll go with a more descriptive 2♠.

[whereagles]

Jlall, on Feb 19 2008, 02:08 PM, said:

2S is a reverse which is ludicrous with this hand.

that's because your definition of reverse is too strict

[benlessard]

2H, a safe move while keeping game in the picture a bit. My hand will play well facing a singleton. 2D is a close 2nd. Too many losers for 2S.

[brianshark]

I dislike 2♦ because we will often play there in a moysian or even 3-3 fit. I don't see a pressing need to play in 2♥s when our heart suit is just as good in NT as in ♥s and we really need 6 to do that anyway. And 2♠ is just way too much.

I reckon pard has some stuff in clubs, and my hand is nice for NT so I'm going to chance a 2NT raise. 2nd choice is pass.

[Codo]

benlessard, on Feb 19 2008, 11:14 PM, said:

2H, a safe move while keeping game in the picture a bit. My hand will play well facing a singleton. 2D is a close 2nd. Too many losers for 2S.

in which part of the world does 2 ♥ keep game in the picture after a non forcing 1 NT bid? Not where I live.

But great problem, I would pass and may miss a lot, but I hope to win enough minor swings to come up for this.

[helene_t]

To the 2♦ bidders: what do you do over 2♥ or 2♠* (sound diamond raise)?

I think I raise 2♥ to 3 but sign off in 3♦ over 2♠.

[jdonn]

Seems like pass is required by system. Could miss game but not most of the time, and it's not my system anyway.

[pclayton]

Is pass NF or SF? If SF, I'll try 2♦, but if NF, I'll pass.

[mikeh]

I don't play the stated methods, so my opinion is worth even less than it usually is, but I pass.

This hand will play very well in notrump: the heart texture and the 2 aces mean that the opps can never stop me both establishing and running the hearts. While the club suit may be a threat, the odds are that that suit is partner's best/longest, and the opps tend to lead spades on these auctions if they are looking at a toss-up between clubs and spades anyway.

Game isn't impossible, but I doubt that we could bid it with assurance no matter how the auction proceeded. For every hand/auction that got us to game I am sure that there would be a lot of other hands with which we'd bid the same way and have no realistic play for game. We simply don't have the values here, especially since I assume that we don't play 2/1.. therefore partner is more constrained than my partners would be in our customary methods.

If I were to bid, the only logical choice is 2♦.

2♥ is simply misdescriptive. It shows 6 hearts, even in a 4 card major method, and denies invitational values, so won't involve partner meaningfully.

2♠ is simply silly.

And nothing else is even remotely possible.

The problem with 2♦ is that I don't see it as more likely than not to advance our cause. Partner will often prefer to 2♥, and we are on a 5-2 which will probably play about as well as or worse than 1N.... surely we are not thinking of bidding again over 2♥? And if partner bids 2♠, to show a strong raise, just what are we bidding now??

If he rebids 2N, then we can bid 3N and expect to have some play, and that is the main (only?) real reason for bidding 2♦.

Given that we are red at imps, this is very tempting, but it is just a hair too rich for me.

Pass: 100, 2♦ 90, 2♥50, 2♠ 10. At any other heat or at mps, I'd put 2♦ down to 70.

[awm]

Pass. If 1NT is constrained to at most a bad 10-count and denies three hearts or four spades (as is normal in a system where 1NT is NF) then I don't think we're likely to miss a game.

Partner is also more likely to pass a 2♦ rebid in such a system than in "2/1 GF" because partner's less likely to have a good hand (as 1NT maxes out around 9/10) and also because partner expects four diamonds for the 2♦ bid (since we normally pass with this pattern).

I'm also not convinced that this hand will play better in 2♥ than in 1NT; often there are the same tricks in both contracts since the hearts will run in any case. Partner's likely to have some minor suit cards given the major suit length constraints for 1NT call.

[Cascade]

I can live with pass or 2♦.

Not sure what game we are supposed to be missing. Most of the time partner will have a 9 count or worse without three hearts.

I suppose occasionally 4♥ will be playable as will 5♦. Partner though is much more likely to have clubs!!!

[Echognome]

pclayton, on Feb 19 2008, 10:49 AM, said:

Is pass NF or SF?

Quote of the day!

Don't worry, we all know what you meant, but still made me laugh.

[mike777]

cardsharp, on Feb 19 2008, 07:44 AM, said:

Scoring: IMP

1♥ - (Pass) - 1NT - (Pass)
?

---

1NT is not forcing.

Your call?

(In real life NS were playing a 4-card major/weak NT system, but I think it's more of a problem in a standard system)

hmm I did not know there was any other option besides 2D even opposite 1ntnf.

[the hog]

Pass. As I am not mad keen about playing in a 3-3 fit, I will not bid 2D. (Really, words fail me about that bid.)
Second choice 2H, but I agree it is a misdescription, even though it does look like a 6 carder. It is far less of a misdescription than that odious 2D though.