[mgoetze]

At a pairs tournament with a large variety of skill levels on display, you suspect you might not be facing the best the tournament has to offer when the bidding goes...

---

Partner has shown several red cards, and you have a few of those yourself. What's your call?

Should you choose 5♥ like I did...

Spoiler

...there are two passes, and RHO bids 6♣ without missing a beat. What now?

[nige1]

mgoetze, on 2015-April-19, 07:02, said:

At a pairs tournament with a large variety of skill levels on display, you suspect you might not be facing the best the tournament has to offer when the bidding goes...
Partner has shown several red cards, and you have a few of those yourself. What's your call?
Should you choose 5♥ like I did...

Spoiler

...there are two passes, and RHO bids 6♣ without missing a beat. What now?

---

IMO, 5♥ = 10, Pass = 7.

Spoiler

If RHO protects with 6♣ then, IMO, Pass = 10, 6♥ = 9, Double = 5. Pass the blame to partner.

[mr1303]

I insta-pass each time and don't consider it close.

[cherdano]

mr1303, on 2015-April-19, 07:43, said:

I insta-pass each time and don't consider it close.

How much shape do you think partner's double shows?

ETA: Argh, somehow misread the auction.

[PhilKing]

5♥ is absolutely crackers. Partner has five hearts exactly never. For me, the prototype shape for the double of 1NT is 1444 with about 13 or more points. If partner had more length in the red suits he would have bid over 1♣.

This auction is impossible.

[KurtGodel]

Deleted a previous post, thought the auction was different.

Passing the first time, and if I bid 5H then I would pass the second time.

[mgoetze]

PhilKing, on 2015-April-19, 09:33, said:

5♥ is absolutely crackers. Partner has five hearts exactly never. For me, the prototype shape for the double of 1NT is 1444 with about 13 or more points.

That's probably what it should be, but I should perhaps add that partner is sometimes a bit queasy about acting immediately without any HCP.

[P_Marlowe]

Pass, parther did not show 55 direct over 1C, he could, but did not,
he just prebalanced.

I will see, what 5C is worth.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[PhilKing]

mgoetze, on 2015-April-19, 09:53, said:

That's probably what it should be, but I should perhaps add that partner is sometimes a bit queasy about acting immediately without any HCP.

But on the second round, doubling 1NT with no high cards is absolutely fine.

[nige1]

cherdano, on 2015-April-19, 09:26, said:

How much shape do you think partner's double shows? ETA: Argh, somehow misread the auction.

I misread it too

[PhantomSac]

mgoetze, on 2015-April-19, 09:53, said:

That's probably what it should be, but I should perhaps add that partner is sometimes a bit queasy about acting immediately without any HCP.

It's hard to answer the problem without knowing what to expect from partner. Obviously he doesn't have the normal hand type (as described by philking), do you think he has a weak 5-5 or something? If so probably pass 5C (they aren't in 6 and 6H might be expensive), but save now (since there is no chance to beat this if he really was so weak with 5-5 he couldnt bid over 1C w/r).

[WesleyC]

I definitely wouldn't bid over 5C. Especially against a weak pair, the 5C bid might already have won us the board.

There's also no guarantee our singleton club is going to be useful. Based on the auction partner might hold a 3451 or 2551 where 5H gets annihilated.

[mr1303]

To explain my position (since it seemed to come in for some criticism), let me explain.

1) The field might well be playing in 3NT. Hardly beyond the realms of possibility given that RHO bid 1NT
2) Bidding 5H might force them into 6C, which might be cold.
3) A sacrifice at the 6 level here might be better than 6C making, but I think is distinctly in 800/1100 territory, which is unlikely to be replicated elsewhere.

[billw55]

WesleyC, on 2015-April-20, 00:00, said:

I definitely wouldn't bid over 5C. Especially against a weak pair, the 5C bid might already have won us the board.

This. If north wants to leap straight to five of a minor at pairs, after his partner already bid NT, I say let him.

[Jinksy]

If the standard is so low, couldn't P just have a penalty double based on good clubs? Maybe they're in an 8-card fit.

If I have to choose between playing the opps for insanity and my p, I know which one wins me the post-mortem.