Fear and Loathing at the Local Club, part 2, with Poll!

[Len Myers]

You're dealer, all vulnerable, and you hold K92 KT954 AQJ Q8.

I suppose you could open a 15 to 17 notrump, but they're out of fashion with a five-card major, and in any case, this pair was playing 12 to 14 notrumps. So I'll ask you to accept a 1 opening.

Partner now bids 2, which in your agreements shows three things:

• 8 to 10 high-card points;
• Heart support, presumably 3+; and
• a singleton spade.

Well, piddle. your spade king is now so much rubbish, and you decide to bid 3, signing off. Now partner bids 3. What's your next move?

[Steve White]

Write memo to self: get a new partner. Anticipate writing memo to self: get a new partner. Hold off until you see what he has.

Unless I fear that partner has forgotten our agreements and has a weak jump shift, then I bid 4 diamonds. I'll guess there was some game-forcing splinter auction available, and he thought he was on the strong side for that. If he strong-splintered and you bid 4H, then he would have hated to pass but would have. Now, with the auction he's taken, he has expressed slam interest opposite your known minimum, without going past 4H. You have just enough to encourage, again without going past 4H.

[oirg]

Presumably pard has confirmed 10 points, spade void 4+ heart cards. Given the "wasted" spade king and the club quack, I do not want to encourage any further bidding past 4H.

I voted "pass". I play with people who agree to use conventions and then forget them, so I'd assume partner forgot, and was making a weak jump shift. But on reflection, if partner forgot the convention, it's possible partner was playing strong jump shifts.

Actually, the more I think about this, the more I think that I would take different actions with different partners, and you have not given me enough information to decide.

[Steve White]

Originally Posted by oirg

Presumably pard has confirmed 10 points, spade void 4+ heart cards. Given the "wasted" spade king and the club quack, I do not want to encourage any further bidding past 4H.

If that means "exactly 10 points", I don't think partner should bid that way. Once you have confirmed a minimum, he should settle for 4H. It also has the problem that had you accepted originally with 4H, he would have no idea whether to go on.

If no immediate game-forcing splinter were available, then this might be the way to describe a normal game-forcing splinter. It still should be one strong enough to be interested in slam even opposite a confirmed minimum. Among confirmed minimums, this one has a few redeeming features (I would have opened without the club Q, though probably a 12-14 NT; the spade K might have some small value, certainly more than the spade QJ).

Back in the ancient days, before NT responses to majors were artificial and before 2-over-1's were game forcing:
1M - 2NT = 13-15 balanced (or 12+ to 15- or even 12-14); minimum and limited game force)

1M - 3NT = 16-18 balanced (about 3 HCP better than 2NT); definitely limited, nonforcing)

What about 1M - 2NT - 3NT - 4NT? No hand suitable for the agreed meaning of 2NT would bid that way; Marshall Miles and other writers suggested that by logic rather than by formal agreement, it was nonforcing, slightly better than 1M - 3NT.

With a good partner, I would assume this situation is similar: pattern similar to the agreed pattern (since you don't know how partner is going to react to the first bid) but substantial extras, inviting slam and implying that from the beginning the hand knew it wanted to invite slam, at least.

As indicated, if partner has a different idea, it might be time to look for a new partner. (though if he has just forgotten the agreement, some lapses like that will just happen. )

[Len Myers]

Originally Posted by Lucy

Actually, the more I think about this, the more I think that I would take different actions with different partners, and you have not given me enough information to decide.

You and your partner were almost 70% in this session. Many fine pairs infested the field. Does that help?

[Steve White]

Originally Posted by Len Myers

You and your partner were almost 70% in this session. Many fine pairs infested the field. Does that help?

That is very relevant information. If that partner can carry you or any of us to a 70% game in a fine field, it's time for him to be looking for better partners. Any openings on Nickell's team?

[Steve White]

In the poll, the meaning of 4C should be "cheapest cue bid, chosen to inhibit a club lead". Or maybe "penultimate train".

Originally Posted by Len Myers

You and your partner were almost 70% in this session. Many fine pairs infested the field. Does that help?

In that case, I assume that it is I who has forgotten some detail of the convention.

I'd probably hope he was cue bidding and bid 4D in that case, but if he next said either 4 or 4 I would pass. But i've messed up and we are screwed.

[oirg]

It's possible that pard has an unusual feature to his hand, like a 5th heart, or a a 5 or 6 card minor suit, or may be both, and could bid as described and still be systemically consistent. If the spade king were the king of either minor, I would bid 4D instead of 4H.