Jumps to 4M

[cherdano]

So your partner opened or overcalled 1M, and the opponents have been in the auction, say by opening 1m, or by a takeout double, etc. (Let's exclude preempts.)

 

What is your style for jumps to 4M? Do you only do it with classical preemptive hands (say Kxxxx of trumps with a little shape and out)? Or do you always jump if 4M seems decent and slam unlikely? How strong can you be? Would you ever do it with 3-card support?

 

You may assume your alternatives are 2N = 4-card support, inv+, you can show good 3-card raises (either by a cue or by starting with a transfer to 2M over opponent's takeout double), splinter in their suit, fit jumps. How good do you need to be in order to describe rather than bash?

[kenrexford]

4♠ --> Classic preemptive

 

4♥ --> Cautious use of this call. I don't like Texas Transfers here.

[han]

Texas transfer? Partner has opened or overcalled 1M and you have a big fit. I think we should assume that we are not playing strong club as the situation is different over a limited 1M opening.

 

I expect that the best answer to this question will be: more than just preemptive hands, but whether you blast with a given hand is a judgement issue.

[pclayton]

A long, long time ago, it would be very common to jump to 4 major on a large variety of hands, including good hands with 3 and 4 card support.

 

Now that the opponents have the temerity to bid on over our game, its more important to define what specific jumps mean.

 

I generally play that the call is strictly preemptive. It also eliminates hands that I would have made a fit jump on. If I'm playing a 3N gadget to show a preemptive hand with an outside trick, then that defines the 4 major call even more.

[pbleighton]

Preemptive. If I have a good hand I cue.

 

Peter

[skjaeran]

Preemptive, normally quite pure.

With a strong hand I make a forcing bid first.

[Guest Jlall]

lol...I literally just wrote about 700 words on this subject and then accidently deleted it.......

 

Umm basically I used to believe that 4M should be pretty narrow as I would always go through a cue or whatever. I believed going through a cue was best because you could create a force, investigate slam, etc etc.

 

I believe that was a naive view of competitive bidding, much like how teenagers think about love. The truth is things are much more complicated. When the opps have made a takeout double or a 2C overcall after partner has opened 1H and you're looking at a hand like KJTx Kxxxx x Kxx your goal is not to find a good slam, it's to screw the opponents up. Maybe they have a good save in 5D or 5C, or maybe they will go for a digit in 4S after misjudging, etc etc. Putting the opponents to these kinds of decisions is where the big money is at, not finding the good slams or completely accurately judging your 5 level decision. It may seem barbaric to jump to 4H and then double the opponents in everything with this hand, but I am convinced it's winning bridge.

 

Now some people have the backwards belief that if you say, DONT want the opponents to bid 4S over your 4H bid then you should go slowly since jumping there will lead to a nasty guess. These people simply have it backwards.

[kenrexford]

Texas transfer? Partner has opened or overcalled 1M and you have a big fit. I think we should assume that we are not playing strong club as the situation is different over a limited 1M opening.

The use of the term "Texas Transfer" was meant as a joking way to mean that I don't like to willy-nilly bid 4♥ and simply induce a 4♠ call (an "acceptance of the transfer" by the opponents, if you will) without some plan.

 

I agree with jlall that this does not mean that you always go slowly with heart hands. What it means, however, is that you do not bid 4♥ unless you have a plan. A "plan" means either a decision that you know that you will make IF the opponents bid 4♠, or ability to cater to partner's likely types of contribution to the cause.

 

Of course, you always have a "plan" whenever you make any calls. I'm simply noting that a 4♠ call is a tad more flexible than a 4♥ call. Not necessarily stronger, or weaker, or more shapely, but 4♥ is more "deliberate."

 

Same thing with jump overcalls. 1♣-2♥ is a call that I make deliberately. 1♣-2♠ is a call that I make because I can.

[Halo]

Preemptive.

 

Lots of other ways to play other hands.

[han]

Here is a concrete example:

 

Yesterday I had xx AJxxx xx KQxx, my partner opened 1H and RHO doubled. I could choose between 2NT (4+ ♥, limit+) or 4H. What's your call here?

[Halo]

Here is a concrete example:

 

Yesterday I had xx AJxxx xx KQxx, my partner opened 1H and RHO doubled. I could choose between 2NT (4+ ♥, limit+) or 4H. What's your call here?

4H

[neilkaz]

Here is a concrete example:

 

Yesterday I had xx AJxxx xx KQxx, my partner opened 1H and RHO doubled. I could choose between 2NT (4+ ♥, limit+) or 4H. What's your call here?

4H

We have at least 10 trumps so 4♥ for me also.

[kenrexford]

Here is a concrete example:

 

Yesterday I had xx AJxxx xx KQxx, my partner opened 1H and RHO doubled. I could choose between 2NT (4+ ♥, limit+) or 4H. What's your call here?

It seems unfortunate that you only had those two options.

 

Given those two options, I'm a 2NT man.

[Guest Jlall]

Here is a concrete example:

 

Yesterday I had xx AJxxx xx KQxx, my partner opened 1H and RHO doubled. I could choose between 2NT (4+ ♥, limit+) or 4H. What's your call here?

It seems unfortunate that you only had those two options.

 

Given those two options, I'm a 2NT man.

I'm pretty sure he could have bid 3C in his system as well.

[han]

Yes, I could have made a support jump shift.

[kenrexford]

Yes, I could have made a support jump shift.

Assuming that this meets the parameters closely enough for a 3♣ call, I'm in for 3♣, then.

 

I believe that a 4♥ call, immediately, gets us to the 4-level quickly but that a 3♣ call will allow us to own the four-level. We "own" the four-level if we, not they, feel confortable with the situation. If I blast 4♥ with this hand, I'm sweating already, and the opponents have not even bid yet.

[jdonn]

Yes, I could have made a support jump shift.

Assuming that this meets the parameters closely enough for a 3♣ call, I'm in for 3♣, then.

 

I believe that a 4♥ call, immediately, gets us to the 4-level quickly but that a 3♣ call will allow us to own the four-level. We "own" the four-level if we, not they, feel confortable with the situation. If I blast 4♥ with this hand, I'm sweating already, and the opponents have not even bid yet.

Sounds like a personal issue :)

 

I held this hand at the other table. What do you think I did hehe.

[cherdano]

lol...I literally just wrote about 700 words on this subject and then accidently deleted it.......

:P

 

Anyway, here are a few examples (some from play, some I made up). IMPs always.

Who is in for jumps to 4M?

1. ♠xxxx ♥AJx ♦Axxxxx ♣-, all red

1♥ (X) ?

 

2. ♠Jxxx ♥Axxx ♦Axxxx ♣-, red vs white

(1♣) 1♥ (1♠*) ?

1♠ was <4 spades, takeout for minors or balanced without heart stopper

 

3. ♠KQxx ♥x ♦xxx ♣AQxxx, all white, 1♠ (2♥) ?

 

4. ♠KJ ♥ Axxxx ♦x ♣QJxxx, red vs white, (1♦) 1♥ (X*) where X = 4+ spades.

 

Do you bash or describe?

[hatchett]

For me

 

1. Describe; my pre-empts essentially always have four card support

 

2. Bash

 

3. Describe. Very powerful hand that could be making slam opposite a fitting minimum

 

4. Bash

[cnszsun]

I believe that was a naive view of competitive bidding, much like how teenagers think about love. The truth is things are much more complicated. When the opps have made a takeout double or a 2C overcall after partner has opened 1H and you're looking at a hand like KJTx Kxxxx x Kxx your goal is not to find a good slam, it's to screw the opponents up. Maybe they have a good save in 5D or 5C, or maybe they will go for a digit in 4S after misjudging, etc etc. Putting the opponents to these kinds of decisions is where the big money is at, not finding the good slams or completely accurately judging your 5 level decision. It may seem barbaric to jump to 4H and then double the opponents in everything with this hand, but I am convinced it's winning bridge.

I think we may have to solve one problem before applying such strategy. What call is your partner allowed to bid after your wide range 4M call?

Unless you have some specific gadgets, you will bid 4M with a pure preemptive hand too, right?

How do your partner make judegment in his seat. Maybe action double can help here, but it still seems complex.

[kenrexford]

Who is in for jumps to 4M?

1. ♠xxxx ♥AJx ♦Axxxxx ♣-, all red

1♥ (X) ?

 

2. ♠Jxxx ♥Axxx ♦Axxxx ♣-, red vs white

(1♣) 1♥ (1♠*) ?

1♠ was <4 spades, takeout for minors or balanced without heart stopper

 

3. ♠KQxx ♥x ♦xxx ♣AQxxx, all white, 1♠ (2♥) ?

 

4. ♠KJ ♥ Axxxx ♦x ♣QJxxx, red vs white, (1♦) 1♥ (X*) where X = 4+ spades.

 

Do you bash or describe?

1: Bash is OK here, because I feel comfortable that partner's decisions, if any need to be made, will go right for him. I like defense with my shorter-than-expected trump holding and two Aces, and I like declaring with a void surprise and possible diamond tricks.

 

2. I like bash here also, because the opponents are playing something unwieldy (and for the same reasons as in no. 1, above). I'd hate to unwind with the opponents' methods if I were the opponents, after 4♥.

 

3. 6♥ is better than 4♥. Describe.

 

4. I hate 4♥ with this last hand. I have no idea where we need to be, and I have no idea whether partner's decision, or mine, will be right if I start with 4♥. This is the type of hand where I might make a screwing-around 1NT, and I'd make that call way before 4♥. If XX shows the heart Ace, that's my call, mostly because it saves space for bidding.

[helene_t]

4♠ --> Classic preemptive

 

4♥ --> Cautious use of this call. I don't like Texas Transfers here.

But if you play Xango, you can use 4♠ as a transfer to 4♥ as well, can't you? In this case, 4♠ asks partner to accept an insufficient 4♥ bid by LHO.

[kenrexford]

4♠ --> Classic preemptive

 

4♥ --> Cautious use of this call.  I don't like Texas Transfers here.

But if you play Xango, you can use 4♠ as a transfer to 4♥ as well, can't you? In this case, 4♠ asks partner to accept an insufficient 4♥ bid by LHO.

You know, that's a damn good point that I had not considered!