[Liversidge]

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I am learning the Unusual No Trump and Michaels Cue Bid conventions. We had a hand something like this one last night. I was playing South and RHO opened 1 Heart. I cue bid 2 Hearts to show my Spades and a minor. Partner bid 2NT and I replied 3 Diamonds. He rebid 3NT and I passed. We went off a shedload on a Diamond lead. Was the bidding correct? Were we just unlucky with a freak distribution? Should partner have passed my 2 Hearts bid?

[ahydra]

First you should agree on strength for Michaels/UNT. Some people play weak (something like 5-10 points, 7 losers), some people play strong (15+ points or up to 4 losers), some people play either weak or strong (but not in between), and some people play "any strength". Assuming weak is in your range then 2H is fine. But it sounds like partner was expecting something stronger.

Partner should have simply replied 2S. With a singleton, you might say "really?" - but yes! His hand is extremely weak and the deal is obviously a misfit. To try 2NT like he did is fine if he has 6+ diamonds, since he can correct 3C to 3D. But when you bid diamonds and he now can't bid clubs, he's stuck. When you're in a hole, stop digging, get out early. 2S is the bid.

Passing 2H is an alternative suggestion but isn't really that attractive due to the known bad split (unless the opps were playing 4cM, but even then, with such a poor suit it's unlikely to play well).

The silver lining from all this is: even if you went off loads, opponents clearly have game on (3NT looks like it makes at least 9 tricks), so it might end up being a good result for you after all, depending on the vul.

ahydra

[MrAce]

 Liversidge, on 2014-January-23, 10:42, said:

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I am learning the Unusual No Trump and Michaels Cue Bid conventions. We had a hand something like this one last night. I was playing South and RHO opened 1 Heart. I cue bid 2 Hearts to show my Spades and a minor. Partner bid 2NT and I replied 3 Diamonds. He rebid 3NT and I passed. We went off a shedload on a Diamond lead. Was the bidding correct? Were we just unlucky with a freak distribution? Should partner have passed my 2 Hearts bid?

Bidding was not correct for me. I don't know your agreements but most common is to play 2NT promising some values and asking the minor, while 3♣ asks for pd to pass or correct to his minor. Some people play different.

Anyway, if 3♣ bid by N over 2♥ is not available for natural purposes, as North i would try to land in somewhere as cheap as possible and try to avoid DBL and try to avoid 3 level. Perhaps 2♠ by N was the best of bad options available. That is what i would bid anyway.

[ArtK78]

 Liversidge, on 2014-January-23, 10:42, said:

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I am learning the Unusual No Trump and Michaels Cue Bid conventions. We had a hand something like this one last night. I was playing South and RHO opened 1 Heart. I cue bid 2 Hearts to show my Spades and a minor. Partner bid 2NT and I replied 3 Diamonds. He rebid 3NT and I passed. We went off a shedload on a Diamond lead. Was the bidding correct? Were we just unlucky with a freak distribution? Should partner have passed my 2 Hearts bid?

Nothing wrong with the 2♥ bid as long as this hand is in your agreed upon range for Michaels.

Responder has a death hand for your bid. He knows that you have the pointed suits (OK, once in a thousand times you will have clubs and the opps will have 10 or 11 diamonds). As Ahydra suggests, North should be trying to get out before the opponents know to double. He should bid 2♠ and hope that this works out OK.

The 2NT response to Michaels is the standard way to ask for the minor suit. As MrAce mentioned, some have changed this but it is still the standard treatment. I would not bid 2NT on the North hand because, 999 times out of 1000, the response will be 3♦. Now you are one level higher and still have no fit. The same goes for a 3♣ bid by North. Assuming that you have discussed the meaning of 3♣ on this auction and that you have agreed that it is to play, it is still wrong. Why would anyone want to play in 3♣ on a QTxxx suit opposite shortness? And, if 3♣ is not a sign-off, that just gets you in deeper - like 3NT.

As for the 3NT bid, that was very, very bad.

[billw55]

 ArtK78, on 2014-January-23, 11:33, said:

As for the 3NT bid, that was very, very bad.

I think this is the most important lesson for a novice. NT is not a place to run when you are in trouble.

[mycroft]

Yep, one of my rules: "misfits do not play well in NT."

If you have overwhelming strength, fine. But you're going to need it. If you're forced to game and 3NT is the only valid one, well, everything's going down unless you're lucky, let's hope we can scavenge 9 tricks and not 10 anywhere else. But you shouldn't be looking for it, and it certainly should not be the no-fit default.

My other rule around this: "when you know you're in a misfit, get out ASAP." That leads to (1♥)-2♥-2♠; p.

Oh, and "if you're about to make a horrible play, do it with confidence." Not, I mean, the horrible plays we all make that are mistakes; but in cases like this one where you have bad, really bad, and worse options only, make the bad one as if you don't have a care in the world. It's a lot easier for opponents to double you when they know you're on shaky ground; and if you make it clear they have a shot at a good score, they'll concentrate harder and *get* that good score; whereas if you sound like you don't have a care in the world, they may relax a bit and slip you the trick that makes a horrible score a decent one. It won't always work, but it *sometimes* works, and that's better than never.

[Liversidge]

Very sensible advice now you have explained it. Besides the lesson on not running for cover in No Trumps when in trouble, the most telling point was Artk78's observation that North's 2NT ask was almost certain to get a Diamond reply. All my notes / books / downloads on Michaels say that you may sometimes have to bid a suit with "as few as" two cards, implying that bidding one with a singleton is a No No. But here it's the logical bid. I remember my teacher telling me 50 years ago that rules are for the guidance of wise men and for the blind obedience of fools. As I get better at this game I will hopefully throw away my scaffolds and be able to think more about why.

[Liversidge]

And thanks for your advice too, Secretary Bird. I can just visualise myself melting into the base of my seat every time I play a hand I know is going to go down in flames, and thinking its all my fault!

[ggwhiz]

Very good advice above and you did indeed catch partner with the death holding.

Consider and discuss range/style for Michaels and remember that 1♠ is an alternative depending on vulnerability, suit quality etc. Horrible misfits happen and don't let the 1 in 1,000 monster bug you too much.

[Winstonm]

IMO Michael's should be either a weak hand or a quite strong hand but nothing in between else you are left guessing too often.

On the hand in question partner should just bid 2S and hope.

[neilkaz]

North simply has to bid a calm 2♠ and hope that there's no double. His ♥ are too weak with at least a 5 card suit sitting over him to pass. Passing may start an avalanche of doubling whatever is bid.

After his 3NT I blame the opps for not doubling. Doesn't anyone double anything for penalty anymore?

[the hog]

The bidding is definitely not correct for me. I would have bid 2S over the 2H bid and prayed. Playing against very weak opponents you might hazard a pass and hope the hand gets passed out.
2NT asking for the minor is not standard as I know it. 2NT always promises some values in the hand. 3C would be pass or correct.

[mr1303]

I would pass the 2H bid.

For one thing, if I bid 2S partner may bid again with a good hand, and I really don't want to encourage him in the slightest.

2H is not doubled. I might worry about what I do if they double 2H.

[sfi]

 mr1303, on 2014-January-24, 01:32, said:

I would pass the 2H bid.

For one thing, if I bid 2S partner may bid again with a good hand, and I really don't want to encourage him in the slightest.

2H is not doubled. I might worry about what I do if they double 2H.

You're also telegraphing the emerging disaster to the opposition. It is very likely they are about to start doubling when you pass, and they won't stop until after you stop bidding. 2S does not send the same message, and is definitely the best way to get out of the hand with a reasonable score.

[ArtK78]

 sfi, on 2014-January-24, 02:07, said:

You're also telegraphing the emerging disaster to the opposition. It is very likely they are about to start doubling when you pass, and they won't stop until after you stop bidding. 2S does not send the same message, and is definitely the best way to get out of the hand with a reasonable score.

Fully agree.

[helene_t]

 sfi, on 2014-January-24, 02:07, said:

You're also telegraphing the emerging disaster to the opposition. It is very likely they are about to start doubling when you pass, and they won't stop until after you stop bidding. 2S does not send the same message, and is definitely the best way to get out of the hand with a reasonable score.

Agree. Besides, South might have had a very strong hand. Michaels is forcing, he could have game in his own hand. I admit it is unlikely that South has enough to make game opposite this North hand. But once you pass Michaels once, partner may become scared of using Michaels in the future with a very good hand and a void in their suit.

[rmnka447]

Great advice so far.

I too would bid 2 ♠ with your partner's hand. Others have pointed out the first rule of misfits -- go out of the auction ASAP. Here there's no good bid and any other bid just raises the level of disaster.

Your partner should have taken a pessimistic view of the hand. With length in ♥s and ♣s, it's highly likely that your minor is ♦. Since a Michaels bid can be based on less than opening value, until proven otherwise, partner should assume that's the case and seek to get out of the auction.

NT is usually not a good place to play holding distributional misfits. The reason is simple -- communication between hands. Even if you are able to set up tricks in one hand, you may not be able to get to them. Those pesky opponents have a habit of stranding you in the wrong hand where you have to concede tricks to them.

I really love the comments about partner confidently bidding 2 ♠ and not even thinking about passing 2 ♥ which telegraphs the disaster. Your partner may see the potential disaster but should understand the opponents may be unaware of it. Your opponents, even world class players, can't see through the backs of the cards. If you don't give them a clue, they may not figure it out.