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is this how you feel?

No Good Action.

Good bidding problems produce a variety of answers because there surely is no one answer that satisfies all our concerns. Today’s falls into that category. It occurred at the Akarana club’s recent on-line session. It seems those confronted with it as well as the Panel were far from united in their solution. So, try this:

 

We are playing Teams though this would be a problem at any form of the game.

With misgivings about their overcall, we have:

Kris Wooles “2: I would like a better suit of course. With luck I might get to show my hearts later in the auction.”

Luck may include help from the opposition. Being left in 2 with 4 a lay-down would be a real worry along with one’s club quality. If East does come in with a re-opening double, it would be worth mentioning the hearts…and hope we do have a playable contract.

Bruce Anderson “2: I want to get into this auction and I am not doubling for take-out with a void. The auction could easily get out of control if I do that. I am hoping partner can take a bid over my 2. I will then introduce my heart suit so a heart fit will not be missed. Passing is the only alternative, but if West passes and partner cannot double (I would then pass for penalties), it is all too likely partner will bid their diamond suit; then it will be very difficult to get my hand across.

The next action has its own serious flaw. We have a temporarily colour-blind and very optimistic

Leon Meier “1NT: sorry partner, I had 2 clubs in with my diamonds....and if partner transfers to hearts, I will "super duper" accept to 4”

and a more realistic:

Pam Livingston “1NT: Nothing is good but you have to bid something!  This gets my points across and I likely have a double spade stop and partner can wheel out Stayman if they want to know if I have 4 hearts.  That club suit isn't worth a double and bid and 2 is undercooking the hand.

Michael Cornell “1NT: Great problem.  All bids including pass are flawed so I am going to bid 1NT. I am in range with a spade stop so at least I am conveying some very useful information to partner.
The most likely possible games are 3NT and 4 and this gives us the best chance of finding them. If partner has a reasonable long diamond suit and insists on 5, I will apologise to him.  

 Michael mentions “pass”.  This “action” has support in Wellington:

 

Nigel Kearney “Pass: Double and presumably 3 over 2 from partner might strike gold sometimes but pass will work more often. Nothing else appeals at all.”:

 

Stephen Blackstock “Pass: No present action describes this hand at all well, so wait and hope for a better opportunity on the next round. Of the options, double has an obvious flaw (a heart rebid over partner's likely diamond preference would show a quite different hand). 2 is poor with such a bad suit and does nothing to bring hearts into the picture. However silly 1NT looks (and is), it would be more flexible and less dangerous than double or 2.

 

Of course I may be little better placed later, but if I enter on the next round, partner will know that I have spade length and a good hand, no strong suit to overcall, and a flaw that prevented earlier action. Plus I will have more information from the auction that may help judge what to do.”

 

Peter Newell “Pass: while I don't like passing with strong shapely hands, I don't like double (as what to do over diamond bids) and am not very keen on 1NT either. With length in the opponent’s suit, it is often right to pass and await developments. If the hand is passed out, partner won't be short in spades unless very weak so defending should be ok, and if there is further bidding I can judge what to do then. I do find that it is often difficult to come in later, but I'll start with a pass rather than double or 1NT.” 

Well, if you pass and West raises to 2, it would seem you have compounded your problem unless you can make a second take-out double. Your initial problem has not gone away in that partner may bid diamonds. For many, I am not even sure that the double of 2 would be take-out in that you had your opportunity to double 1.

 

Summing up the difficulty of the problem and making it a three-way tie for the Panel is:

Michael Ware "2: Very tough with all options flawed. Pass, 1NT, X and 2 all possibilities. Don’t like any of them and don’t hate any of them either. Maybe 2 but loathe my suit quality.”

 

 

I am not in love with an initial 1NT but it seems the least bad lie. We had no takers for an initial double though that choice was found by some who faced the problem. Let’s look at all four hands.

 

This was the sequence where South did find a 2 overcall:

 

South rather went for gold in bidding 6. North’s clubs were good but not quite good enough. After a spade lead, South could ruff all three losing spades in dummy but then needed either Q to be doubleton or the Q to fall in 2 rounds. When neither happened, the slam had to fail.

Meanwhile, a 1NT overcall may have found the heart fit though the best action over 4 was a penalty double with there being 5 top losers and a 6^th when East tried to play diamonds. Game can be made in clubs or hearts.

 

A nasty problem producing an interesting selection of answers.

Richard Solomon

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