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Where to from here?

Today’s deal is a test of one’s overcall style. You have a rather unusual hand of your own and despite some aggressive opposition bidding, your partner is keeping the auction alive at a highish level. Teams is the game and this is the situation:

 

 

1 is 4+ diamonds and 3 is pre-emptive style. Your partner’s double said they had a good overcall.

Two questions. Do you agree with South’s pass over 3? What now?

There was general agreement from the Panel to our pass of 3.

Nigel Kearney “ Agree with pass: It's close to a double but we need more.”

Peter Newell “ Agree with pass: However, double could be right but I think we will get too high if we do not have a fit, and we are not vulnerable. Partner quite likely has some diamonds and will expect more high card values.”

Those were as near as we got to a bid!

Wayne Burrows “ Bidding over 3 is effectively forcing to game since if say I double and partner has no heart suit or extra spade length then they might try 3NT with a diamond stopper.”

No other Panellist thought our hand was worthy of action. What, though, now?

A definite action but a very poor prediction came from:

Michael Cornell “ 5: Of course. At the risk of sounding like Michael Ware, this will be unanimous. Even if partner has 4 hearts ( far from a given ), hearts will often not play well after an early tap.

We have a strong playing hand in clubs and partner should have something useful  in clubs to make game there likely. Slam is favourite opposite AQJxxQxx xx AKx  and this is nowhere near a maximum!”

Well, you did have a little bit of support, Michael… but “unanimous”?

Nigel Kearney “5: we should insist on game with this much shape. 4 would offer a choice but I would just bid 5. Even if partner has four hearts, it looks like 5 will be easier, e.g. Axxxx AQxx xx Ax."

Bruce Anderson “ 5: this auction is not easy to understand as with a strong hand and both majors surely partner would have started with a double. So it seems partner has a 5323 shape without a diamond stop, so could not have overcalled 1NT notwithstanding having the values for that bid.

With a 7 card suit and a king outside, I am not bidding less than game.”

Alas, there the support ends. Looking for the better major game are:

Leon Meier “4: Partner can still be 6-3 or 5-4 in the majors, perhaps even 5314. I'll bid 4 intending it as "pick a major".

Pam Livingston “4: Partner should only double here with a good hand so I am bidding 4.  This is a very flexible bid  just in case partner does not have 4 hearts.  I have doubleton spade for them and of course will not be unhappy if they bid 5.”

And still keeping 5 as an option is:

Stephen Blackstock “4: 3/4 are underbids and may not be our best strain. 4/5 contracts are mild overbids but only mildly so, and we can hope to have a play if we find the right strain. 

I expect to find North with 5 spades and 2-3 diamonds, so 5422 and 5323 are possible shapes. 5332 cannot be ruled out but is less likely. I will of course pass 4 and bid 5 over 4. I hope he does not try 4 on a three card suit; if he does he will regret it!”

It may come down to system agreement as to how partner treats a good hand with 5 spades and 4 or 5 hearts. With 5 hearts, they may have used a Michael’s 2. So, with 4 hearts, might they have bid 3 rather than double? So, have they less than 4 hearts?

Not agreeing with any of that is:

Andy Braithwaite “ 4: Partner must have two or three diamonds with a good hand but could not bid 1NT. So a 5431 shape is likely or maybe 5422. So I bid 4 hoping for something like AKQXx   Axxx    Xxx   A.”

and finally two who stay low:

Wayne Burrows “4: I considered 4 choice of games but I am not sure I want to play 4. I am likely to get forced immediately and then there is no guarantee I have entries to establish and enjoy the clubs. Perhaps I have enough for 5 - AQxxx AQxx xx Ax is possible.”

Peter Newell “3: Tough problem.   If the agreement that double shows a good overcall rather than take-out that does mean that the chances of a 4-4 heart fit are lower.  However, I think it quite likely partner has 4 hearts.  Where are all the diamonds? It seems likely that partner has at least 2 and more likely 3 possibly 4. 

 Normally with a huge diamond fit, one would expect the opponents to bid more. However this particular vulnerability may mean they are being conservative (whether the opponents are conservative or aggressive does affect one’s assessment of partner’s diamond length and therefore likelihood of having 4 hearts).

 If partner has a few diamonds that does not leave too much room for 4 hearts though 5431 is certainly a likely shape. I expect partner likely has only 5 spades as with 6 and without 4 hearts partner would likely just rebid 3 (if we were playing intermediate jumps that would also make it unlikely partner has 6 spades except possibly 6/4 in majors). 

If partner does have 4 hearts, it would mean that 4 on values would be reasonable.  Yet, partner may not have 4 hearts. We are not vulnerable and we could get doubled if we do not have a major suit fit. 

Why not 4? This appears safest and should show a longish suit to spurn the majors and is certainly an option. However, I think partner may be short in clubs and if we have a game it is most likely 4 which we still have a chance of getting there.  What about 3? I think partner has a 5 card suit and my hand apart from likely 1 possibly 2 diamond ruffs is unlikely to be that useful unless partner has 4 hearts and the spade distribution is reasonably friendly.”

So plenty of guesses as to North’s likely shape. No-one got it quite right though Stephen and Peter seemed to be the closest.

 

    So, maybe you would have doubled first of all on those North cards? That is a debate for another day. What is certain that 5 was a very comfortable make, indeed with the overtrick which Michael and Bruce hinted at the start, the only loser being a heart.

There was no discussion about passing 3x, an unlikely action though which would have resulted in one down: +200. Double was not for penalties.

4  could be made on a non trump lead. Maybe with a 5431 shape, partner would have called 3 meaning they were a little flatter making 5 the best shot. Let’s hope whatever action you took would have got you to the club game, the only making one on this day.

Richard Solomon

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