[daveharty]

---

EDIT: Imps.

[MrAce]

I think 3♣ bid by N was worst. Once u pass with this, which was already a borderline decision to begin with but i can see why, and now that pd reopens it bidding only 3♣ is awful imo, even if it promised some values. I would bid 3♥ by N hand over DBL.

Edit: You did not mention the scoring so count my response for imps.

[jdeegan]

There is actually a decent arguement for NOT playing negative doubles in this particular auction (God forbid, did I really say that?). North almost has a 3♣ bid, but that bid is a little rich because it makes for a potentially very fast auction. A negative double with the idea of bidding clubs later fails if pard responds 3♦. My major candidate for blame has to be South because I, personally, would reopen with 2♠, but you can't really condemn a reopening double.
Maybe the use of the negative double in this auction is the real culprit. North can always do a job on this kind of hand with a little subtle UI if he holds a penalty pass, so maybe this is what makes a bad system playable.

[MrAce]

I'd personally start with negative DBL with N hand . After all i have Hx ♠ and decent hand. Of course bidding 2♠ is also an option by south hand, but i wld do it with a little better ♠ i think. All these things are close, i dunno. Maybe i am resulting. All i know is i would not bid 3♣ with N hand, unless it shows such a good hand by agreement.

[wank]

i blame the doctor who prescribed north unnecessarily strong tranquillisers

[Hanoi5]

Probably the methods. North has a great hand, he should either double or bid 3♣. Then they can get to game. After South doubles it gets alittle complicated as South could be merely being polite by doubling in which case jumping to 4♣ (or 5♣) could be really dangerous.

[hotShot]

I don't like North pass over 2♥,
the reopening double by South is misdescribing the South hand.
North 3♣ shows a very weak hand, that is forced to bid because of the reopening dbl.
South has no choice but to pass 3♣.

So North has to take most of the blame, but South should not blame anyone but himself as the reopening dbl is terrible.

[helene_t]

It makes sense to play lebensohl here so that North can show some values with the 3♣ bid. Not sure if South would accept the invite, though. He would need to know about North's spade tolerance also.

It may be easier if South reopens with 2♠ instead of double. Not saying that he should do that, just resulting. But even so, you may strand in 3♠.

[rhm]

Hanoi5, on 2011-September-01, 03:01, said:

Probably the methods. North has a great hand, he should either double or bid 3♣. Then they can get to game. After South doubles it gets alittle complicated as South could be merely being polite by doubling in which case jumping to 4♣ (or 5♣) could be really dangerous.

Well 3♣ in this sequence is clearly game forcing. The question is not that you would reach game if North overbids and takes immediate action (with the possible exception of an immediate 2♠ raise), but how you would then avoid a negative score opposite a slightly different South hand.
Standard methods are clearly inadequate in this area. The current September Bridgeworld discusses a similar problem in the MSC.
A treatment, which I like, is playing negative (but constructive) free bids at the two-level and transfers, which are at least mildly invitational, from 2NT onwards.
North would bid 2NT and if South accepts the transfer (often with a doubleton), North is allowed to pass. I might still end up in 3♣ here, if both North and South took a conservative view, but I would have a much better chance of reaching game in a sensible manner.

Rainer Herrmann

[han]

North has a difficult hand type, there is no perfect solution.

Too bad the hearts were blocked.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

A matter of methods.

#1 Pass over 2H is ok, otherwise the question is, what to bid?
There is a reason some switch to NFB, some switch to transfer responses.
If 2NT is Good-Bad / Lebensohl style, you could bid this, intending to pass 3C.
#2 I prefer 2S, but given the suit quality and xx in hearts, I dont think X is terrible.
#3 3C is fine, having a Good-Bad / Lebensohl 2NT bid av. to differentiate the
strength, would have been helpful.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[andy_h]

One option is for North to bid 2S over 2H. Although I don't have any experience in raising with a doubleton, having the Ace can't be that bad. Having said that I would personally (probably) bid 3C over 2H as a slight overbid. Yes it's lacking in the hcp department but with a good 6-card suit, Ax in partner's suit, experience has told me to stretch a little in competitive auctions.

If North decides to pass, I don't think I like double as South.

[Free]

The only good bid was 1♠.

[JLOGIC]

han, on 2011-September-01, 04:58, said:

Too bad the hearts were blocked.

[benlessard]

North has an automatic 2S.

[daveharty]

Free, on 2011-September-01, 12:27, said:

The only good bid was 1♠.

I dunno, 2H doesn't seem such a stretch.

[gnasher]

han, on 2011-September-01, 04:58, said:

Too bad the hearts were blocked.

5♣ is a good contract.

[MrAce]

deleted

[whereagles]

I'd bid it differently (prefer 2S to dbl), but would STILL miss out a game here.

[MrAce]

whereagles, on 2011-September-02, 13:39, said:

I'd bid it differently (prefer 2S to dbl), but would STILL miss out a game here.

It needs special talent to miss game after 2♠ imo.