[eagles123]

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It's matchpoints


Part 1

Is the 2NT opening ok?


Part 2

What should north bid now? Dbl for takeout? pass? 4♥?


Part 3

Supposing it goes DBL - 4H or 4H directly, East will now bid 4S. Should anyone act over that, if so who and with what?

Cheers

Eagles

[wank]

opening off-shaped 2NT is something to be avoided if possible. it makes it very difficult to bid slams. this south hand has massive slam potential opposite quite mediocre hands which wouldn't investigate over 2NT.

with a singleton spade the prospects of a 1H opener being passed out are very slim.


anyway after intervention over 2NT, it's normal to play take-out doubles. Yes, north should make one. It means he loses the 5th heart but you have to some sacrifices when you have no space.

over 4S, south should pass. this should be forcing and showing a hand interested in bidding more. forcing because there's no way you would want to defend 4S undoubled after opening 2NT and hearing partner show values (i.e. by doubling 3S). then north with a singleton spade and 1.5 hearts more than he's promised will be tempted to bid on as he'll know south has no soft cards in spades. forcing passes are a very tricky area of bidding. expert players often find it difficult to agree when they apply, so it's not exactly a b/n issue. of course with such a crappy hand in hcp terms, north might decide not to bid on anyway, as 11 tricks are unlikely to be cold.

[eagles123]

yes I think i'm too worried about hands like this being passed out if I open 1♥ whereas in reality its very unlikely to happen. I kind of understand forcing passes I think in some situations as in

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say N/S playing a fairly standard escape to 1NT double (at least at my level lol) where pass asks for redouble then bids lower of 2 non-touching four card suits...

west second pass a FORCING pass? maybe even the first pass forcing?

[Antrax]

West's first pass can't be forcing, since E won't necessarily be able to bid again.
To me west's second pass is also non-forcing, since it's possible he was weak with no decent suit to bid.

[eagles123]

Antrax, on 2013-July-08, 11:06, said:

West's first pass can't be forcing, since E won't necessarily be able to bid again.
To me west's second pass is also non-forcing, since it's possible he was weak with no decent suit to bid.

oh I thought if west was weak he would bid immediatley?

[Antrax]

If he has something to bid, he does. Sometimes you're just screwed, and letting them play 1NTx is the least of all evils. Sometimes your partner can beat it on his own, sometimes it makes exactly for 180 which is better than you going down doubled, sometimes the opponents rescue you, etc.