Long Beach Regional, 8/96: Answers

From a KO match in Long Beach:

Today's Panelists: Steve Altus, Curt Hastings, Ed Davis, Roberto Scaramuzzi, Walter Hamilton

  1. both vul,  S:Kxx H:10xx D:K9x C:KQxx
    Partner You
    1S:1NT!
    2C:?
    choices:
    1. show a good 3-card limit raise
    2. show a bad 3-card limit raise
    3. show a game forcing raise with no slam interest
    4. other
    STEVE
    (1) Since 2C: doesn't necessarily sdhow anything in clubs (could be 3 to the six-spot) you can't upgrade to a game force. [Heck, I'm judging whether to upgrade to (1)! --Jeff]
    CURT
    (1) I am tempted to bid game by the potential club fit, but cannot bring myself to do it.
    ED
    1. 100
    2. 60
    3. 50
    4. 30 (if we belong in 3N, I'll hear about it after my good LR)
    ROBERTO
    (1) I think this was a (2) originally. Now that partner (maybe) has clubs, it reevaluates to a good limit raise (if partner actually has clubs, this may even be a game-force, but there is no way to tell, is there?).
    WALTER
    (3) Although if one has the 2D: gadget you could trot it out. If partner bids 2H: your hand is less likely to produce game. If CHO bids 2S: you have finagled a short suit game try from partner which you can easily accept. If CHO bids something else you have enough for game.
    JEFF AT THE TABLE
    (1)
    CONSENSUS
    (1)
    WINNING ACTION
    Didn't matter. Partner had garbage and even 3S: was too high when spades went 4-1.
    JEFF UPON REFLECTION
    (1) seems right...is this a good enough reason not to bid 2C: on 5332 as some folks like to do? I think the consensus was that this is a bad limit raise until partner shows a club fragment, at which point it is a good one.

    Steve considers slam, but I don't see how to get there vs, say,  S:AQJxx H:x D:Axx C:AJxx.

    Ed's rankings for (3) and (4) are too high, IMO. For (2), it's too low. I think it's quite close.

  2. both red,  S:KQ10x H:109xx D:J10x C:10x
    CHO RHO YOU LHO
    1C: 1S: Pass?Pass
    2D: Pass2NT? Pass
    3C: Pass?
    a) do you pass the first time?
    STEVE
    no, I would bid 1NT.
    CURT
    yes.
    ED
    of course
    ROBERTO
    I would have bid 1N.
    WALTER
    I bid 1N, all those 10s are mesmerizing.
    JEFF AT THE TABLE
    yes
    CONSENSUS
    none
    WINNING ACTION
    1NT
    JEFF UPON REFLECTION
    I play that 1NT shows about 8-10 with a delayed 1NT about 5-7. Most panelists thought that 1NT was an overbid, but some were willing to commit it anyway in order to describe their hand. Both white at matchpoints, I'd do the same in order to steal 1NT before LHO bids it. Red at IMPs, that doesn't seem as worthwhile. All scoffed at a negative double.
    b) do you bid 2NT the second time? (Is 2NT natural?)
    STEVE
    sure.
    CURT
    If not discussed, probably. I like lebensohl here though.
    ED
    yes
    ROBERTO
    2N must be natural, showing something like a penalty double of 1S:, but not strong enough to force to game. [Is that possible? --Jeff]
    WALTER
    If you play Lebensohl the answer is undefined.
    JEFF AT THE TABLE
    yes, yes it's natural.
    CONSENSUS
    yes
    WINNING ACTION
    doesn't matter
    JEFF UPON REFLECTION
    lebensohl is not on here, because 2D: is not forcing.
    c) what now?
    STEVE
    I think it's time to apply Hamman's rule.
    CURT
    3NT
    ED
    Pass... no club fit, no heart stop, already showed my hand and partner wants to play 3C:... [Ed thinks partner has  S:x H:x D:AQxxx C:AKJ10xx. --Jeff]
    ROBERTO
    I'll pass. Partner should have extras, but this looks like a complete misfit, and I'm worried we can't scrape together 9 fast tricks in NT before the opponents get, say, 3 hearts, a club and a spade. [Roberto thinks partner has  S:x H:Kx D:AQxx C:AKxxxx. --Jeff]
    WALTER
    Pass. If you assume your 2N bid is natural and partner has a reverse, you have shown you hand, which hasn't improved in the bidding.
    JEFF AT THE TABLE
    Pass
    CONSENSUS
    pass, 4-2.
    WINNING ACTION
    3NT; partner had  S:x H:AJ D:AKxx C:AKxxxx and clubs broke and the D:Q was onside.
    JEFF UPON REFLECTION
    It's red at IMPs, so all I need to bid 3NT is an excuse. I think 3NT is a bad bid, but maybe I have an excuse :) OK, so how does partner differentiate between the hands that Roberto and Ed imagine and the real one? I think 2NT should show some sort of minor suit hand, but Ed doesn't. I think it ought to be the shapely hand (like Ed's example). I would, however, have doubled with partner's real hand and bid 3C: over 2H:.

    As far as the actual result goes, it really doesn't show much; 3NT's expectation is about the same as 3C:'s, at least against good opposition. 3NT from partner's side, however, is quite good. I can't see how to obtain that result. If partner had had the C:9, 3NT would have been a little better. Since 3NT depends a lot on spots (H:10, D:10, C:109) this seem a bit tough to manage systemically.

  3. dealer, favorable,  S:J10xxx H:AKQ D:Q10x C:xx

    Your opening NT range is 10-12. What is your choice of opening bids?

    STEVE
    1NT seems fine. [Steve thinks that one ought to open a 10-12 1NT with a five-card major whenever feasible. --Jeff]
    CURT
    1NT
    ED
    1S: 100, 1N 80, pass 30. [Ed's rule about opening 1NT with a five-card major is "don't do it with 12 HCP. --Jeff]
    ROBERTO
    1S:; I hate opening a weak NT with a 5-card major. What were your spade spots, by the way? [How did he know? I forgot to include the S:9. J10932. --J]
    WALTER
    1N I don't conceder this to be a 12 point hand with a 5 card major. If I opened it 1S: and partner bid 1N I'd pass, so that alternative wouldn't help me find the heart suit.
    JEFF AT THE TABLE
    didn't have this hand, but would open 1NT.
    CONSENSUS
    1NT, 4-2.
    WINNING ACTION
    1NT. Partner had a hand much like Problem 1, and everything was wedged. We can probably make 1NT, but it's not cold. Pass would probably work out, too. Not many IMPs are at stake, though.
    JEFF UPON REFLECTION
    If playing 100% forcing 1NT, and if the minors were reversed, there'd be another reason to open 1S:, as Walter mentions. After your 2C: rebid, partner can bid 2D: to find a 5-3 heart fit. So, how insane is it to open this 1S: and rebid 2C:?

    My rule about 10-12s with a 5-card major is "don't open 1NT if the other table will open one of the major." I think that this hand ought not open 1S: (I'd pass if vulnerable) but I think the other guy will open 1S:, so it's a dilemma. Maybe one ought to sneak a peek at the player in that seat? :)

PS: we won, so none are "complaint" or "should have been" hands...hah! :)
Jeff Goldsmith, jeff@tintin.jpl.nasa.gov, Aug. 21, 1996