A couple from Philadelphia

[kenrexford]

♠Kxx ♥J9xx ♦J9xx ♣Ax

 

MP's.

 

LHO opens 1NT (normal strong range) and partner doubles. The double shows both minors, or just diamonds, or both majors (but not good enough for a strong 2NT for both majors), or any really big hand. Responder passes, so you per agreement pick your better minor, bidding 2♦.

 

Opener surprises all by coming in with 3♦, and your partner bids 3♥, passed to you (which you assume to be both majors, with extras because pass would surely imply both majors also). Your options seem to be pass, 4♥, or 4♣, the latter being agreed as a "flag" for hearts showing some slam interest (4♦ over this being "Last Train").

 

Your call, and why?

[manudude03]

4♥, if slam makes, partner should have bid more with his 6-6 or whatever.

[pooltuna]

First the why...you have a 4th ♥, only a wasted J♦ in values, the ♠K in his other suit and the ♣A in his probable longest minor (2 cards I would expect).

Now the answer ... if you got the tool use it...4♣

[karlson]

Don't see why I wouldn't bid 4♣, I have a fantastic hand. I don't really think anything interesting will happen, but who knows.

[gwnn]

slam looks like a pipe dream :-) 4H

[Fluffy]

4♥ my hand could be much better

[Hanoi5]

I'd choose 4♥ between the two options presented but I would certainly think of passing in this situation as we could easily go down.

[Phil]

Don't see why I wouldn't bid 4♣, I have a fantastic hand. I don't really think anything interesting will happen, but who knows.

Agree. I have a really good hand and LHO could be semi-jokering with a sub-min and some diamond length.

[655321]

4♣. Initially I thought we should just bid 4♥ because if I understand the methods partner is limited by not overcalling 2NT with a very good hand and both majors (don't like these many-option overcalling methods BTW)

 

But if partner has AQJx AKxxxx - xxx (which would be a reasonable hand for his bidding to date) 7♥ just needs trumps to break, so I think we should do more than 4♥.

[Cascade]

and your partner bids 3♥, passed to you (which you assume to be both majors, with extras because pass would surely imply both majors also).

What does partner do with a really big hand with just hearts?

[kenrexford]

and your partner bids 3♥, passed to you (which you assume to be both majors, with extras because pass would surely imply both majors also).

What does partner do with a really big hand with just hearts?

At the table, I thought that 3♥ should show a really big hand with hearts and that double should show extras with both majors, but I guessed correctly that 3♥ was in fact intended by partner as both majors, extras. So, the condition is set that way. As it turns out, double for both majors and extras would have been an incredibly important alternative.

[hrothgar]

I'll probably get crucified for this, however, I would have passed the original double.

 

Opener has a strong NT. Game isn't assured on out side. However, we definitely have the balance of strength and 1NX -2 could easily score up as a top.

[cherdanno]

I'll probably get crucified for this, however, I would have passed the original double.

 

Opener has a strong NT. Game isn't assured on out side. However, we definitely have the balance of strength and 1NX -2 could easily score up as a top.

I have sympathy for passing (we have help for every possible lead!) but I don't see why we have the balance of strength.

[kenrexford]

Partner's hand was ♠Axxxx ♥AK10xx ♦-- ♣Jxx. 12 tricks are therefore available on any lead but a club, and even a club lead does not hurt if Advancer gets to play the hand (K-Q are together with Opener, so a club lead allows establishing a spade pitch on the club Jack). Give partner the spade Queen, or the spade Jack and a successful hook, and the grand is on.

 

Thus, I personally think 4♣ is nearly obvious. In practice, I ended up playing 4♣, which is obviously wrong. But, the debate quickly turned into whether 4♣ was a "practice bid" or whether it was actually the right bid.