[jim420]

In this "beyond crazy" auction I've ever been involved in, EW got the cold ♥ game. Please assign the blame between N, S and luck...

Scoring: IMP

W N E S
- P P P
1NT P P 2♠
3♥ 3♠ P P
4♦ P 4♥ P
P P

4♥W+1
+5.1 IMPs to EW

---

[TimG]

No sense worrying much about this -- the situation is never likely to repeat itself.

Not everyone would balance with the south cards, though their concern would be vulnerable undertricks, not the opponents coming alive and scoring up a game.

[helene_t]

S should not balance wth a passed p, vulnerable, at IMPs. Not because EW might bid game in the rebound (that can be an issue after a minor suit opening but not after a NT opening) but because 2♠ can lose much more (such as -800 instead of -120) than it can gain (such as +110 instead of -90).

W is not psyching, just a novice who learned to open 1NT with 15-17 points. Next board.

[badderzboy]

After sending West for a drug test and sanity check ....

Wests bid is one of two things - they are a hog and want to bid NTs first I had 15-17 ptr... or a total beginner with 15-17 bid 1NT and forgot the balanced hand bit...

Now p-p-p -1NT - p - p seems reasonable as would p-p-p-1H-p-p...

Spotlight on South to balance or not balance that is the question....

Personally I never ever get a good result balancing esp vul with a 5 card suit 8 pts and ptr is a passed hand so I pass and after the quiet !C lead take the 1st 9 tricks...

PS I would love to know what the heck East is thinking as the auction progresses....


Steve

[neilkaz]

I wouldn't balance with 8 HCP and this many holes in my 5 card suit at IMPs Red vs White. You are going for a big number if Opener has KQx(x) and his PD passed a 6 or 7 count. Other times you may just drive the opps into a red suit where maybe they do better than in 1NT.

.. neilkaz ..

[Apollo81]

South shouldn't have balanced Red/White with that, but I don't think that you can blame that for the result since that came out of nowhere.