[sceptic]

Scoring: IMP

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West North East South

 Pass  1NT   Pass  2♦
 Pass  2♥    Pass  3♣
 Pass  4♥    Pass  Pass
 Pass  


I decided to bid my shape rather than 3NT

Q1/. can you bid 3NT direct over 1NT
Q2/. if I had chosen to bid 3NT over the transfer, is it automatic to bid 4H
Q3/. is the 3 club bid game forcing 100% or forcing one round or passable

[jillybean]

fwiw..

q1. I would always show my 5♥

q2. we have a ♥ fit, with ♠xxx I think 4♥ should be automatic

q3. 3♣ natural, game forcing, often slam try


jb

[Mr. Dodgy]

I bid 2♠ showing weakness there rather than ♣, but I'm weird.

[Walddk]

I think it's fine that South bids out his shape (3♣). There is nothing slammy about that where I come from. The first step is to find the best *game*.

I see nothing wrong with 4♥ either, but fwiw I would prefer the method I use on an auction like this: 4♣ = fit for both! That could be very helpful for responder if he is interested in slam.

Roland

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

2D is normal, after 2H,
I would bid 3NT, but 3C is
certainly not wrong.
And partner would bid 4H.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[FrancesHinden]

Q1. It's normal to show the hearts
Q2. I think so, but some people like to pass
Q3. Standard nowadays is to play is as 100% game forcing, but you may come across people who don't.

I would bid 3H on North's hand over 3C (failing the agreement that 4C shows heart support as well). If South was in fact looking for slam North has a great hand and 4H takes up a lot of room.

However, if I were North and worried that a pick-up partner might suddenly pass 3H I sympathise with 4H.

[Wackojack]

Q1. Show your hearts
Q2. No. Had South bid 3NT after 2h, (not the best bid in my view) North can use judgement to play there sometimes when holding 3 hearts. However, on this hand North should be concerned about the spades and go to 4h.
Q3. I take 3c as 100% forcing with all partners. One partner likes to have the option passing the next bid of 3h. (1nt 2d,2h3c, 3h) He argues that a bid of 3d is available to show 3 card heart support and some extras. I think this use of the "gap" bid is useful in finding delicate slams. I am not so sure that its non use should be a method of being able to stop in 3h. Regardless, with this method or without it, on your minimum hand with no stop in spades a bid of 4h tells the story.

[FrancesHinden]

Wackojack, on Sep 28 2006, 01:35 PM, said:

Regardless, with this method or without it, on your minimum hand with no stop in spades a bid of 4h tells the story.

That hand isn't a minimum.

Imagine something like

x
Qxxxx
Ax
AJxxx

opposite (not much changed)

and partner will pass 4H with 6C just needing hearts 3-2.

[Wackojack]

I still maintain that North with a 15 count is minimum albeit improved by the 3c bid. Agreed that with the South hand you gave, 6c is an excellent contract.

I would be very interested if you could suggest consistent auctions which would stop at 4h with the actual hands and yet reach 6c with the South hand you have given. It looks like that South has to find out that North is has KQxx clubs plus either, AKx hearts and all low spades, or AK hearts and Kx(x) diamonds.

[FrancesHinden]

I'm not saying it's easy, I'm just suggesting that the North hand is too good to bid 4H over 3C unless you think that shows some specific hand type. With any hand mildly suitable for slam, North just bids 3H over 3C to allow responder to describe their hand further.

You might do it on my suggested layout with

1NT - 2D
2H - 3C
3H - 4C
5C - ...

(if North can't cuebid either pointy suit he must have huge cards in the round suits)

though this is a bit result-merchanty.

On the actual hand South has no slam interest so easy to stop.

[bid_em_up]

sceptic, on Sep 28 2006, 04:46 AM, said:

Scoring: IMP

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West North East South

 Pass  1NT   Pass  2♦
 Pass  2♥    Pass  3♣
 Pass  4♥    Pass  Pass
 Pass  


I decided to bid my shape rather than 3NT

Q1/. can you bid 3NT direct over 1NT
Q2/. if I had chosen to bid 3NT over the transfer, is it automatic to bid 4H
Q3/. is the 3 club bid game forcing 100% or forcing one round or passable

#1) Holding 5-4-2-2, I wouldnt recommend it.

#2) No. Just because you hold 3 trumps, doesnt mean you must correct 3N to 4H. Given the perfectly flat hand, pass would certainly be a reasonable position.....except for the 3 small spades. That factor should encourage a 4H bid, imo.

#3) 100% game force.

[HeartA]

4H is completely a reasonable contract. North/South could have different hands for the bidding and S could be 5-3.... To judge the bidding with a specific hand is not good for the long run....

[EricK]

1. You can but it is quite a position to take. So I wouldn't recommend it.

2. I don't think it would be automatic to bid 4♥. Nor would it be automatic ti pass 3NT. It is a very close decision. The benefit of your 3♣ bid was that it helped partner to judge - he can see the double fit and the likely weakness in ♠.

3. I play 3♣ as a GF. For one thing, if partner doesn't have support for either of your suits you will be too high if you play it as invitational.