[MrAce]

I bid 5♦. After 3♦ overcall and my ♦ holding they are making this 4♥. To be honest i am not expecting a both side making game situation here but i doubt 5♦ will go -800 or -500. There is a good chance we may get away with -100 -300 or even push them to 5 level.

OBAR bids require special agreement. I didn't see original poster mentioning anything about it. But, yes, as Ben stated if we have this agreement then we shouldn't really get excited about that hand and just pass.

In general i do not like OBAR bids except than 1♥-pass-2♥-2♠. The ones at 3 level gets complicated. Perhaps i am not good at using them efficiently but thats how i feel about them. Especially when opponents are opening very light and responding/raising on a dime. For the same reason i gave up on "sandwich NT" and playing natural 1 NT overcall.

[whereagles]

It doesn't take OBAR to realize an overcall after opps shown a fit is a very safe move, even if at the 3 level and even with as little as 8 hcp.

People have an intuitive notion of this, and that is why I wouldn't play partner for a solid overcall, even if undiscussed.

[the_dude]

I think the question is .. if you aren't raising his 3-level overcall with AQxx, what DO you need to raise your partner?

Yes, I fully support pre-balancing, and if partner has a mediocre 3163 pre-balance (and the opponents make the right decision) then we are headed for a poor result.

But that's pessimistic thinking. He also might have a real 3D bid .. with extra shape or extra values. When he has a real hand, and you don't raise with AQxx, next time he's going to feel like he has to do all the bidding himself.

What's more, the opponents are very short in Diamonds and might take the push. There's alot that can go right. I think passing is an attempt to "thread the needle" by automatically assuming the opponents are getting 420 in 4H and you are going for 500 in 5D. In that respect it feels more like masterminding than anything.

[y66]

I like 5D for the reasons Art, the Hog and others gave. But it's too much for me with that hand. I'll bid 5D with Axxx of diamonds and better shape, for example, xxxx x Axxx xxxx.

Good problem for me.

[Phil]

5♦ for me.

Let's start with the assertion that 4♥ is cold. Does anyone question that?

Assume our teammates are in 4♥. There are two bad things that can happen - and that is 5♦ goes for 800 or 500. Lose 9 or 2. Everything else is positive - including:

- +4 for -300
- +8 for -100
- +13 or 14 or so for +400 / +550
- +10 or 11 for +50 in 5♥

If I had to venture a guess, I would say 5♦ nets an average of -175.

[cherdano]

When I saw this I thought it was an automatic 5♦ bid. But now I am not so sure. If partner is 3163, bidding is almost always wrong. E.g. give him xxx x KJxxxx AKx - now we are down 500 in 5♦ AND 4♥ might be down; give him more values, and 4♥ is down barring a void, give him less values and we are down 800. Give him more shape, say 2164, then we still have two awfully defensive Jacks. Give him Ax x Kxxxxx Axxx, and we are down 300, but we also might be beating 4♥. Give him ♠Kx and we might make two spade tricks on defense and none on offense on the same hand.
I think pass is right.

[Fluffy]

My style is to double with 3163, and his suit quality isn't amazing so playing with myself that particular shape wouldn't be a concern.

[whereagles]

Phil, on 2011-January-20, 13:14, said:

Let's start with the assertion that 4♥ is cold. Does anyone question that?

Well, I do. If pard has like Axx x Kxxxxx Axx, declarer will have to be pretty much in shape to guess the black jacks right.