Logical alternatives

[greenender]

[hv=pc=n&s=sa84hkq43da76c974&d=e&v=n&b=2&a=3dppdp]133|200[/hv]

 

1

A What is your call as South?

B What other calls do you consider?

 

2 You elect to bid 3NT. Partner bids 4♥ (W and E both pass)

A What do you think partner has for this sequence?

B What is your call now?

C What other calls do you consider?

 

IMP scoring. First division County League, so no mugs around, but not experts as such. E/W's style in first seat at green is aggressive, but not totally wild (you can expect a reasonable 6-card suit at least).

[gordontd]

I consider 3NT, 4♥ & 4♦, but I select 3NT.

 

Partner's 4♥ shows a strong hand, so I make a forward-going move. 4♠ seems the obvious call. I'm not sure that I can think of an alternative.

[wank]

i'd bid 4h. Even if it's a 4-3 fit we're taking the ruff in the right hand. with regard to 3NT there's no reason RHO can't have a black entry after they establish diamonds and we've got no decent suit to suggest we can run 9 tricks.

[hotShot]

I consider 3NT and 4♦, but 3NT seems the better choice since 4♦ should have more distribution..

 

Partners 4♥ should be strong, I have 3 key cards and the trump Q so I'll bid 6♥ right away, because it's unclear that partner would not take 4♠ or 4NT as to play.

[paulg]

I'd respond 4♥. I would consider 3NT. I would not be surprised if others seriously considered 4♦ too.

 

After 3NT-4♥, I would cue bid 4♠ on the way to six or seven hearts. I would not play 4NT as blackwood in this auction.

[AlexJonson]

Consider 3NT and 4♥. Bid 4♥.

 

After 3NT-4H, 4NT Blackwood and bid 7♥ if North has two key cards.

[AndreSteff]

1A: 3NT

 

1B: 4♥

 

2A: A strong hand with at least 5 good hearts

2B: 4♠,4NT as Blackwood or if I am afraid for a misunderstanding 6♥, but that could be very costly if we miss a grand.

[Cyberyeti]

Consider 3N, 4♦, 4♥

 

Bid 4♦, concerned partner might have a 4234 strong no trump with no diamond stop if I bid 4♥.

 

After 3N-4♥, 4♠ keycard. Partner has a hand he considers too good for a protective 3♥ or 4♥. I suppose he just might have a hand too good for 3♥ with 6♥/4♠, but that's not too bad either.

[campboy]

1. Consider 3NT, 4♦, 4♥; bid 4♥.

 

2. Expect extra strength, 5+ hearts and playable in at least one other strain, presumably spades. Would consider 4♠ (if I think it is a cue), 4NT, 5♦ (if I think 4♠ is natural), 6♥.

[bluejak]

Well, I consider 4♥, 4♦ and 3NT, and I choose 4♥ - but I think it close.

 

Everyone else seems to think 4♥ is strong [after a 3NT response]. I must admit I did not, and am concerned I am out of line. I think of 4♥ as very distributional, and my ♦A is presumably opposite a void. As for 4♠ now I am afraid partner would consider it correction and pass with 4=6=0=3.

 

Blackwood certainly has something to recommend it. Whether he has a diamond void or not my ♦A means the response cannot confuse me. I do not see how it helps, though.

 

I consider pass, 5♥, 6♥, 4NT and 5♦ and choose 5♦.

[lamford]

I prefer 4H to 3NT, and do not consider other bids. It depends a bit on agreements for 4D originally (and now). Without discussion, I would expect partner to be distributional, but not necessarily that strong and I would bid 5D and consider Pass, but would not bid 4S. He could be something like KQxx A10xxxx none Axx where he had an awkward bid first time round. That makes slam, so I must make a move.

 

As I like "A question of sport: what happened next?", I shall try to second-guess the problem setter. Partner presumably broke tempo either with double or with 4H. I don't think it makes much difference if he doubles slowly - all I can tell is he does not have a classic TO double, but if he broke tempo with 4H, I think he might be worried about showing a good hand when he does not have one, and so pressing on with 5D is the legal action.

[bluejak]

I asked my regular partner. She bid 3NT in the first place, then 4♠ over 4♥. Hmmm. :unsure:

[TimG]

I consider 3H, 3N, and 4H. I choose 4H, but think 3N is a close second.

 

Over 4H, my first instinct was to bid 5D. Upon reflection, I bid 4S. I don't think partner bids this way with a 45 or 46 majors hand, with that he just passes 3N...unless he also has extras.

[ArtK78]

I bid 4♥ and I do not consider it to be close.

 

While partner may have a diamond card, he does not rate to have one (and if his diamond card is something like Qx, the lead is coming through it, so it has no value). So my ♦A is the only stopper. Unless we have 9 running tricks, we will have to give up the lead. It is not impossible for the preempter to have an outside entry.

 

Meanwhile, partner made a takeout double and I have KQxx of hearts. I expect to have an 8 card heart fit, but even if I do not hearts should play OK.

 

If I bid 3NT and partner bid 4♥, I would ask for aces (4NT or 4♠ kickback if available). I do expect partner to have a very strong hand. With "merely" a distributional hand, he would have bid 3♥ or 4♥ over 3♦.

[ahydra]

I'd bid 3NT at first (having considered 4D and 4H like many others). Over 4H I bid 4S (cue bid) expecting something like

 

KQx

AJ10xxxx

-

AJx

 

or better. [Not necessarily a rock-crusher, but definitely a good hand for hearts]

 

Wondering what 4D over 3D would mean, in place of the X?

 

ahydra

[AlexJonson]

I'd bid 3NT at first (having considered 4D and 4H like many others). Over 4H I bid 4S (cue bid) expecting something like

 

KQx

AJ10xxxx

-

AJx

 

or better. [Not necessarily a rock-crusher, but definitely a good hand for hearts]

 

Wondering what 4D over 3D would mean, in place of the X?

 

ahydra

 

For me this sort of hand was 4H initially.

[Phil]

I bid 4♥ and I do not consider it to be close.

 

While partner may have a diamond card, he does not rate to have one (and if his diamond card is something like Qx, the lead is coming through it, so it has no value). So my ♦A is the only stopper. Unless we have 9 running tricks, we will have to give up the lead. It is not impossible for the preempter to have an outside entry.

 

Meanwhile, partner made a takeout double and I have KQxx of hearts. I expect to have an 8 card heart fit, but even if I do not hearts should play OK.

 

If I bid 3NT and partner bid 4♥, I would ask for aces (4NT or 4♠ kickback if available). I do expect partner to have a very strong hand. With "merely" a distributional hand, he would have bid 3♥ or 4♥ over 3♦.

 

I disagree with most of this.

 

I like 3N. I'm not so much concerned with RHO having an entry because I doubt RHO has a spade big enough to beat 3N, and thats if he can get it in time, which I doubt. I am very much concerned with 5-1 breaks in hearts, or RHO getting a spade ruff.

 

If partner continues with 4♥, no way am I bidding RKC 4N because I will probably get passed! 4♠ is possible, but I could probably concoct a hand that I would want this to be natural and its ambiguous enough that I would want to avoid it, unless it keycard (and I play this). I think 5♦ is right, but I doubt I'm getting the information that I need so I could see myself shooting 6♥.

[Finch]

I consider pass, 3NT and 4H.

I bid 4H

 

After....3NT - 4H I consider partner to have a strong distributional hand with good long hearts (say 4=6=0=3). With a strong 3-suited hand partner could have bid 4D.

I do not consider passing.

I consider 4NT, then reject it because it should be natural and discouraging.

I consider 4S, then reject it because it's not clear if it is to play or a cue for hearts.

I consider 6H, then reject it because we might have a grand on.

After all of that, I bid 5D, which definitely agrees hearts, and will bid 5S if partner signs off in 5H.

[dburn]

Would bid 3NT - would consider 4♥ but not for very long.

 

If partner then bid 4♥ I would bid 5♦. 4NT is natural, not Blackwood, and 4♠ shows four of them and can be passed.

[nige1]

IMO

• After 3♦X: 3N = 10, 4♥ = 9, 4N = 8, 4♦ = 7.
• After 4♥: 5♦ = 10, 6♥ = 9, 4N = 8. (BTW I think 4N is RKCB ,not natural here).

[greenender]

Thanks to all for their replies.

 

Double was slow, but not that slow, and my partner and I (E/W) were uncertain as to what it might suggest.

 

4♥ was very slow indeed, and we felt that it suggested that N didn't have the good hand we thought the bid suggested. Glad to see that most posters agree with us here.

 

At first we felt that there was a nasty taste given the ghastliness of N's 4♥ bid after a 3NT response that neither of us would have chosen (although I see that it is a popular choice), but since the 3NT bid was in tempo, and there was no other noticeable UI, we didn't pursue it. Only afterwards did we consider that we should have focussed on S's actions.

 

N held ♠KJ63, ♥J9876, ♦J9, ♣A2, and 4♥ was solid by playing W for the ♠Q. 3NT is off if S takes the first diamond, but if he ducks, E needs to switch to ♣s to beat it. Anything higher is relatively defender-proof.

 

As E, I held ♠752, ♥-, ♦KQ10542, ♣KJ83.

 

I guess that rather than worry about what might have been, I ought to look forward to the opportunity to play a long match against N/S!

[Poky]

1

A What is your call as South?

B What other calls do you consider?

 

2 You elect to bid 3NT. Partner bids 4♥ (W and E both pass)

A What do you think partner has for this sequence?

B What is your call now?

C What other calls do you consider?

 

1A 4♥

1B Pass, but no very much (do no consider neither 3NT nor 4♦)

2A Should have 18+ with 6+♥

2B 5♦, trying for 7♥

2C 4NT and 6♥

[Rossoneri]

I bid 4♥, would consider 3NT.

 

Partner's got a good hand in hearts. Cue ♠ to help him decide.

[mrdct]

1A: 3NT (at these colours against competent opponents I would expect anything remotely resembling ♦ support in west to be raised so I think it's quite probably that we have ♦ double stopped and a balancing double in this situation isn't an iron-clad guarantee of 4♥ in partner's hand).

1B: 4♥

 

2A: Probably a hand with some slam aspirations that was too good to balance with 4♥.

2B: 4NT rkcb.

2C: 4♠, 5♥ or 6♥