[AL78]

MPs Acol weak NT vuln against not:

♠QJ93
♥AQ62
♦-
♣AJT62

After two passes RHO opens 1♠. What do you call?

[mikeh]

AL78, on 2023-February-02, 17:59, said:

MPs Acol weak NT vuln against not:

♠QJ93
♥AQ62
♦-
♣AJT62

After two passes RHO opens 1♠. What do you call?

Pass

2C is just too dangerous on 5 mediocre. Double is insane. 1N is worse…although double is so bad that 1N is not much worse

If I had to channel the late nige1

Pass 100
2C. 20
Double 1
1N. 0

There is no Law in bridge that says that one isn’t allowed to pass with opening values.

[LBengtsson]

Pass was my first thought before I saw the vulnerability, PASS is my second thought. The hands look possibly a misfit, and if they are I prefer the opps. to play in it.

[jillybean]

Shoot me, I can't let this pass.

I'm considering X or 2♥

[akwoo]

I agree 2C is dangerous, but it's MPs(*), and LHO has passed, so I'm willing to risk it since I do want that lead if LHO bids 2D as is fairly likely.

(*) At this vulnerability, 2C isn't really safer at MPs than IMPs, but lead direction is more likely to gain because denying the overtrick matters.

[P_Marlowe]

There is a reason, why some play the polish NT.

I guess, I would go with 2C, but I am still young, and may learn Pass is better.

[AL78]

I passed, the auction proceeds:

---

1NT is 6-9HCP. Now what?

[mw64ahw]

jillybean, on 2023-February-02, 23:00, said:

Shoot me, I can't let this pass.

I'm considering X or 2♥

I play 2♥ as both Majors; usually 45, but OK with 44 on this hand

[DavidKok]

Pass first round, double the second.

[TMorris]

DavidKok, on 2023-February-03, 02:47, said:

Pass first round, double the second.

Indeed so.

Argueably this is what you were hoping for when you passed first time, although an initial pass seems automatic.

You have now described your hand to partner as well as you are able. Opening values, short diamonds.

[AL78]

For reasons I can't think of now (possibly fearing walking into a misfit deal) I failed to double the second time and got punished for it:

---

Getting that down undoubled is pathetic compared to the cold 4♥ our way. As long as I get actions against me that aren't repeated across the field I need to focus more, otherwise I am going to get pushed around in the auction forever.

FAIL

[mw64ahw]

mw64ahw, on 2023-February-03, 01:43, said:

I play 2♥ as both Majors; usually 45, but OK with 44 on this hand

Screen too small can't tell the difference between ♣s and ♠s

I double on this one (usually 15+); partner should then bid ♥ with 8+ and thence onwards to 4/6♥

[TMorris]

mw64ahw, on 2023-February-03, 06:51, said:

Screen too small can't tell the difference between ♣s and ♠s

I double on this one (usually 15+); partner should then bid ♥ with 8+ and thence onwards to 4/6♥

& if partner were to bid diamonds?

[mw64ahw]

TMorris, on 2023-February-03, 07:45, said:

& if partner were to bid diamonds?

Partner tends to bid 1NT with 0-7<6♦ so I can Pass or revert to 2NT after a ♦ transfer

[AL78]

mw64ahw, on 2023-February-03, 07:50, said:

Partner tends to bid 1NT with 0-7<6♦ so I can Pass or revert to 2NT after a ♦ transfer

What do they do with 0-7, 3343 or 2353 and no spade stop?

[mw64ahw]

AL78, on 2023-February-03, 08:31, said:

What do they do with 0-7, 3343 or 2353 and no spade stop?

Still 1NT as this is the Herbert Negative after a Power X over 1♠
If opposition have the points to X 1NT then XX says I have ♥ otherwise scramble for a minor; if they have a ♠ fit then it will tend to be bid, if no ♠ fit then they're unlikely to make 5/6 tricks in ♠

[akwoo]

AL78, on 2023-February-03, 03:53, said:

For reasons I can't think of now (possibly fearing walking into a misfit deal) I failed to double the second time and got punished for it:

---

Getting that down undoubled is pathetic compared to the cold 4♥ our way. As long as I get actions against me that aren't repeated across the field I need to focus more, otherwise I am going to get pushed around in the auction forever.

FAIL

You don't get all the blame here - as a passed hand, your partner should have doubled 1N. It's borderline as an unpassed hand, but clear for a passed hand.

[Cyberyeti]

akwoo, on 2023-February-03, 15:54, said:

You don't get all the blame here - as a passed hand, your partner should have doubled 1N. It's borderline as an unpassed hand, but clear for a passed hand.

That's a very good way to generate a telephone number at this vul when LHO has a big hand and redoubles

[AL78]

akwoo, on 2023-February-03, 15:54, said:

You don't get all the blame here - as a passed hand, your partner should have doubled 1N. It's borderline as an unpassed hand, but clear for a passed hand.

My partner is inexperienced and isn't going to find many actions like that in the passoout seat especially if they are aggressive actions. I was asking myself when I posted this why didn't I double on the second round. Maybe getting up early in the morning and doing a full days work shortly before a three hour bridge session addled my brain.

[mikeh]

Cyberyeti, on 2023-February-03, 16:18, said:

That's a very good way to generate a telephone number at this vul when LHO has a big hand and redoubles

This is especially true when holding two spades. While sometimes opener has extra length and/or if the opps are playing 4 card majors, they do have a good fit, most of the time it’s your partner sitting with many of the spades not held by opener. Would anyone be surprised to find partner with a 4333 weak hand?

Even if one scrambles to one’s best spot, and escapes the axe, -200 won’t score very well

If nobody were vulnerable, it might be worth taking a chance but red v white makes doubling extremely risky. Note that the risk of going for a big number is only part of the problem. You just may have no fit, and no place to play, even if 1N were about to be passed out.