effervesce

4♦ is crazy - it is a slam try in diamonds! Over which 4♠ should be a cuebid. Agree 3♠ is normal.

Agree, I would have led a diamond too.

Autopass. Partner did not double.

Agree 100% north. 4441's and 5440's don't usually play as well as they look, and he has basically got a minimum takeout double.

In a GF auction, pass is forcing and X is penalty. So with takeout hands you can just pass, and partner knows you do not have a hand that can penalise them. So with this hand, north has a clearcut 4♣ bid.

[edit] duplicate post.

Agree, 4NT as aces in competitive auction is awful. On this particular hand it would be awful in any case - you have a freakin void! Im bidding 4NT two places to play as well-if partner shows heart support then 6♥ imo. If partner bids 5♣, I'm highly tempted to bid 5♥...

3♥, mixed raise if we play that (~6-10HCP, 4 trumps, some defence) - prefer playing 3♥ as mixed raise as opposed to preemptive as they are more common and more useful IMHO. Otherwise I'm bidding 4♥; you have 4 trumps and KQ over the diamond bidder.

1NT, 15-18 bal. What's the problem? Have a probable double club stopper too....

2♦ - support with support. 3♦ too much with nothing in diamonds and a pretty flat hand.

3♦. The hand looks very nice with values in the long suits and no wasted values opposite partner's presumed heart shortage.

Pass. Looks like a misfit and you're happy if the opps play in diamonds.

ditto

Assuming you play lebensohl doesn't 3♠ show 4♥, no stopper, while 2NT-> 3♠ shows stopper with 4♥ (or vice versa if you play the reverse)? I know you mean it to be a stopper ask, but unless we have two spade stops I'm not confident about 3NT making-partner could have bid 2NT with two stoppers.

I'm not comfortable passing this one. They may have 6 trump tricks and 2 side suit tricks. I'm bidding 3♣. 3♥ is inferior as partner is more likely to assume you have 4, while 3♣ lets partner bid 3♥ over it. That said, passing may work out quite often, but personally I'm not risking it (unless I know the opps to be aggressive preempters).

There's a good set of hands at http://www.imp-bridge.nl/bidcontest/index.htm where you can compare your bidding to greats like bocchi-duboin, and other famous pairs in an IMP bidding contest. Most of them will have a separate webpage for west and east hands, though unfortunately some don't. The hands focus on difficult-to-bid type hands found in bidding contests.

For all the 3♣ then 4♠ bidders, if the opps bid 5♥ and partner doubles, will you sit? I suppose you'd be pretty much forced to unhappily sit partner's double, as partner will likely think you have a better hand than you have shown.

I would have thought this was a clearcut responsive double hand??

4♣, followed by 4♠ over 4♥.

Obvious double given the information. The screenmate obviously just wanted to compete to 3♦, not reach game in hearts. Probable misfit for them with no source of tricks for the opps (given you have diamonds bottled up). By the sounds of it your screenmate has void hearts (or at most a stiff heart, but that's less likely) as he may have passed 3♥ guessing that partner had misbid their hand. Don't tell me you passed up on this opportunity? Free IMPs are always good. I'm guessing 4♥X would score +800 or so?

I'd have trouble remembering that structure. It might be easier if Opener criss-crossed: 3♣ = diamonds 3♦ = clubs 3♥ = spades 3♠ = hearts Thats an improvement, but not optimal. Wouldn't it be best to try and save space for the hands that most need it? 3♣ spades 3♦ clubs while 3♥ diamonds 3♠ hearts since hearts need less space as can signoff in 4♥, while 3♥ gives more room to signoff in 3NT. [note-above intended as a joke]

3♠ stopper ask for me too.

I like 4♠. No wastage in hearts, and partner has 4 card support. Can make, they can make a false sac and you're NV.

4♥. The opps haven't bid yet, and the higher you go the less likely they will as it is less likely the opps on borderline hands will stick their heads out the higher the level.

ditto fluffy