Comments on: A Game Decision http://oldprofbridge.com/2006/09/09/a-game-decision/ Contract Bridge Themes with a Midwest Accent! Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:11:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.9 by: Christopher Monsour http://oldprofbridge.com/2006/09/09/a-game-decision/#comment-129 Wed, 06 Dec 2006 03:58:52 +0000 http://oldprofbridge.com/2006/09/09/a-game-decision/#comment-129 Pass. I have a little more than a minimum, but I could certainly have a bit more still, and partner could have bid 3D with a strong invite. Hands with strong trumps and no shortness are not improved as much by a raise as are distributional hands with somewhat less solid trumps. An interesting question would be what advance you would expect partner to make with the example hands Mark gives. If 3H, then the 3NT bid Mark is tempted by is quite reasonable. (Partner may pass when it's down, but 4H will also be down.) Or would partner have bid 2NT? Or would he have bid 3D? I would consider AJxx Jxx xx Jxxx plenty for a 3H advance, so the example hands do have "extras". (The other way I know they have extras is that, while they are passes of a 1H balance, they are close to advancing even that.) Pass. I have a little more than a minimum, but I could certainly have a bit more still, and partner could have bid 3D with a strong invite. Hands with strong trumps and no shortness are not improved as much by a raise as are distributional hands with somewhat less solid trumps.

An interesting question would be what advance you would expect partner to make with the example hands Mark gives. If 3H, then the 3NT bid Mark is tempted by is quite reasonable. (Partner may pass when it’s down, but 4H will also be down.) Or would partner have bid 2NT? Or would he have bid 3D? I would consider AJxx Jxx xx Jxxx plenty for a 3H advance, so the example hands do have “extras”. (The other way I know they have extras is that, while they are passes of a 1H balance, they are close to advancing even that.)

]]> by: Mark Kinzer http://oldprofbridge.com/2006/09/09/a-game-decision/#comment-91 Fri, 15 Sep 2006 19:21:53 +0000 http://oldprofbridge.com/2006/09/09/a-game-decision/#comment-91 One thing I read recently (perhaps Mike Lawrence?) is that this balancing bid shows about 14 points. In that case, I have exactly as expected, and I must review the rest of my hand. Good is that my points are combined in the same suit and thus will work together, and I have particularly nice trumps. Bad are my 3 low diamonds as well as my balanced shape. Altogether I think the negatives outweigh the positives, and I should not bid 4H. But these negatives are more applicable to suit play than to notrump. If I were to accept this invitation, I should certainly consider 3NT - a nice partner needs only Qxx, xxx, Kxx, Axxx, or perhaps AQxx, xxx, Kxx, xxx for me to make game. Initially, I considered only the two choices 4H and pass and was leaning towards a pass. But the more I think about it, the more I'm inclined to talk myself into bidding 3NT. Life's a gamble, isn't it... One thing I read recently (perhaps Mike Lawrence?) is that this balancing bid shows about 14 points. In that case, I have exactly as expected, and I must review the rest of my hand. Good is that my points are combined in the same suit and thus will work together, and I have particularly nice trumps. Bad are my 3 low diamonds as well as my balanced shape. Altogether I think the negatives outweigh the positives, and I should not bid 4H. But these negatives are more applicable to suit play than to notrump. If I were to accept this invitation, I should certainly consider 3NT - a nice partner needs only Qxx, xxx, Kxx, Axxx, or perhaps AQxx, xxx, Kxx, xxx for me to make game.

Initially, I considered only the two choices 4H and pass and was leaning towards a pass. But the more I think about it, the more I’m inclined to talk myself into bidding 3NT. Life’s a gamble, isn’t it…

]]> by: Big Bidder http://oldprofbridge.com/2006/09/09/a-game-decision/#comment-89 Mon, 11 Sep 2006 05:06:03 +0000 http://oldprofbridge.com/2006/09/09/a-game-decision/#comment-89 I have extras, so I would bid 4H. I have extras, so I would bid 4H.

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