kayin801

Please read the auction alerts :)

[hv=pc=n&s=sajt3haj43dq4caq4&d=s&v=e&b=3&a=1c(16+%20art.)p1d(0-7%20neg)2hppd(t/o)p]200|300[/hv]

The only reason to bid 3NT is if partner will never ever pass here, so we box the opponents into making a more aggressive lead.

If I passed I would get to a diamond contract which should make a bunch of tricks in practice (10 often! both hands have natural heart leads and unattractive trump leads after 1H-P-1S-P-,1NT-P-P-X-,P-2D-etc, though in my partnership N has an easy 1NT after 1H-P-1S which does the same thing). Shouldn't we take that into consideration? EDIT: I guess the odds of us competing to 4♦ aren't hot, though I have no idea what they're going to compete in at the 3 level.

I would X because partner shouldn't pass with his singleton spade and sometimes has 5 hearts, completely agree with what gnasher said. Edit: if partner bids 4♣, should we correct? Partner should (if the opps are to be believed) have 1 spade, and will bid 4♥ with 5 hearts and 4♦ with 3 diamonds (or will he bid 4♣ on 1435?), so if he bids 4♣ he will be 1426? I think 3NT is awful.

I would cooperate and XX. I don't think partner can ever bid RKC since they've so narrowly defined their hand, they can either bid 4♥ or 4♠ to show a good or bad hand. 4♥ here shouldn't definitely be about hearts I don't think. Heck, partner could have a lot of hands with 5 (or more) spades too, xxxxx, Kxxxx, x, Ax or something like that, there's nothing that says he only has 4 spades.

Agree with this, and we'd probably pass any NF bid from partner had we made a takeout X. While partner is still likely to have a decent hand I think expecting something that might make 4♥ is optimistic, if partner even has 4 hearts. On a really bad day, partner has balanced with some crap like xxx, Kxx, Kxxx, KQx

Systemic club, preparing to explain to partner that it's a blind guess when AQx is on my left and Jxx on my right.

1♥, maybe part of my strong club influences, but we also have 2 bullets, a couple of neat intermediates in the long suits to chunk it up, and both majors. How forcing is 1NT here by BBF Standard rules? Can I pass with a minimum with no good rebid? I admit I didn't think of that when I bid 1♥ because a forcing 1NT lends itself to pass.

Would have Xed before. I chose 2♥, this hand stinks. If RHO LHO can't come up with a 2♠ competition w/r then I'm worried we're losing the first 3 tricks in spades and something later. If he can then we can compete again later, knowing that partner has the spade shortness.

This

X and 4♠ are super duper obvious. For the record, you hold Qx, x, 109xxxx, xxxx or better yet Qx, 109xxxx, x, xxxx, and the auction starts with partner and goes 1♠-(2♣)-P-(3♣)-X-(P)-?, are we definitely missing our decent slam? I know this is a wild construction but... :P

Notice he obviated the Unanimous Poll by including two options that accurately describe pass and 4[sp}.

Pass and try to beat it, bidding rates to be a phantom sac.

2♠, though I think it is close. Yes we will miss game sometimes when partner passes with a doubleton spade, a red king, and just some extra junk, but when partner doesn't have spade support this isn't nearly as good of a hand.

I'm not sure that ♥ suit qualifies even as a 4 carder, easy 4♠

I would bid 4♠ to show the double "fit" and wait for partner to clarify his hand. Couldn't partner have AQJ10xxx, Ax, Q, xxx or Axxxx, x, QJxx, AKx at this point?

I think you mentioned this, but opener is much more likely to stretch with a good 4225, espcially with a good 5 card club suit, maybe with only 16 pts like Ax, A10xx, xx, AKJ10x, so I think the range of hands that can be in that shape is wider. Agree with what others said though about 4225 being less likely as a shape. I don't think you can make any bidding inferences practically here about responder's hand.

Our defense is too good for 4NT and quite often 4M for them and 5m for us will both be down, so 2NT and hopefully the opportunity to make a move later. I think 4NT should be reserved for more preemptive hands than this, this is way too good, even with partner already passed.

Can someone tell me a hand that partner would double on with 3 spades that would pass 1NT instead of raising while white? Not to mention they seem to have only 3 or 4 points. I'm so confused right now.

4♣(set trumps)-4♥(cue)-etc?

If I make a really slow X, do you think partner will figure out I want him to pull? If I bid a suit it's 4♥, I would guess 4 of a minor will only get us to hearts when partner has 6, even though they'll frequently have 5. I don't want to defend, but X gives us the best chance of finding the best contract should partner pull, so I bid that. Lefty could be raising spades as well, so even if we X we might have a chance to bid 4NT after... X-4♠-P-P-?

I don't mind 1♣ but if you open that 1♣ if you rebid at all (I would pass) it has to be 2♣, agree 1NT is wrong.

To make a nige1 post, 3♥ = 10, 2♥ = 9, P = -1000 I don't feel too strongly about 3♥ over 2♥, but this has a smidgen too much playing strength for what I use for 2♥ bids.

gnasher just so its clear to me you're pitching a diamond from dummy at trick 2 so you can retain the heart endplay without losing too many tricks in the suit? Or would you ever pitch an intermediate heart?