pooltuna

yep a no brainer. And if it had gone p instead of 2♥ their is a school of thought that you bid 2♠ anyway just like your were raising 1♠ to 2...that leaves 1♠ for all the ugly calls when you have to find a bid with just 3♠ in your hand

I would correct to ♠ as number of ♠ are = or > ♥ you are only going to get 2 tricks in ♦ if partner has only 1. Setting up the non trump major will be the source of most of the non trump tricks for your side.

Yeah 3♥ is pretty clear and is not really the problem. The problem is what are you going to call over 3NT. Any of 4♥, 4♠, or Pass could be right and are probably essentially equal altho at MP I would probably try Pass Can you not bid 4♣ over 3N to put 4♥, 4♠, 4N and 5♦ in the frame ? you could but it doesn't look right as partner will have skipped 3♠ probably showing only 5 and by not bidding 4♥ showing a maximum of 2 ♥. A double ♣ stopper is about 50% just on gut feeling. Consequently do I really want to show slam interest?

LOL! Who do you post mortem with? You should get your money back. He is kenrexfords old partner so we know what crowd he hands with ;) JK, speaking of which KEN WHERE ARE YOU? and maybe they meant that X was just better than 3♠ not necessarily good :)

I would rather have this problem than have 3♥ be an NFB :)

Is there a system constraint that keeps me from making the WTFTP 1♠ call?

1) I thought 4♥ was a transfer to 4♠. The main problem with pass IMO is partner will be so strapped that he can't make an X with a 12-14 hand that has a good shot at game. 2) Well at this stage I would just try to beat 5♣. Over 2NT and similar preempts IMO the LR hand has to just bid game - 4♠ that dumps the problem where it belongs - on partner :)

I don't know if I am bidding 5♠ to make or save but I am bidding. Gee I wished I had just overcalled 1♠.

Completely agree, my partner and I would start the bidding on this hand: 1♦-1♥ 2N(GF unbalanced)-3♣ (semi forced) 3♦-3♥(yes I have a 5th one) after this it's not clear where we go but it won't be 3N, might be 4♥ rather than 5♦ though. I suppose you Instant Message partner so he can tell the difference between when 2NT means this hand and when it means the 18-19 balanced :P Instead of making fatuous comments, you might consider follow ups to a 3C relay to describe hand types. yeah I want the relay bid that says "I wish I had passed instead of 1♥ and how do I get back to 2NT when you have the balanced 18-19"

hard for many to look at the south hand as a constructive raise (it is IMO) which are the only hands that should be accepting.

Yeah 3♥ is pretty clear and is not really the problem. The problem is what are you going to call over 3NT. Any of 4♥, 4♠, or Pass could be right and are probably essentially equal altho at MP I would probably try Pass

oops too slow and Roland beat me to it :P

bitter much? Did you think I was serious? There is not a hint of bitterness, I just like to observe people, and find some of them interesting. Declarer can tell an opponent that their trick is turned the wrong way, but dummy should really be quiet, except for specific rights accorded. For one thing, it can be distracting to the declarer. And you better off if he is thinking about the play rather than where the cards are.

Hamman's rule? Well I think it is clear to not even use Stayman with 4432 hands that have a major and can tell the partnership assets will be in the 27-29 range. I suspect for partnership assets in the same 27-29 range with 5332 use of Stayman rather than transfers will get the relevant hands that should play 4 of a major. I would think it is the marginal games, 25-26, that should play in the 8 card fit if appropriate rather than 3NT. With 4333 the NT bidder can probably pass with any max NT holding in transfer sequences and be okay. As a caveat this is all just suppositions that probably need the weight of a simulation to support the conjectures regardless of who is making them.

this gets my vote

1) 3♦ 3) 6♥ 7) 4♥ 9) 2♣ 11) pass

Completely agree, my partner and I would start the bidding on this hand: 1♦-1♥ 2N(GF unbalanced)-3♣ (semi forced) 3♦-3♥(yes I have a 5th one) after this it's not clear where we go but it won't be 3N, might be 4♥ rather than 5♦ though. I suppose you Instant Message partner so he can tell the difference between when 2NT means this hand and when it means the 18-19 balanced :P

BridgKop is right :P

Well I suspect MP play will be different than IMP play so I will assume IMPs. So your decision is, do I try for 4!S by taking the finesse or playing for Qx (or Q alone) leaving the diamonds in reserve if your play for the drop fails or if the finesse works but no 33 split. Or do I play for the drop of the Q in the ♦ suit and hold the spade finesse and 33 split in reserve. Somehow my gut tells me to go with the (to me) counter intuitive Qx♠ but I don't have any numbers to confirm this.

For partner's suits I seem to recall jumps were invitational within the context of the weak qbid.

win the first trick with the K or Q and lead a small ♠off of dummy intending to insert the J Any reason for this or just lookin to get into the newspapers :P you are still concealing all of you high card points and defensive continuations will still be at least a little unclear

Still very early in the morning here and my head hurts but since this is MP don't you need to use a line similar to a 4♠ line. i.e. win the A♥ and take the immediate ♠ finesse?

win the first trick with the K or Q and lead a small ♠off of dummy intending to insert the J

with that extra information game chances rate to be anti%age so yes I pass 2♠

And higher than three other contracts all of which might be the right spot, supposing that we do have to play this somewhere. I don't really understand why you think we're in trouble anyway. This double doesn't get left in that often. "the same amount of trouble" is NOT = "in trouble"