[pclayton]

♠AKxx ♥xx ♦AQxxx ♣xx

Matchpoints; all vul and you open 1♦ as dealer; 2♣ on left, p - p

You reopen with a double (mention if you would have, and if you don't what is your call in the balance) and pard now bids 2♥. Do you sit, or do you do something else?

[mikeh]

I would have not reopened, altho I have great sympathy for those who do. It would have been tougher at white: as it is, I have enough defence that on we may be able to score 5 tricks on defence where only 7 are available on offence (if my tops win and partner gets a ruff, we go only -90 when we have nothing our way at all.

And, having had the not-unexpected 2♥ response, I pass. After all, we may scramble 8 tricks, or our -100 may beat -110. Bidding again shows a different hand.

[Fluffy]

2♥ looks like the final contact to me.

[pbleighton]

Pass 2H, which is why I wouldn't have reopened.

Peter

[Apollo81]

Pass

[mr1303]

2S here shows a better hand, no two ways about it. Incidentally, I wouldn't have reopened at all, since I have (essentially) a weak NT, and no particular reason to think partner has a penalty double of clubs.

[han]

I'm not sure I would have passed 2C, it sure is tempting to reopen. Passing 2H is clear though, there is no alternative.

[kenrexford]

mr1303, on Mar 15 2007, 12:38 PM, said:

2S here shows a better hand, no two ways about it. Incidentally, I wouldn't have reopened at all, since I have (essentially) a weak NT, and no particular reason to think partner has a penalty double of clubs.

I'm not so sure this makes sense. Why not bid 2♠ immediately with the strong hand? However, if X...2♠ shows values, then I would have bid 2♠ immediately, presumably 4-5 and minimal, I suppose.

I'm generally of the opinion that 1♦-2♣-P-P-X should show diamonds (of course), at least three spades, and maybe hearts. If I lack hearts, I have 4♠/5+♦. This is sort-of an ELC bid.

If partner has 2443 pattern, I'd prefer 2♦ from him. So, 2♥ often features a third spade, or 5+ hearts and ability to declare 3♦. If partner has five hearts, not three spades, and poor diamonds, such is life. That's why 2♣ is a good overcall on relative junk.

[helene_t]

Playing 5-card majors I don't think I'll reopen. I voted reopen and pass but since I voted I changed my mind.

Playing 4-card majors, I'd reopen since partner will (usually) bid 2♥ only if he has five.

[whereagles]

Agree with the bidding so far and would bid 2♠ now.

[mike777]

ok I would not have opened the hand in the first place playing with a p/u. but close.

[Halo]

I'm OK with the bidding, and will bid 2S now.

I've got a decent opener. Why can't partner have a penalty of 2C? Now I can't see that I must play in a 42 heart fit rather than a better spaded or diamond fit.

[marcD]

Now Pass before it gets ugly. 2S now is not ELC in my system, it shows a strong hand . I might have reopened with DBL but think pass is probably wiser at this vulnerability at pairs .

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

I cant pass according to agreement, ... I am short
in their suit and a bid is mandatory.
I voted for 2S reopening, 2D and doubleare ok as well,
2D is porbably better than 2S and maybe best.
Having doubled, I will pass, where do I want to go?

With kind regards
Marlowe

[dake50]

Hoping partner has a penalty pass of 2Cx?? How much do you expect? 2C +2S + 2D + ? for down 1 MAYBE 2 vs. a joke 2C OC.
Bid 2S maybe partner had 3S, 4S, 5S and 6hcp --here we are. At least now partner's H bid is long H.

[P_Marlowe]

dake50, on Mar 16 2007, 10:30 AM, said:

Hoping partner has a penalty pass of 2Cx?? How much do you expect? 2C +2S + 2D + ? for down 1 MAYBE 2 vs. a joke 2C OC.
Bid 2S maybe partner had 3S, 4S, 5S and 6hcp --here we are. At least now partner's H bid is long H.

Hi,

first if I have the partnership agreement to "always"
reopen with shortage in their suit,
you have to reopen, else why agree first hand
to play the above mentioned agreement.
And the only excuse to pass is, that you dont have a
real opener.

At IMP's since we are talking about 2C, double is
nearly risk free and if we have a 50% chance of
beating it, we are break even, we risk 90 vs. gaining
100, ... and 500 is an option.

Playing MP, maybe we are talking about top / Null,
but if partner passes, we will have a fair chance to beat it.

With kind regards
Marlowe

PS: And dont forget, that lots of people will stretch to make
a 2C overcall over 1D.

[Halo]

dake50, on Mar 16 2007, 10:30 AM, said:

Hoping partner has a penalty pass of 2Cx?? How much do you expect? 2C +2S + 2D + ? for down 1 MAYBE 2 vs. a joke 2C OC.
Bid 2S maybe partner had 3S, 4S, 5S and 6hcp --here we are. At least now partner's H bid is long H.

I usually find +200 is a good score at MPs.

[pclayton]

This hand is a variation of a hand from the July 06 Master Solvers Club in the BW. The hand in question was AKJT KJx AKJTx x and repopens with a double in the same bidding and pard bids 2H.

The majority vote was 2S which I think is a serious underbid and should instead show the hand I posted.

Im really surprised many of you pass the overcall instead of reopening although its reasonable to pass 2H instead of bidding 2S. After all there is no reason pard cant have 5-6 hearts. However there is also no reason why pard cant be 4-4 in the majors either.

[mikeh]

pclayton, on Mar 17 2007, 01:32 PM, said:

This hand is a variation of a hand from the July 06 Master Solvers Club in the BW. The hand in question was AKJT KJx AKJTx x and repopens with a double in the same bidding and pard bids 2H.

The majority vote was 2S which I think is a serious underbid and should instead show the hand I posted.

Im really surprised many of you pass the overcall instead of reopening although its reasonable to pass 2H instead of bidding 2S. After all there is no reason pard cant have 5-6 hearts. However there is also no reason why pard cant be 4-4 in the majors either.

Sorry, phil, but the posted hand is not what I would call a 'variation': it is an entirely different hand-type altogther.

And while partner may be 4-4 in the majors, he did not negative double, so on the posted hand, looking to improve the partscore seems wrong.

As for the BW hand, I have always understood that a reopening double followed by a new suit shows a strong hand, so I am not the least surprised that the majority vote on the BW hand was 2♠: as I said in passing 2♥ (after filling in for a doubler), that call shows a different hand than the one I was given.

[pclayton]

Mike - sorry if the term 'variation. was misleading. I agree the two hands have nothing to do with each other. Its just a question of how much strength the delayed 2S call should convey, and this is the format I used to convey the matter.

By the way, the moderator (I think Larry Cohen) mentioned another MSC hand from 2004 - a 3523 6 count (3 non club queens) that the majority passed the 2S rebid, in spite of the opinion in the more recent problem that 2S shows a very strong hand. The concern from 2004 was that the sequence did indeed show an minimum offshape double that chose to protect and didnt want to sit for 2H.

So its evident there isnt a consensus on this sequence although I stick with my original contention that 2S shouldnt promise a big hand, but is just trying to find a better spot.