[Phil]

Here's a strange ATB we had last night. The good news was that 2♦ xx'd made. The bad news is that every other table bid the good slam.

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Thanks

[TWO4BRIDGE]

West

2D was "cheapest new suit forcing, could be artificial" .
East's pass of the DBL denied 3 cards Hts.

I don't understand the RDBL .
3C at that point would have established a GF, because if West had wanted to invite, he would have bid 3C over 2C.

[Cyberyeti]

I'd have bid 3N over the double of 2♦ by our methods showing a good 2♣ rebid, not 3 hearts and a diamond stop, which appears to be what I have.

How many people bid the pretty good grand ?

[JLOGIC]

Don't XX with 3 small? I mean, lol. How could east get any blame here, his partner XXed 2D and he had Ax with a side AQ and Q.

[dicklont]

Was 2♠ instead of 2♦ an option?
Partner doesn't have 4 spades so it's save (famous last words....).
Furthermore it shows a strong hand with 5 hearts and you can show club support on the next round if necessary.

[aguahombre]

If things were really friendly and they made 3, then the bottom for 920 vs all those 940's would just be attributed to a slip by declarer while playing the slam.

That would shift the blame to opener if someone didn't let the secret out.

[FrancesHinden]

JLOGIC, on 2011-April-08, 10:08, said:

Don't XX with 3 small? I mean, lol. How could east get any blame here, his partner XXed 2D and he had Ax with a side AQ and Q.

Quite

[Phil]

JLOGIC, on 2011-April-08, 10:08, said:

Don't XX with 3 small? I mean, lol. How could east get any blame here, his partner XXed 2D and he had Ax with a side AQ and Q.

Yeah well I know. He was hoping I had honor-3rd.

I'm still playing with him

[Phil]

aguahombre, on 2011-April-08, 11:23, said:

If things were really friendly and they made 3, then the bottom for 920 vs all those 940's would just be attributed to a slip by declarer while playing the slam.

That would shift the blame to opener if someone didn't let the secret out.

=.. =560
+1 = 760
+2 = 960

[aguahombre]

oops....was looking at 1MXX (sigh)

[Fluffy]

West gets the blame

[whereagles]

After 2♣, East can have either 6 clubs or a min two-suiter 5-4 clubs-diamonds. I would say pass to 2♦ XX should show the two-suiter, whereas 3♣ the clubs one-suiter.

But this is all very theoretical. In practice E/W could have stayed out of trouble if either East bid 3♣ or West avoiding the (more than muddy) redouble. 3♦, for instance, would have been fine.

I think West's redouble is more questionable, but it's a clear case of both pushing one's luck without any need for it whatsoever.

[Phil]

Whereagles - With Hxxx we are either opening 1♦, or maybe opening 1♣ and rebidding 1N with 3145 / 2245, (or raising the major). When we pass 2♦x'd, I think we would xx with 4 diamonds, rebid 3♣ with a 7=2=2=2 and show delayed heart support with 3♥ / 6♣. Its possible I could have 4 lousy diamonds I suppose when I pass.

In retrospect, the redouble isn't really that bad - after I pass I will usually be 2=2=3=6 instead of 3=2=2=6 (and I think I should rebid 2♠ with some 3=2=2=6's).

[whereagles]

Well, I wouldn't mind playing 2♦XX with an opponent having like HHxx, but I'd require at the very least a 7 card fit. It's very unlikely that bids like pass on 2 cards and rdbl on 3 cards manage to get across the message that our diamond fit is 7 cards There's a time to make speculative bids and a time to avoid trouble. This seems to me like a case of the later

One other thing: I've tried supporting responder's major on 3 cards and a 6322 on a couple of occasions and wasn't too pleased with the result. I now think one should only support with 3 cards when with a singleton.