[hrothgar]

Here's a hand from last night that I found (vaguely) interesting

Scoring: IMP

---

Our auction

P - 1♣
1♠ - 2N
3♦ - 3N
Pass

Comments?
Suggestions?
Would your auction change significantly if you were Red?

[FrancesHinden]

Personally I would have bid 3C (natural) over 2NT, but I can't see anything wrong with the final contract; where else would you want to play? 6C is fractionally worse than a finesse, I don't mind if you want to bid it but I can't get excited about missing it.

(OK, 5C is fractionally better as it will make an overtrick sometimes but I can live with that)

[hotShot]

The North hand is worth much more than an average 2NT rebid, at IMPs I would probably rebid 3NT.
Over the 3♦ bid, I would bid 4♣, partner could have raised 2NT to 3NT, so he's unbalanced and wants to know more about my shape.

[ArtK78]

The bidding and the result are fine. I don't see what the problem is.

Fine at matchpoints also, as you will score 430 anytime spades are not 5-1 or worse. You might even score more than that. If the opps duck a spade you might as well try the club finesse.

[gnasher]

6NT is exactly 50%, but if it goes down it may go several down on a heart lead. Assuming (not necessarily with any validity) that the same number of tricks is made at either 3NT or 6NT:

- Non-vulnerable we gain 11 for making 6NT, or lose 11 for going down, so I don't care whether I'm in it or not

- Vulnerable with both contracts making 11 tricks, the potential gain or loss is again the same (13).

- Vulnerable with both contracts making 9 tricks, 6NT making gains 13, but 6NT down three loses 14, so one wouldn't want to be in slam.

So, playing the Bowles HyperRelay, which allows you discover your partner's exact shape and all of his high cards (including ♣9) without bypassing 3NT, and assuming it was the first board of a match that I expected to draw, I would toss a coin if non-vulnerable, but sign off in 3NT if vulnerable.

[inquiry]

hrothgar, on Jun 6 2008, 07:58 AM, said:

Our auction

P - 1♣
1♠ - 2N
3♦ - 3N
Pass

Comments?
Suggestions?
Would your auciton change significantly if you were Red?

I am not fond of upgrading 19 hcp hands to 2NT, however, there is a great chance I would have upgraded this north hand and opened 2NT.

I realize south bid 3♦ as nmf, looking for a 3 card spade fit. I probably would have bid a forcing 3♣ expecting partner to show his 3 card spade support anyway. After a 3♣ rebid, there is a better chance you might reach the iffy slam, but the contract would probably still be 3NT (problem auction would be...

1C-1S
2N-3C
3D-3S
?

Where 3D put emphasis on help need in hearts, and 3S decides singleton king might not be help enough. Opener would probably still bid 3NT, and responder would be happy to pass that.

I would not bid any other way depending upon vulnerability.

[Vilgan]

would follow the same auction myself in 2/1.

In precision, the auction is different and it is much likelier we would play clubs. However, after finding out about missing the K of clubs and A of spades, we would likely end up just playing 5♣.

If it was nearing the end of the event and I felt like I was doing okay but nothing awesome... I would likely bid 6♣ to try for another jump in imps.

[hrothgar]

For what its worth, the King of Clubs was off sides
6♣ was going down all day

3N actually scored pretty well. I do think that thereare some interesting questions about the auction...

I am happy to see that no one has suggested a 2♠ "fit jump" by South (I think that the shape is right, but the hand is all wrong)

[benlessard]

I can live with both opening 2Nt or 1C---2nt. After 2Nt i wouldnt make a slam try because i have 0 keycard.

We are missing 4A , 2 black kings + Q of clubs if partner got a perfecto slam is at best 75%

[Apollo81]

Why is this an interesting hand? This is the field auction and contract, and no other contract is better.

[pclayton]

Agree with calling this a 2N opening. This is no different than upgrading Axx Kxx xx AQJxx to a 1N opening.

Slam is only playable because of the club fit. Make North a little better (♠A instead of ♠K) and slam becomes great. This is the kind of slam thats a lot easier to find playing a big club.

[neilkaz]

Seems like a routine hand to me. If opener wants to upgrade to 2NT that's fine by me, and even if responder then wants to stretch a slam try by 2NT-3♥(tr) 3♠-4NT (quant since Texas then 4NT is RKCB) Opener passes 4NT and should make.

After a 2NT opening, a slam try is pushy with responder's hand having no aces and no kings in his long suits.

[han]

Would definitely open 2NT, Phil taught me 1C is a slam killer.

[skjaeran]

Obvious 2NT opening IMO (or 2♣...2NT in my mehtods).
I really don't find these two hands particularly interesting....