[grbradt]

Scoring: IMP

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Bidding is p-p-1C-?

I was kibbing an ACBL pairs event the other day, when i saw this. I was expecting south to pass here, when instead he bid 1D. South is advanced on profile, so i thought hehe he miscounted his suit. So i looked at some of the other tables and was very surprised to see most bidding here. Here was breakdown, mostly advanced, experts plus 1 world class: 5 bid 1 NT, 4 bid 1D, 11 bid x, 4 passed. One of the doublers alerted his bid with 15+. With scattered values and stiff K, how can you valuate this hand as 15? And your best suit was just bid. I am confused.....

[mike777]

I had the hand behind this hand as the opp. They also overcalled 1d at our table. We bought the hand in 2H for a good result. The thinking on this hand is with hcp and lousy shape you must find some kind of bid or get shut out. In other words it is better to make some bid showing values even with lousy shape rather than pass and try and back in later. Of course Al Roth was famous for passing and backing in later.

[pbleighton]

Playing with my regular pd, I would bid 1S on this hand without hesitation.

Peter

[pclayton]

I don't have the urge to overcall on either of those suits so I'll pass.

If the hand had another Q or so, I'd fudge a 1N overcall.

[keylime]

I might overcall a spade here, but it's fraught with danger.

[HeartA]

I would pass.

[Free]

With FREEWILL overcalls you can downgrade 1hcp and bid 1♠ showing 44+♠-♦. I don't like the idea of a powerdouble on this hand, so I'd bid 1♠.

However, with standard agreements it's imo between pass and 1NT. Pass is probably the better action, since the chance is huge you can enter later if you feel it's necessary.

[kenrexford]

The determining factor for me is that the opening bid is third seat. When a third-seat opening pops up in front of what I would have faced as a fourth-seat opener, I do not let that opening take me off the hook. Especially when the Opening is 1♣, where my "normal" route is not blocked.

Had I faced three passes, I'd either open 1♦ (4+) or 1NT, a close call. These are, therefore, my two choices.

Having determined this, I now assess whether the opening has suggested one over the other. The double club stop leans me toward 1NT. I can handle a penalty double from partner, and I can reopen if the opponents can reach 2♥ in a weak auction.

[P_Marlowe]

Pass.

Sometimes you dont have a bid,
listen to the auction, and if they
showed clubs and hearts make t/o
dbl later.

Passing, playing IMP's you risk a
partscore swing, but it is not certain,
and you may beat their contract.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[ochinko]

I am surprised no one overcalled 1S here. We could still have a game here if partner has passed with 10-11 points. Pass and double are both out of the question. 1NT has its merit too.

[P_Marlowe]

ochinko, on Aug 14 2006, 05:31 AM, said:

I am surprised no one overcalled 1S here. We could still have a game here if partner has passed with 10-11 points. Pass and double are both out of the question. 1NT has its merit too.

While I think 4 card overcalls in
a mayor make sense, I dont really
believe that a suit K9xx meets the
requirements.

If I have to make an overcall, it
would be 1NT, but 15HCP are min,
holding the singelton King of hearts
is no plus, i.e. I would downgrad the
hand, ... which means the hand is
not strong enough for a 1 NT overcall.

If it goes Pass, Pass and partner holds
10-11HCP, he will take actions.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[mikeh]

1st a comment about the ratings. As most already know, the self-rating aspect of BBO (better than the OKB ratings system) is poor: I have seen a number of players I know from real life as intermediate call themselves expert; I have seen a number of fellow-canadians call themselves WC, when I know beyond any doubt that they have never represented canada, and so on. So don't be misled by the ratings of those who made poor bids... their choice of bid told you more about their level than their ratings did.

Some may have overcalled simply because it was mps and maybe they were bored or felt the field was so weak that they could fool around.

Double is insane..... you cannot handle any auction involving ♥... esp. if partner bids the suit, and why won't he?

1N is too rich. The opps rarely lead ♣ on this type of auction and 4441 hands rarely play well in notrump, and that stiff ♥K is better defensively than offensively.

1♦ is plain weird: it takes away no space, probably rules out showing ♠ later (you'd be promising longer ♦ and you can't stand a preference back to ♦) and is a distortion.

1♠ is more understandable: I have no objection to a 4 card overcall, but the suit is wrong.

Pass is what you have. With luck the auction either gets them into one of your suits or has them bid and raise ♥... if it goes 1♥ P 2♥, you have an easy double... and that would not be an underbid, since the ♥K is hardly pulling its full weight.