[matmat]

R/W imps.
rho deals and preempts 2♠

AQ52
K
QT86
KQ32

I 2n'ed at the table, and though it worked out, I am not sure it's the right call. thoughts?

[helene_t]

The shape is ok for 2N but I would like a slightly better hand. I have been told that I am too conservative in this situation, though, so 2NT is probably ok.

[jdonn]

2NT is normal to me.

[neilkaz]

Routine 2NT. Hand is certainly good enough and the ♠ are positioned very nicely. I hope to survive a possible ♥ lead.

What's the alternative ? Trap pass and hope PD reopens with a double or LHO raises ?

Oh and the last time I overcalled NT like this with a stiff major suit K, I ended up in 3NT and LHO underlead from A-fifth into my naked K and gave me my 9th trick and then called me a cheater and booted me from the table !

[Winstonm]

I'm in with the in crowd; I know what the in crowd knows.

2NT

[han]

With better spade spots I'd also be more inclined to pass. Those spots are unlikely to matter when we declare.

[Echognome]

I'm passing. Don't want to hear a transfer to hearts at any level.

[the hog]

2NT for me.

[effervesce]

2NT. The stiff K♥ is just as good as xx.

[effervesce]

Jlall, on May 4 2008, 10:40 PM, said:

effervesce, on May 4 2008, 09:51 PM, said:

2NT. The stiff K♥ is just as good as xx.

I hear this a lot but definitely think it is not true. For starters having 1 less trump makes controlling the hand very tough, especially if its a 5-1 instead of a 5-2. This also applies though if partner has 6 medium trumps. Secondly if you are thinking of it like your stiff K=xx then that means you only have a 13 count, so your overall hand is much less useful than a 16 count with xx of hearts.

I meant it in context of support if partner transfers to hearts. You certainly don't mind a 6-1 trump fit in 4♥ with your K♥, though playing in 3♥ on a 5-1 fit would be difficult. Yes, perhaps i should have said 'almost as good'. I certainly didn't mean the hand was basically the same as a 13 count.

[whereagles]

2NT, though pass is certainly good as well.

And yes, I think K = xx. Like A = xx or Q = xx.

[helene_t]

Jlall, on May 5 2008, 12:07 PM, said:

Why do people who say K=xx not bid like they have 3 less points just as if they had xx?

My guess is that they think ♥K is worth more than ♥xx when playing in a strain other than hearts

[whereagles]

Jlall, on May 5 2008, 11:07 AM, said:

So by your logic then your hand goes down in value by about 3 points for playing hearts over a normal balanced 16 that had xx of hearts when you have a stiff K then? That is not exactly great for partner judging what to do!

Why do people who say K=xx not bid like they have 3 less points just as if they had xx?

I don't know what your point is, but mine is this:

The problem of bidding NT with a singleton is that pard may transfer to your singleton and leave you to play in that suit. In that case, if the singleton is A,K,Q the number of tricks you end up taking is similar to the number of tricks you'd end up with if you have xx instead.

I'll back up the final statement with some statistics when I bother/have time to do the maths.

[whereagles]

I think I see what you mean. I'm not sure how much of a problem that is, though. I've been treating 4441s with singleton A,K,Q as balanced hands and didn't get to much trouble thus far.