Your call

[Finch]

[hv=d=s&v=b&s=saj6hk62dq106cj1095]133|100|Scoring: IMP

P 1♣ 1♠ P

2♣ 3♣ 3♦ P

?[/hv]

 

48-board KO match against expert opponents

 

Pass = you don't open horrible 11-counts, particularly vulnerable

1♣ = 5-card majors/4-card diamond suit/weak NT style

2♣ = 3-trump high card raise to 2S or more

3♣ = natural, but they don't play good/bad 2NT

[pbleighton]

3S. Pd has declined the invitation by bidding 3D.

 

Peter

[SoTired]

4S

Your partner has asked you to reevaluate your hand for game based on overcaller with a 2nd suit of diam. Your ♦Q10x will fit nicely there. Your only possible wasted point is the ♣J. Although you are 4333, your honors are well placed. 4S has good chances opposite likely min hands like KQxxx Qx AJxx xx or KQ10xx xx KJxx Ax

[P_Marlowe]

3S, I have done enough.

 

I dont understand the comment regarding

2C, does it translate to a good 2S raise, in

case of min?

If this is the case, I'd say you have to bid 3H,

but I certainly dont force to game.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[mgoetze]

I dont understand the comment regarding

2C, does it translate to a good 2S raise, in

case of min?

2♠ would presumably be a more distributional raise, with less HCP and more ruffing values.

[hatchett]

Looks clear to bid a game. The QT♦ is a nice holding and you have goodcards in the majors too.

 

While 3NT could be right, 4♠ looks normal.

[Halo]

3NT

 

I seem to have a good hand for the auction so far and I'm the one who can see that 3NT might make. With my balanced hand I think 4S usually goes off when 3NT goes off.

[Fluffy]

no wasted clubs, maximum on everything except distribution, I think this is worth game at elast, 4 ♠

[Guest Jlall]

3N stands out to me. Think of the club holdings partner will be passing with. Those are all good holdings for him to pass with.

[gwnn]

i'd bid 4♠ at the table but 3nt could be much much better

[whereagles]

4♠. I cannot understand playing 3NT when a double fit is available, but ok.

[mikeh]

We have to bid game. We cannot have a better hand, and our ♦s are gold. So the question is: which game?

 

We can get to 4♠ after bidding 3N, when 4♠ is best. We cannot get to 3N after bidding 4♠, when 3N is best. And, as Justin pointed out, there are ♣ holdings with which partner will pass 3N... and my guess is that those holdings are going to be a problem in 4♠.

 

So 3N... contrary to conventional wisdom, 3N does NOT end all auctions.

[SoTired]

Personally, I always bid 4M. Maybe in the circles mikeh and jlall play in where their partners will pull 3N to 4S with the right hand, I have too many partners that think just because I am a good player, I am clairvoyant.

[mikeh]

Personally, I always bid 4M. Maybe in the circles mikeh and jlall play in where their partners will pull 3N to 4S with the right hand, I have too many partners that think just because I am a good player, I am clairvoyant.

I have played with partners like that, but that view of me rarely survives the first session ;) ... heck, I'm lucky if it makes it by the first round!

[jdonn]

I say 4♠, 3NT is right if partner is pulling it a lot, but I don't see why he wouldn't just play me for better clubs than this. Anyway 3♠ is clearly all wet.

[bid_em_up]

3S. Pd has declined the invitation by bidding 3D.

 

Peter

He did no such thing. Pass is the only bid that specifically declines the invitation.

 

By taking a free bid over 3♣, 3♦ should show good values and a willingness to play 4S. It is just a further description of his hand. It is now up to responder to decide if 3N or 4S is the correct contract. I'll pick 3N for now, as I do have a club stop and a heart stop (but only if played from my side).

 

4S may well be defeated by the opening going thru the Kxx of hearts instead of running up to it.

[pbleighton]

He did no such thing. Pass is the only bid that specifically declines the invitation.

 

By taking a free bid over 3♣, 3D should show good values and a willingness to play 4S. It is just a further description of his hand. It is now up to responder to decide if 3N or 4S is the correct contract. I'll pick 3N for now, as I do have a club stop and a heart stop (but only if played from my side).

 

I disagree strongly. 3D is a game try in diamonds, in my partnerships.

 

Peter

[pclayton]

3♥; counter-accept, i.e., blame transfer. ;)

 

In my partnerships, pard has two game tries available: 3♦ and 3♥. They really aren't that specific, but they tend to show 6 loser hands and emphasize one red suit over the other.

 

I have reason to believe pard has a little length in diamonds, since I think pard is short in clubs. My ♦QTx certainly fills up that suit nicely. My ♠J is useful, and even my club sequence may come into play.

 

What I'm not sure about is the value of my heart King. It could be a cover card and it could be totally worthless.

 

Here's 3 hands pard could hold:

 

KQxxx

Axx

Axxx

x

 

Qxxxxx

Ax

AJxx

x

 

KQxxxx

xx

Axxx

x

 

I think all of these fall within the genre of game tries, but the key to the hand may be hearts.

[awm]

4♠ for me. On this auction we usually get a club lead. I'd rather see a club lead than a heart lead, which makes bidding 3♥ somewhat unappealing (lets LHO get the double in).

 

If partner is always pulling 3NT with a singleton or two small clubs, then I agree with a 3NT call. But I don't see why partner won't play me for a more robust club holding (KJTx?) and leave 3NT in. I agree that 3NT doesn't "automatically force partner to pass" but I agree with jdonn that it's a stronger suggestion to play there than Justin and Mike seem to indicate.

[Halo]

The worrying start is club, club ruff, heart - one off, 3NT making.

[Guest Jlall]

Why would partner pass with a stiff small club? He will know he has ruffing potential in the dummy to go with an 8 card major suit fit and a stiff in a suit they've bid twice. If you have to wait for KJTx to suggest 3N you're going to be waiting a long time. Here were have 4333, scattered values, huge chance of 3N being the right spot given that they may be able to ruff a club or play AK and a club, and we have already suggested 3 card support. We really can't suggest now what our hand looks like and what may be the right spot? I don't think I have gone down in too many 4S contracts with 3N cold when I had a stiff club on auctions like this.

[whereagles]

And you guys call me a mastermind? You're all bidding 3NT on a double-fit auction!!! :) :)

[jdonn]

I still somewhat disagree with the 3NT bid, but it's not masterminding since they already showed a spade fit. Hiding the fit altogether to bid notrump would be masterminding :)

[Finch]

I agree 3NT isn't masterminding when you've told partner about the spade fit. Bidding 2NT over the 1S overcall is masterminding(ish) - I'm surprised no-one suggested it!

 

At the table my partner, who held this hand, bid 4S over 3D. He said he contemplated 3NT but was concerned about a boring layout such as KQ10xx Ax KJxx xx opposite (and yes, 4S isn't totally cold opposite that but it's way better than 3NT).

 

However the 3NT bidders are right this time. Partner has

 

[hv=d=&v=&s=sk87xxhqdak9xxcxx]133|100|[/hv]

 

and 3NT makes with the aid of the spade finesse, while 4S has the obvious four losers. (Partner certainly won't pull with "two low clubs" on this auction. The heart suit is the biggest worry.)

 

3 imps out, because we were doubled (a little aggressively) in 4S, while team-mates defending it undoubled.

[whereagles]

Well, showing a spade fit and suggesting 3NT isn't masterminding, of course. But hiding the diamond double fit certainly borders on it :)