20 March 2012

What hand fits this auction?

I was sitting at the table preparing to play a contract when all of a sudden it was snatched away from me.

WestNorthEastSouth
2 Pass 3 Pass
Pass 4?!

What hand type do you think the 4 bid shows?

I thought it might be a heart void. North having discovered that both their red suits are in fact diamonds suddenly has a bid.

What about this hand:
Q 8
A 3
K T 9 7 5 4 3 2
6

Would you come back in on the strength of an 8 card suit?

What about this shape:
-
T 4
Q J T 9 8 3
K Q J 8 2

Could you bid 3NT for takeout instead?

Or does this auction simply not exist?

3 comments:

  1. I'd say something like your first hand qualifies. A long suit, and enough playing strength to want to compete for the partscore even at the 4-level (you don't give the vulnerability, and the form of scoring, both of which might be relevant) but not enough high cards to overcall 3D directly over 2S.

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  2. The opponents have been known not to bid the same as would I ... but I would overcall 3D with either of the two shown hands. When the right 5-7 count (high heart honor, a diamond honor) allows you to make the contract of your overcall, I think you need to make that overcall over a preempt. Relative few HCP notwithstanding.

    I would rather overcall 3D on the shown hands than on, say, xxx, AQ, KJTxx, Axx. Think of how each of those three hands plays opposite a balanced Yarborough.

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  3. I think the first hand particularly qualifies if opponents might be playing leaping Michaels (so 4D directly would be D+H).

    *I* wouldn't overcall 3D on either hand, but that's because partner is allowed to expect some reasonable defensive values for my direct overcalls (and that's just a matter of agreement of course.)

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