...or not to bid?

[nielsfoged]

[hv=pc=n&s=s85hakqjtdq7542ct&d=n&v=e&b=9&a=p1n]133|200| Team/IMPs a) 1NT=15-17 b) 1NT=12-14[/hv]

[the hog]

Any conventional bid that shows H and another.

[nielsfoged]

[hv=pc=n&s=s85hakqjtdq7542ct&w=skq42h87da3cqj754&n=st763h32dj96c8632&e=saj9h9654dkt8cak9&d=n&v=e&b=9&a=p1n2h3hp3sp4sppp]399|300|3H=Lebensohl (GF, exactly 4 spades, no heart stopper)[/hv]

Team/Imps. This is the full deal and bidding.

Maybe a little unfortunate for South, but afterwards, I actually felt I should have foreseen that my 2♥ bid had little chance of doing any good, and was quite likely to cause troubles for our side rather than the opponents.

Still, the poll shows that >90% of the participants found it a good idea to bid in South. Also at the tables most EW pairs avoided 3NT and successfully reached 4S or 5C instead - something which is not easy to do without interference, if EW opens 15 balanced with 1NT.

/Niels

[dake50]

Never try for a red suit partial when you can set 3NT.

Let this hand be reopening if they stop.

It's a nothing hand against 4S,5C - not even putting

opponents to a tough game decision guess.

Why blab?

[lalldonn]

I show hearts and a minor, or whatever convention fits these suits. If I pass they get to spades and I'm the one left guessing on the 3 level. Or even worse they might transfer to clubs. It's not like you know they will just get to 3NT.

[han]

I think that east-west should be able to avoid 3NT even when they have the whole auction to themselves.

[Fluffy]

I disagree han, at least me I'd jump to 3NT after stayman.

 

Anyway, if you feel like you don't wanna bid again with this hand in case opponents have a moysan fit in spades that ruffs on the 4s hand but still makes because partner has a yarborough you have an over-learning problem.

[rhm]

I think that east-west should be able to avoid 3NT even when they have the whole auction to themselves.

How?

 

Rainer Herrmann

[gnasher]

How?

As responder I would show a game-force with 4-5 in the black suits, by whatever means the partnership uses. If that were all that opener knew, he wouldn't choose to play 3NT.

 

This in itself isn't a perfect solution - if the hands were KQxx Ax xx QJxxx and AJx xxxx K10x AKx we'd want to be in 3NT. It wouldn't usually cost to reach 4♠, but it would be disappointing to get to 5♣.

 

If your methods allow you to bid

1NT-2♣

2♥-3♣

3♦

showing values in diamonds, that would do the job. You'd get to 4♠ or 5♣ opposite the original responding hand, and 3NT opposite the one with ♥Ax.