[Free]

During a team match, you hold:

Scoring: IMP

---

The auction starts:
1♣ - 1♥ - Dbl - pass
?

What's your choice now? I've heard several arguments for 2♥ and 3♣, I'm wondering what's best (or is there an even better bid?)...

[gwnn]

I don't think 3♣ should promise less (much less) than what I've got. I'm telling p, he'll decide. It should be a much more comfortable auction if he's at the helm of it.

[pbleighton]

3C is clear to me, anyway. It's what I've got.

Peter

[hotShot]

2♥ would show at least tolerance in the unbid suits, so my bid is 3♣.

[mike777]

pbleighton, on Feb 4 2007, 01:13 PM, said:

3C is clear to me, anyway. It's what I've got.

Peter

ditto

[whereagles]

In these days pard's dbl can be rather LIGHT. Better to stay low and bid 3♣. In a more conservative style, 2♥ might be better (intending to bid 3NT if pard shows a stopper.

[pclayton]

2♥ is tempting, but it overstates the hand. 3♣ for me.

[Winstonm]

I haven't discussed this, but there is a case for 3H to take on the same meaning it would after RHO opened 1H - bid 3N if you can stop hearts.

[fred]

hotShot, on Feb 4 2007, 06:29 PM, said:

2♥ would show at least tolerance in the unbid suits, so my bid is 3♣.

Disagree with this.

2H is forcing to game. Just about any distribution is possible.

If you think your hand is worth a game force then bid 2H.

If not bid 3C.

Partner should be able to make this particular negative DBL on a light hand (since you don't want to get shut out when you have spades and they have hearts) so I personally don't think this hand is good enough to force to game.

So 3C for me.

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

[cherdano]

While I agree with 3♣ I am fully prepared to miss game opposite ♥K and either the spade ace or the diamond king. Partner won't move with just that over 3♣, but if he has just a little more he will (as he knows that controls are essential to make 3N based on a running suit).

If someone promised me that partner will reply 2N to 2♥, I would bid that and raise to game - but if he bids 3♣ over 2♥ I have no bid.
Arend

[han]

Winstonm, on Feb 4 2007, 03:49 PM, said:

I haven't discussed this, but there is a case for 3H to take on the same meaning it would after RHO opened 1H - bid 3N if you can stop hearts.

You can bid 2H followed by 3H to ask for a stopper. Even better: you can bid 2H followed by 3C to show a gameforcing hand with strong clubs, partner will very likely bid 3NT with a stopper. Partner could have a good hand here, so I think you should tell what you have instead of asking for something.

I think that 3H should have the same meaning as over 1C-1S: splinter, but weaker than 4H.

I would bid 3C with this hand, but it's close to 2H.

[Winstonm]

Hannie, on Feb 4 2007, 08:28 PM, said:

Winstonm, on Feb 4 2007, 03:49 PM, said:

I haven't discussed this, but there is a case for 3H to take on the same meaning it would after RHO opened 1H - bid 3N if you can stop hearts.

You can bid 2H followed by 3H to ask for a stopper. Even better: you can bid 2H followed by 3C to show a gameforcing hand with strong clubs, partner will very likely bid 3NT with a stopper. Partner could have a good hand here, so I think you should tell what you have instead of asking for something.

I think that 3H should have the same meaning as over 1C-1S: splinter, but weaker than 4H.

I would bid 3C with this hand, but it's close to 2H.

Point is it is not good enough for 2H - ergo a direct 3H to emphasize the running nature of the club suit and the need for a heart stopper. It's close either way, but the problem with 3C is it is hard to bid 3N without a club card if there is only one heart stop.

If played this way, 3H should probably show a better hand than this - 8 tricks and looking for a heart stop possibly.

[Apollo81]

3♣

[gwnn]

Winstonm, on Feb 5 2007, 03:58 AM, said:

Point is it is not good enough for 2H - ergo a direct 3H to emphasize the running nature of the club suit and the need for a heart stopper.

So it's not good enough for a GF, yet we're venturing to the 4 level without a ♥ stop (that is, if pd has no heart stop)?

[BebopKid]

I like 3♣ for this one.

[Impact]

3C looks attrractive but responder lacking a C Honour may not realise that the C are solid;

2H is clearly forcing to game but the bid I prefer with a partner on the same wavelength is 3H stopper asking (and if he bids 3S you will raise to 4 given the doubleton H)...and this has the advantage that further competition from overcaller will not leave responder in the dark as to my hand type.

I realise that in US more people would presumably interpret the 3H bid as a splinter for S, but FWIW if you can get your hand type shown in a single bid in a competitive auction, your partenrship will be better placed than otherwise if the level increases dramatically...

regards

[neilkaz]

I make the same bid I would make if PD had been able to make a simple 1/1 response with passed opps and that is 3♣. It is OK that I am at the top of my range of playing strength for my bid.

[Winstonm]

gwnn, on Feb 6 2007, 03:49 PM, said:

Winstonm, on Feb 5 2007, 03:58 AM, said:

Point is it is not good enough for 2H - ergo a direct 3H to emphasize the running nature of the club suit and the need for a heart stopper.

So it's not good enough for a GF, yet we're venturing to the 4 level without a ♥ stop (that is, if pd has no heart stop)?

No, I was posing the question of what 3H should mean. I said "the hand is probably not good enough."

What I am speculating is whether a direct 3H here should should a running suit and an 8-trick hand.

The hand shown is not a 3H bid - but if you bid 3H with a different hand, would pard take it as asking only for a heart stop?