[pclayton]

You are crusing along in the 1st session of the Open Pairs. Its a stratified event (all types and abilities, but their are quite a few good pairs in the room). You look at:

Scoring: MP

---

Pard opens 1♥, you try 1♠ and pard bids 1N (12-14). The opponents pass throughout and you don't get any sense that either of them wants to take a call.

Your call?

[bearmum]

pclayton, on Jul 3 2005, 11:41 PM, said:

You are crusing along in the 1st session of the Open Pairs. Its a stratified event (all types and abilities, but their are quite a few good pairs in the room). You look at:

Dealer: North Vul: Both Scoring: MP

♠ Q9xxx ♥ Kxx ♦ Qxx ♣ KJ

Pard opens 1♥, you try 1♠ and pard bids 1N (12-14). The opponents pass throughout and you don't get any sense that either of them wants to take a call.

Your call?

I think my hand is just worth NMF bid to see if we have a double major fit

[mike777]

I would have tried a more offbeat 2H constructive the first time and not one spade, oh well.

[luke warm]

i'd prefer 2 way here, but like 3H, limit raise with 3 cards, better than nmf.. and i disagree with mike on the spade bid, i think it's mandatory...

[Winstonm]

I assume 5-card majors. If so, 2H. I have a doubleton and partner has a doubleton somewhere. These hands are usually better played in a suit than NT.

WinstonM

[Chamaco]

I bid 2C but not as NMF, but as XYZ (we play it on also after 1NT rebid).

2C puppets to 2D, and then I'll bid 2H showing invitational values.

The choice about the strain is of course crtical: shall we play better in a suit contact or NT?

I think part of the answer depends on the agreements: does NT rebid ALWAYS deny a singleton (except a stiff honor, which would be treated as xx, a "legitimately balanced" hand) ?
Or does it allow a small singleton in pard's suit (as many experts seem to allow recently)?

In the second case, I will ALWAYS go for the heart suit (if pard may have x opposite Q9xxx I won't be happy in NT).

If pard always guarantees 2 spades, and a semibalanced hand, I might chance to offer a NT contract.

But after all, why go against the field if you feel superior to many of the pairs ? Bering in the same strain you might content yourself of a 55-60% board or better by superior card play; chancing NT we might and up struggling even vs inferior defenders, to risk our life to make an overtrick because weknow a heart contract at the other tabes would score better with normal play.
Basically a top or bottom proposition, certainly worth considering under specific circumstances but very risky in "noral" situations