[Fluffy]

W - E
1♥-2♦
2♥-3♣
3NT-ps

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Who bid worse? and who made the worse call?

[whereagles]

That's easy: East if you were East, West if you were West

[Fluffy]

whereagles, on Dec 15 2005, 10:56 PM, said:

That's easy: East if you were East, West if you were West

Touche

[awm]

While I don't like west's 3nt call (3♥ seems more descriptive, and NT may play better from partner's side), I'd blame east for missing the slam. With 6-5 shape and 17 high this hand must be worth another try over 3NT. Note that west's 3NT call certainly doesn't deny three clubs, or two diamonds.

[Gerben42]

Quote

That's easy: East if you were East, West if you were West   

That was what I was going to answer, nice catch!

Disagree with: 2♥ and passing 3NT. Rest was okay

[tysen2k]

I think all the bids are reasonable except pass. I'd bid 4♣, which must be forcing.

Tysen

[mikeh]

I would prefer 3♦ rather than 3N. That Qx of ♦ is important, and there is time to get back to 3N if needed: a 3♠ bid by East would be a mark-time call: maybe on xxx x AKJxx KJxx, for example.

And that error led directly and logically to the final and fatal pass of 3N. West bid as if he held Kxx AKJxxx x xxx: East was concerned that he lacked any degree of fit and did not want to commit to 4N with soft ♠ and the probable need to get lucky in a minor to score 10 tricks.

However, as I just posted on another Fluffy problem, one cannot live in fear and so I think that East should take another call: maybe 4♣, incase West has Axx AKxxxx x Kxx and wakes up to the power of his hand.

Surely even the timid West who bid 3N would now drive to slam.

[Kalvan14]

Both E and W are underbidders. Most of the blame is with E, in any case.
4♣ still stands out.

[FrancesHinden]

I hate the 3NT bid.
I don't know your methods, if 2H promised a sixth heart. If it didn't, 3H over 3C is clear as you have 100 honours in a decent 6-card suit. If it did, I think it's close between 3D, 3H and 3S over 3C. 3NT massively overstates the spade holding (you only have one stop and it's the ace, very good for suit play) and understates the fine holdings in the other suits. It's a 'shut up shop' showing an unsuitable minimum with wasted stuff in spades, which is hugely what wast doesn't have.

That said, I also agree passing 3NT is wrong, but I don't think it's as bad.
Funnily enough, playing Acol-style 2/1s this hand becomes easy to bid - 1H - 2D - 3H - 4C (natural) - 4D - 5C - 5H (cue, or 5S if you aren't confident) - 6C - 6D.

[joker_gib]

2♥ is an underbid
3NT is awful
Pass is horrible with this monster !

Alain

[Winstonm]

Although opener can take some of the blame, the hand with the most slam potential bears the brunt IMO.

Opener holds a 6-loser hand; responder a 4-loser hand. Opener must find a number of usable cards for slam to be on; responder only needs 3.

I can't fault too much the 2H bid as 3H eats up so much room; however, responder can (and should I think) announce intentions far greater than 3N with a continuance of 4C.

I am also in MikeH's corner that 3D by opener over responder's 3C is by far the best bid - if 3N or 4H is the right spot there is plenty of time and room to find it over a 3D bid.

So I assign the blame 100% to both sides as each had the chance to correct the auction.

Winston

[mcphee]

No reason for the opening hand not to bid 3D especially with Qx, as Mike points out, there is still plenty of time to reach 3N. Passing 3N seems very timid to me.

I think failure to bid 3D was the bid making the most damage in the bidding here, with passing 3N a close second.