Sometimes it's easier when you don't get the big hands. Last night five of us played one of the instant matchpoint games from Richard Pavlicek's web site. It's a fun social format. Each of you makes six boards, then each possible pairing plays two of the six boards you made while you kibitz.
I held this monster in 2nd seat at all red:
S AQJ
H AJ3
D A
C AQJ942
First hand passed, so my first debate is what to open. I don't like opening minor-oriented hands 2C, and I'm unwilling to distort this and call it balanced, so I went with 1C. Partner responded 1H, and I'm stuck with 2S. No club bid is forcing, and I really want to hear about a fifth heart. Unfortunately partner raised to 3S.
Now what? Generally after faking a reverse or jump shift, retreating to your first bid suit makes clear you actually had a one-suiter. But that's much more common when the opening is in a major and the jump shift is in the minor. Nevertherless, I don't see a better option than 4C.
Unfortunately at this point my partner thought I was cuebidding for spades, and cooperated with 4D which got doubled. I jumped to 5NT (pick-a-slam). I'm not sure about this one either. I didn't want to give up on 6H at matchpoints, but not unsurprisingly partner thought the choice was between black suits. I corrected 6S to 6NT which the sneaking suspicion that I might as well bid 7 since I was either making with an overtrick or going down a lot depending on a black suit finesse.
Down 4 didn't score well, and of course 6C was cold opposite partner's actual hand, 10985 K962 7 K875.
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I like your auction up to the jump to 5nt; I'm not sure how partner can field that as anything but a choice of blacks, with the possibility of bidding 6h as well.
ReplyDeleteI imagine you can XX the 4d'x, to show your first round control, but partner is going to have a tough time finding many controls to show. You could also pattern out with 4h. However, it seems most practical when an auction is off the rails to just jump to the slam you were thinking most likely all along (6c), and hope for the best. At any rate, that's our default agreement and mine with all regular partners.
Not that it comes up very often, but when I have a choice of "fake jump shift / fake reverses" like above, I would prefer d's to s's, as if later in the auction partner pulls my 6c to 6d (bad partner!) I still have 6h in reserve.
I had one to ask you about on BBO the other day. You pick up x J1097xx x A98xx. In your agreements (mine) this is not a 2h opener in first seat, so you pass. Partner opens a 3rd seat 1s passed to you. 2h or 1nt (or pass, a position I'm not yet old enough to consider)?
I'm certainly not defending 5NT. I agree with your assessment. I too prefer to fake in a minor, but with AQJ versus A, it seemed like partner would evaluate much better if I bid spades.
ReplyDeleteAs for your hand, I admit I'd have opened it 2H, but given the position I'm in 2H now seems like a huge overbid, even given the playing strength of the hand, so 1NT for me. Which isn't to say that 2H can't work.