Anything good for me, partner?

[ahydra]

MPs, you're NV, they're V

 

[hv=pc=n&s=skthaj9daj865cak7&d=w&v=e&b=16&a=2s(weak)p3s]133|200[/hv]

 

Opps are intermediate to advanced players, no reason to suspect they're being dishonest. 3NT, X or pass?

 

ahydra

[ggwhiz]

Double but I won't be surprised if it's a dive against 140

[WesleyC]

3NT. With only 3H and an ugly spade holding, i'm not excited about playing 4C/4H from partner's side.

 

Opposite [xx xxx Kxxx Jxxx] or similar, 3NT will have a chance while the double will probably lead to 4C going down.

[phil_20686]

I'd probably double at the table, but I know that a lot of people would bid 3N here. Am honestly not sure which is better. Have had good and bad experiences with both.

[phil_20686]

3NT. With only 3H and an ugly spade holding, i'm not excited about playing 4C/4H from partner's side.

 

Opposite [xx xxx Kxxx Jxxx] or similar, 3NT will have a chance while the double will probably lead to 4C going down.

 

Um if you double and partner bids 4c you are surely bidding 4d to show a strong flexible hand. Would expect to play this in 5ds, which has very little play, but you can't have everything :).

[apollo1201]

Haha reminds me of a hand where I was 1345 and bid 3NT with singleton K. And made as LHO duly underled his SA. But I wouldn't be trying it twice. As I'm not overexcited by partner playing the hand with the lead going through my K, I'll bid 3NT which is not down yet (say DK or DQ and an entry and some inspiration on cardplay can be enough). I probably have better chances of making or being -4 than partner in 4C.

[mcphee]

Clear 3N not even a close second choice. I do not see how dble could prove better.

[Mbodell]

I double and pass 4♣ if partner bids it, but I'll raise 4♦. I expect that a fair amount of the time I'll hear 4♥, and a fair amount of the time I'll hear a pass from partner (I'd pass as partner if I held WesleyC's hand). I don't like 3nt, I think I'm stopping spades only once, not able to hold off to cut the opponents off, and unlikely to run 9 tricks.

[Jinksy]

X for me. With a spade stop I can't hold up and a rabbit-eaten primary suit, it's asking a lot from P to fill in the gaps. If he has KQx in diamonds, we might miss game (though they don't have to lead a spade). If he has spades as good as Qxx and not much dist outside, he should be able to find a pass.

[PhantomSac]

Pass is not an option lol, your hand is simply too strong despite the warning signs. I would bid 3N but X could easily work better obv.

[PhantomSac]

Um if you double and partner bids 4c you are surely bidding 4d to show a strong flexible hand. Would expect to play this in 5ds, which has very little play, but you can't have everything :).

 

Bidding over 4C seems terrible

[lycier]

Especially white Vs red,3nt is a playable choice.

[ahydra]

Thanks for the replies all. So the results are 5-4 in favour of 3NT. It was partner who faced this decision; he chose to X, full hand:

 

[hv=pc=n&s=skthaj9daj865cak7&w=sa98653hqtd2c9432&n=s7h8652dk3cqjt865&e=sqj42hk743dqt974c&d=w&v=e&b=16&a=2sp3sdp4hppp]399|300[/hv]

 

I bid 4H because it scores more than 5C for the price of one less trick, but unfortunately 4H is miles away from making. 3NT is obviously cold, and 5C is extremely interesting ;) (Not sure I'd find the squeeze at the table.)

 

Initially I thought 3NT with partner's hand was clear, but on second thought it does look quite a long way from generating 9 tricks (unless I have the DKQ or DK + finesse or something), so I have sympathy with his X.

 

Interestingly 4H-3 (down 3 due to my inability to count) was only an average-minus, as a number of pairs had doubled EW in 4S, reasonably not expecting it to come home on only 14 HCP.

 

ahydra