[Tramticket]

---

IMPs

What do you bid now? I guess that it depends on your agreements. If you have agreed that double means that you would have made a penalty double of 1NT, then you double. We had agreed that double would show diamonds (5+). I passed. Whether you double or pass, LHO will bid 2♥:

---

What now? Double would be take-out. 2NT would shows the minor, bids would be natural. I elected to bid 2NT ...

---

The 3♠ bid is a bit strange! You know nothing about your opponents, but they have played competently so far. What do you do over 3♠? What do you do when north bids 3NT?


[Sorry - intended to post this in I/A forum]

[pescetom]

I pass over 3S and 3NT, wait until partner has chosen his lead and then start asking questions. What is 3S here and what would 2S over 2H have been?

[FelicityR]

It's so strange, bordering on completely weird that the only explanation I can think of off the top of my head is that the player accidently pulled the wrong bidding card out of the box intending a 2♥ transfer to 2♠s, got embarrassed to bid again until the opponents competed in the minors, and then got bold enough to realise that partner may have some ♠ support, hence the 3♠ bid.

If there's a logical explanation to all of this then I am all ears...

[eagles123]

I would have passed out 2H, however now in this situation I would double 3N, sure if they've had a miracle auction and it makes then well done ops, but I'm not letting them play 3N undoubled, when they were previously settling for a part score at the 2 level.

[pescetom]

Tramticket, on 2019-August-19, 01:49, said:

[Sorry - intended to post this in I/A forum]

My hunch is that it will belong in the Laws and Rulings forum, once we know the explanations of South's bidding.

[FelicityR]

eagles123, on 2019-August-19, 06:35, said:

I would have passed out 2H, however now in this situation I would double 3N, sure if they've had a miracle auction and it makes then well done ops, but I'm not letting them play 3N undoubled, when they were previously settling for a part score at the 2 level.

My thoughts entirely. I also felt that West was a shade light to compete at the three level in a minor vulnerable. However, now that the opponents find themselves in 3NT it behoves you to punish them with a double. If 3NT or 4♠ is making on this auction I will be flabbergasted.

[Tramticket]

eagles123, on 2019-August-19, 06:35, said:

I would have passed out 2H, however now in this situation I would double 3N, sure if they've had a miracle auction and it makes then well done ops, but I'm not letting them play 3N undoubled, when they were previously settling for a part score at the 2 level.

I wish that I had passed out 2♥. I followed your logic and doubled 3NT ... bad choice.

FelicityR, on 2019-August-19, 07:29, said:

now that the opponents find themselves in 3NT it behoves you to punish them with a double. If 3NT or 4♠ is making on this auction I will be flabbergasted.

No. 3NT and 4♠ are failing … but 4♥ could not be beaten:

---

I still don't understand South's 3♠ bid. I can understand the desire to compete, but surely 3♦ would suggest both majors. Personally, I woulf have bid 2♣ (staymaN) at south's first turn.

Was I a mug?

[pescetom]

Tramticket, on 2019-August-19, 09:19, said:

Was I a mug?

I think you were, a bit, although it's also bad luck of course.
Weird bidding often means a weird hand, and having advertized where ♦QJ are there is always some risk of them making 4♥ or even 4♠.
As said, I would have passed it out.

[mikeh]

Late to the hand

I would not have bid over 2H: of course RHO has, as it happens, bid very strangely, but one should expect, at the point of decision, that partner has 7 or 8 major suit cards, and may have more: would any of us be surprised to find Jxxxxx xxx xx xx in dummy? Disappointed, yes, but surprised? No.

We are trying to find +110 against -110, on an auction where we may actually beat 2H! Picture declarer with Ax(x) in hearts and dummy with Qxxxx, We can easily be scoring 4 tricks in our hand, and partner need not contribute much to get a plus.

Meanwhile, if we have guessed wrong, this is an easy hand for them to hammer us, since responder can double with a decent defensive hand, knowin that opener can safely run to 3H with 4 card support, and otherwise likely carve us up.

Once they bid 3N, if this comes around to us, wild horses could not make me double. I may not even be able to beat this! Opener's 3N suggests my minors are not setting up: Kxx xx AK109 QJ9x for opener opposite AJ9x Axxxx xx xx for responder on a club lead...how do you like your chances? You need to switch to a heart at trick 2 to prevent a second overtrick!

Meanwhile, I do expect to beat this but I don't expect to get rich. If we are beating it, we are probably picking up imps, since I hope my teammates are not bidding like this. I'll happily take 5 to 7 imps and move on.