A Few Options

[GrahamJson]

I voted for 4D but on reflection I think 4H is better. You need AAAK from partner for a slam to be on. Over 4D partner is likely to go beyond 4H holding AA K, or even AA. Even 4H could to too high (and was in this case).

 

There is mertit in other bids, including 1S, but with an unfamiliar partner I think it best to keep it simple, particularly opposite a BBO "Expert".

[akwoo]

Helene, I suppose your "preemptive " comment is the same as Akoo's re LoTT - I.e 3H would indicate less than 10pts. I am getting a little confused, as my teaching re responses to over calls

was : 3 card support

8-11 Increase bid by 1

12-15. Increase bid by 2

16. Increase by 3

Hence, 3H would not be weak.

What am I not understanding?

 

What your teacher told you is fine for beginners, but almost no advanced players use that system. Once both partners are advanced enough to understand the idea of artificial bids and, in particular, the idea of using opponent's suit as an artificial bid to show a strong hand with support for partner, it is better to play all raises in competition as preemptive (with exceptions as helene_t has pointed out).

 

The advantage against good players is probably around 1 full board in 15, so it's not a huge difference. Against not as good players, the advantage is less, because most of the advantage lies in forcing the opponents to guess the right bid because they don't have room to show each other their hands through the bidding, and not as good players are guessing the right bid even when you don't take up their room.

[keithhus]

Helene/Akwoo, thank you very helpful.

[kenberg]

Every hand is unique. I looked this one up (after I cast my vote and expressed my views). I will switch to spoiler mode for those who wish to not yet see comments on all four hands.

 

 

The opponents have a ten card diamond fit. Ten card fits do not happen every day, and a ten card fit in an unbid suit is even more unusual. Also, let's look at LOTT in its original form: They have ten diamonds, we have nine hearts, LOTT suggests that the number of tricks that they can take playing in diamonds plus the number of tricks that we can take playing in hearts should be 19. Looking at the hands, the hands, it appears to me that we can take 8 tricks in hearts, they can take 9 tricks in diamonds. I am not arguing for against LOTT as a tool during the bidding, but at least in the post mortem it seems roght to observe that the total is short of what LOTT expects. The hand is a bit unusual.. The OP holds three clubs and one diamond, clubs have been bid on his left, no one has bid diamonds, it is reasonable to expect partner to have some diamond length making his stiff useful and his four card trump holding useful. Alas, not so. I and many others noted that the club King is not a great card and that 4H might well go down. Still, I wouldn't go overboard in rejecting 4H based on this hand.

 

A further comment: Unless the 2C bidders plan to pass a rebid of 2H by pard, we are reaching 3H at least, and it is not at all certain that after we raise 2H to 3H that partner will pass.