Julian Pottage
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If you are playing a 6-9 range, which is common when non-vulnerable, you open 1H. If you are paying a 6-10 range, you open 2H.
In your first auction responder, if holding club support, will know of a double fit.
in your second auction, you have not explained the 3D bid. I assume this is agreeing hearts. Since the fourth player has passed, it is unlikely that an opponent will bid higher than 4H, so the need to establish a double fit for taking a 5-level decision is small. In view of the fact that the opponents seem to have stopped bidding, I would think it OK for opener to bid 3S with either a high card or shortage control.
A simple change of suit response by a passed hand is not forcing. With my most regular partner we play that a 2NT response by a passed hand shows 10-11 points with 3-card support, which would avoid the problem you had here.
1. I play double as 15+ and either with no diamond stopper or a poor diamond stopper. If you play that the double shows four cards in the unbid major (I think you meant to put spades rather than hearts), you are going to be stuck on some hands.
2. Please can I ask you to rephrase your question bearing in mind that I have not seen the seminar. In general a forcing pass says ‘I am not sure whether we should be bidding higher – but if we do not bid higher than we need to double. For example if you open 2C or 2D (whatever is your system strong bid) and the opponents overcall either immediately or in fourth seat, allowing them to play their undoubled is not an option so whichever player is not in the passout seat has a forcing pass available.
3. Yes in a competitive auction is it usual to play that a new suit is natural rather than a slam try.
You have asked about South’s bidding but the player who has taken the most remarkable action is East. Facing a partner who has opened the bidding and looking at a stopper in each suit the opponents have bid, how can North-South get anywhere near 3NT? As it happens 3NT is only one off but East must double.
I suppose North’s raise of 2NT to 3NT is almost as noteworthy as East’s decision to pass throughout facing a vulnerable opening bid. The 2C overcall in the first place was a stretch because of the favourable vulnerability. If 2H was forcing, North had no choice but to bid over that – but when the option to pass 2NT presents itself North should grab it. i am not sure what South can do differently, expect perhaps giving preference to 3C rather than bidding 2NT – as it happens North’s clubs are poor, so 2NT plays better.
If you are playing 2H as non-forcing (not what I would recommend) North could pass 2H.
To achieve a good score with a sacrifice against an opposing three conditions normally need to apply:
1. the field needs to bid game with the opposing cards
2. the field needs to make game with the opposing cards
3. the penalty you concede needs to be less than the value of the opposing game
Going four down (800) is not going to be a good score, so you need to have reasonable hope of getting out for 300, which gives you a bit of a safety margin.
If your partner had some strength and only three diamonds, this does not sound offensively orientated enough to be bidding 5D. A hand with four diamonds and a bit of shape would be a better suited.
Perhaps your hand was one on which I would have made a weak jump overcall of 3D rather than a simple 2D overcall.
Although the heart suit is rather poor, West should rebid 2H. A reverse of 2S or high reverse of 3C would promise extra values.
Lacking a spade stopper and having only a doubleton heart, East has a tricky second bid. Following the principle that it is better ti lie about a minor than a major, Est should rebid 3C. West has the spades well held and, aware that East’s 3C rebid might not be completely natural, rebids 3NT. The ethics could be tricky if East has thought for a long time before bidding 3C. With my most regular partner I play a 2S rebid by East as an artificial game force, which would solve East’s rebid problem.
Your auctions 1 and 2 both seem reasonable and I would not argue with either.
I do not agree with auction 3 for a several of reasons. For one thing, East is not too strong for a 3C raise and so has no reason to use fourth suit.
If you are playing fourth suit as forcing for one round only, West should not bid 2NT with 14 points. West should either jump to 3NT or raise 2H to 3H.
If fourth suit is not forcing to game, East should pass 2NT rather than overbid with a raise to 3NT.
I play king for count against suit and NT with the proviso that against NT it is also an unblock card. Some people play that if you hold an ‘impossible’ card you unblock it so if North leads the queen then South unblocks the jack. there is not so much a right answer here other than that you should agree with your partner what asks for an unblock and what does not.
If North is going to switch, I do not understand the choice of a club. For one thing, a club switch might well spare declarer a two-way finesse (if South has the CQ). For another, if South holds the CA, declarer is likely to have only 8 tricks ready to cash. Given that West (by failing to convert 3NT to 4S) has denied four spades, the best switch (if North is going to switch) is to a spade.
I have no heard of Lead Captain. the results are interesting! I would not be leading the five-card suit if it was a minor – the chance of finding dummy with a doubleton in a minor is much lower than the chance of finding dummy with a doubleton in a major.
Yes when in this context say ‘up to’ people usually mean ‘up to and including’ – but certainly a could point to clarify with your partner. Americans use ‘through’, frequently abbreviated to ‘thru’, which makes it clearer that the highest name bid is part of the agreement. The Americans do not always have better terminology but on this occasion they do.
I would beg to differ with the last point made. Playing five-card majors you often find yourself locked in to a 5-3 fit. It is easier to find a secondary fit when playing Acol. Most 5-card major players I know would raise hearts immediately when holding four spades and three hearts. Indeed many raise even with five spades and three hearts – I would not do that.
1. (a) It is usual on the first round to treat a 1C or 1D opening that might be natural as if it is natural. If you have considerable length in the suit they have opened, you pass on the first round and hope for the chance to show the suit later.
(b) A double is still takeout, though you are less likely to have the perfect shape. You would be expected, if minimum, to have at least 4-3 in the majors; partner should not expect support for the other minor.
(c) So long as 1C opening might be natural, I treat it is as natural. Only something if the opening is like a Precision 1C, which has no connection to clubs at all, would I treat it differently.
2. You can still make a splinter after an intervening double. This is something to discuss with your partner.
I would lead the 8 of hearts. Perhaps the opponents have a doubleton heart in each hand. A spade lead would require more from partner. A further point (though less so at matchpoints) is that partner might have doubled if wishing you to lead a shorter a suit.
