Choice of games

[bd71]

[hv=d=n&v=b&s=sq98752hk63dcqt52]133|100|Scoring: MP

1♥-1♠

2N-???[/hv]

[Fluffy]

uh? what choice its a clear 4♠ game.

[whereagles]

Depends on how strict pard is with his 2NT rebids. Lacking this knowledge I'll just go for the more reliable 4♥. You never know when pard produces a singleton jack of spades :)

[Zelandakh]

Or there is the 3rd option of bidding 3C and choosing the spade game if partner turns up with 3 spades. 4S seems to be a problem if partner has a singleton; 4H a problem if we cannot enjoy the spades. 4H looks the better game right now but perhaps collecting more info will help. Incidentally, what would a 4C or 4D bid mean? Or a delayed 4m after 3C? If one of these sequences shows a 6-3 hand then we are laughing. <_<

[hrothgar]

I lean towards 4♥

 

Your spades are quite weak. You could eaily have a number of losers with spades as trump which won't be there in Heart contract.

 

In a Heart contract it should be easy to score some ruffs in the short hand.

 

I think that Zelandakh provided the most crucial comment...

 

You are obliged to choose trump immediately. Start with a 3♣ bid...

[jdonn]

4♥ for sure, not close IMO. Not only can he sometimes have just 1 spade but it is probably better for him to declare.

[cherdanno]

I would play 4S if partner has 3 spades and 4H otherwise.

I would bid 4H if I can't find out.

[Siegmund]

4H for me. I'd rather take my ruffs in the short hand, thankyouverymuch - not to mention the odds for 2 trump losers are a lot worse in spades than in hearts.

[aguahombre]

Is everyone delighted with the 1S response?

[MFA]

Is everyone delighted with the 1S response?

Yes.

[MFA]

I would play 4S if partner has 3 spades and 4H otherwise.

I would bid 4H if I can't find out.

Same here.

[pooltuna]

Is everyone delighted with the 1S response?

I would just make a constructive raise

[nigel_k]

Is everyone delighted with the 1S response?

I would just make a constructive raise

Maybe this is a hand where if partner rebids 2♣ you are happy to call it a limit raise and if partner rebids 2♦ you are happy to give simple preference. If such a hand exists it must look something like this one. Also, spades could play a lot better than hearts.

[aguahombre]

Is everyone delighted with the 1S response?

Yes.

If so, then the decision to play in spades has already been made. Partner will probably assume that later showing heart support also carries the inference of L.R. + values.

[cherdanno]

Is everyone delighted with the 1S response?

Yes.

If so, then the decision to play in spades has already been made. Partner will probably assume that later showing heart support also carries the inference of L.R. + values.

Even if that is true, what do you do when you have a balanced 18-19 hcp hand and find out that partner has a limit raise, and doesn't try for slam?

[aguahombre]

As opener, I might overbid if I mistakenly think partner could have more than a five-count in the majors. Or we might break even with the people who bid 1H-2H-4H, if I don't revalue.

 

Auctions which start 1H-1S can turn sour, and I don't think it is really safe to introduce the 3-card heart support after a 2NT rebid.

[hanp]

Agree with cherdano.

 

It seems to me that aquaman is desparately trying to find reasons not to bid well.

[jdonn]

Maybe our hand is worth limit-raise values anyway, who knows? Certainly our hand is close enough that even if I agree with the statements in the argument I don't find the argument at all compelling. Anyway I start with 1♠ in case our spade fit is 1 or 2 cards longer than our heart fit.

[lamford]

This raises an interesting point about the responses to 3C, assuming it is artificial. With one partner I played that 1H-1S-2NT-3C-3NT was a singleton spade, and 3D was a doubleton spade. 3H would be six hearts, of course, and 3S would be 3-5.

 

With that available, I would bid 3C, and correct 3NT to 4H.