[Phil]

♠xx ♥AQ9xx ♦KTx ♣Txx

w/r, IMPs, short matches. Partner opens 1♠. As you think about some of the continuations if you start with a semi-forcing NT, Mr. Random on your right flies in with 5♣. That's right, red on white.

What now? Continuations to follow.

[ArtK78]

All you can do over 5♣ is double. Clearly, you can't bid 5♥ on AQ9xx or 5♠ on xx. Just as clearly you can't pass with values. That leaves double.

So far, so good.

[mikeh]

I have a very strong hunch that 5♣ is cold, but partnership discipline requires that I double, as card showing. This is pulled less frequently than if RHO had, for example, bid 4♠ over partner's 1♣, but it is still not a pure penalty double in the style that I think most play.

I don't often play hunches in real life, so it would be weird to play a hunch in a forum.

[kayin801]

I would X, I have some values and defense and I can tolerate whatever partner decides to do/bid, and I have a normal lead. Sometimes they make.

[ggwhiz]

Double

Either rho is gambling and about to lose or the auction is the same at the other table to this point. -750 for a push?

My hunch is that the real problem is coming back to me after pard bids at the 5 level or 6♣.

[CSGibson]

X

[kfay]

Yeah man, so what are the continuations?

[wank]

i'd pass. i don't have so much in the way of 'values' that i need to do anything imo. my spade holding is also pony.

i'd rather keep my X upto strength and leave p able to bid more confidently, including to slam, next time.

[aguahombre]

Before we dismiss the above, consider what "card showing" should mean at this level. Maybe it should mean more than what South has, and Opener should expect a minimum responding hand before South makes any call.

If South's hand is treated as the default expectation over a preempt, then pass looks reasonable. It is similar, but not the same as, what direct seat assumes over an opening 3m preempt ---that his CHO will have at least some nondescript 6-9.

[Phil]

kfay, on 2012-March-08, 11:15, said:

Yeah man, so what are the continuations?

A scattered 9 count with no great shape doesnt seem like a hand that should be venturing out to this strange land - the five level.

My view matched this:

wank said:

i'd pass. i don't have so much in the way of 'values' that i need to do anything imo. my spade holding is also pony.

i'd rather keep my X upto strength and leave p able to bid more confidently, including to slam, next time.

So I passed. Your partner Mark was right back in there with 5♥.

Had enough?

[wank]

now i'll bid 5NT - i don't have a convenient cuebid as cues now should be 1st round control imo.

hopefully partner can infer i have the heart suit sewn up and eventually add a 7th heart with the right hand - it's not difficult to imagine partner with AKs Kh Ad and a club void.

if i'm lucky p will cue 6c and i can cue 6d which should be 2nd round now.

[nigel_k]

Agree with the first pass and will bid 6♥ now. 5NT for me suggests alternative strains. 6♣ is possible but obviously partner might have a club and I'm also not sure we are good enough to invite grand.

[mikeh]

having stretched to double, and I was close to passing on the first round, I obviously have to pass now.

If I had passed originally, and saw partner bid 5♥.....heck.....everything I have is working.....I'm willing to bet that this isn't a hand on which we make precisely 11 tricks, nor is LHO likely to be able to double with zero trump tricks and an auction that screams no club tricks so we aren't getting hurt much no matter what (well, that's what I tell myself).

5N has attractions, but I don't see it as likely to help us find grand even if it exists...at least, not any more than 6♥, which isn't exactly a confession of weakness

[ArtK78]

I agree with Mike's position. Having doubled 5♣ I have no choice but to pass 5♥.

And, if I had not doubled 5♣, if partner volunteered 5♥ I would have to raise to 6.

[aguahombre]

Was your partner a mark, or was he Mark?

If it was Itibashi, it would be a close choice (4 was too high?); if Ralph, an easy 6H.

[Phil]

I've never played with Itabashi as a partner. Ralph is from a different neck o' the woods. This is one of Kfays regulars that moved to Southern Cal last year.

I bid 6. Turns out he was jokering a bit with AJTxxx KJxxx Q K.

[kenrexford]

If you could just grok partner's 5♥ call, then this should be easy.

[ggwhiz]

If we can't make 6♥ (most often) here we would be defending 5♣ doubled in my partnership.

I don't get this being a minimum double when you have 1 plus 2 1/2 defensive cards opposite an opening bid. It's not a minimum hand for offence with this heart suit either. I'm raising but would try for the grand before passing.

I'm sorely tempted to bid 6♣, hopefully hear 6♦ and then bid 6♥ to give pard a shot at it.

Just saw the end result and have my ATB vote ready.

[aguahombre]

Phil, on 2012-March-08, 14:32, said:

I've never played with Itabashi as a partner. Ralph is from a different neck o' the woods. This is one of Kfays regulars that moved to Southern Cal last year.

I bid 6. Turns out he was jokering a bit with AJTxxx KJxxx Q K.

Those were the two Mark types, I was referring to. So, you could have just said itibashi

[han]

5H after your pass, really?

I agree with your pass. I don't think that this is enough to double, although I think that it is very close. On the 95% of the hands with which partner passes I am not sure that I would like to defend 5CX instead of 5C. If partner pulls to 5H I am very happy (and I would pass), but if partner bids 5D or 5S I am probably better off defending 5C.

I would like to bid 6D after partner's unexpected 5H call. Can this really suggest playing in diamonds? If not, I think it shows very well what we have: a great hand for hearts in context, a diamond control, no first round club control. I guess 5NT would accomplish the same thing: if partner bids 6C (first round club control) we could bid 6D. That would be more a last-train type of bid.

Actually, I think that a direct 6D should really show a diamond suit. Perhaps x Axxx KQxxxx xx would be a direct 6D bid. So I change my call to 5NT followed by the more ambiguous 6D if partner bids 6C.