Thursday, July 2, 2009

Simple Drury decision

In 4th seat, white at imps, you open 1S with KJxxx Axx AJx xx. Opponents pass while partner bids 2H, artificial, your version of 3-card Drury. Your move?

Maybe a 13-count opposite a passed hand doesn't sound too inspiring...but this hand meshes very well with some 3-card limit raises. AQx xxx KQxx xxx, for instance, produces a near-cold game, as does AQx KQxx xx xxxx, or similar hands with the SA in a different suit. Some combinations, obviously, aren't nearly as good (some club holdings will be wastepaper), but when multiple combinations can make it near-cold I felt compelled to make a try. 3D is a naturalish try and I bid that. What does everyone else think?

7 comments:

Memphis MOJO said...

2C (as a 3-card LR) works better in cases like this. You can rebid 2D to say you have an full opening bid, but can't (or don't want to) bid 4S.

Over your version (2H), you have to sign off or make a bid that overstates your hand, imo.

The Pretender said...

I usually play a jump to 3M over Drury as inv. usually asking for trumps and/or controls/source of tricks. I'd probably bid that.

It also depends on your opening bid style. I open sound so partner's Drurys tend to be sound too. If your partner frequently upgrades 9 here, I'd take the low road opposite a 3 card raise.

Jonathan Weinstein said...

Pretender: Yes, there is an argument for a generic try rather than the help-suit try (gives away less info.) I don't think 2H would often be on 9.

MOJO: The full method here is that 2C shows 4 spades constructive or better and 2D shows hearts, 8+. You lose a little on Drury hands but are well-placed on moderate heart hands.

Franco said...

If you need a fitting maximum, hands that some would open (or bid 2N over your 2S signoff) with, I think that inviting is too much.

Jonathan Weinstein said...

It's possible for responder to bid on with a balanced 11? I didn't think so.

If perfect hands just made game "pretty good", I'd definitely think as fmb does it's not a try, but when perfect hands make it cold, less-perfect hands are on a hook, and even lesser hands make it poor but still having play, that sounded like a game try to me. That logic must be right in general, although I can allow that maybe on this particular deal, the proportions of these hands make me wrong.

Anonymous said...

It sounds like Jiang's system. Don't know how much merit it has. However when it goes P 1s 2d - alert, xfer to hearts, the expressions on opponents' faces is priceless -- definitely worth the trouble.

To be honest i'd express lack of confidence by bidding 2s. If they told me you'd take over from me when dummy comes down (or opponents lead out of turn) i'd definitely try 3d.

Jonathan Weinstein said...

Anonymous,

I think I know who you are. As you see from my next post, maybe you would have played it better!