Julian Pottage
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It is important to play a range for splinters (maximum of 13 points I would say) otherwise opener does not know what to do – so hands with 14+ points use Jacoby. On this occasion I do not think it should matter.
South’s sign off facing the 4D splinter is overly cautious. While it is true that the DK is not pulling full weight, the rest of the hand is really good. Every long spade is a trick! If North has four spades and both rounded suit aces, South can count 12 tricks.
Once in a blue moon North has ace-queen-jack of clubs and the major suit queens suit and you go down in 5H on a heart lead – but the chance of making 12 tricks almost whenever North has two aces is much higher. i would bid 4NT over 4D – but if you prefer a 5C cue bid then North would make a return cue bid of 5H or bid the slam anyway.
On the second auction South’s bidding is overly optimistic – after South has shown a game forcing raise, North should be the one going slamming rather than South – South got lucky because North had such a good hand.
I have never know it to come up but the traditional meaning of a 5S opening is a hand with 11 tricks missing the ace-king of spades. If you are playing that, there is no point opening 5S (or a 5H transfer!) as you know partner has nothing in spades and will pass.
At the other table I do not know why West doubled 2S – the double should show extra values.
South’s pass of 3D is far too cautious. What sort of hand can North have for a vulnerable two-level overcall that offers no play for game?
South’s double shows a hand too good to sell out to 2S and asks North to bid. With 3-card club support and having already denied 4-card support (by passing over 2S rather than bidding 3C immediately), North should bid 3C.
On the actual layout 2S doubled went 2 down but suppose you give East a diamond less and a club or a heart more. Then 2S doubled would be makeable (the diamond ruff in the East hand would be worth one trick in itself and a second trick by enabling declarer to take the trump finesse.)
With 27 HCP North-South I do not know why they stopped short of game at the other table. You gained on the board because of the mishap at the other table.
You are right that it is important to ascertain whether one player as some extra values. Even if the hands fit well, a minimum opening bid facing a minimum game forcing raise do not produce a slam.
The common solution is to play that a bid of 3NT by either party shows 15+ points, a ‘serious 3NT’ bid.
In your auction, 3NT would deny a spade control (because you would bid 3S if you had a spade control) but promise at least 15 points.
In your auction, 4H from opener would be an uncommon action, denying a control in spades or diamonds and denying a club void. Opener would have to have good hearts to have the values for an opening bid with so little elsewhere.
1. I do not think a double in this situation would have a name.
2. Yes if double would be penalties and you do not fancy bidding 2NT without a club stopper then I guess you could bid 3C. Bidding 3C takes the bidding higher than a double would, which is why many people prefer to play double as takeout.
In fourth seat (after the opening bidder’s partner has passed) it is quite common to play a 2NT overcall as 18-19. Perhaps that is what the couple you mention are getting confused with.
In second seat the way to show 18-19 balanced is to double first and then bid NT at the lowest level on the next round.
In fourth seat, when a 1NT overcall would show 12-14, doubling and then bidding NT at the lowest level shows 15-17. It is the fact that the ranges are lower in fourth seat (the principle of the ‘borrowed king’) that means you need to have a natural 2NT overcall available.
thank you – yes the 3S card and Pass are not adjacent so there was some doubt about whether a misclick had occurred – but we were happy to give our opponents the benefit of the doubt on that point.
Bernard plays that once your side has bid NT then all doubles are for penalties – but many people play East’s X of 2C as takeout. With 18 HCP and 4-card diamond support, East should raise 2D and 3D and then West with clubs well held can bid 3NT.
Ingrid, please could you start a new thread with your question as it does seem to be related to the original question.
Sorry I am confused by your auction. Nobody can bid 1NT after someone has already bid 2S. Please could you clarify?
There are advantages and disadvantages to showing exactly what your two suits are. Ron Klinger I know likes to clarify what the two suits are immediately as this helps partner judge whether to compete (or if on lead what to lead). With my most regular partner we do a bit of both. Our basic method is Unusual and Michaels but we also play a jump cue bid of a minor as showing the other minor plus spades (this means you cannot use the jump cue bid to ask for stopper but when the opponents open a minor you are less likely to want to ask fro a stopper).
A jump to game does sound like a shut out bid as with a stronger hand partner would take the auction more slowly. In this situation where the opener has a much stronger hand than the responder, a transfer would be a good idea. If you do not play transfers, you really need to be looking to add them to your armoury.
