4nt was it a good bid?

[sceptic]

[hv=d=n&v=a&n=sj854h75dk86cjt54&w=s2haqj64daj7542cq&e=sathk92dq93cak763&s=skq9763ht83dtc982]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

West North East South

 

 -     Pass  1NT   Pass

 2♦    Pass  2♥    Pass

 3♦    Pass  4NT   Pass

 5♥    Pass  5NT   Pass

 6♦    Pass  6♥    Pass

 Pass  Pass  

 

I bid 4NT as with hand p had shown I thought mine looked a lot better good or bad evaluation

 

also should I have cue bid instead>

[fred]

4NT=Bad bid.

 

3D does not necessarily suggest a hand with slam interest. All 3D means is that partner has at least 5 hearts, at least 4 diamonds, and game-forcing values. When your partner bids 3D here he may just be trying to find the best game contract (3NT, 4H, or 5D).

 

This is an area in which a lot of people have trouble - many players (even some very good ones) wrongly think that a new suit after a Jacoby transfer promises a big hand.

 

When partner transfers to hearts and then bids 3D, if you have at least 3-card heart support you should generally bid either 3H or 4H. It makes sense to use 3H as suggesting a better hand than 4H would in order to leave room for partner to cuebid if he has slam interest. Don't worry about him passing 3H since his 3D bid created a game force.

 

Since your actual hand is a nice one in the context of the bidding, you should bid 3H, not 4H. Leave any slam investigation up to your partner - if his next bid is 4H (it wouldn't be with his actual hand) don't even look at your hand - just Pass - you have already told your story and partner has signed off.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com