do you accept a short suit game try?

[VM1973]

I agree with Mbodell. The hand rates at least 23 zar points and surely must be too strong for a simple 1♠-2♠ raise.

[jdeegan]

:P 3♠ was my initial response w/o seeing the results. My reasoning was that unless partner can pick up spades and diamonds with only one combined loser, this mess will probably degenerate into a scramble hand. In that case 3♠ making four (because partner is such a good dummy player) ought to be an average or average plus board anyway.

 

The actual hand happened to be a perfect fitter, so five spades is almost a laydown, and six is possible. Too bad you were not playing long suit game tries. Too bad your partner chose to take a monstrous underbid on this particular hand. With 17 gilt edged HCP and a singleton, simply bidding 4♠ is correct. Partner is good for nine tricks opposite ♠Kxx and the ♦10. The only possible reason for 3♥ is to hunt for an unlikely slam. In this case, you would end up in game anyway.

[mycroft]

I am another who may not accept. If partner doesn't have the ♠A, I expect that after he's told everyone we're crossruffing, we'll be doing it with one trump on the board. I tend to avoid making SSGT at Matchpoints, for that reason.

 

I would be just blasting game with the North hand. It's a pity that I don't have a "I actually have a secondary diamond suit, does that help?" call - just a "need help in diamonds" or "short hearts" - but that hand's too strong for *any* game try. If I have to make one, it's 2NT - assuming that's "where can you accept a long suit try" - because the answer is "anywhere but hearts is good".