Bid game vs. their strong NT?

[apollo1201]

[hv=pc=n&s=sj6hjt9652dkj974c&d=s&v=n&b=15&a=p1nppdp3hp]133|200[/hv]

 

Matchpoints. 1NT is 15-17, and your partner asked you to play X = ♥+minor (54 at least).

 

So you X (although a bit afraid she might convert to penaties and lead ♣). Maybe 2♥ natural was less risky?

 

Anyway here you are, and (for once) partner pleases you with a jump to 3♥.

 

1 more for the road?

[gszes]

[hv=pc=n&s=sj6hjt9652dkj974c&d=s&v=n&b=15&a=p1nppdp3hp]133|200[/hv]

 

Matchpoints. 1NT is 15-17, and your partner asked you to play X = ♥+minor (54 at least).

 

So you X (although a bit afraid she might convert to penaties and lead ♣). Maybe 2♥ natural was less risky?

 

Anyway here you are, and (for once) partner pleases you with a jump to 3♥.

 

1 more for the road?

it is still guesswork but decidedly worth bidding game. If p is at all reasonable their invite will be of the aces variety and since they were expecting only 54 mi 65 is a monster plus.

 

4h I would not xx since I am not all that certain:))

[SteveMoe]

4♥

 

Partner's jump suggests a strong hand and shape that was not convenient for your overcall system - something about x=4=y=5 or the like.

I'd double with same shape and fewer HCP whenever we don't have a penalty double (as here).

So, a 7-loser that might eliminate a ♠ loser on a long ♣ seems worth a raise.

[rmnka447]

4 ♥

 

Give responder 7 HCP, opener a max, then it implies partner has to have about 10 minimum. ♥ would seem to be reasonably placed as opener can't have less than 2 and because of point count would be more likely to hold honors. You've got a lot more distribution than originally promised.

[Caitlynne]

4H.

 

Who knows who can make what. All we really know is that partner has a good heart fit and usually has at least minimum opening values. (LHO typically has 16 HCP, RHO typically has about 5 HCP, and we are looking at 6 HCP - that leaves approximately 13 HCP for partner.)

 

Given this analysis, I can imagine a lot of hands that partner might have where 4H will be cold:

 

Axx, AQxx, Qx, Qxxx

 

Qxxx, KQx, Ax, Kxxx

 

xxxxx, AQx, Qx, Axx

 

Qxx, Axx, Qx, KJxxx

 

and so forth. It would be downright cowardly not to give game a try. All you really need to have from partner to have a reasonable chance of making are two cards - one each in both diamonds and hearts, with at least one of which being an Ace.

[neilkaz]

4♥

[Phil]

4H.

 

Who knows who can make what. All we really know is that partner has a good heart fit and usually has at least minimum opening values. (LHO typically has 16 HCP, RHO typically has about 5 HCP, and we are looking at 6 HCP - that leaves approximately 13 HCP for partner.)

 

Given this analysis, I can imagine a lot of hands that partner might have where 4H will be cold:

 

Axx, AQxx, Qx, Qxxx

 

Qxxx, KQx, Ax, Kxxx

 

xxxxx, AQx, Qx, Axx

 

Qxx, Axx, Qx, KJxxx

 

and so forth. It would be downright cowardly not to give game a try. All you really need to have from partner to have a reasonable chance of making are two cards - one each in both diamonds and hearts, with at least one of which being an Ace.

 

All of these hand types (less shape/more points) should bid 2N. Give us the same hand and another Ace (approximately) and we may have slam.

 

3H is generally a blocking bid but with the partner of the 1N opener not competing there's nothing really to block.

 

I'd expect something like Axxxx Axxx x Axx.

[jogs]

[hv=pc=n&s=sj6hjt9652dkj974c&d=s&v=n&b=15&a=p1nppdp3hp]133|200[/hv]

 

Matchpoints. 1NT is 15-17, and your partner asked you to play X = ♥+minor (54 at least).

 

So you X (although a bit afraid she might convert to penaties and lead ♣). Maybe 2♥ natural was less risky?

 

Anyway here you are, and (for once) partner pleases you with a jump to 3♥.

 

1 more for the road?

Your partner shouldn't be bidding 3♥. Doesn't 2NT or something else ask you to show your minor? Then if your hands fit, she can bid 4♥.

[sfi]

Anyway here you are, and (for once) partner pleases you with a jump to 3♥.

 

1 more for the road?

 

What does 3H show, and what other ways does partner have to show strength? Everyone appears to be assuming it is invitational, but I wouldn't necessarily assume that.

[apollo1201]

It was an occasional partnership and we hadnt really developped. I also wndered what a 2NT cue bid would have meant, but tried 4H and partner made them with Kx Kxxx Qx AQxxx losing 3 aces, but there were other 420s on the travelsheet.

[forgo]

[hv=pc=n&s=sj6hjt9652dkj974c&d=s&v=n&b=15&a=p1nppdp3hp]133|200[/hv]

 

Matchpoints. 1NT is 15-17, and your partner asked you to play X = ♥+minor (54 at least).

 

So you X (although a bit afraid she might convert to penaties and lead ♣). Maybe 2♥ natural was less risky?

 

Anyway here you are, and (for once) partner pleases you with a jump to 3♥.

 

1 more for the road?

 

p likely has 12-14 with great heart fit MUST BID 4 may make 5!!

[Zelandakh]

Partner's jump suggests a strong hand and shape that was not convenient for your overcall system - something about x=4=y=5 or the like.

Does it? The evidence suggests that that hand could have doubled initially and even if not it would surely either have relayed or made a call showing a good raise if that is available (such as an artificial 3♦ for example). We can decide to raise on shape alone here, particularly at these colours, but we should not fool ourselves into thinking that we have the high card strength for game. More likely we are going to cross ruff and hope not to lose 4 on power before it gets set up.

 

As for the actual hand, did your partner forget the agreed system? If you are going to play artificial methods then it is rather important to discuss follow-ups, which are often more complicated than the immediate conventional calls themselves. If one forgets to use the actual methods and neither is sure about the later auction, you are liable to get many results considerably worse than this one somewhere down the line.

[SteveMoe]

... but we should not fool ourselves into thinking that we have the high card strength for game. More likely we are going to cross ruff and hope not to lose 4 on power before it gets set up.

 

Agreed. The 3♥ Jump suggests 4-5 losers and a great ♥ fit. Strength matters here only in that partner's values are well positioned after opener's.

I wonder what a 14-17 HCP 4441 hand does with their system...