[Fluffy]

♠AK10753
♥5
♦AJ953
♣8

opps VUL, IMPs, partner passes and RHO opens 1♦ (4+ umbalanced)

[han]

I'd bid a boring 1S, probably will be nearly unanimous.

[cherdano]

I don't even understand the temptation to do anything else. This hand can be quite good when partner has a fit, and even better when he has a fit and a few points. It will be extremely defensive otherwise. So let's make a bid that gives partner a chance to show a fit and a few points...

[JLOGIC]

But we have length in their suit! OMG!

[Fluffy]

LHO bids 1NT over 1♠ passed back to you

[JLOGIC]

Fluffy, on 2012-June-08, 16:36, said:

LHO bids 1NT over 1♠ passed back to you

That is an extremely bizarre turn of events lol. It feels like a trap hand but I can't bring myself to pass not vul. 2D seems like the natural bid but I want to disguise my hand so I'm going to bid 2S. It's not that likely diamonds is our spot with RHO opening diamonds and LHO bidding 1N (which is likely to have at least 2 diamonds). I think I might be harder to double in 2S if I don't bid diamonds and it will certainly be harder for them to defend/lead.

[rmnka447]

Certainly 1 ♠ is right for your first call. Interestingly, Mike Lawrence in his book on overcalls advocated overcalling in a 4 card suit when holding a similar stack in opening bidders suit. So I guess it's OK to make an overcall with a 6 card suit.

After the 1 NT call, I'm thinking that LHO (responder) probably has some ♣ length because there was no negative DBL. Since a 4+ card diamond suit was opened, opener probably doesn't have more than 4 ♥. So it looks like partner has at least 4 ♥ and likely 5.

I'm thinking this hand isn't going to play well whoever gets it as declarer.

So, I think I'm passing 1 NT.

[gnasher]

At the table I'd probably bid 2♠ without thought, but I think it's wrong.

We expect that partner has a few points, five hearts, and four or five clubs. With all of that plus a doubleton spade, he might well have doubled or bid 2♥. If I had to guess the shapes around the table, it would be 4324 - 1525 - 2443. If that's the distribution, we have more chance of beating 1NT than of making 2♠.

Also, they're not very likely to compete over 2♠ - usually one of the benefits of contesting the partscore is that they may misjudge by bidding on, but that's not likely here.

[Statto]

I would have overcalled 3♠ NV opposite a passed hand, as I want to make it awkward for opps to find their ♥ fit. Though I shouldn't preempt with 2 bullets, this situation is a little unusual.

Now I think we have a good chance of defeating 1NT if partner leads a ♠, so I pass.

[JLOGIC]

gnasher, on 2012-June-09, 04:13, said:

At the table I'd probably bid 2♠ without thought, but I think it's wrong.

We expect that partner has a few points, five hearts, and four or five clubs. With all of that plus a doubleton spade, he might well have doubled or bid 2♥. If I had to guess the shapes around the table, it would be 4324 - 1525 - 2443. If that's the distribution, we have more chance of beating 1NT than of making 2♠.

Also, they're not very likely to compete over 2♠ - usually one of the benefits of contesting the partscore is that they may misjudge by bidding on, but that's not likely here.

I don't agree with the conclusion. We are reasonably likely to get a diamond lead against 2S. Even with partner having a stiff spade, I'll take my chances on playing 2S vs defending 1N any day.

Also, it is no lock that they don't have a club fit, LHO could easily have 5 clubs for his 1N bid. He could be 3235 pretty easily also, where 1N makes easily if they can take enough round suit tricks which isn't that unlikely.

I don't think partner will necessarily double 1N, his hand might just be pretty bad. He's not bidding 2H or Xing with like a 6 count. We are not even told that they play X as takeout, and even if they do I think it's fairly likely that partner will not have enough values to bid, RHO opened and LHO bid 1N and we have a 12 count.

[JLOGIC]

Sorry fluffy, I see that Andy and I can both not read...you said 1D is unbalanced with 4+. Does this mean it's 5 unless its 1444? Can it be 5332 with 5 diamonds? I assume it can be 2452?

I guess RHO is 2452 or 1453 or 1444 most likely (would 1444 bid 2C over 1n?).

I'm not sure how this should affect us. It makes partner having 2 spades and 1 diamond much more likely (unless LHO bid 1N with a stiff diamond which I suppose is possible if he has 4315 or (gulp) 5314 and too much to pass in his opinion). But it also makes our diamonds less promising, and our risk on the downside is hugeeeeee (LHO hammers it with 5 spades, and diamonds are not coming in and we take no ruffs in dummy, OUCH).

I'm inclined to be even more scared now since 2515 with partner might have bid, and even our best case scenario of trump lead, diamond diamond ruff, we have no entry back to our hand and our downside is really high now. I think the 4+ diamond unbal has swayed me to pass, even moreso if partner knows X of 1N is t/o.

[ggwhiz]

I agree with the danger signs as posted above but can't resist a smooth 2♠ bid on these colours.

Our downside white should be manageable and if they take the push to the 3 level (♣?) our upside is rather large.

I expect the 1nt bidder to own a 3♣ bid much more often than the hammer and if pard can hit that (pard has a lot of cards that aren't spades or diamonds)..... the autopsy will follow.

Partner ain't broke with them trying to stop this low and I'm the only one clued into the possible extent of the misfit.

[Fluffy]

---

Over 1♠ LHO will probably penalice it right there rather than bid 1NT now I see it, maybe partner tries to "escape" with little success. At the other table north opened multi 2♦, East bid 2♠ (short) and west made 3NT +600


I made the stupid 4♠ overcall not realicing well enough the umbalanced implications, this got an underserving -250 when RHO had no guts to double unfavourable. Funnilly it could had won 2 against a 1♠ overcall -300