Brian Davies
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Personally, I wouldn’t open a Benji 2C with this particular hand. Benji with a minor is never great, because you only show your suit at the three level. Benji with a minor and a four-card major side suit is stretching the system a bit much. I would simply open 1C, because that will never be passed out when you have so much distribution and it gives you space to develop the auction.
Having opened 2C, you strike lucky as long as partner responds with a 2D relay, not a 3D “positive”. The auction would start 2C-2D-3C-4C. Now clubs are agreed and the auction is forcing and you can use your favourite slam methods to identify that the ace of spades is missing and bid the small slam.
I seem to remember that Bernard suggested the jump to 3x should set the suit allowing 4NT to be a key-card enquiry, allowing a transfer then 4NT to be quantitative. So that:
- 1NT-3H-3NT-4NT should be a key-card ask.
- 1NT-2D-2H-4NT should be quantitative.
Is this a reasonable agreement?
Sorry Julian, the hand was actually played face to face at home, so the hand was (mis-)typed in. It should be:
There should be various icons above the post screen: B I “ etc.
The last of these looks like a picture of a mountain and allows you import a picture.
It is a Competitive Double. As a general principle, you don’t get rich trying to extract penalties from low level contracts, so it makes sense to play all such doubles as essentially takeout (Competitive). I suggest that doubles of no trump contracts are penalties, but unless you have specifically agreed a low-level double of a suit bid as a penalty a double, it should be takeout.
The partner of the overcaller is usually called the Advancer and I would describe the bid as a change-of-suit response by the Advancer. This will show five-card spade suit. There is a very simple way of showing a four-card spade suit: a double at this level is surely a takeout double and since spades is the only unbid suit, it must show four spades (and likely diamond support or tolerance).
So I disagree with Bernard when he says that the choice is between Pass, Two Diamonds and One Spade. Double is surely a possible bid – I would go as far as describing it as the standard bid!
But I do fully agree with Bernard in his assessment that it is more important to suggest a good lead in this situation than to attempt to bid constructively. I would bid one spade, knowing that it is a small lie, but it is surely the most practical bid. Double would be my second choice.
I played at one club, which had a belt and braces approach. They had electronic scoring AND a paper traveller … just in case!
I find this very difficult Brian and I have a lot of sympathy with you. But I am picturing a misfit rather more often than you are, because someone has the black suits. If your opponents have lots of black suit cards and lots of points, I would expect them to bid. Their silence suggests that either your partner has the black suit cards (a misfit) or your partner has some points (he will bid). I can’t account for your opponents’ silence on this hand – did you check for a pulse?
For me, a jump shift by opener is a very strong action, It is 100% forcing to game and is usually based on 19 or a good 18 High Card Points. Whilst I would be prepared to reduce this a bit for additional shape, the jump shift should also promise some defensive strength in my opinion. I would not use the Losing Trick Count until we found a fit.
So yes, this is difficult because the hands fit extremely well together and the opponents’ suits break evenly, but I would bid 1H-1S-2D and think that South is closer to a 3D raise (four-card support and a singleton), than North is to a 3D rebid.
But it is an interesting hand and might merit a question to Julian?
If you are playing with this partner regularly, this is something that you need to agree with each other as some players will expect it to be penalties and others will expect takeout. The possibilities are:
- Penalties. Bernard recommends this and if you are partnering another BMB member it is probably reasonable to assume this as a default. All that you can do is pass with your hand.
- Takeout. In my experience, the majority of players play it as takeout and I would assume this as a default unless playing with a BMB member. Your hand is perfect for this action.
- A third option, if you play Lebensohl, is to play that double shows an invitational strength hand that would have bid 2NT in an uncontested auction. The double is essentially a takeout double, but promises invitational strength. You would of course need to discuss and agree that with your partner. Your hand is a little weak for this action, because partner might jump to 3NT with a 14-count and ♠AQ doubleton (say), but the shape is good and I might risk it.
Partner will give preference with 2H, with either hand.
Also, opps have 25 points and a nine or ten-card fit, but they are silent?
I would also double.
I am surprised that your partner bid clubs. With a likely double stop in diamonds, I would bid 2NT. You bid 3C, then partner “might” gamble 3NT, which would be interesting.
I bid it: 1H-1S-2D. I’m not seriously considering any other options.
I know that 2D is non-forcing, but my partner will rarely pass this auction and the opponents’ silence is telling. We don’t have any indication of a fit yet, so I want to preserve as much space as possible to investigate the best strain.
I expect third third round of bidding to be more challenging (but maybe you are going to tell me that there wasn’t a third round?).
