[FelicityR]

This board produced a slew of bad results at our weekly MPs, though some got off more lightly than others. Most the pairs were playing Acol, and if you know Acol bidding, the response of 1NT to a 1♣ opening (which usually is a minimum of a 4 card suit) shows some tolerance for ♣s together with 8-10 HCPs, with or without the intervening double by my partner.

I chose to scramble with a bid of 2♥ which fortunately didn't get doubled, but partner then raised to 3♥ which was doubled.
That was a shared bottom board with one other pair.

I'm not out to castigate my partner, as I would have doubled on the second round too, and I felt that the raise to 3♥ wasn't so bad as with a slightly different South hand 4♥ might have some play.

So how do you see it? And, as always, thank you for your replies.

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[pescetom]

Do you consider 2NT as scramble, or unthinkable?

[nige1]

FelicityR writes 'This board produced a slew of bad results at our weekly MPs, though some got off more lightly than others. Most the pairs were playing Acol, and if you know Acol bidding, the response of 1NT to a 1♣ opening (which usually is a minimum of a 4 card suit) shows some tolerance for ♣s together with 8-10 HCPs, with or without the intervening double by my partner.I chose to scramble with a bid of 2♥ which fortunately didn't get doubled, but partner then raised to 3♥ which was doubled.That was a shared bottom board with one other pair.I'm not out to castigate my partner, as I would have doubled on the second round too, and I felt that the raise to 3♥ wasn't so bad as with a slightly different South hand 4♥ might have some play.So how do you see it? And, as always, thank you for your replies.'
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


IMO, The operation was successful but the patient died
Partner's doubles were fine, you were right to scramble, partner was right to bid 3♥, and you were both unlucky

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[steve2005]

pescetom, on 2019-June-20, 13:20, said:

Do you consider 2NT as scramble, or unthinkable?

there is nowhere to go partner just caught you with worst hand

on another day 4H might be there

[neilkaz]

Forgive me, but PD's raise to 3♥ is awful. Based on his 17 count and 1NT showing 8-10 he can expect you to have at most possibly 1 useful high card and more likely none. PD's has shown his hand with his 2nd double and now must leave it up to you to compete further should the opps compete to 3♣.

[Cyberyeti]

neilkaz, on 2019-June-20, 16:49, said:

Forgive me, but PD's raise to 3♥ is awful. Based on his 17 count and 1NT showing 8-10 he can expect you to have at most possibly 1 useful high card and more likely none. PD's has shown his hand with his 2nd double and now must leave it up to you to compete further should the opps compete to 3♣.

Do you expect partner to do more with say xx, J10xxx, 10x xxxx ? which is more than enough for 4♥ to be very playable, he could, but in some partnerships won't.

[gszes]

its MP we do not need to scramble for low % game chances. Pass over 2h seems best. P has heard the 2nd x and N does not have much in the way of extras. At IMPS I would try 3h.

[msjennifer]

Sirs, 1)With the mentioned vulnerability it is quite possible that the 1NT bid was a gag bid.(psyche) In that case one would have heard something from S. (2)presupposing that 1NT was explained as 9/10 HCP North must realise that partner may have not more than 2/3 HCP.If it so happened that a wrong explanation was given then NS could ask for redress later.(3)I must admit that it was a bit unwise yet tempting to JUST CONSIDER raising to to 3H,considering that E did not redouble to show 9/10 with support/tolerance for the majors.(4)S could have used a 2NT scramble Lebensohl bid had the auction gone 1S-X-2S-P-P-X but its not the case here.(5)W confirmed a long club suit(as opposed to a prepared club) and it is quite possible for him to hold four of either major suit.(6)in light of the bidding it is not unlikely for E to hold length ,but not strength in ,say K10xx in diamonds.(7)Keeping these in mind as also the fact that N has advertised a 16-18 hand with say about 5/6 losers ,S would certainly bid according to his loser count with a six card major suit(which he failed to bid with 2HCP hand and the vulnerability) (8)It ,hence .was quite possible for S to hold just the hand which he actually held,2H being the forced scramble bid.Of course he can have a 4 card suit.(9)N just does not have the WINNERS he is expected(or say supposed) to have for a 3H IMMEDIATE RAISE.It is not at all likely(believing S) or perhaps a bit hopeless to imagine that ten tricks can be made.IMO 3H was a reckless bid.P.S. It is possible to play a REVERSE LEBENSOHL in this auction.(of course this is just my opinion)

[pes_6]

I understood "scramble" mean "escape" so I chose answer PASS. Partner bid good two times double but what the heck 3♥??? You can nothing only PASS 3♥x and after when board is finished say to your partner that he/she is a bad gambler.

[nekthen]

Given the vulnerability, I pass the second dbl. I expect opps to make, but still going to be best score and it may flush out a psyche by East

[Cyberyeti]

nekthen, on 2019-June-21, 05:12, said:

Given the vulnerability, I pass the second dbl. I expect opps to make, but still going to be best score

This was my first thought also

[igt3]

I don´t like 3♥ from partner. The second double told the story. If I have a little bit more I will bid 3♥ myself.

[igt3]

Cyberyeti, on 2019-June-20, 17:00, said:

Do you expect partner to do more with say xx, J10xxx, 10x xxxx ? which is more than enough for 4♥ to be very playable, he could, but in some partnerships won't.

With this I would bid 3♥ (mostly because of my J10xxx in hearts)

[Cyberyeti]

igt3, on 2019-June-21, 08:28, said:

With this I would bid 3♥ (mostly because of my J10xxx in hearts)

If you're going to do this, you need a lot more than I do for the second X

[miamijd]

I think the bidding is fine except for partner's 3H call. At MPs, I would have passed, as it's very unlikely you have a game. At IMPs, 3H is worth considering.

[miamijd]

miamijd, on 2019-June-21, 10:35, said:

I think the bidding is fine except for partner's 3H call. At MPs, I would have passed, as it's very unlikely you have a game. I don't think 3H is insane by any means, however. At IMPs, 3H is worth considering.

[HardVector]

All was fine except for the 3h bid. Partner should be warned by your failure to do anything after the 1n bid. That means that you shouldn't have a 9+ count. After the 2nd double, if you have an exceptional fit, you can bid 3h yourself without overstating your values, so partner should seriously consider the possibility that things are miserable when you just bid 2h. If you continually chase perfect fits, you will be disappointed more often than not. If 2h happens to make 4, shrug and move on, it's still possible that you are getting a good result because it may have taken some breaks to make 4.

[aawk]

Simple case of selling your hand twice 3♥ was a terrible bid. It shows distrust in your partner, a gamble mentality, lets have fun tonight or lack of bridge knowhow.

[bravejason]

I would have passed.

With 5 clubs in your hand either the opponents will exhaust their trumps pulling yours and then partners high cards clean up or the opponents will expend trumps ruffing partner’s high cards and then your trumps are winners.

When your side declares, it can only be played from partners hand due to the lack of high cards in your hand. It’s tough to play from one hand only unless it has a running suits because there is no way to attack a suit from the opposite hand or finesse an otherwise badly placed opposing high card.