4th suit?

[andy_h]

Let's say you are dealer and you hold either of these shapes of 2=3=6=2 or 2=3=7=1 with like a minimum hand.

Auction goes:

1♦ - 2♣ - 2♠ - Pass

3♦ - Pass - 3♥ - Pass

?

 

1. Let's say you play a style where partner's 2♠ originally can be like an 8count with a decent suit or better (not like a 'textbook 10+pts 5+suit' etc). Are you able to distinguish the 3♦ bids if it's like a minimum that has nothing else to bid or a hand that has like a 16count with no other bids than 3♦? Or do you just play it by ear?

 

2. Also assume you don't have a club stopper. Does anyone play "4th suit" here (4♣) as like a "choice of games"? What are your thoughts on it?

[ewj]

1. Well presumably your 3D bid would be NF, so if I had a 16 count, I might bid 3C or something like that....

 

 

2. I like 4C as showing a good raise of hearts.

[Apollo81]

1. Since 3♦ is NF, I wouldn't bid that with a 16-count.

 

2. I think choice of games is a much better meaning for this bid than anything else, particularly since 3♦ was NF. The only other reasonable thing I can think of is a 4-6 or 4-7 reds hand, but that seems like it would come up much less often than some awkward choice of games hands would.