[sceptic]

Scoring: IMP

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West North East South

 Pass  Pass  1♣    Pass
 Pass  Pass  

HI I wonder if you would care to comment on this hand please, I was the first to pass

[sceptic]

Correction I was first to pass after the 1 club bid

[mikestar]

You need some partnership discussion about balancing. If you can pass a hand this strong, partner must reopen even on his mediocre 10 count.

If your partnership decison is that your hand must act in direct seat, 1H is the best of a bad lot but it may get you to the wrong major. I might cheat and make a takout double with only 2 cards in an unbid minor, but not with a stiff. Some might venture 1N with your cards, but I think that's rather dangerous--you would be announcing a club stopper and they rate to be long in diamond: this is the opening lead you will get and NT won't do well from your side.

I much prefer a partnership understanding that allows a pass on South's cards. Now North must balance. If he chooses 1NT, you will get to 3N and a normal result; if he chooses to double, you can leave it in and put them down more than your game is worth.

I much prefer to allow trap passes and balance light, but what is most critical is that you and your partner are on the same wavelength.

[the hog]

If the opening was 1C, I would certainly overall 1NT. This is a much better bid than X, (or 1H, which could be bid on far less - a decent 8 count say). Far too good to pass and anyway, pass makes the auction too difficult for partner. 1N expresses the value of the hand which would be difficult to show without this overcall. There are many 8-9 counts where pd will have some Cs and pass because he has no bid to make where we miss a game.

If this is a protective seat bid, why not X and follow up with 2N?

If I was called away to the phone while holding this and the person holding these cards in my absence passed, (must have been the guy running the coffee lounge), I would hope that Nth would protect with 1NT, not X which is another poor bid, but this is not likely with such sterile disribution and a rubbishy ten count, (we play 1N here as 11-14, and you don't need a stopper of course).

[EricK]

If you are playing "system on" over 1NT overcall, then I would overcall 1NT. If not, then I might still overcall 1NT, or I might double with the intention of raising partner's major suit or bidding NT over partner's Diamond bid. This is a slight overbid, but increases our chances of getting to the right strain.

Eric

[pbleighton]

First choice double, second choice 1NT - this hand is too good for 1H.

Peter

[luke warm]

problem solved if north opens 1nt, but that's another story... here i'd x then bid 1nt (if pard bids diamonds)... 2nt is an option, but i'm not sure of that, pard could be totally busted

here's a question for y'all.. after (1c) x (p) 1d (p) 1nt, do you think 2 way checkback should be on? iow, treat the x as an opening bid that rebid 1nt

[mikestar]

I still prefer pass. But I can see the merit of doubling and then stretching to rebid 1N over 1D. Here at least partner will tend to have diamonds stopped. The direct 1N overcall is inferior. Very frequently a diamond lead will slaughter it. Partber turned up with a double diamond stop that could stand being lead thru--how likely is that? Double will let you get to the right major anytime that partner has one--in at least some of those cases he won't be able to look for a 4-4 major fit after a 1N overcall.

[sceptic]

Thx, I was just curious about my initial pass, as I hoped my p (pick up, never seen him before in my life) would not pass out 1 club if LHO passed also.

anyway, what do you think about lying and bidding michaels over 1 club? (I dont ever bid it without a 5/5 split), I am just curious about yor opinions on that

[inquiry]

sceptic, on Aug 15 2004, 10:39 AM, said:

Thx, I was just curious about my initial pass, as I hoped my p (pick up, never seen him before in my life) would not pass out 1 club if LHO passed also.

anyway, what do you think about lying and bidding michaels over 1 club? (I dont ever bid it without a 5/5 split), I am just curious about yor opinions on that

Michaels? Uh, no.

The reason is not that you are 4-4, feel free to use michaels with that as you like. The reason is that you are not terrible strong, nor despirately weak. When you bid again over yuor partners choice (and you are going to bid again), he will play you for a much strong and more distributional hand.

If you feel up to lying, 1NT is fine. If not, dbl or 1♥... but even pass should work out ok when partner bids 1NT in balance seat.

[Free]

Michaels??? NO WAY! Even Dbl is better imo.

My choice: overcall 1NT. The chance that your p will bid after 1♣-p-p isn't very big imo. He didn't open with a weak bid, so why would he bid now, and get the opps in a better contract?? No, after any 1m-p-p, lots of people will just pass and hope they play in a 3-2 fit or so. Since South passed, North probably suspects lots of HCP in the East hand.

[whereagles]

South can overcall 1NT. Alternatively, South can double 1C. Over a major suit bid, no problem. Over a 2D bid, rebid 2NT (3 if you feel lucky). Over 1D reply bid 1H. That should show an extra heart, but AKQx is good enough.. for me, at least.

North can balance 1NT if you play a 10-13 range.

[KiwiBridge]

Tough if you are playing with an unknown partner, as otherwise pass would be automatic. expecting a re-opening. I'm amazed at those advocating 1NT with a single ♦. Double for me with a learner, although I could live with 1♥

[the hog]

" Double for me with a learner, although I could live with 1♥ "

That would only be with a pick up pd. With a regular partner in a good partnership, 1N is pretty much standard. 1H can be bid on an 8 count - you have a lot more than that.

Double suffers from the major flaw that if lho bids 2S weak and pd competes with 3D (or a leb 2nt, intending to bid 3D over 3C), your support, while good in high cards, is less that adequate and certainly less than partner will expect for your misguided double).

Not bidding 1N is analogous of those who are too trepidatious to bid
2N over a weak 2S opening on
AQxx
x
AKxx
KJxx

for example. (What else are you going to bid?)

[KiwiBridge]

"1N is pretty much standard". Not where I live!

Call me old fashioned, but I do think a singleton rag is not much of a stopper.

[luis]

This is very funny.
Both players have a very clear 1NT bid in my opinion.

Soth must bid 1NT because he can miss a cold game when pd can't reopen. HAving the values after the opening bid actually is enough to add 2/3 HCP to the general strength of your hand. So pass can't be right unless you think that passing with 20 is good.

North has a clear reopening 1NT bid, many times pd can't act over 1c with 14/15 HCP and the protection is mandatory.

[Trpltrbl]

1 NT, no doubt.

Mike

[Antoine Fourrière]

Agree with 1N (why should I be more afraid to promise a doubleton diamond than to show support for diamonds?), although 1♥ is acceptable (since I would probably get away with opening 1♥ if I had 3 more HCP).

[paulhar]

mikestar, on Aug 15 2004, 09:25 AM, said:

Very frequently a diamond lead will slaughter it.

How often do YOU lead diamonds when partner opens 1C?

Add me to the 1NT overcallers.

[Dwayne]

Septic,

you should overcall 1NT.

You are more likely to end up playing a partscore or game in NT or a Major than any contract in Diamonds.

Novices are taught that bridge is a game of rules and while this is true to a certain extent, experience will show you that most of these rules are flexible (like having a balanced hand when bidding NTs).

1NT is by far the least of all evils you should consider. Besides, you can always say you mis-sorted your hand when you ruff or pitch on the second diamond.

Dwayne-offski.