[adhoc3]

Scoring: IMP

Your partner opened 1NT 15-17 after 3 passes, what's your observation on future? What would you bid?

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Full hand hiden below.

Spoiler

I was holding the north hand. My Partner bid 2♣, hearing 2H, he jumped to 4H. It's a lay-down. Full hand:
North: xxx,AKxx,QJx,KQx
South: K,QJx,xxx,A98765

West: AJxxx,xx,Axx,JTx
East: Qxxx,Txxx,Kxxx,x

It's a lay-down-contract. Other table played 3NT, spade leading ... -3.

[Winstonm]

This may be better: BWS 4-suit transfers.

1N-2S* Club transfer
2N*-3S** *Accepts transfer. **Shortness, game force
4H*-P *I don't have spades either. How about a 4/3?

[Robert]

Hi everyone

1NT-2C-2H-3C*-3D*-3H*-4H-p

2C=stayman but might not have 4m(can show assorted shapes later)

2H=4Hs

3C*=shortness in 'a' major

3D*=asks

3H*=short spades

4H=to play

Regards,
Robert

[P_Marlowe]

3NT

Either it makes or not.

Marlowe

[joker_gib]

3NT

Am I down ?

Ok, next one please !

[EricK]

I bid 3NT.

It is possible that 4H is better (as here), but the way to find out is not via Stayman. If partner has QJx in ♠ and xxxx in ♥ then I am not sure that 4♥ is the place to be.

Eric

[Chamaco]

3NT, the most likely game.

Uninformative auctions in such hands should be a long term winner (defenders may err on opening lead and/or early switches), even if in a few hands we land in inferior contracts.

[pbleighton]

3NT. Let's not be too clever.

Peter

[mcphee]

While a transfer to C and then showing S shortness is a valuable tool I'm not so sure stiff K falls into the useless card I want to tell partner about. These are always hard to guess right. However I think that if a S is the opening lead they may underlead the A and perahps we can win the race. I'm a 3NT bidder even though I use this shortness showing tool to keep us from playing a bad game. My partners all know I bid plenty of bad games!

[fred]

mcphee, on Dec 22 2005, 02:04 PM, said:

While a transfer to C and then showing S shortness is a valuable tool I'm not so sure stiff K falls into the useless card I want to tell partner about. These are always hard to guess right. However I think that if a S is the opening lead they may underlead the A and perahps we can win the race. I'm a 3NT bidder even though I use this shortness showing tool to keep us from playing a bad game. My partners all know I bid plenty of bad games!

Agree with this completely. In my experience it is a serious error to show shortness in this auction with a "game only" hand that contains a singleton Ace or King (and with some hands containing a singleton Queen). Showing your spade shortness with this hand amounts to begging your partner to make the wrong decision. For example, with Qxx of spades partner will rarely opt for 3NT. Even with Axx he will often choose to play in clubs. Sometimes he will be right, but more often than not you will end up in a silly 5 clubs instead of a cold 3NT.

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

[Winstonm]

fred, on Dec 22 2005, 09:24 AM, said:

mcphee, on Dec 22 2005, 02:04 PM, said:

While a transfer to C and then showing S shortness is a valuable tool I'm not so sure stiff  K falls into the useless card I want to tell partner about. These are always hard to guess right. However I think that if a S is the opening lead they may underlead the A and perahps we can win the race. I'm a 3NT bidder even though I use this shortness showing tool to keep us from playing a bad game. My partners all know I bid plenty of bad games!

Agree with this completely. In my experience it is a serious error to show shortness in this auction with a "game only" hand that contains a singleton Ace or King (and with some hands containing a singleton Queen). Showing your spade shortness with this hand amounts to begging your partner to make the wrong decision. For example, with Qxx of spades partner will rarely opt for 3NT. Even with Axx he will often choose to play in clubs. Sometimes he will be right, but more often than not you will end up in a silly 5 clubs instead of a cold 3NT.

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

I agree and 3N would have been my call as well; the purpose of the post was so show that rather broadly accepted methods are available to pursue hands of this type if one is so inclined (I am not so inclined on this hand- I bid 3N.) One hand that worked out well does not prove or disprove anything.

Winston

[Kalvan14]

fred, on Dec 22 2005, 09:24 AM, said:

mcphee, on Dec 22 2005, 02:04 PM, said:

While a transfer to C and then showing S shortness is a valuable tool I'm not so sure stiff  K falls into the useless card I want to tell partner about. These are always hard to guess right. However I think that if a S is the opening lead they may underlead the A and perahps we can win the race. I'm a 3NT bidder even though I use this shortness showing tool to keep us from playing a bad game. My partners all know I bid plenty of bad games!

Agree with this completely. In my experience it is a serious error to show shortness in this auction with a "game only" hand that contains a singleton Ace or King (and with some hands containing a singleton Queen). Showing your spade shortness with this hand amounts to begging your partner to make the wrong decision. For example, with Qxx of spades partner will rarely opt for 3NT. Even with Axx he will often choose to play in clubs. Sometimes he will be right, but more often than not you will end up in a silly 5 clubs instead of a cold 3NT.

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

Well said, Mcphee and Fred. I do completely agree with you both

[Gerben42]

I make a game try, try 3NT
♠K might be the stopper.

As to the full hand: Too bad ♠ Ace is off side. The West hand would lead a small spade to our king. Next!

Your partner was masterminding. For example if partner has:

North: QJx,Axxx,QJx,KQx

Same 3NT, same lead to King and Ace, claim. Good luck in 4♥!

[civill]

Directly 3NT!