[kfgauss]

Imps, favorable. You hold:

AJxx Jxxx x 98xx.

RHO deals: 1S P 2S 3H; 4D ?

(RHO's 4D needn't be a slam try and is likely just showing a suit to help with competitive decisions.)

What's your bid? What do you do if they compete further in spades?

[mike777]

Pass

Playing OBAR, 3H at fav vul could very weak and need not be that long. 3H was not a suggestion for a sacrifice. Of course I tend to Sac too little at Imps, this may be one reason why.

[inquiry]

I am never bidding 5♥, no or later, and would not consider 6♥ either. I do have 4♠ including the master trump. Assuming we can force declarer to ruff a heart, then later I can hold off ♠ ace to the right time, and maybe force another ♥ ruff and have the master trump (the ace of trumps is more powerful when you can use it to control timing for a force).

Sometimes you will not want to show support in an effort to keep fthem from guessing at shortness in your suit in one or the other fo their hands. Here, I really have no great fear of 6♠ (yes it might make, but I am willing to take my chances), so letting them know about their fit is not something I will lose sleep over. So for me, I will bid 4♥, which on the surface hardly gets in their way at all. If they are going to bid 4♠ and if they stop to double 4♥'s fine, I will live with that. But I will bid 4♥ for the simple reason it prevents west from cue-bidding 4♥. Sure he can make a forcing pass and then pull a double to express slam interest, but 4♥ does muddle up their free and easy communication.

I am not bidding 5♥ because this is imps, and partner couldn't bid 2♥ or even 3♥ over 1♠. Even if it is only down three, that will not win much at imps, and I could imagine it going down more than three.

[Elianna]

inquiry, on May 5 2006, 12:02 PM, said:

I am not bidding 5♥ because this is imps, and partner couldn't bid 2♥ or even 3♥ over 1♠. Even if it is only down three, that will not win much at imps, and I could imagine it going down more than three.

As a possible reason partner couldn't bid over 1♠ would be that she would be bidding out of turn, I'll let her off the hook for that one.

[inquiry]

Elianna, on May 5 2006, 03:05 PM, said:

inquiry, on May 5 2006, 12:02 PM, said:

I am not bidding 5♥ because this is imps, and partner couldn't bid 2♥ or even 3♥ over 1♠. Even if it is only down three, that will not win much at imps, and I could imagine it going down more than three.

As a possible reason partner couldn't bid over 1♠ would be that she would be bidding out of turn, I'll let her off the hook for that one.

You are much too kind... I never let them off with such a flimsy excuse... .

[luke warm]

i'd bid 4♥ and then pass 4♠... 4♥ probably won't get doubled with them hesitant to miss a vul game

[Codo]

3 Heart looks like a more constructive bid then 4 Heart, so Pd may (or may not) have defensive values.
I bid 4 Heart and double 4 Spade. I have as much defensive value as I need for this double. If pd had bid on x,KQTxxxx,xxx,xx, he should be allowed to take the double out to 5 Heart.