Responding to a vague 4NT

[helene_t]

[hv=d=s&v=n&s=sxxxhaxdaqjxxcaxx]133|100|Scoring: IMP

1NT-2♥-3♥-4♥

pass-pass-4NT-pass-

?[/hv]

Playing 2/1 without further agreements, but p's profile says RKC0314. In particular, we have no agreements on p's 3♥ cuebid. P is a good player from England. Halfway through a ten-board X-IMPs BBO tourney. The boards so far have been unexiting, we have won one or two IMPs per board. No info about opps.

[whereagles]

My hand is awesome in this auction, so I'll bid 6♦ now. Not enough space to probe for a grand, so let's be practical.

[han]

I agree with Whereagles, 6♦ seems best. I think that partner has 4 spades and a heart void.

[hatchett]

1. 4NT can't be to play.

 

2. 4NT is not Blackwood, specifically it is not RKCB for spades, neither of you has actually bid the suit (although the 3H bidder often has 4S) let alone agreed the suit.

 

3. I fail to see where in the auction partner has made a slam try. If he is 40(54) as seems quite possible he has bid 3H to see whether there is a spade fit and then assuming there is not when we did not bid 4S over 4H, he has asked us to choose a minor suit game.

 

I oblige with 5D.

[Finch]

I also bid 6D. I'm not convinced this is necessarily the correct call, but any 5-level bid will cause confusion and this won't.

 

There's no certainty slam is making as our 3 low spades are not very nice. A truely "awesome" hand would have been Ax xxx AKxxx AQx

[mgoetze]

1. 4NT can't be to play.

Why not?

[helene_t]

At this vulnerabilty, it makes sense to play 4NT as to play, I think. I reasoned that it was unlikely to be to play, since I had the ace of hearts myself so partner could hardly have a heart stopper.

[keylime]

4NT? If I'm reading this auction right, 3♥ is some sort of game going hand, maybe with spades, denying a stop. Now they find 4NT...I think it's both minors slammish or a minor-spade hand, slammish. I'd accept any try for slam with this good hand.

 

I cuebid five hearts, to allow pard on a hand that is longer in clubs than diamonds be able to show it in passing to six diamonds. Furthermore, if I hear spade control, I rebid 5NT, choice of slams.

[hatchett]

1. 4NT can't be to play. 

 

 

Why not?

 

Because double on the second round would show a hand that wanted to bid 4NT naturally, ie a balance or semi balanced game force.

Playing IMPS I can't think of hand that wants to bid 4NT natural.

[Walddk]

I have no idea as to what 4NT is, but I have a feeling that partner has a spade suit she can't show any more because she is too strong to risk a pass. If I am right, she should have jumped to 3♠ on her first turn.

 

Now that partner has left me in Guessland, I will send the ball back to her half and bid 5♥. I hope this message gets across:

 

"I don't know what's going on. Do you? If the answer is yes, bid something that even *I* understand".

 

Roland

[helene_t]

Right, Roland. Partner had ♠AKQxxxx ♥- ♦Kxxx ♣xx.

 

I bid 6♦ and made +1.

[Finch]

Roland's obviously got a lot more experience than I in working out exactly how partner has misbid the round before! As he says, partner can't have that hand, because it was a 3S bid....

[kolay]

I don't think pard will have a lot of Spades, since s/he could bid 3S, also, I don't think 4N is to play, since you play IMP, 500 is more secure scores. I would bid 6D, but Ronald's suggestion is very nice. 5H will be a very good bidding.