High level decision

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

MP, green against red:

East
2
K87
AK653
AK85

This was a county qualifying event, so assume the opponents are pretty decent.

N E S W
1D 4S 5H
P ?

Your call.

[Co Wiersma]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
East
2
K87
AK653
AK85
This was a county qualifying event, so assume the opponents are pretty decent.
N E S W
1D 4S 5H
P ?
Your call.

I would bid 6H

Co Wiersma

[John Hall]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
East
2
K87
AK653
AK85
This was a county qualifying event, so assume the opponents are pretty decent.
N E S W
1D 4S 5H
P ?
Your call.

Is partner pretty decent too? :) If so, he must surely have a good suit
for his 5H call, and with my highly suitable hand 6H seems reasonable.

[Mick Heins]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
East
2
K87
AK653
AK85
This was a county qualifying event, so assume the opponents are pretty decent.
N E S W
1D 4S 5H
P ?
Your call.

I join the 6H train.

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

Ok, so three people would do the same as I did at the table. The conclusion was:

N E S W
1D 4S 5H
P 6H X AP

I got a Lightner double against me, a dimaond lead was ruffed by South followed by cashing the spade ace. One down and a stonking bottom. One other pair was in 6H making and three others were in 5H making 12 tricks, so it looks like we got the only pair in the room to find that defence. A couple of others were defending 5S and 6S doubled, down two and three respectively. The deal was:

T83
63
QJT872
72
K7 2
AQJ9542 K87
94 AK653
43 AK85
AQJ9654
T
-
QJT96

I hate to admit it, but this hand really pi**ed me off. Years ago I may not have had the judgement to bid slam in this situation with such a hand. Here I made seemingly the right call on our cards and got severely punished for it.

It just happens that 6H is cold if I play it, since North never gets on lead to give South a ruff, and 6NT makes because the SK is the 12th trick. Maybe there is a way of agreeing that redoubling in this situation asks partner to bid NT with a stop in the opponents suit.

[f***@googlemail.com]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
N E S W
1D 4S 5H
P 6H X AP
T83
63
QJT872
72
K7 2
AQJ9542 K87
94 AK653
43 AK85
AQJ9654
T
-
QJT96
I hate to admit it, but this hand really pi**ed me off. Years ago I may not have had the judgement to bid slam in this situation with such a hand. Here I made seemingly the right call on our cards and got severely punished for it.
It just happens that 6H is cold if I play it, since North never gets on lead to give South a ruff, and 6NT makes because the SK is the 12th trick. Maybe there is a way of agreeing that redoubling in this situation asks partner to bid NT with a stop in the opponents suit.

6H is just the normal call on your hand, don't worry about it.

Redouble means it is making in spite of the diamond lead being ruffed (perhaps you have a spade void but are missing the king of diamonds, and now you know the finesse is right)

The interesting bidding problem is to give your partner's hand after the double comes round to him. That I think is a 6NT bid.

[Sandy Barnes]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
N E S W
1D 4S 5H
P 6H X AP
T83
63
QJT872
72
K7 2
AQJ9542 K87
94 AK653
43 AK85
AQJ9654
T
-
QJT96
I hate to admit it, but this hand really pi**ed me off. Years ago I may not have had the judgement to bid slam in this situation with such a hand. Here I made seemingly the right call on our cards and got severely punished for it.
It just happens that 6H is cold if I play it, since North never gets on lead to give South a ruff, and 6NT makes because the SK is the 12th trick. Maybe there is a way of agreeing that redoubling in this situation asks partner to bid NT with a stop in the opponents suit.

Hmmmm ... why did not partner convert to 6NT? The diamond void was signaled to him.

[Travis Crump]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
East
2
K87
AK653
AK85
This was a county qualifying event, so assume the opponents are pretty decent.
N E S W
1D 4S 5H
P ?
Your call.

I think people are missing the point. I don't think the decision is
between 6H and pass. The decision is between 6H and looking for 7H. You
only need Ax AQJxxxx xx xx from partner to be laydown for 7H, but I'm
not sure how to look for it intelligently. And it isn't nearly likely
enough to blast it.

[Mick Heins]

Post by Travis Crump

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
East
2
K87
AK653
AK85
This was a county qualifying event, so assume the opponents are pretty decent.
N E S W
1D 4S 5H
P ?
Your call.

I think people are missing the point. I don't think the decision is
between 6H and pass. The decision is between 6H and looking for 7H.

Of course, but I rejected the possibility. What do you do? 5S? That's not
going to elicit what you need. 6C? Ambiguous. 5N? Lacking a special agreement
with partner I would think that was ambigous at best.

Post by Travis Crump
You
only need Ax AQJxxxx xx xx from partner to be laydown for 7H, but I'm
not sure how to look for it intelligently. And it isn't nearly likely
enough to blast it.

If partner has that, he could conceivably bid 7 himself.

[John Hall]

Post by Travis Crump

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
East
2
K87
AK653
AK85
This was a county qualifying event, so assume the opponents are pretty decent.
N E S W
1D 4S 5H
P ?
Your call.

I think people are missing the point. I don't think the decision is
between 6H and pass. The decision is between 6H and looking for 7H. You
only need Ax AQJxxxx xx xx from partner to be laydown for 7H, but I'm
not sure how to look for it intelligently. And it isn't nearly likely
enough to blast it.

I did consider 7H, but couldn't see any way to find out if it was a good
contract. And just blasting it didn't seem like a good idea, as the odds
are that the 4S bidder will have the spade Ace and partner at least a
singleton spade.

[Co Wiersma]

Post by Travis Crump

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
East
2
K87
AK653
AK85
This was a county qualifying event, so assume the opponents are pretty decent.
N E S W
1D 4S 5H
P ?
Your call.

I think people are missing the point. I don't think the decision is
between 6H and pass. The decision is between 6H and looking for 7H. You
only need Ax AQJxxxx xx xx from partner to be laydown for 7H, but I'm
not sure how to look for it intelligently. And it isn't nearly likely
enough to blast it.

So you bid 6H also?
Then why do you think people are missing the point?

Co Wiersma

[Bruce Evans]

Post by Travis Crump

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
East
2
K87
AK653
AK85
This was a county qualifying event, so assume the opponents are pretty decent.
N E S W
1D 4S 5H
P ?
Your call.

I think people are missing the point. I don't think the decision is
between 6H and pass. The decision is between 6H and looking for 7H. You
only need Ax AQJxxxx xx xx from partner to be laydown for 7H, but I'm
not sure how to look for it intelligently. And it isn't nearly likely
enough to blast it.

I agree, except the point might have been the opponents' errors of not
bidding briskly to 6S to avoid giving you a free run to 6H or 6NT, or
the Lightner double to transfer you from 6H down on inspired defense
to 6NT making.

A strength-showing bid by N here would have solved all of N/S's problems.
S held 7 hearts to the AQJ and the Kx of spades. I think S thought that
5H was already agressive, and when N bid only 6H S didn't see how there
could be enough tricks in 6NT.

But 5S suggests a spade control and 5NT has unclear meaning, so I would
just bid 6H.

Bruce

[Steve Willner]

The decision is between 6H and looking for 7H.... but I'm
not sure how to look for it intelligently.

I think that's exactly right (as some others have indicated). Maybe 5NT
then 6H should show this kind of hand, but I don't think it does unless
you have some very detailed and unusual agreements. In practice 6S will
be taken as showing first round spade control (again unless you have
specific agreements), so I wouldn't bid that.

There's no reason to be terribly upset: you got to a great contract that
went down on a 6-0 break. Admittedly bad breaks are more likely after a
big preempt, but you can't anticipate 6-0.

I think West might well have pulled to 6NT with his S-Kx, but it depends
on how tricky or reliable he assesses the opponents as being. Psychic
Lightner doubles aren't common, but they can occur.

[Charles Brenner]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
East
2
K87
AK653
AK85
This was a county qualifying event, so assume the opponents are pretty decent.
N E S W
1D 4S 5H
P ?
Your call.

5S. I have no illusions about getting to 7. I want partner to know what kind of hand I have mainly to make it 100% clear that we're in a forcing auction if the opponents bid 6S.

If it also guides partner into running to 6NT after (or even before) 6H is doubled (I've peeked at the result by now), then that's fine too and we'll never know if I'd claim credit for foresight in that event.

[Player]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
East
2
K87
AK653
AK85
This was a county qualifying event, so assume the opponents are pretty decent.
N E S W
1D 4S 5H
P ?
Your call.

6H

[Will in New Haven]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
East
2
K87
AK653
AK85
This was a county qualifying event, so assume the opponents are pretty decent.
N E S W
1D 4S 5H
P ?
Your call.

6H.

[Sandy Barnes]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
East
2
K87
AK653
AK85
This was a county qualifying event, so assume the opponents are pretty decent.
N E S W
1D 4S 5H
P ?
Your call.

6H, end played.