[apollo1201]

IMPs, red vs. green. LHO deals and opens 2S while you were pondering between 1H and a non-systemic 1NT, both now insufficient bids... So what is best (or the least terrifying)?

Ax
AT8xx
KTx
A9x

[FelicityR]

in 4th position, and with a passed partner, and no agreements on the range of a 2NT bid in the balancing position, I would double.

2NT could get us in a right mess, and the suit doesn't look good enough to bid 3♥.

If partner bids 3♥ in response to the double, it's a close thing whether to raise to 4♥, I feel - depends how I am feeling on the day.

[nige1]

apollo1201, on 2017-May-02, 15:55, said:

IMPs, red vs. green. LHO deals and opens 2S while you were pondering between 1H and a non-systemic 1NT, both now insufficient bids... So what is best (or the least terrifying)?
Ax
AT8xx
KTx
A9x

I rank

• Double = T/O. Flexible and Lebensohl can help. But you might miss a 5-3 ♥ fit.
• 3♥ = NAT. Committal and exaggerates suit quality
• 2N = NAT. BAL. Descriptive but wrong-sides no-trump when partner has a ♠ quack.

[rmnka447]

FelicityR, on 2017-May-02, 16:48, said:

in 4th position, and with a passed partner, and no agreements on the range of a 2NT bid in the balancing position, I would double.

2NT could get us in a right mess, and the suit doesn't look good enough to bid 3♥.

If partner bids 3♥ in response to the double, it's a close thing whether to raise to 4♥, I feel - depends how I am feeling on the day.

I agree double is right with this hand.

If you're playing the Lebensohl 2 NT response to doubles of weak 2s, then 4 ♥ should be almost automatic as partner has shown 7+ with 4+ ♥ by bidding 3 ♥ directly. The 2 NT response followed by 3 ♥ over the 3 ♣ relay shows less, so would rate a pass. Vulnerable, at IMPs, you've got to be aggressive bidding games as the IMP scoring methodology says vulnerable games with 35%+ probability of making are break even or better in the long run and should be bid.

[wank]

Easy double

[GrahamJson]

nige1, on 2017-May-02, 16:57, said:

I rank

• Double = T/O. Flexible and Lebensohl can help. But you might miss a 5-3 ♥ fit.
• 3♥ = NAT. Committal and exaggerates suit quality
• 2N = NAT. BAL. Descriptive but wrong-sides no-trump when partner has a ♠ quack.

With Ax it is best for the lead to come up to you, especially if LHO has bid the suit. If partner has QJ, or Qx or Jxx you will likely have two stops in the suit whereas if partner declares then the lead comes through Ax so LHO will win the K and force out the then bare ace.

So a 2NT bid right sides the contract making it a close decision between it and double.

[nige1]

GrahamJson, on 2017-May-03, 00:45, said:

With Ax it is best for the lead to come up to you, especially if LHO has bid the suit. If partner has QJ, or Qx or Jxx you will likely have two stops in the suit whereas if partner declares then the lead comes through Ax so LHO will win the K and force out the then bare ace.

So a 2NT bid right sides the contract making it a close decision between it and double.

Agree with GrahamJson that 2N is OK when LHO opens 2♠
I misread the OP to say that RHO opened 2N. Sorry
That changes my rankings

• 2N
• Double
• 3♥

[PhilG007]

apollo1201, on 2017-May-02, 15:55, said:

IMPs, red vs. green. LHO deals and opens 2S while you were pondering between 1H and a non-systemic 1NT, both now insufficient bids... So what is best (or the least terrifying)?

Ax
AT8xx
KTx
A9x

A straightforward take out double. Anything else..the thumbscrews(!)

[ggwhiz]

The old saw that soft cards play better in notrump and control rich hands better in a suit isn't 100% but I think it's right on these cards and especially colors.

Double gives the best chance for a plus and to avoid a minus in the 100's as even a 4-3 in a minor has a decent chance to be playable or at least not go out the door. You need to have 2nt lebensol on the card in case you have game though.

[RD350LC]

PhilG007, on 2017-May-03, 05:54, said:

A straightforward take out double. Anything else..the thumbscrews(!)

Agree 100%

[mycroft]

I'd flip a coin. If partner has ♠Qxx, even with ♥xxx, I'm going to want to be in NT. If partner has ♠Txx, somewhat less so...

But RHO's failure to raise is a + to the NT game - it is now very likely that partner has at least three spades, which allows the holdup play (unless, of course, this pair is a "frequently 5-card" weak 2 type).

Double is always the most flexible call (and if partner has *four* spades, we're very happy to defend!). But good luck getting to the 5-3 heart fit now.

Preempts Work™. Pick a call and go with it, knowing that it will be wrong sometimes.

[Note: This was all before we worked out that RHO, not LHO, opened. Most of what I say is twaddle at that point, except the first and last paragraph.]

[neilkaz]

Double and please play Leb, partner!

[apollo1201]

Thx all for your comments but I just realized I typed LHO instead of RHO! Apologies to all for the confusion, but except the right-wrong siding of NTs (which I didn't understand at first), your arguments about suit quality and so on convinced me I had done a good move by Xing too.

The opponents actually strongly questionned my call after my (crazy) partner (boldly) jumped to 3NT (with a 10-count including KTxx S and 3 hearts) and duly made it, while 10 tricks in H were much harder to get.

[msjennifer]

Double for take out and follow Lebensohl.

[wank]

3nt from p is totally normal. Your Opps should stop whining.

[miamijd]

apollo1201, on 2017-May-02, 15:55, said:

IMPs, red vs. green. LHO deals and opens 2S while you were pondering between 1H and a non-systemic 1NT, both now insufficient bids... So what is best (or the least terrifying)?

Ax
AT8xx
KTx
A9x

I don't think this is nearly as clear-cut as most of the posters have suggested. RHO (not LHO) opened (OP corrected this), so if RHO has a typical 7-9 count, that leaves 17 split between partner and LHO; each rates to have about 8-9.

Any call you make here is fraught with danger. Either 2NT or 3H could go for a number, maybe Xed. Pass will miss a cold game if partner has a decent hand and cede -110 when you could be cold for +120 or +140. X could easily land you in the wrong strain.

The two bids I would eliminate right away are pass and 2NT. Pass is just too unilateral; you can't consistently miss game if partner has a decent hand (he's not likely to reopen here). 2NT suffers from the same problem. If partner has a poor hand, you belong in 3 of a suit, not 2NT (which will go down a ton of tricks). And if partner has a decent hand, why unilaterally opt for NT instead of a 5-3 H fit?

So that leaves X and 3H. X will be a lot better if partner has a bad hand. At least you'll end up in a playable spot at the right level. 3H is likely better if partner has a good 10 or better, because you are more likely to get to the right strain.

So what about the 8+ - 10- hands, which are very common here? If you X, partner is going to make a constructive bid. If he bids 3H, fine, but then you're in the same 4H game you'd be in if you'd overcalled 3H.

What if he bids 3C or 3D after a X (these bids show a good 8 to 11 or so)? Those bids are going to be very common here. What are you going to bid then? You are stuck. If you pass, you may miss game. If you bid, you may get hopelessly overboard or else end up in the wrong strain.

Suppose you bid 3H and partner has 8+ - 10-? If he has 3H, he's going to raise and you're in good shape. If he doesn't, then he'll either pass, bid 3NT (9-10 and a spade stop), raise to 4H with decent two-card support, or try 4m with a good six-bagger. The only time you're in the soup is when he passes with something like 3145 with no spade stop.

At IMPs, I prefer to get to the best game when possible, even if that involves a bit of risk. So I would overcall 3H on my ^%*&# H suit here, because it will give me the best chance to get to the right game when partner has a decent hand. At MPs, I am more likely to cater to the possibility that partner has a bad hand and make the more flexible X.

But I think it's close.

Cheers,
mike

[SteveMoe]

Double seems more prudent than 3♥, particularly if you play lebensohl over Wk2-X-P.
If partner mentions ♥ you can raise confident that you have a 9+ - card fit and partner has enough power.
If partner starts with 2N, you are happy to play in any of 3 suits.
If partner bids 4♥ or 3♠, you have good options.

ATxxx is better when partner has Hxxx opposite, than Hxx or Jxx.

[Zelandakh]

miamijd, on 2017-May-04, 17:14, said:

What if he bids 3C or 3D after a X (these bids show a good 8 to 11 or so)? Those bids are going to be very common here. What are you going to bid then? You are stuck.

and

miamijd, on 2017-May-04, 17:14, said:

Suppose you bid 3H and partner has 8+ - 10-? If he has 3H, he's going to raise and you're in good shape. If he doesn't, then he'll either pass, bid 3NT (9-10 and a spade stop), raise to 4H with decent two-card support, or try 4m with a good six-bagger. The only time you're in the soup is when he passes with something like 3145 with no spade stop.

Suppose you bid 3♥ after a 3m advance of your double showing a flexible hand. In how many of these cases are you actually coming out ahead by overcalling initially? I would suggest to you very few, so that course of action seems to be strictly better than a direct overcall. Perhaps you think double and bid still means a GOSH after a preempt. If so you should bring yourself up to date with bidding theory and discover the advantages of the flexible hand approach.

[ggwhiz]

apollo1201, on 2017-May-03, 13:48, said:

The opponents actually strongly questionned my call after my (crazy) partner (boldly) jumped to 3NT (with a 10-count including KTxx S and 3 hearts) and duly made it, while 10 tricks in H were much harder to get.

That's most often a sign that you did something good and all the more satisfying when they squeal. Remember these birds and if you can do them in again you may end up owning them.