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How serious?


gnasher

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Q9642 K62 - AKQ72

 

After an artificial sequence, partner has shown 11-14 balanced with exactly three spades. He has denied five hearts or a six-card minor. Partner will be declarer in clubs or spades. You have shown four spades.

 

You bid 3, showing slam interest and at least 5-4 in the black-suits. Partner bids 3. Instead, 4 would have agreed clubs; 3 or 3 would have shown length and strength there; 3NT would probably have been natural.

 

You can now:

- Bid 4, having already made one slam try.

- Bid 3NT, non-serious, but more serious than 4.

- Bid 4 (or something else at the four-level), serious.

 

What's it worth?

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I love to have my ser/non serious opposite a hand with such a big range....

 

Partner has no particular strength in either red suit, so it is possible for him to hold AKx,QJxx,Qxxx,xx. I make one more try- 3 NT and bid 4 over 4 , but 4 NT over 4.

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Minor quibble first: I don't think it's right to play serious/non-serious when one hand is limited. Here it would be better for 3NT to show good trumps, so I would just bid 4 denying good spades.

Another option would be to play 3NT as inviting a cue-bid and four of a suit as showing shape. What do you think of that?

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No expert here, but I make another try. I have:

 

an extra trump

the queen of trump

a void

an AKQxx side suit

 

I think it's worth more than one try. Much depends on diamond waste in partner's hand though. At least he skipped showing strength there. Did I have a chance previously to show diamond shortness? What is the difference between partner's 3 and 4 instead (if that exists)?

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I have:

 

an extra trump

You showed five spades when you bid 3.

 

Did I have a chance previously to show diamond shortness?

Yes, but it would have set spades as trumps. Rightly or wrongly, you judged that getting to clubs opposite a hand like K10x AQx Kxx xxxx was more important than showing the diamond shortage, especially as slam could be cold even opposite diamond wastage.

 

What is the difference between partner's 3 and 4 instead (if that exists)?

4 doesn't exist.

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You only posted your interpretation of the auction.

No, I posted what the auction means, as a matter of partnership agreement.

 

I want to know if partner has wasted values in diamonds.

Partner has neither shown nor denied values in diamonds. If he had, I would have said so.

 

He has declined an opportunity to show length and strength in diamonds. You'll find that in the original post.

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If you insist.

 

1        5+ clubs unbalanced / (441)4 / 11-14 balanced (without 5 hearts or 6 diamonds) / any game-force

    - 1  4+ spades, not promising values

1        Exactly 3 spades, less than a game-force opposite normal responding values

    - 2  Artificial game-force

2        11-14 balanced (without 6 clubs)

    - 3  5+ spades, 4+ clubs, slam try (2 and 2NT would be artificial with meanings that are irrelevant; 4 would be a splinter for spades)

3        Natural (4 would agree clubs; 3 or 3 would show length and strength there; 3NT would probably be natural; 4 DNE.)

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Ok thanks. Well I won't bid 4 since partner won't know what is useful. But with 14 points opposite 11-13, bad trumps, and (for the moment) only an 8 card fit, I am not serious. So I'm left with 3NT. I think that will work fine. I want partner involved in the evaluation since cards like black jacks might be very important, but it can't be all up to him since my red suits are so different and he won't realize that. Partner can't have a club cuebid so if he bids 4 I'll give up (or 4 of course) but if he bids 4 I'll move toward slam. If it's allowed I will bid RKC over that, and if he has two keycards I'll offer 6, three and I'll offer 7.

 

The only change I would possibly offer in that answer is, if partner bids 4 and I bid 4, if he would take that as absolutely no club control or no heart control then I would bid 4 instead to show one. But if he would just take it as your bid doesn't suit me (how Clee and I play it) then I like my 4 bid. If he has like AJx Axx Kxx Jxxx or something then in that style he is certainly allowed to keep bidding.

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Ok thanks. Well I won't bid 4 since partner won't know what is useful. But with 14 points opposite 11-13, bad trumps, and (for the moment) only an 8 card fit, I am not serious. So I'm left with 3NT. I think that will work fine. I want partner involved in the evaluation since cards like black jacks might be very important, but it can't be all up to him since my red suits are so different and he won't realize that. Partner can't have a club cuebid so if he bids 4 I'll give up (or 4 of course) but if he bids 4 I'll move toward slam. If it's allowed I will bid RKC over that, and if he has two keycards I'll offer 6, three and I'll offer 7.

 

The only change I would possibly offer in that answer is, if partner bids 4 and I bid 4, if he would take that as absolutely no club control or no heart control then I would bid 4 instead to show one. But if he would just take it as your bid doesn't suit me (how Clee and I play it) then I like my 4 bid. If he has like AJx Axx Kxx Jxxx or something then in that style he is certainly allowed to keep bidding.

If partner cannot figure out that we have good clubs based on our slam interest and his spade holding, then I am absolutely fine with playing 4.

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