3N or 4M?

[raist]

all red, and you pick up:

 

Kxx

AKJTxx

Kx

Kx

 

you open 1H, LHO calls 1S, partner raises 2H, RHO passes to you

do you bid 4H or 3N? (let's say 2S is out of the question)

 

the actual hand is not exactly important, but i'm more interested in this "type" of hands in general (say you change one of the Ks to an A, still same idea)

 

my question is:

 

i see some players like to bid 3N on this "type" of hands (Semi-solid 6 card major, semi balanced with stoppers)

and sometimes 3N= and 4M-1 or the other way around

 

and i'm wondering how do you decide which is the better bid?

are there any guidelines that can be articulated beyond "table feel" or "experience"?

[awm]

I like 3NT...

 

You will not always get this sort of decision right. However, when it's non-obvious I prefer to bid 3NT, because this keeps partner in the equation. In other words, if I bid 4♥ I will always play there... whereas if I bid 3NT partner will still remove to 4♥ on some hands (i.e. she has a singleton, or four-card support and a small doubleton, etc).

[nigel_k]

You can look at specific hands:

 

1) xx Qxx Axxx xxxx. You can make 4{HE] if the ♣A is onside unless they are able to get all your trumps out in time which is quite unlikely. But 3NT doesn't have much play. However the ♣A onside means that either LHO failed to WJO with six spades and limited values, or RHO failed to raise with three card support and an ace.

 

2) xxx Qxx AQxx xxx. 4♥ still needs the ♣A onside but 3NT will very often make.

 

These are just two examples but I tried to go for fairly typical ones where partner will not pull 3NT. From this it looks like 3NT is a better bet.

[MrAce]

Is 2♥ constructive style ?

[OleBerg]

I would expect my partner to bid 3NT on such hands.

 

On balanced-type hands, suggesting 3NT, I would expect him to bid 2NT followed by 3NT (If possible).

 

I'm not so certain, that he would expect me to expect it. :rolleyes:

[ewleongusa]

all red, and you pick up:

 

Kxx

AKJTxx

Kx

Kx

 

you open 1H, LHO calls 1S, partner raises 2H, RHO passes to you

do you bid 4H or 3N? (let's say 2S is out of the question)

 

the actual hand is not exactly important, but i'm more interested in this "type" of hands in general (say you change one of the Ks to an A, still same idea)

 

my question is:

 

i see some players like to bid 3N on this "type" of hands (Semi-solid 6 card major, semi balanced with stoppers)

and sometimes 3N= and 4M-1 or the other way around

 

and i'm wondering how do you decide which is the better bid?

are there any guidelines that can be articulated beyond "table feel" or "experience"?

 

Just count your tricks. With as little as S xxx H xxxx D xxx C AQx, 3NT is virtually cold while 4H is a pitiful contract.

 

 

Eric Leong