[diana_eva]

Another hand from my friend, and this time we were in disagreement.

Random game, Main Club, unknown pd, "exp only" table.

IMPs, not vul vs vul:

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[ArtK78]

Without any special agreements*, I would pass. We haven't been doubled yet, and since RHO passed, it is far from clear that they will bid a game.

Bidding 4♠ is better at matchpoints. At IMPs, if you are right to bid 4♠, you may only gain -500 against -620 (unless you are spectacularly right - partner has a spade/diamond two suiter and they let you play the hand). But if you are wrong, you could lose a game swing or worse.

If I had to guess, I would guess that bidding any large number of spades will be very wrong on these cards. I doubt that I would do it at matchpoints.

* I play very light preempts with one partner. On this auction holding these cards, I would bid 2♠ TO PLAY.

[whereagles]

You have to pass for the moment, as any bid except a raise is forcing and constructive. If doubled you can pull later to 2♠. Note that pass is safe because opps are probably cold for a game (maybe even slam).

The alternative is an immediate leap to 4♠, but that can backfire lol.

[PhilKing]

Most people I know play 2M as NF (notionally constructive) opposite a weak two, and partner is only supposed to bid on with a fit.

With that in mind, nothing bad should happen if we bid 2♠. However, the "Dutch approach" of just blasting 4♠ a seemingly absurd tends to work very well on similar hands I have seen. It sounds crazy, but think of the problems it will give them if they play a takeout double style.

[akwoo]

PhilKing, on 2014-July-21, 16:53, said:

Most people I know play 2M as NF (notionally constructive) opposite a weak two, and partner is only supposed to bid on with a fit.

Most people I know play 2♠ as forcing here.

I have played it as non forcing but highly constructive, where partner is supposed to pass only with a minimum and exactly 2 card support (or maybe a sub minimum and 3).

[the hog]

I agree that most I know play it as forcing. I also would pass for now. You can bid S later as Nuno suggests.

[rmnka447]

I'm passing whether 2 ♠ is forcing or not. With LHO passing, you'll get a chance to pull 2 ♦x to 2 ♠ if that gets passed back to you. If the opponents bid on over 2 ♦, you're off the hook.

Certainly, if 2 ♠ is forcing, you can't bid because your hand isn't good enough for a bid.

Then why pass if 2 ♠ is not forcing? I think a 2 ♠ bid may prompt partner to lead ♠ if LHO declares. That doesn't look like a particularly good thing holding QJxxxxx. There is a strong preference for having partner lead his suit if at all practicable, so remaining silent may be best.

[neilkaz]

I play 2♠ as forcing. The only reason to bid 2♠ here is as a psych pretending to be much stronger than you are. I voted to pass.

[diana_eva]

Thanks for the replies. My vote on this hand was pass, and I was firm about it even when my grumpy friend tried to insist that opps must have a mountain. At the table, bidding went:

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-800, with North holding void - xxx - KQTxxxx - Axx

[PhilKing]

Nice 2♦ opening.

[diana_eva]

PhilKing, on 2014-July-25, 15:32, said:

Nice 2♦ opening.

Yeah... Dunno why he keeps playing randomly, he must be masochistic. I've been trying to convince him to post here himself, he's a fun one

[whereagles]

I once played a guy who had a tendency to open overweight preempts. He decided that the "right" bid on

Q
KQ
KQT9xxxx
xx

was a WEAK 2♦. "To have something in reserve", he later said.

Needless to say, I had a monster and we ended up missing the simplest of grand slams. I considered the possibility of him opening on 7 cards, but it didn't cross my mind he could have EIGHT of them