Your turn

[paulg]

[hv=d=w&v=n&s=sqxhqtxxdajxc8xxx]133|100|Scoring: MP

(3♥) - 3♠ - Pass - ?[/hv]

First-time partnership with expert partner.

[skjaeran]

To me this is close between pass and 3NT.

I think the odd against making 4♠ is too high for me to raise.

But I think there are more layouts where our number of tricks is highest in NT than where we score more tricks playing a ♠ contract. In addition the number of tricks in ♠ and NT might be equal (and 9). So I'll opt for 3NT.

[han]

3NT. Might make, moght do better than 3S even when going down, and might be wrong. 67% chance of making the right bid!

[Free]

3NT, wtp? :P

[ArtK78]

3NT. Clear cut.

[Fluffy]

IMO pass is ridicoulous, but as always my overcalling style over preempt is very solid.

 

4♠ can be the winner on some lay outs, but 3NT doesn't need to end the auction, let partner bid 4♠ if he wants.

[jdonn]

I think this is pretty close to pass, but that 3NT has the best chance of being right.

[mikeh]

I can't imagine passing... well, if I was forced to choose between pass and 4♠, I guess I'd pass.. but I'd hate it. As it is, I am not put to that silly choice so I make the obvious (over)bid of 3N.

 

It's an overbid only because this is mps.. at imps, it would be 100% with no other bid remotely close. Here, at mps, I'd score it 100, with pass 70 and 4♠ 50.

[pclayton]

3N and I don't think its an overbid either. On nearly all layouts, they can't establish and cash their hearts.

 

Now, one of the minors may be a problem....

[Guest Jlall]

How can we dream of passing?

[paulg]

I thought pass was a viable option at matchpoints and was fortunate that this was the right time. My concern was that partner may stretch to bid with short hearts. At IMPs 3NT looks clear.

 

[hv=d=w&v=n&n=sktxxxxhdkqtxcaxx&w=sxhkj9xxxxdxxcqjx&e=saj98haxdxxxxckxx&s=sqxhqtxxdajxcxxxx]399|300|Scoring: MP

(3♥)-3♠-Pass-?[/hv]

 

3♠ went down one and we scored 13/20 matchpoints.

 

Paul

[Foxx]

I'll be proud to proclaim being one of the two passers. There are very, very few bidding areas where I pass more often than the consensus of the "expert community", however, competitive bidding when partner has overcalled a preempt is one of them. Has the whole world forgotten about the Rule of Seven? We have a queen more than the hand partner is expecting to catch. Partner will hold, on average, around 14-15 points and that just doesn't get us the stuffing we need for a notrump game.

 

I suppose the 3NT and 4♠ bidders will get lucky and bring it in on a good day, but it seems that minus 100 or 200 or even 500 or 800(!) is more probable.

[mcphee]

I would have doubled 3S at pairs as the pre-empters partner. Looks like a reasonable idea to me in any case.

 

I would also risk 3N.

[ArtK78]

I don't believe that the actual result proves anything. Partner was in a tough spot over 3♥, and he was forced to bid 3♠ with a suit that is a little weaker than we have a right to expect. If partner had ♠KJTxxx, 3NT is a lot better (so would 4♠). And, of course, if he had AKJxxx, then 3NT would be easy.

 

I think that 3NT will be the winning action on this hand more often than not.

[han]

I don't think partner was in a tough spot over 3H, the 3S bid is clear. I do agree that we shouldn't draw conclusions from just one hand.