dreadful IMP pairs evening, hand 1

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

After a run of surprisingly good results, the punishment round finally arrived. A dreadful (and very unenjoyable) evening where everything that could go wrong seemed to go wrong, whereas our opponents seemingly could pull bids out at random and gain imps.

Board 12, NS vuln:

AJT65
AQJ
Q
9874
Q4 73
632 KT754
K654 T82
AQT6 K32
K982
98
AJ973
J5

5 card majors, strong NT. I was North.

N E S W
P
1S 2H 3S 4H
X AP

I thought that my partners 3S was more shape than values, and with my singleton Q being possibly worthless and the heart finesse marked to fail, thought that 4S was too unlikely to make. I thus decided to go for the plus score and take the penalty. We got it three off for +500, but lost imps as 4S does make, and all but one of the rest of the room bid it.

According to the man concerned sitting East he thought for a bit and then decided to bid as he thought that passing after thinking would restrict his partners action due to unauthorised information.

[Lorne Anderson]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
After a run of surprisingly good results, the punishment round finally arrived. A dreadful (and very unenjoyable) evening where everything that could go wrong seemed to go wrong, whereas our opponents seemingly could pull bids out at random and gain imps.
AJT65
AQJ
Q
9874
Q4 73
632 KT754
K654 T82
AQT6 K32
K982
98
AJ973
J5
5 card majors, strong NT. I was North.
N E S W
P
1S 2H 3S 4H
X AP
I thought that my partners 3S was more shape than values, and with my singleton Q being possibly worthless and the heart finesse marked to fail, thought that 4S was too unlikely to make. I thus decided to go for the plus score and take the penalty. We got it three off for +500, but lost imps as 4S does make, and all but one of the rest of the room bid it.
According to the man concerned sitting East he thought for a bit and then decided to bid as he thought that passing after thinking would restrict his partners action due to unauthorised information.

Double is correct - you only lost a couple of IMP's whereas 4S would
often fail on this auction as spades will usually be 3-1 or S may have
useless values in clubs rather than the diamond ace.

2H was an indescribably bad bid - deserves -1100.

[p***@gmail.com]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
After a run of surprisingly good results, the punishment round finally arrived. A dreadful (and very unenjoyable) evening where everything that could go wrong seemed to go wrong, whereas our opponents seemingly could pull bids out at random and gain imps.
AJT65
AQJ
Q
9874
Q4 73
632 KT754
K654 T82
AQT6 K32
K982
98
AJ973
J5
5 card majors, strong NT. I was North.
N E S W
P
1S 2H 3S 4H
X AP
I thought that my partners 3S was more shape than values, and with my singleton Q being possibly worthless and the heart finesse marked to fail, thought that 4S was too unlikely to make. I thus decided to go for the plus score and take the penalty. We got it three off for +500, but lost imps as 4S does make, and all but one of the rest of the room bid it.
According to the man concerned sitting East he thought for a bit and then decided to bid as he thought that passing after thinking would restrict his partners action due to unauthorised information.

As South I would have bid 3H as an invite instead of a pre-emptive 3S. Then North knows that game is marginal. Not an obvious decision. I'd probably go to 4S because the vulnerability is unfavorable for double.