wrong contract, disagreement with partner

[a***@yahoo.co.uk]

I held as East:

A85
Q87
AK7
QJ87

N E S W
1H P
P X 2D 2S
P 2NT AP

My hand is too strong for a protective 1NT so I doubled, intending to bid NT next time around. After the 2S response, I decided partner could have four spades, so bid 2NT instead of raising spades. This failed, as 2NT went one down whereas 3S is an easy make. Partner insisted that she must have five spades for her bid, and that with only four she would double. I said that it was very unlikely she had five spades, since if she has enough values to volunteer a spade bid and has five of them, she could have overcalled the first time.

Partners hand was:

QJT97
K62
52
KT9

What do you think?

2NT can make double dummy played by me, the defence attacked diamonds, and I ended up losing three diamonds, a spade and two aces.

[Lorne]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
A85
Q87
AK7
QJ87
N E S W
1H P
P X 2D 2S
P 2NT AP
My hand is too strong for a protective 1NT so I doubled, intending to bid NT next time around. After the 2S response, I decided partner could have four spades, so bid 2NT instead of raising spades. This failed, as 2NT went one down whereas 3S is an easy make. Partner insisted that she must have five spades for her bid, and that with only four she would double. I said that it was very unlikely she had five spades, since if she has enough values to volunteer a spade bid and has five of them, she could have overcalled the first time.
QJT97
K62
52
KT9
What do you think?
2NT can make double dummy played by me, the defence attacked diamonds, and I ended up losing three diamonds, a spade and two aces.

How many spades partner has depends on your agreement about double -
some play it denies 4 spades others play it as less than 5.

However your 2N bid shows 15+ or 16+ depending on your range for a
protective NT so partner should be bidding game. The most flexible way
forward is 3D which allows you to show 3 spades and you get to play 4S
which looks like it should make as you can throw a heart on the long club.

[a***@yahoo.co.uk]

Post by Lorne

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
A85
Q87
AK7
QJ87
N E S W
1H P
P X 2D 2S
P 2NT AP
My hand is too strong for a protective 1NT so I doubled, intending to bid NT next time around. After the 2S response, I decided partner could have four spades, so bid 2NT instead of raising spades. This failed, as 2NT went one down whereas 3S is an easy make. Partner insisted that she must have five spades for her bid, and that with only four she would double. I said that it was very unlikely she had five spades, since if she has enough values to volunteer a spade bid and has five of them, she could have overcalled the first time.
QJT97
K62
52
KT9
What do you think?
2NT can make double dummy played by me, the defence attacked diamonds, and I ended up losing three diamonds, a spade and two aces.

How many spades partner has depends on your agreement about double -
some play it denies 4 spades others play it as less than 5.
However your 2N bid shows 15+ or 16+ depending on your range for a
protective NT so partner should be bidding game. The most flexible way
forward is 3D which allows you to show 3 spades and you get to play 4S
which looks like it should make as you can throw a heart on the long club.

4S doesn't make.

North holds 432 54 863 A6543
South holds K6 AJT97 QJT94 2

Assuming East is declarer, after a heart lead, declarer cannot stop North getting a heart ruff (the third trump with North combined with South holding Kx preventing declarer from drawing all North's spades is the killer), which combined with the SK, CA and HA takes it off.

[Lorne]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk

Post by Lorne

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
A85
Q87
AK7
QJ87
N E S W
1H P
P X 2D 2S
P 2NT AP
My hand is too strong for a protective 1NT so I doubled, intending to bid NT next time around. After the 2S response, I decided partner could have four spades, so bid 2NT instead of raising spades. This failed, as 2NT went one down whereas 3S is an easy make. Partner insisted that she must have five spades for her bid, and that with only four she would double. I said that it was very unlikely she had five spades, since if she has enough values to volunteer a spade bid and has five of them, she could have overcalled the first time.
QJT97
K62
52
KT9
What do you think?
2NT can make double dummy played by me, the defence attacked diamonds, and I ended up losing three diamonds, a spade and two aces.

How many spades partner has depends on your agreement about double -
some play it denies 4 spades others play it as less than 5.
However your 2N bid shows 15+ or 16+ depending on your range for a
protective NT so partner should be bidding game. The most flexible way
forward is 3D which allows you to show 3 spades and you get to play 4S
which looks like it should make as you can throw a heart on the long club.

4S doesn't make.
North holds 432 54 863 A6543
South holds K6 AJT97 QJT94 2
Assuming East is declarer, after a heart lead, declarer cannot stop North getting a heart ruff (the third trump with North combined with South holding Kx preventing declarer from drawing all North's spades is the killer), which combined with the SK, CA and HA takes it off.

Just because it might fail this time does not mean you do not want to
bid it. I ran a simulation with the west hand fixed and the other 39
cards dealt randomly but only those deals where S opens 1H and E has a
strong NT were analysed. For those where E had 3/4 spades 10+ tricks
made 70% of the time in 4S and for the rest 3N made 71% of the time so
stopping out of game is a clear long term loser.

Also on the hand, why did E pas 1H? Looks like an auto 1S overcall to me.

[a***@yahoo.co.uk]

Post by Lorne

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk

Post by Lorne

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
A85
Q87
AK7
QJ87
N E S W
1H P
P X 2D 2S
P 2NT AP
My hand is too strong for a protective 1NT so I doubled, intending to bid NT next time around. After the 2S response, I decided partner could have four spades, so bid 2NT instead of raising spades. This failed, as 2NT went one down whereas 3S is an easy make. Partner insisted that she must have five spades for her bid, and that with only four she would double. I said that it was very unlikely she had five spades, since if she has enough values to volunteer a spade bid and has five of them, she could have overcalled the first time.
QJT97
K62
52
KT9
What do you think?
2NT can make double dummy played by me, the defence attacked diamonds, and I ended up losing three diamonds, a spade and two aces.

How many spades partner has depends on your agreement about double -
some play it denies 4 spades others play it as less than 5.
However your 2N bid shows 15+ or 16+ depending on your range for a
protective NT so partner should be bidding game. The most flexible way
forward is 3D which allows you to show 3 spades and you get to play 4S
which looks like it should make as you can throw a heart on the long club.

4S doesn't make.
North holds 432 54 863 A6543
South holds K6 AJT97 QJT94 2
Assuming East is declarer, after a heart lead, declarer cannot stop North getting a heart ruff (the third trump with North combined with South holding Kx preventing declarer from drawing all North's spades is the killer), which combined with the SK, CA and HA takes it off.

Just because it might fail this time does not mean you do not want to
bid it. I ran a simulation with the west hand fixed and the other 39
cards dealt randomly but only those deals where S opens 1H and E has a
strong NT were analysed. For those where E had 3/4 spades 10+ tricks
made 70% of the time in 4S and for the rest 3N made 71% of the time so
stopping out of game is a clear long term loser.
Also on the hand, why did E pas 1H? Looks like an auto 1S overcall to me.

I agree, I wasn't implying it was right to stop in a part score, only that on this deal game fails. At least if we had gone off in 4S we could have put it down to bad luck rather than suboptimal bidding.

I don't get why she didn't overcall 1S.

[Travis Crump]

Post by Lorne

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
A85
Q87
AK7
QJ87
N E S W
1H P
P X 2D 2S
P 2NT AP
My hand is too strong for a protective 1NT so I doubled, intending to
bid NT next time around. After the 2S response, I decided partner
could have four spades, so bid 2NT instead of raising spades. This
failed, as 2NT went one down whereas 3S is an easy make. Partner
insisted that she must have five spades for her bid, and that with
only four she would double. I said that it was very unlikely she had
five spades, since if she has enough values to volunteer a spade bid
and has five of them, she could have overcalled the first time.

I disagree that this hand is too strong for 1N. I'd rather pass out or
double once with balanced 11 counts than contort myself on these types
of hands. For instance the same hand with one of the aces a spot in the
same suit I'd be happy to pass out.

Post by Lorne

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
QJT97
K62
52
KT9
What do you think?
2NT can make double dummy played by me, the defence attacked diamonds,
and I ended up losing three diamonds, a spade and two aces.

How many spades partner has depends on your agreement about double -
some play it denies 4 spades others play it as less than 5.
However your 2N bid shows 15+ or 16+ depending on your range for a
protective NT so partner should be bidding game. The most flexible way
forward is 3D which allows you to show 3 spades and you get to play 4S
which looks like it should make as you can throw a heart on the long club.

The defense is likely to be able to arrange a heart ruff.

[Barry Margolin]

Post by Travis Crump

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
A85
Q87
AK7
QJ87
N E S W
1H P
P X 2D 2S
P 2NT AP
My hand is too strong for a protective 1NT so I doubled, intending to
bid NT next time around. After the 2S response, I decided partner
could have four spades, so bid 2NT instead of raising spades. This
failed, as 2NT went one down whereas 3S is an easy make. Partner
insisted that she must have five spades for her bid, and that with
only four she would double. I said that it was very unlikely she had
five spades, since if she has enough values to volunteer a spade bid
and has five of them, she could have overcalled the first time.

I disagree that this hand is too strong for 1N. I'd rather pass out or
double once with balanced 11 counts than contort myself on these types
of hands. For instance the same hand with one of the aces a spot in the
same suit I'd be happy to pass out.

With some of my partners I play that a balancing 1NT has a different
range depending on whether the opening was in a major or minor. Over a
major I play 11-16 rather than 11-14. Partner is more likely to bid on
the 2 level, and you don't want to have to bid 2NT to show 15-16
opposite partner's possible bust.

To deal with this wide range you can then play Range Stayman. If partner
has values, he bids 2C. If you're in the 11-14 range you respond on the
2 level, if you're 15-16 you bid 2NT and partner can bid 3C to ask for a
4-card major again. There are probably other variations of this, but the
general idea is that the wide range requires a way to inquire in case
partner has enough to bid game opposite the high end.

[[e-mail]]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
A85
Q87
AK7
QJ87
N E S W
1H P
P X 2D 2S
P 2NT AP
My hand is too strong for a protective 1NT so I doubled, intending to bid NT next time around. After the 2S response, I decided partner could have four spades, so bid 2NT instead of raising spades. This failed, as 2NT went one down whereas 3S is an easy make. Partner insisted that she must have five spades for her bid, and that with only four she would double. I said that it was very unlikely she had five spades, since if she has enough values to volunteer a spade bid and has five of them, she could have overcalled the first time.
QJT97
K62
52
KT9
What do you think?
2NT can make double dummy played by me, the defence attacked diamonds, and I ended up losing three diamonds, a spade and two aces.

The distinction between 4 and 5 spades is trivial compared to the ability to show 4+ diamonds. When west has diamonds also, south is about to preference to hearts. If east must pass over 2D, how will EW play in diamonds then?


Carl

[[e-mail]]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
A85
Q87
AK7
QJ87
N E S W
1H P
P X 2D 2S
P 2NT AP
My hand is too strong for a protective 1NT so I doubled, intending to bid NT next time around. After the 2S response, I decided partner could have four spades, so bid 2NT instead of raising spades. This failed, as 2NT went one down whereas 3S is an easy make. Partner insisted that she must have five spades for her bid, and that with only four she would double. I said that it was very unlikely she had five spades, since if she has enough values to volunteer a spade bid and has five of them, she could have overcalled the first time.
QJT97
K62
52
KT9
What do you think?
2NT can make double dummy played by me, the defence attacked diamonds, and I ended up losing three diamonds, a spade and two aces.

Also: After a competitive auction, no stopping in 2NT. Either bid some game or scramble to 3-level.

Carl

[Hotzenplotz]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
A85
Q87
AK7
QJ87
N E S W
1H P
P X 2D 2S
P 2NT AP
My hand is too strong for a protective 1NT so I doubled, intending to bid NT next time around. After the 2S response, I decided partner could have four spades, so bid 2NT instead of raising spades. This failed, as 2NT went one down whereas 3S is an easy make. Partner insisted that she must have five spades for her bid, and that with only four she would double. I said that it was very unlikely she had five spades, since if she has enough values to volunteer a spade bid and has five of them, she could have overcalled the first time.
QJT97
K62
52
KT9
What do you think?
2NT can make double dummy played by me, the defence attacked diamonds, and I ended up losing three diamonds, a spade and two aces.

Your partner obviously has a 1S overcall. However the fact that she did not not overcall does not mean she has no 5 carder. Personally not having overcalled, I would bid 3S with her hand.

[Will in New Haven]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
A85
Q87
AK7
QJ87
N E S W
1H P
P X 2D 2S
P 2NT AP
My hand is too strong for a protective 1NT so I doubled, intending to bid NT next time around. After the 2S response, I decided partner could have four spades, so bid 2NT instead of raising spades. This failed, as 2NT went one down whereas 3S is an easy make. Partner insisted that she must have five spades for her bid, and that with only four she would double. I said that it was very unlikely she had five spades, since if she has enough values to volunteer a spade bid and has five of them, she could have overcalled the first time.
QJT97
K62
52
KT9
What do you think?
2NT can make double dummy played by me, the defence attacked diamonds, and I ended up losing three diamonds, a spade and two aces.

If your agreement says that your hand is too strong for a balancing 1NT, then you have to double. I certainly want to be able to balance with 1NT with a weaker hand, so I would double. Partner's 2S bid seems correct to me (and her failure to overcall as well) I think passing your 2NT rebid seems wrong. It shows a good hand and makes her Heart holding look good. I would follow with 3D and get to 4S. Looking at the two hands and remembering the auction, that seems a reasonable contract.