[mike777]

Scoring: IMP

(1D)=??

---

[pclayton]

1♥. At the worst, its a killer chinese poker hand:

1. Straight flush
2. 8's full of Aces
3. KK9

[jdonn]

This is easy, 1♥. Who cares if partner is on lead, if he is I usually want a heart lead vs either a suit (to get a heart ruff) or notrump (to set up my suit) anyway. If we should be playing the hand, it's likely in a 5-3 heart fit. Double has some deceptive appeal but I don't like misdescribing by so much, and pass is from outer space and is the kind of thing I wish my opponents would do.

BTW Phil good point but you should do 8s full of Ks and AA9, in case another opponent has KK for his first hand and outkicks you.

[Echognome]

1♥. Sure partner might make a disastrous lead. But my partner's seem to make disastrous leads all the time. At least this time he gets to blame me for it.

If I pass, the results could easily be as disastrous or worst. Why live in fear?

[jtfanclub]

mike777, on Jun 6 2007, 03:20 PM, said:

Scoring: IMP

(1D)=??

---

I pass, just in case jdonn's my opponent so he'll be happy.

What is it that I accomplish by bidding 1♥?

Pre-emption?
Lead Direction?
Finding game?
Competing at 3 vs. 3?

If I was feeling frisky, I'd bid 1NT. It's pre-emptive, it doesn't tell partner to lead the wrong thing, it helps us find game (especially in spades), and it gives partner a better idea of when to compete if the next bid is 3♦. Yeah, I'm a point short, but how many times will you have 6 controls with only 14 hcp? Not to mention 4 probable defensive tricks.

All the experts are bidding 1♥. When I get better, I guess I'll say 1♥ too.

Right now..it's close, but I like 1NT. If I'm feeling strict on point count, I pass.

[jdonn]

jtfanclub, on Jun 6 2007, 04:36 PM, said:

I pass, just in case jdonn's my opponent so he'll be happy.

Much appreciated.

[hatchett]

Agree. Easy 1♥

[mike777]

I do get a chuckle when people post ...easy.....1h or etc....

I choose 1H but...
Kantar=pass
Wittes=double
Eisenberg=double
Meredith=1S?

[kenrexford]

I must truly be on drugs here. No one, including the pros, voted for 1NT. I stand alone, apparently, but it seems so right.

Positive Points:

(1) I have a 14-count with a (really trashy) five-card suit and primes.
(2) My five-card suit is hearts (relevant to me, for weird reasons)
(3) I have three spades (can handle and want to suggest a transfer)
(4) I do not have 4-4 in the majors (also critical to me on this hand)
(5) I have diamond stopped and some body in diamonds
(6) I would not be upset if partner decides to make me play 3♣
(7) If partner bids 3♣ invitational, I have an acceptance!!!
(8) I have too many Aces and Kings to get doubled often.
(9) If I am doubled, and partner leaves it, I like 2♥.

Negative Points about 1♥:

(a.) My hearts suck
(b.) I don't want to hear 1♦-1♥-X and have partner be afraid to introduce his Q10xxx spade suit.
(c.) I want to be on lead against a possible spade contract, or any contract for that matter. If we attack hearts against NT, which would be strange, I want to lead the hearts from my side. Overcalls in direct seat often transfer the lead to Opener.
(d.) I don't want partner to place me in 3♥ when 3♥ is as hopeless as the opponent's 2♠/3minor.

All that said, apparently I must re-assass.

[jdonn]

Your first positive point about overcalling 1NT vul was that you have a 14 count with a bad main suit.... after that I stopped reading lol.

[the hog]

And if this is from a bidding forum, how many voted for 1H? Meredith would not have bid 1S on this; the hand is too good.
1H for me. Clear.

[mike777]

The_Hog, on Jun 6 2007, 09:58 PM, said:

And if this is from a bidding forum, how many voted for 1H? Meredith would not have bid 1S on this; the hand is too good.
1H for me. Clear.

3..less than half if that matters...

Meredith bids one spade????

[kenrexford]

jdonn, on Jun 6 2007, 09:33 PM, said:

Your first positive point about overcalling 1NT vul was that you have a 14 count with a bad main suit.... after that I stopped reading lol.

Yeah, I got a similar icky feeling when I noticed great interest in 6-5-4-3-2 as a good suit for partner to lead. LOLOL

I get grimaces when partner leads his or her Kx toward my J109xx suit. I'm sure they will love leading King from Kx into Declarer's AQ, with J10xx in dummy. "Why lead fourth-best from Q10xx in spades?" they'd opine. "My brilliant partner has five hearts for me -- he knows SOOOO much more about this game than little me!" I'd never hear the end of it. Nor would I see the end of it, for that mater -- partners would bid junk constantly, "If it's good enough for Ken, the great bridge theorist, then it must be right!"

I could see a 2♥ overcall, looking to smack the opponents if they move over 2♥, much more than 1♥, personally. But, that would be silliness.

[Apollo81]

I think this is an automatic 1♥ call.

[jdonn]

kenrexford, on Jun 7 2007, 07:26 AM, said:

jdonn, on Jun 6 2007, 09:33 PM, said:

Your first positive point about overcalling 1NT vul was that you have a 14 count with a bad main suit.... after that I stopped reading lol.

Yeah, I got a similar icky feeling when I noticed great interest in 6-5-4-3-2 as a good suit for partner to lead. LOLOL

Why you are laughing, I didn't list that as a positive point for overcalling 1♥! See the difference?

In all serious though, of course I want a heart lead. Sure it can happen partner leads the king into declarer's ace, though even then I likely break even by having a head start to set up the hearts. I have 4 outside entries, what else would I want led but my 5 card suit! Meanwhile if partner has any heart holding at all that won't give up a trick immediately I want it led, if they are in a suit contract and partner might get a heart ruff I want it lead, and if he has QTxx(x) of spades I'm getting in again with a chance to reevaluate.

Meanwhile, if the hand belongs to our side, 1♥ finds our heart fit while notrump and spades are still an option. If it doesn't, then I don't get creamed by overcalling 1NT outside of any range that normal people play. Look at it this way. If we belong in notrump, or spades, we have a decent chance to get there after any bid. If we belong in a 5-3 heart fit, we have one chance only to get there and that chance is now.

[FrancesHinden]

To be honest, at the table I would overcall 1♥ without considering it a problem.

I am aware of all the downsides of doing so, but it simply isn't in my list of calls I want to agonise over. In the same way, I open a 15-17 1NT on AKxx xxx xx AKQx. There are many downsides to that as well, but I don't worry about them every single time the hand comes up.

What to overcall on a good-hand-with-a-poor-suit is a very common problem. Life at the bridge table is easier if you know what your style with common problems and stick to it.

I would only overcall 1NT if you were paying me well and insisted on it. I would prefer either pass or double to 1NT. Here are the negative points for a 1NT overcall:

- I am out of range
- I have a 5-card major
- I have nothing about my hand that suggests it should declare NT (no positional cards).

[FrancesHinden]

Quote

Pre-emption?

Nope. No pre-emption here.

Quote

Lead Direction?

If the opponents land in 3NT you probably want a heart lead. You will have all your side's entries (you have 14 HCP) and want to attack your long suit. A different suit is only like to be right if it is running, and it spades are running a heart lead probably won't be fatal. A heart lead against 4S is, I agree, more of a risk.

Quote

Finding game? 

Yup. If you don't overcall 1♥ you won't reach 4♥ much of the time when it makes. xxx Axxxx x Qxxx , say.

Quote

Competing at 3 vs. 3?

Yes, why not?

Quote

Yeah, I'm a point short, but how many times will you have 6 controls with only 14 hcp?  Not to mention 4 probable defensive tricks. 

yes, all those lovely controls, just what I want for play in hearts....

I can live with a take-out double - in fact make my hand something like AKx xxxxx xx AKx and there would be huge vote for a double - but I can't live with 1NT.

[goobers]

This looks like a completely automatic 1H. My suit is bad, but my values make up for it, isn't this standard?

[jtfanclub]

OK, I'm convinced, Frances (and others). I'll bid 1♥ at the table, without squirming.

One more step towards becoming an advanced player, I guess.

P.S. If you had one more HCP, say the AJx of diamonds, would that make a difference?

[bid_em_up]

If the opening bid was 1♣, I would have no problem with doubling on this hand.

Since the opening bid was 1D, and I really despise overcalling on such a crappy suit and all of my hcp in the other three suits, its either pass or 1N for me.

If I had the diamond jack added to the hand (AJx, as suggested by jtfanclub), I would bid 1N. The additional point puts the hand in range of a NT overcall (not a strong factor), but it also gives me a second (possible) diamond stop. I don't like overcalling 1N with the opponents suit stopped only once and do so only if there is no other reasonable call.

In this case, I will pass, knowing that it could be wrong. Oh well.