[nullve]

Matchpoints.

---

2♥ is explained as "6-10 hcp, exactly five hearts".

[sfi]

I presume 2S didn't work on the actual hand?

[Tramticket]

2♠.

3♠ would be strong, not pre-emptive.

[FelicityR]

If partner had a good 15+ with ♥s then he/she would have bid 2NT here? It's a poor hand to balance with 2♠ but that seems the only bid. If South had any points then surely he/she would have made a bid. I guess you arrived in 4♠ - down - when defending 2♥ would have been been a better matchpoint score.

[heart76]

I would assume, since I can't ask, that 2H implies a 4+ minor, i.e. C. Both lines around 20 points, they may have 7 H and a C fit. Assuming also partner has less than 14/15 and less than 4 S, a double is not in the picture for me, too risky to find partner with just 4 H.
2S seems right and now partner has to bid only if he's 5-5 in the minors with 1 S.

[sfi]

heart76, on 2018-May-03, 00:40, said:

2S seems right and now partner has to bid only if he's 5-5 in the minors with 1 S.

Partner doesn't have that hand. RHO would have five hearts and have done something by now.

[nullve]

heart76, on 2018-May-03, 00:40, said:

I would assume, since I can't ask, that 2H implies a 4+ minor, i.e. C.

Then 2♥ would most likely have been (mis)explained as "Tartan". And it's quite common to play

2♦ = Multi promising a 6c major if weak
2M = "weak, exactly 5 M" (frequently, 5M(332), don't know if 4+ OM is possible)

around here.

[fourdad]

preempting a preempt is generally a bad idea

[P_Marlowe]

fourdad, on 2018-May-03, 02:41, said:

preempting a preempt is generally a bad idea

except, that you are reopening, with an add. Ace or King you
would / should find a bid in direct seat.
Given the singlton king, I dont think it is clear, but ...

[nekthen]

Pass. All sorts of bad things might be happening here. I can "see" 13-17 hcp, where are the rest? I can imagine partner passes with 14 hcp and 5h and rho passes with 2h and 10hcp. This may well be the last opportunity for a positive score.

[Cyberyeti]

Anything could be right here, some of it depends on style, we reopen with a singleton heart pretty much regardless of the rest of our hand, partly to allow partner to pass with a big hand and big hearts.

Playing standard methods I probably pass, in my partnership I bid 2♠

[rmnka447]

Well, how many times do you expect passing 2 ♥ will get a good result?

Any time you can make 2 ♠, you'd have to beat 2 ♥ 3 tricks to get a better result. Usually assume partner can provide at least 1 useful card in auctions like this. Holding a 6 loser hand, so 2 ♠ looks like a pretty good bet most of the time.

So that's what I'll bid.

[ggwhiz]

rmnka447, on 2018-May-03, 10:20, said:

Well, how many times do you expect passing 2 ♥ will get a good result?

Ummm, almost never. My partner knows that too and won't get excited over my 2♠ bid. Defending 2♥ at these colors is either horrible long term strategy or a partnership that needs to work on their balancing agreements. Especially at mp's but I would do it at imps as well.

Much more interesting dilemma if I was in direct seat over 2♥. I would have to pass and pray as my partner probably would get excited if I bid in front of them.

[Joe_Old]

Bidding 2♠ in balancing seat is automatic in clubs and tournaments here in the eastern U.S. The hand has too much potential to make a vulnerable game. The real question is what to do if:

1) advancer bids 3♣; or

2) advancer bids 3♦.

[Cyberyeti]

rmnka447, on 2018-May-03, 10:20, said:

Well, how many times do you expect passing 2 ♥ will get a good result?

Any time opener has 5♥4-5♣ and responder has 1-2♥/5♣ that's my worry with 2♠

[miamijd]

I bid 2S without a whole lot of second thought.

There could be a whole lot of things going on, but what is most likely? Since there are 25-26 HCP outstanding, probably partner and RHO each have about half of them. If either of them had significantly more than half, someone probably would have bid.

If each of partner and RHO has 12-13, then partner probably has 4-5 hearts. He might have 3, but then RHO might have raised H (or not). He won't have 0-2, because then even if he didn't have a bid, RHO certainly would have raised hearts.

So the opponents probably have around 8 hearts, and if they don't have 8 hearts, they probably have an 8-9 card club fit. Surely we can count on partner for at least one spade, so we have 8 spades and maybe more. Since we have around half the points, it's clear to compete to 2S.

The only potentially bad thing that could happen is that partner doubles the opponents at 3H. Then we have a decision to make. Otherwise, we should be in good shape, as our tremendous offensive potential makes up for the lack of HCP.

Cheers,
mike

[Winstonm]

My guess is that 4S made because partner had: Ax, 10xxxx, Qx, Axxx and spades broke 2-2.

I'd still bid 2S.

[Cyberyeti]

Winstonm, on 2018-May-03, 15:41, said:

My guess is that 4S made because partner had: Ax, 10xxxx, Qx, Axxx and spades broke 2-2.

I'd still bid 2S.

That hand doesn't necessarily make 4♠, give the 2♥ opener a doubleton diamond and ♠H8 or 8x (so 5224 which is not an unlikely shape), pard needs AJ.

[xbabarx]

2!s

[msjennifer]

If the given explanation of 2H opening is to be be believed as honest,I wonder what sorts of hands do the RHO and partner can have when BOTH have passed.It is quite likely that RHO is loaded with spades and having no fit in hearts and 10/14 HCP. I am an aggressive bidder and yet as I feel the hands are likely to be misfits it is a 50/50 proposition to bid 2S .I donot wish to know the final results but this time I shall PASS. I will not like to play in 3S doubled which is likely if I bid 2S now.Another reason is perhaps they may find a minor suit fit.