[broze]

How do you play these sequences? Is is worth playing that the first one always shows 5-5?

1.

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2.

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3.

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[benlessard]

Its normal to make offshapes X since 2Cx is often a great spot.

[broze]

benlessard, on 2014-August-20, 12:11, said:

Its normal to make offshapes X since 2Cx is often a great spot.

In which case what sort of hand would you expect dealer in the first auction?

These questions are inspired by a bidding problem I faced recently (MPs):

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[rhm]

broze, on 2014-August-20, 14:33, said:

In which case what sort of hand would you expect dealer in the first auction?

These questions are inspired by a bidding problem I faced recently (MPs):

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I would say in this particular sequence 2♥ is very likely a 5 card suit and one could agree that it always shows 5 cards after 1♠-(2♣).
Why did you have a bidding problem?
Partner is limited since he did not rebid 3♥ (e.g. ♠AKxxxx ♥AQJTx ♦x ♣x)
Pass is obvious.
It is possible but against the odds that partner would bid that way with 6♠-4♥-3♦-0♣
(Even then keeping the bidding open with a false preference is dangerous on such a weak hand)
I at least am not fond of reopening with a DBL at the two level when I am void in overcallers suit.

Rainer Herrmann

[helene_t]

1: 5-5 M, could have significant extra playing strength but not huge. Very little defense against clubs. Typically a void and soft values. In your MP problem I would pass without a second thought.

2:Normally 5-5 and stronger, would have been happy to defend 2♣X. 5-4 or 6-4 possible with very good hearts.

3: 6241 is the expected shape but a strong 1-suiter is certainly possible. I think this should show extras but it's not clear to me if that is best. The question is what to do with this shape and a minimum. Maybe just pass 2♥, expecting responder to have 5+ hearts almost all the time.

[broze]

Okay, perhaps "problem" is somewhat of an overbid. I passed and fairly quickly but it did make me wonder whether partner was promising 5H or not. I think his actual hand was 5=4=1=3 or something - I wasn't sure if that hand should start with double or not. Thanks for your answers.