[thepossum]

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What is the "expert" bid here

Not going to make any spoilers but it was a disappointingly strange hand

[helene_t]

Haha if I want to bid something then 3H , but pass is completely normal.

[thepossum]

helene_t, on 2023-March-18, 04:02, said:

Haha if I want to bid something then 3H , but pass is completely normal.

Thx. I bid 3H which, as I will demonstrate later, rather sadly and strangely worked worse than other options
I felt the hand was too good to pass

[DavidKok]

I would pass in a heartbeat. Game is not on and we are in the last safe contract at the 2-level. Partner is a favourite to hold 2 spades and long clubs, and then where do we want to go? 6-9 points opposite our 14 also doesn't motivate any risk-taking. We're weak, we have a misfit, get out now.

[LBengtsson]

It is an optical illusion that this hand will somehow be good for 3NT, if that is what you are thinking if partner has a max 1NT response bid. I go with the simple statistic that he is more likely not to have 11, and 3NT is not on.

[DavidKok]

The 2♠ rebid denies as many as 10 points. With 10-11 partner would rebid 2NT (or a long suit).

[Cyberyeti]

thepossum, on 2023-March-18, 04:22, said:

Thx. I bid 3H which, as I will demonstrate later, rather sadly and strangely worked worse than other options
I felt the hand was too good to pass

What's your dream hand for partner ?

can game be on ?

Kx, KJxx, J10x, xxxx ? well you'd need spades 3-3 to avoid a force, and probably diamonds 3-3 too to avoid a ruff, I don't think game can be that good

[thepossum]

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I thought this hand was worthy of note

I still can't really work out the paradox. The way 8 hearts is worse than 7 spades
That's why it's in this forum:)

But passing was obviously the right bid

I checked DD to console myself

One person miraculously saw 4 spades and bid it

[Cyberyeti]

thepossum, on 2023-March-18, 14:26, said:

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I thought this hand was worthy of note

I still can't really work out the paradox. The way 8 hearts is worse than 7 spades
That's why it's in this forum:)

But passing was obviously the right bid

I checked DD to console myself

One person miraculously saw 4 spades and bid it

Well if you play hearts from the natural side I think you make it in that a diamond lead from Jxx is not attractive (in Acol there is no issue after a 1♠-2♥ start) the problem is that you can be forced to ruff clubs twice on the obvious Q♣ lead establishing a a trump for the defence, while the spades are 3-3 and there are only 3 clubs with the A♦ so you survive the force playing there if you guess which ace to force out correctly.

[pescetom]

thepossum, on 2023-March-18, 14:26, said:

I still can't really work out the paradox. The way 8 hearts is worse than 7 spades

Take a closer look at the clubs layout.
Not that you should know during the auction.

[thepossum]

pescetom, on 2023-March-18, 16:27, said:

Take a closer look at the clubs layout.
Not that you should know during the auction.

I did realise that was the problem - as my high trumps were disappearing from my short hand - and I noticed I may not make 10 tricks