[whereagles]

For today's freak poll we have matchpoints opposite adv field and intermediate opps. None vuln, you hold:

♠ x
♥ AQT98xxx
♦ x
♣ KTx

RHO you
1♣ ....??

System is all natural and RHO's 1♣ was 3+ cards. Yer bid?

[inquiry]

I bid 1♥. The reason is if I preempt 4♥ with this hand, partner will never envision me being this strong or with this much defense (two tricks) at the current vulnerability. I will be in a huge minority here i think, as there are plenty of reasons 4♥ will be a great bid.

[hotShot]

There are 2 bids that make sence 1♥ or 4♥.

Ben perfectly reasoned 1♥.
I'll select 4♥. This will shut off all of opponents communication and they will guess wrong. Partner has no reason to assume that I want to go any further than that.

[luke warm]

i bid 4H because it looks like a 4H hand to me

[luis]

4♣ A good 4M bid.

Luis

[kenberg]

I am one of the three voting for 3H here. The AQT holds me back from bidding 4. My thinking is that if partner holds hearts then the opponents will probably go on to 4S and partner may, depending on his hand, bid 5H. If partner doesn't hold hearts, then 3H may be already be too high but I'll probably get away with it. There is something to be said for 1H of course, but if there is strong opposition bidding in spades I will wish I had more strongly indicated my length. Since it is rare for me to bid 3H on a six card suit, partner will expect seven. Of course I have an extra card, but given the gaps in the honors, I think this is OK.

It is mentioned that the opponents are intermediates and the field is advanced. I sometimes make use of this information in choosing a call (usually in deciding whether to push on to the three level in something like 1C-(1H)-X-(2H)-2S-?Vul situations), but in this case I make the same call against Meckwell.

[EricK]

I bid 4♥.

1♥ leaves them too much room to explore for 4♠ or 5♦ (or 4♥X!). They need the room much more than we do.

Eric

[Free]

1NT, I have a stopper and a suit. I also bypass the ♠ suit, since my alternative is 1♥... If anyone doubles, I just bid 3♥ and partner can make up his mind, knowing that it was not a poor psych (otherwise 2♥).

[whereagles]

Thx all. Hands were

Scoring: MP

South you
1♣ ....??

1♣ = nat 3+ cards

---

4♥ goes down, as there is a trump loser in 4♥ (LHO has Jxx), and even if opps don't lead diamonds or set up a club trick on lead, the spade ace is offside, so 3♥ is the limit. Since spades don't break opps can't make 4♠, even if the diamond ruff isn't found.

Not that this proves anything, but, as the 8005 hand of the other thread, it is another example of how hands with extreme shape and length in an opponent's suit have a tendency to find pard with some two-suiter in the other suits. Just food for thought, I guess.

[akhare]

I am late to the party, but chalk up 4♥ for me. Better to get this off your chest now than wait for the dreaded 4♠ by the time it comes around to you again...

Atul