MSC 11
by Chuck Arthur on
December 16th, 2010
This hand came up during a match in Hazel’s IMP league last night. East is the dealer; NS vulnerable.
North
♠ AQ ♥ Q10974 ♦ J9 ♣ KJ102 |
South
♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ |
West | North | East | South |
— | — | 3♦ | Pass |
4♦ | Pass | Pass | Double |
Pass | 4♥ | Pass | 4♠ |
Pass | ?? |
What do you bid at the ?? Your partner is a very good player.
IMPs Red. A good partner. I have this.
6 clubs.
And a letter of resignation.
I can only imagine partner with something like 6 clubs and 4 spades in a strong hand.
I don’t think I can control 12 tricks (what would 4 nt be?), so I’ll just bid 5 c.
5C. South has four spades, 2 or 3 hearts, a diamond x or void, and 6-7 clubs. A diamond void is unlikely, since he would act over 3D with 4-2-0-7 and the cards he had.
Most likely 4-2-1-6 distribution. The issue is why did he not bid 4C over 3D? The answer to that is he must be too weak.
He doubled 4D because he was hoping for a spade game. I place him with a hand like KJtx Kx x Axxxxx. 5C is enough, due to his initial pass over 3D.
South has a weak 2 suiter. That is the only reason he could have for not bidding over 3 diamonds. Therefore if he doesn’t like hearts he must have clubs. I expect at least 5 spades and 5 clubs. You have a huge fit . If partner has JXXXXX ( SPADES ) , AQXXX(CLUBS) heart K you may even make 5.
I don’t want to play spades if he couldn’t bid them over 3D and he doesn’t seem to like hearts so I will bid 5C. Sounds like a two suiter with longer clubs than spades.
It’s unanimous. I bid 5 clubs, partner did well to get us back into the auction, don’t hang partner. S/he has bid our cards to the hilt!
Pass
As a thought, I would have passed 4 diamonds doubled based on the law of total tricks and the fact that partner passed 3 diamonds to start with, which shows that his hand is flawed, either by shape or high card or both
I am a 5 club voter……partner did not have hearts so could not double immediately and was too weak to double and then bid…..
I agree with Debbie ….don’t hang partner!
5 clubs is OK
Tom
Given South had a chance to double with 3D with decent values, to come in over 4D with a double certainly shows a weak distributional hand WHICH CAN’T NOW INCLUDE HEARTS. Therefore he has the blacks, and a 5C bid from you is automatic. Although 4S might work, an awful 4-2 fit might still unfold , and even if trump fit is 5-2 the likelihood is there will be a 4-2 break against you, and a risk of a club ruff.
In clubs. there seems every chance of a 6-4 fit with no losers, and if the king of spades is opposite no losers there. If he holds something like a dream Kxxx…Kx….x……Axxxxx, the contract is rigid.
I think partner has 4 or 5 spades and 5+ clubs. I have a terrific hand for him, but I am going to bid only 5C — I would hate to go down in slam when we may have won the board by getting in at all. In my books, though, the double of 4D is for penalty, and a delayed 4S shows spades and clubs.
Re msc11 I think my partner hasa 2 suiter and I would bid 5Clubs
Definitely bidding 5 clubs. Partner must have a two suited
hand and probably not five spades. Good double, partner!!
5C. 6C might make, but that would be punishing partner for getting us back into the auction.
5C — Seems that partner is either 5215 or 4216 or maybe 4117(less likely).
This hand has many sidebars, one of which Roy hughes touches on: what would an immediate balance of 4 M signify, given that it was inappropriate to overcall in the first place? Hopefully not that you found another ace. It certainly makes sense that these bids be used for the more frequently held club M two suiters. IF that is the case, then what does the current sequence depict? The same hand? Are we SURE partner has at most one diamond? Then… how about a stronger playing hand than the other? Nah. Just nervousness at bidding 4M directly and being buried therein. Well? Also, what about the opponents: RHO in particular. Is he any good? Might they not bid again, scruples notwithstanding? Is there a certainty that partner will interpret a pass as invitational if RHO babbles 5 diamonds? Is RHO coing to chortle at you if you jump to six clubs? They DO rate to make about nine tricks in diamonds, after all. And you just may not have those two red losers if partner was with you at page 64 of the notes.
can’t help but agree that a 5 club bid stands out.
not going to hang p for bidding my hand 5 clubs only