[pescetom]

MP

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I picked up this hand towards the end of last night's MP tournament. Friday evening is a relaxed affair and I was playing with a good beginner, so not many conventions but plenty of room to have fun, in this case by opening 3♣. South frowned but passed, my partner raised to 5♣ and all passed. When hearts were led and I saw the dummy I was relieved and pleased, but then it dawned on me that 4♠ was likely to make 480 and blow us out of the water at MP. Luckily it turned out that nobody had played spades or even clubs come to that, all other tables had been in 4♥ making.

All's well that ends well and I congratulated partner for his bid. But I also wondered what would have happened if I passed, even with an experienced partner. If W opens 1♠ and N interferes 2♥ then E has a tricky choice and S is probably bidding 4♥ in any case. My regular partner might well open 1NT instead, in which case N still gets to show his hearts but I can get in a Rubensohl transfer to clubs and now at least E knows one comfortable place to play over 4♥.

It's a tricky situation but should not be impossible for EW, there are plenty of things in our favour: not vulnerable, W has great spades, E knows he has to come alive sooner or later with such a shapely hand, the long hearts fit is obvious, spades outrank hearts, LoTT is working spot on (21/21).

How do you see this auction going with your regular partner in W and decent opponents in NS?

[Cyberyeti]

A much funnier auction than yours:

2♦(0+ points, 4+♦ might have longer clubs)-P-P-2♥
3♣-4♥-5♣

Now if ops save they save.

[AL78]

I think there was a considerable element of luck in your partner's bid, so I would not be so quick to congratulate him/her. Would you congratulate them if you held a singleton club and four diamonds and you were writing -500 on your card, which is the sort of thing that would happen if I bid like that?

We have a few players at my club who bid like that and seem to land on their feet when the cards are aligned in such a way that it works perfectly.

With one of my partners, 3♣ would show 5-5 both minors so I would open that.

[pescetom]

AL78, on 2022-March-05, 13:43, said:

I think there was a considerable element of luck in your partner's bid, so I would not be so quick to congratulate him/her. Would you congratulate them if you held a singleton club and four diamonds and you were writing -500 on your card, which is the sort of thing that would happen if I bid like that?

We have a few players at my club who bid like that and seem to land on their feet when the cards are aligned in such a way that it works perfectly.

With one of my partners, 3♣ would show 5-5 both minors so I would open that.

Yes it would be useful to have an opening for both minors here.
But I certainly was quick to congratulate him on his jump to game (and warn him about my own bid too).
[I suspect you may have misread and think that it was partner who opened 3♣, that was my friday night bid]
In my experience a beginner is likely to be torn between pass/3♠/4♣ and probably settle on the former as the only one with implications clear.
To envision a possible clubs game and call it in tempo shows talent IMO.
Not for nothing there is a good book subtitled the "art of being lucky".

[LBengtsson]

I am opening 3♣ on your hand. No defense. 6/5 minors. Just 2 card support for major, What you did was right imo.

[smerriman]

AL78, on 2022-March-05, 13:43, said:

I think there was a considerable element of luck in your partner's bid, so I would not be so quick to congratulate him/her. Would you congratulate them if you held a singleton club and four diamonds and you were writing -500 on your card, which is the sort of thing that would happen if I bid like that?

I think you mixed up who was who - pescetom opened 3♣, so I don't think he'd do that with a singleton club It was the raise to 5♣ being congratulated.

If I did pass as East, the next bid is easy (double 2♥), but things definitely get more complicated after that if South is bidding 4♥.. hard to know what'd happen after that as I'm a bit biased by seeing the hands. 6-5 is probably worth opening though.

[johnu]

pescetom, on 2022-March-05, 12:37, said:

South frowned but passed, ...

Does South always overbid???

[pescetom]

smerriman, on 2022-March-05, 15:43, said:

I think you mixed up who was who - pescetom opened 3♣, so I don't think he'd do that with a singleton club

Exactly

AL78, on 2022-March-05, 13:43, said:

Would you congratulate them if you held a singleton club and four diamonds and you were writing -500 on your card, which is the sort of thing that would happen if I bid like that?

I'm not sure I would open 3♣ here in a serious tournament, unless the opps were both vulnerable and unpleasant.
Partnership confidence is likely to take a hit if it doesn't work out.
But I don't think it is as risky as you seem to think, even with this hand headed KT.
I just gave West ♠AKJ86 ♥T82 ♦9863 ♣2 which is the sort of hand you expect to hold and 3♣ only goes down 2, with NS still making 4♥.

smerriman, on 2022-March-05, 15:43, said:

If I did pass as East, the next bid is easy (double 2♥)

Double is an option, as is 3♣ if it promises some degree of fit. In our system I like 3♥ as it highlights the shortage and gives partner a chance to control-bid in spades, but that is probably an overbid had we not seen the hands.

[AL78]

smerriman, on 2022-March-05, 15:43, said:

I think you mixed up who was who - pescetom opened 3♣, so I don't think he'd do that with a singleton club It was the raise to 5♣ being congratulated.

If I did pass as East, the next bid is easy (double 2♥), but things definitely get more complicated after that if South is bidding 4♥.. hard to know what'd happen after that as I'm a bit biased by seeing the hands. 6-5 is probably worth opening though.

Yes I did, sorry, in that case the raise is standard.