[plaur]

1♣ - 1♥ - 1♠ - 2♥
2♠ - 4♥ - pass - pass
4♠ - pass - pass - ?

Local pairs, all nonvul. LHO opens and partner bids 1♥. My 2♥ shows a small hand. We do not have many agreements for these competetive auctions.

I took my partners pass over 4♠ as forcing since we have bid a voluntary game and opener seems to have bid 4♠ as a sac. Thus we cannot let them play an undoubled 4♠. We do not have any agreements about forcing passes

1) is my thinking about partners pass over 4♠ correct?

2) what features in my hand do I look for when deciding whether to x or bid 5♥ (or pass)?

[han]

Not forcing, partner could have a mediocre hand with long hearts.


Very rarely bid in this situation, you have described your hand (if not, make a better bid two rounds ago). If partner wanted to involve you he could have made a different bid.

[plaur]

Hannie, on Oct 30 2005, 05:15 PM, said:

Not forcing, partner could have a mediocre hand with long hearts.


Very rarely bid in this situation, you have described your hand (if not, make a better bid two rounds ago). If partner wanted to involve you he could have made a different bid.

Thanks, I see I have described my hand and its up to partner now since partner could have a wide range for a overcall.

I still do not understand the logic of the bidding sequence. Openers 2♠ showed a small(normal) opener and was clearly not forcing. Now she bids 4♠. This looks very much like a sacrifice. Why should we ever let them play 4♠ undoubled at pairs?

What am I missing?

[pclayton]

I think what you are missing is to consider what kind of hands your PARD might hold.

He might have something like: x, AKJxxx, AQxx, xx where he didn't want to make a direct 4♥ overcall. Or something like: x, AKJxx, AQxx, Kxx - a max overcall that didn't want to make an offshape takeout double. Or he might hold some kind of hybrid: x, AKJxxx, AQx, Qxx.

With the 1st, he has hopefully pushed the opps to a contract that they can't make. With the 2nd, he'd certainly dbl 4♠.

In reality, there are very few hands the overcall's raiser can hold that would bid 5♥ or double 4♠.

[P_Marlowe]

1) Not forcing, for some people there maybe a case,
if you are red versus green, but not for me

2) If you have few spades, i.e. at most a single
or a worthless 4 card suit, and you are maximum
for your raise, i.e. you have something useful
for parter ( a 4th card, which you actually have
denied, honours in hearts and diamond) you can
bid 5H, but most of the time you should pass,
... incooperating the vulnaerability.

That you will ever have a penalty is rather unlikely.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[P_Marlowe]

plaur, on Oct 30 2005, 05:34 PM, said:

Hannie, on Oct 30 2005, 05:15 PM, said:

Not forcing, partner could have a mediocre hand with long hearts.


Very rarely bid in this situation, you have described your hand (if not, make a better bid two rounds ago). If partner wanted to involve you he could have made a different bid.

Thanks, I see I have described my hand and its up to partner now since partner could have a wide range for a overcall.

I still do not understand the logic of the bidding sequence. Openers 2♠ showed a small(normal) opener and was clearly not forcing. Now she bids 4♠. This looks very much like a sacrifice. Why should we ever let them play 4♠ undoubled at pairs?

What am I missing?

Most likely your opponent bid his hand twice,
maybe he did underbid now, or he overbids now,
let it go, you cant always punish stupid bids.

But maybe the 4H bid told him, that there
is no wastage in hearts, which made the 4S
bid attractive.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Gerben42]

If partner wanted pass to be forcing he could have bid something else that forces to 4♥ but isn't 4♥. He didn't. So pass is not forcing.

[han]

Gerben42, on Nov 2 2005, 07:10 AM, said:

If partner wanted pass to be forcing he could have bid something else that forces to 4♥ but isn't 4♥. He didn't. So pass is not forcing.

Hey, that's funny, I completely agree!